Sometimes you just need a warm mug of hot cocoa topped with an alarming amount of marshmallows to make it through the holiday (Baileys optional, but strongly recommended). Since hot cocoa is the secret ingredient to a warm heart, I wanted to test this theory out by partaking in one of my favorite past times: turning delicious seasonal beverages into dessert. I will say making a cheesecake with actual hot chocolate in it requires a level of patience I do not possess…I could not wait long enough for my peppermint hot cocoa to cool off before mixing in, and, as a result, had quite a few burst bubbles on the top of my cheesecake. So she doesn’t have buttery smooth skin–she’s still delicious. And now I can live out my pre-New-Year’s-Eve feasting plans by having a balanced diet of a mug of peppermint hot chocolate in one hand and a giant slice of peppermint hot cocoa cheesecake in the other. It’s the perfect blend…
Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cheesecake
A peppermint and chocolate cheesecake on a mint chocolate crust topped with mini marshmallows and whipped cream
Ingredients
CRUST*150 g (a little over 1 box) Simple Mill’s gluten free mint chocolate sweet thins
*3 TBS sugar free syrup
*If needed, 1 TBS liquid
CHEESECAKE FILLING
*224 g (8 ounces) 1/3 the fat cream cheese at room temp
*48 g (1/4 cup) allulose
*226 g (1 cup) nonfat Greek yogurt, strained overnight
*60 g (1/2 cup) Quest chocolate milkshake protein powder
*6 ounces peppermint hot chocolate, brewed and cooled
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/4 tsp peppermint extract
*2 large eggs
TOPPINGS
*Mini freeze-dried marshmallows (I used 10 g)
*Cool Whip Free (I used 54 g or about ~3/4 cup)
*Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips (I used 14 g)
Directions
- Line an 8″ springform pan with Parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Dump the sweet thins and syrup in a food processor and grind until smooth (if mixture is too thick, add additional TBS of liquid).
- Place crust mix into prepared pan and smooth to the edges (I use cooking spray on my hands to make this easier).
- Bake for 10 minutes until golden; remove to cool while making filling.
- Using a whisk attachment, mix the cream cheese and allulose in a stand mixer on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Add in the yogurt and protein powder mixing well (it will be thick/chunky).
- Add in hot cocoa, mint, and vanilla, and blend until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Switch to a paddle attachment, and on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
- Fill a large roasting pan with 4-5 cups of steaming hot water. Wrap your springform pan in several layers of foil and place into a crockpot liner, tying the edge up, to keep your cheesecake from getting any water into it during the water bath.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan, and put the prepared pan into the roasting pan with water.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the sides have set but the center is still jiggly.
- Turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake inside, and crack the oven door to allow the cheesecake to finish baking for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool to room temp; I like to run a sharp knife around the edges after it is cool.
- Refrigerate cheesecake overnight or place in fridge for 4 hours before removing from springform.
- Use a 1M piping tip to decorate stars and swirls around the cheesecake to make a border.
- Sprinkle marshmallows and chocolate chips on top as desired.
- Keep leftover cheesecake covered in the fridge.
Nutrition
Macros8 servings
258.4 cal/21.1 c/13.2 f/13.8 p per slice
Kate Bakes Cakes 