Peppermint is a quintessential flavor for the holidays. It’s what gives candy canes, festive Oreo peppermint bark and of course, peppermint bark an iconic taste.
We’re thrilled that Peppermint Bark Cheesecake has made its official annual return to Cheesecake Factory. If you plan to indulge (yes, please), we promise you’re in for a real treat. Chew on these fun facts about Cheesecake Factory, too.
What Does It Taste Like?
In short, it tastes like pure Christmas bliss!
Each piece starts with a chocolate crust base. Then, the white chocolate cheesecake is swirled with nuggets of chocolate peppermint bark, topped with white chocolate mousse and garnished with studs of chopped peppermint. Each forkful tastes delicious and looks gorgeous—just what we love in a decadent dessert.
This beauty is available through the Christmas season. So, head to your nearest Cheesecake Factory ASAP to share a slice, enjoy on your own or take an entire pie home with you! (You can never have too much cheesecake.)
You have to give the gift of cheesecake. In addition to its fan-favorite seasonal cheesecakes, Cheesecake Factory also brought back its Slice of Joy promotion. With every $25 gift card or e-gift card purchased through December 31, you’ll receive a voucher for a complimentary slice of cheesecake! How sweet is that?
You can redeem your free cheesecake as early as January 1, 2021, and as late as March 31, 2021. There’s no better time to treat yourself to a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, so get your hands on this one before it’s gone! (We know what we’re leaving out for Santa…)
What a great make-ahead treat! This cake log is perfect for the holidays because you can make it when you have time, store it in the freezer and scratch dessert off of your to-do list. —Brenda Sinclair, Princeton, Missouri
I wanted to impress my husband's family with something you'd expect to find in a European bakery, and these chocolaty treats are what I came up with. The flaky pastry melts in your mouth. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
My grandmother encouraged me to enter these mint brownies in the county fair some years ago—and they earned top honors! They're a delicious treat to serve during the holidays. —Marcy Greenblatt, Redding, California
Red velvet cookies and cakes are so pretty, but I always wish they had a bigger flavor. I infused these thumbprints with a peppermint pop. —Priscilla Yee, Concord, California
Peppermint ice cream makes this creamy drink taste—and look—more like a dessert than a punch! I've mixed it many times for ladies' lunches and buffets. For a fun garnish, hang mini candy canes around the punch bowl or on cups. —Neva Schnauber, Ft. Collins, Colorado
A merrier melt-in-your-mouth sweet than this butter-mint holly would be hard to find! It's inexpensive to make, looks so lovely on a candy tray and doesn't require refrigeration.
When my college roommate first made this pie, I couldn't get enough! Using a store-bought crust helps save time when you're in the midst of the holidays. —Charlotte Stewart, Mesa, Arizona
These lollipops can be made with any shape cookie cutter. Gingerbread men, snowmen, Christmas trees and reindeer—there are endless color and design options, so let your creative juices flow! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
One sight of this lovely cake will have guests saving room for dessert! For an easy garnish, sprinkle with crushed mint candies.—Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario
No time to bake cookies from scratch? Create a tasty treat in little more than half an hour by doctoring butter-flavored crackers with vanilla chips and mint candies.—Kathleen Felton, Fairfax, Iowa
This fabulous dessert has the magical flavor of candy canes plus the bonus of an Oreo cookie crust. And it looks like a winter wonderland. —Dawn Kreuser, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Even though she is no longer with us, Nana’s treats bring me so much joy every time
I bake them. For a more indulgent version, double the frosting and pile it on high! —Chekota Hunter, Cassville, Missouri
Using prepared cookie dough gives you a nice head start to your own little forest of Christmas trees. Get the kids involved in this holiday craft to keep them busy making memories.—Sue Draheim, Waterford, Wisconsin
A couple of years ago, I saw a recipe for a peppermint red velvet cake that called for cake mixes. I prefer homemade cakes, so I developed this one from scratch. It is a beautiful, elegant dessert. In the summer, I omit the peppermint and use fresh berries, adding them between the layers and on top of the frosting. —Aimee Fortney, Fairview, Tennessee
No one will believe that these rich and buttery cookies are light, but they are! With their colorful swirls, each one of these minty, sugary bites has its own look. —Lois Hill, Thomasville, North Carolina
I first made this minty cool torte for a ladies' meeting at our church. I’m still making it, and the compliments keep coming. —Elma Penner, Oak Bluff, Manitoba
As rosy as Santa's cheeks, these merry morsels with chocolate kisses on top are a delightful yuletide favorite and one of my most-requested recipes. —Traci Wynne, Denver, Pennsylvania
This recipe came from an old family friend and is always high on everyone's cookie request list. I make at least six batches for Noel nibbling and give some away as gifts. —Beverly Fehner, Gladstone, Missouri
Indulge in candy-shop flavor with these rich swirled squares. For Christmasy color, I add crushed peppermint candies and red food coloring. —Suzette Jury, Keene, California
This is a variation of the cookies my mother made when I was growing up. Now my 13-year-old daughter and I bake them together. They’re always a huge hit! The taste is like rich hot chocolate baked into a scrumptious cookie. —Larry Piklor, Johnsburg, Illinois
I created these bars for my daughter, who loves peppermint. The buttery shortbread texture just melts in your mouth. It’s a hit wherever I take it. —Susan Ciuffreda, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Is it a cookie or a candy? No matter which answer folks choose, they find these minty morsels yummy. The recipe makes so much that you can whip up tons of gifts at once. —Adina Skilbred, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin
Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without these cute-as-can-be treats. Fudgy-rich chocolate cookies with refreshing mint flavor, soft marshmallow,
crunchy candy...it’s a must-try holiday recipe! —Priscilla Yee, Concord, California
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s festive, delicious and easy to make, this is the one for you. Drizzled in hot fudge sauce and loaded with pretty peppermint pieces, this almost tempting treat will have guests asking for seconds. —Pam Lancaster, Willis, Virginia
When chocolate and mint get together with a hint of peppermint, mmm…magic happens. If you don't have mini muffin pans to make these cookies, use disposable foil baking cups.—Pam Correll, Brockport, Pennsylvania
I love to make cheesecakes and frequently give them as gifts or donate them to fundraisers. This one is very popular. —Gretchen Ely, West Lafayette, Indiana
I love to make spritz cookies. Each year I make several varieties of cookies and then deliver them to friends. I love to watch them crack a smile when they see a plate full of cookies. —Margaret Otley, Waverly, Nebraska
My grandmother gave me a cookbook stuffed with recipes. This is a slight twist on one of the first—and best—recipes I made from the book. It's best to store these in the refrigerator. —Mary Murphy, Evansville, Indiana
These incredible melt-in-your-mouth candies have the perfect amount of mint nestled between layers of mild chocolate. Even when I make a double batch for everyone to enjoy, the supply never lasts long at Christmas! —Rhonda Vauble, Sac City, Iowa
I came up with this recipe by modifying one of my mom's gelatin-based desserts. The pretty pink sweet is a welcome sight on the table.—Joni Hilton, Rocklin, California
Since chocolate and mint is my favorite flavor combination, these dainty frosted treats are hard to resist. But I manage to save some for guests, because they make my cookie trays look so elegant. —Anne Revers, Omaha, Nebraska
Ceara “Kiwi” Milligan is a professional marketing strategist and copywriter who is proud to call Milwaukee home. She loves baking, cooking, writing, listening to music, dancing, playing and hosting trivia, watching college basketball (Go Marquette!), telling lame jokes, and petting every dog that crosses her path.