Candy Cane No Bake Cheesecake (Vegan)
This candy cane no-bake cheesecake is a creamy, candy cane-filled cheesecake with a chocolate graham and candy cane crust. A simple, dairy-free holiday treat.
This no-bake cheesecake is like Christmas day in your mouth. On top of a chocolate graham cracker and candy cane crust is a creamy cheesecake filled with crushed candy canes and peppermint extract. This wonderfully festive dessert is “pepperminty” from top to bottom. It comes together quite easily, is dairy- and egg-free, and perfect for any holiday table.
What you will need:
Cream cheese and candy canes are a must for this recipe. I used Violife plant based cream cheese for this recipe. I find Violife has the best flavor. I used Yum Earth candy canes for this recipe. Target tends to carry Yum Earth products; they can also be found on Amazon. All other ingredients are basic pantry items.
- Chocolate Teddy Grahams
- plant based butter
- candy canes
- Violife dairy free cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- peppermint extract
- plant based heavy cream
How to:
This recipe requires a 9-inch round pan. A springform pan is ideal, but if you do not have one, a 9-inch round pan will work. I used a 9-inch round cake pan. I created a sling with two strips of parchment paper and removed the cheesecake quite easily from the pan while it was still frozen.
The first step is to crush up the Teddy Grahams and candy canes. I used a food processor for the grahams. I crushed the candy canes by hand; this gave me more control over the size of the pieces. I wanted there to be small chunks in the crust, not just a fine powder. To the crushed grahams, add the melted butter. Stir the mixture until all of the butter is absorbed and fully incorporated. To the crust mixture, add the crushed candy canes; fold them in until they are well incorporated. Pour the mixture into your pan. Make sure it is spread out evenly and firmly pressed down. Place the crust in the refrigerator to set (15 to 20 minutes).
Once the crust is set, the cheesecake can be prepared. To a medium bowl, add the cream cheese. Whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. To the whipped cream cheese, add the powdered sugar. Whip on medium speed for another minute or two. Next, add the heavy cream and peppermint extract to the mixture and whip on medium to high speed for another 2 to 3 minutes. Finally, add the crushed candy canes to the cream cheese mixture; fold them in just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan. Make sure it is spread out evenly. Some candy cane pieces can be sprinkled over the top of the cheesecake before placing it in the freezer. Place the cheesecake in the freezer to set; it takes 4 to 6 hours.
Once set, remove the cheesecake from the freezer. If you used a cake pan instead of a springform pan, now is the time to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Once the cheesecake starts to soften, it will become too difficult to remove it from the pan. Allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving. A sprinkle of crushed candy cane and/or piped whipped cream are options for a final look.
Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator.
Alright, let’s get started. Please make and enjoy!
Candy Cane No Bake Cheesecake (Vegan)
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 grams chocolate Teddy Grahams – finely crushed
- 2 full size candy canes – semi finely crushed
- 5 tbsp plant based butter – melted
No Bake Cheesecake
- 600 grams plant based cream cheese – I used violife (3 tubs) (room temperature)
- 1½ cups / 180 grams powdered sugar
- 1 cup plant based heavy cream (needs to be cold)
- 5 full size candy canes – crushed
- 2 tsp peppermint extract
optional
- extra candy canes – for decoration
- whipped cream – for decoration
Instructions
Crust
- This recipe requires a 9 inch round pan – a 9 inch springform is perfect. If you do not have a springform pan, a 9 inch round cake pan will work. I used a round cake pan and created a sling with parchment paper. It was quite easy to remove the cheesecake from the pan while it was still frozen.
- To a small bowl, add the crushed Teddy Grahams. To the crushed grahams, add the melted butter and stir until all the butter is absorbed and fully incorporated. Add the crushed candy canes to the mixture and fold them in until fully incorporated. Add the crust mixture to your pan; make sure it is spread out evenly and firmly pressed down. Place the crust in the refrigerator to set ( 15 to 20 minutes).
No Bake Cheesecake
- To a medium bowl, add the cream cheese. With a hand mixer on medium speed, whip the cream cheese until smooth and creamy – about 2 minutes. To the cream cheese, add the powdered sugar. Continue whipping on medium speed for another minute or two. Add the heavy cream and peppermint extract and continue whipping on medium to medium high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crushed candy canes to the cream cheese mixture and fold them in until well incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan; making sure it is spread out evenly. Place the cheesecake in the freezer to set – takes 4 to 6 hours.optional – sprinkle some candy cane pieces over the cheesecake batter before placing it in the freezer.
- Once set, remove the cheesecake from the freezer. If you used a cake pan instead of a springform pan, now is the time to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Once the cheesecake starts to soften, it will become too difficult to remove it from the pan. Allow 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before cutting and serving. Topping the cheesecake with some whipped cream and a dusting of finely crushed candy cane is a nice final look.Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator.
If this is what I just ate…superb!
So glad you enjoyed it Dan.