Peppermint Parfaits
These adorable Peppermint Parfaits feature a crushed Oreo cookie base topped with a swirl of sweet cheesecake and peppermint cheesecake mousse garnished with a candy cane and snowman face.
If you need a sweet, delicious treat for your next holiday gathering that’s quick and easy but makes you look like a holiday cooking star, then you’ve found it here. These parfaits are beautiful, festive, and so easy to make.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Aside from the snowman faces found on Amazon, this recipe uses basic ingredients you can find in any grocery store.
- Easy: These swirled parfaits might look a little fancy, but they’re so easy to make.
- Delicious Holiday Flavor: The cool, creamy sweetness of the cheesecake mousse combined with the peppermint creates a delicious holiday flavor everyone will love.
🛒Ingredients
Everything you need to make this recipe is listed here, but you can find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Parfaits
- Mini Oreos
- Cream cheese – softened
- Heavy whipping cream
- Vanilla
- Powdered sugar
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
- Peppermint flavoring
- Red food coloring gel
Garnish
- Peppermint sticks
- Snowman faces
- Sprinkles
🔪 How to Make Peppermint Parfaits
Making these parfaits is incredibly easy. It only takes a few minutes of prep, and you’re all done!
Step 1: Add the Oreos
Crush the bag of Mini Oreos and fill the bottoms of the parfait glasses. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Cheesecake Filling
Mix the cream cheese and heavy whipping cream on low in a stand mixer until blended. Then, mix on high until creamy and fluffy. add the vanilla and mix again. Then, add the sugar and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix again on low until blended.
Step 3: Make the Peppermint Cheesecake Filling
Transfer half of the filling to a bowl. Then, add the peppermint flavoring to the remaining cheesecake in the mixer and blend. Add the red food coloring gel and mix again until the color is uniform.
Step 4: Make the Filling Swirl
Place a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap on a hard surface. Then, add the plain and peppermint cheesecake filling down the center of the plastic wrap in two long strips. Roll the wrap around the filling and twist the ends to seal. Then, snip off one end and place it in a pastry bag with an open tip.
Step 5: Fill
Pipe the filling into the parfait glasses in a swirling motion, coming to a point at the top.
Step 6: Garnish
Place a peppermint stick on the side of each parfait and sprinkle the top with colored sprinkles. Then, place a snowman face on the other side of the glace. Chill until ready to serve.
📝Variations
- Melted Snowman: For a melted snowman look, use plain cheesecake filling and top with a snowman face.
- No Swirl: Use all plain or all peppermint filling with one color if you prefer.
- Peppermint Layer: Try adding a layer of crushed peppermint over the Oreos before adding the cheesecake filling.
For another tasty holiday parfait, try these pumpkin cheesecake parfaits.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Parfait glasses
- Stand mixer
- Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Pastry bag with open tip
🥫 Storage
Store these parfaits in the fridge for up to 4 days tightly covered. Be aware that the longer they set, the softer the Oreos will become, so eat them as soon as possible!
What to Serve with Peppermint Parfaits
Serve these parfaits alongside Christmas cookies for dipping. It’s so good! Some fun options include Italian Christmas cookies, Christmas shortbread cookies, and Christmas tree sugar cookies.
💭 Tips
- Fully soften your cream cheese for rich, creamy, smooth cheesecake filling.
- Be sure to scrape down your stand mixer bowl as necessary to ensure that all the ingredients are fully combined.
- It’s important to mix the cream cheese and heavy whipping cream on low at first, so you don’t begin whipping the cream until everything is combined.
⁉️ FAQ
These parfaits will last for up to 4 days in the fridge, but they’ll be GOOD for about 24 hours. The longer they sit, the softer the Oreos become.
If you don’t fully soften your cream cheese, you can end up with little bits of raw cheesecake in the filling, resulting in a grainy texture.
You don’t. You could do all plain, all peppermint, or layers of each without piping. We just think it’s a prettier presentation.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy peppermint? Then, try these delicious recipes.
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Peppermint Parfaits
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Mini Oreo’s
- 24 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 drop Peppermint flavoring
- Red Food Coloring Gel – about 5 or 6 drops
- Peppermint Sticks
- Snowmen faces
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Crush the bag of Mini Oreo’s and fill the bottom of the Parfait glasses with the Cookie Crumbs. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the Softened Cream Cheese, and Heavy Whipping Cream, and mix on low to blend.
- Turn mixer to high for about 1 minute, until creamy and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed, and mix again.
- Add the Vanilla, and mix.
- Add the Sugar, and Lemon Juice, and blend until smooth.
- Add the Powdered Sugar, and mix on low until blended, then scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix until blended.
- Divide the Cheesecake Batter in half, by removing half of the Batter to a small bowl.
- In the mixing bowl, add the Peppermint Flavoring, and mix.
- Add the Red Food Coloring Gel, and mix until well blended and no white is left.
- Tear off a piece of Plastic Wrap (Glad Wrap) about 10 or 12 inches wide and lay it out flat on the counter.
- Carefully, place the White Cheesecake batter in a long Ribbon on the Plastic Wrap.
- Place the Red Cheesecake Batter next to the White Batter in a long Ribbon on the Plastic Wrap.
- Roll the wrap up around the Cheesecake and fold the ends up.
- Cut off one end of the plastic wrap, and place the Plastic Wrap in a Pastry Bag with tip, and pipe into Parfait glasses, on top of Cookie Crumbs, in a swirling motion, coming up to a point at the top of the glass.
- Place a Peppermint Stick in the side of each Parfait glass, and Sprinkle the top of the Cheesecake batter with the colored Sprinkles.
- Place the Snowman Face on the other side of the Glass.
- Place in the refrigerator until time to serve, covering lightly with plastic wrap.
- Serve, and Enjoy!
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
