Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

This vibrant colored Mint Chocolate Cheesecake is great for any chocolate mint lover. It has a mint chocolate Oreo crust, a green mint cheesecake filling with bits of milk chocolate folded into it.

PREP TIME: 35 minutes

COOK TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

COOL TIME: 4 hours 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 6 hours 25 minutes

SERVINGS: 8 slices

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

14 Oreo Cookies

8 Mint Oreo Cookies

4 tablespoons Butter, melted

CRUST INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a food processor, add in the Oreo cookies. Pulse until the Oreo cookies are fine crumbs.

3. Add the melted butter into the Oreo cookie crumbs and pulse a couple of times until the butter has coated all of the crumbs.

4. Dump the cookie crumbs into a 9-inch spring-form pan. Press them firmly into the bottom of the pan.

5. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you work on the cheesecake filling.

CHEESECAKE FILLING INGREDIENTS:

24 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1 & 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Mint Extract

4 Large Eggs

1 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 teaspoon Green Gel Food Coloring

6 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars, chopped

CHEESECAKE FILLING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the cream cheese. Beat on medium until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. Add the sugar in with the cream cheese. Beat on medium until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add the vanilla extract, mint extract, and the eggs one at a time into the cream cheese mixture. Beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Add in the sour cream, heavy cream, and green gel food coloring and beat until the food coloring is evenly distributed.

5. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

6. Wrap the bottom of the spring-form pan with heavy aluminum foil. I always double wrap it to prevent leaking. Place the cheesecake into a slightly bigger pan and fill with 1 to 2 inches of hot water. Make sure the foil protects the cheesecake so water doesn't leak into it.

7. Spray the sides of the spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray.

8. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the Oreo cookie crust.

9. Place in the oven. Let the cheesecake bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until done. To make sure the cheesecake is done, give it a wiggle. If it slightly jiggles in JUST the middle like Jell-o, then it's done. If it jiggles all over, it needs to bake longer. Turn off the heat and open the oven door a crack. Let it cool in the oven.

10. Place into the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours but I recommend overnight.

GANACHE INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

GANACHE INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, add in the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave for 1 minute and stir until the heavy cream is incorporated. Microwave one more time for 30 seconds and stir until the ganache comes together and is smooth.

2. Pour onto the cheesecake. Chill for at least 30 minutes. You can do this before it chills in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight as well.

WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 tablespoons Powdered Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Mint Extract

2 to 3 drops Green Gel Good Coloring

Andes Chocolate Mints

WHIPPED CREAM INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.

2. Add in the powdered sugar, mint extract and green gel good coloring and beat until stiff peaks form.

3. Add the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with the 1M tip.

4. Pipe Swirls on the top of the chilled cheesecake. Add the Andes Mints chocolates on top of each swirl of whipped cream.

5. Slice and serve! Store leftovers in the fridge.