Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Sauce
Topped with melted chocolate and chopped Andes mints, this Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Sauce is a delicious and fun holiday dessert!
The ancient Greeks believed that peppermint could cure hiccups and clear the voice. They also added peppermint to milk to keep it from spoiling. Hmmm. I’m not so sure about the science there. Nevertheless, peppermint played a prominent role in ancient Greece.
According to mythology, Pluto, the god of the Underworld, had a, um, crush on the nymph Menthe. In a jealous rage, Pluto’s wife Persephone turned Menthe into a plant. While Pluto couldn’t stop the transformation, he was able to give Menthe a sweet peppermint smell. And that’s how peppermint got it’s smell…well, according to the ancient Greeks.
I personally love the cooling effects of peppermint, and a glass of Mint Sweet Tea is always welcome on a hot summer day. Growing up, my mother always kept a pitcher of mint sweet tea in the fridge. Another favorite peppermint pairing? Chocolate. Chocolate + peppermint is a great combination in desserts. Think about a creamy mint truffle. Or perhaps an Andes or After Eight mint. Those things are delicious! And the best part for me is that one bite of a chocolate peppermint treat is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Now if only I could say the same about cheesecake…
Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Sauce
Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate SauceSpeaking of cheesecake, today’s recipe is a fun spin off of the classic New York style cheesecake. Ricotta cheesecakes are an Italian style cheesecake that uses – you guessed it – ricotta cheese rather than cream cheese. The result is a creamy, but slightly drier cheesecake than the New York style. I do enjoy a ricotta cheesecake, but I’ve found that I like blending ricotta and cream cheese together for the filling. You end up with a delicious dessert that is quite easy to make. (I’ve also found that I don’t need to use a water bath with this style of cheesecake.)
I decided to dress this Ricotta Cheesecake up for a night out on the town. Instead of serving this cheesecake plain, I cut the slices and then added a Peppermint Chocolate Sauce on top. I thought about using peppermint extract here, but I opted for a bunch of chopped up Andes mints instead. An After Eight dinner mint stuck into the top of each slice would be a good option as well. In the end, this Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Sauce was a huge hit in our house. My mother-in-law loves cheesecakes, and I’m putting this on the menu for the next time we get together.
I hope you enjoy this ricotta cheesecake as much as we did! The peppermint chocolate sauce is a fun and delicious way to garnish slices of this dessert. Happy baking!
Did you bake this Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Sauce at home? Leave a comment, or better yet snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Ricotta Cheesecake with Peppermint Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs ~11 full-sized graham crackers
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Ricotta Cheesecake
- 32 oz. whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
For the Chocolate Sauce
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup chopped Andes mints
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour an 8” springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set pan aside.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter; stir until well combined.
- Transfer mixture into prepared pan; press crumbs into bottom and sides of pan. (Tip: A flat bottomed glass is helpful for this step.)
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and let cool.
For the Ricotta Cheesecake
- Place ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer; set over sink or large bowl for 30 minutes to drain.
- Transfer ricotta into a food processor. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to the food processor. Pulse several times, or until a smooth mixture forms. Add remaining cheesecake ingredients and pulse several more times, or until well combined. Scrape down sides of food processor and pulse mixture several more times.
- Transfer batter into pan (on top of crust).
- Bake for 70-75 minutes, or until top of cheesecake is golden brown.
- Let cake cool in pan for 1 hour. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate cake overnight.
For the Chocolate Sauce
- Using a small saucepan, add chocolate chips and whipping cream. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until a smooth sauce forms.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before pouring sauce on slices.
- Before serving, add sprinkle chopped Andes mints on top.
Looking for more chocolate peppermint desserts? Check out these other favorites, too:
Such pretty photos. I’ll have to make this for my husband. He’s the peppermint guy in our house. A very interesting combination to me – orange and cinnamon, and then peppermint and chocolate… very interesting.
Thanks so much, Mimi! I agree that the combination of flavors is fun here. The tiny bit of orange and cinnamon don’t overpower the cheesecake – instead they add a depth of flavor. And of course the chocolate and Andes mints provide the coup de grâce!
I loveeee peppermint everything! Not even just food, I’m also obsessed with peppermint bath products these days. I’ve been using this peppermint scrub in the shower and I like how the peppermint oil feels so invigorating.
Hope that you are enjoying the holiday season! 🙂
Hmmm, I can’t say I’ve ever really used scented bath products (other than soap), but I know Laura has. The idea of a peppermint scented shower sounds awesome for the holiday season, though! Thanks so much, Nicole!!
David, I’m with Mimi, you’ve come up with an intriguing flavor combination. It sounds wonderfully luscious. Now regarding the origin of peppermint, I’ve always wondered where it comes from. It sounds like Persephone is not one to trifle with. I wonder if she turned Pluto into a Disney character as well…
Trust me on the orange zest and cinnamon here, Ron. It’s a small amount, so it adds depth to the ricotta cheesecake. And then the chocolate + Andes mints? Well, that brings the holiday vibe in!
As far as Pluto the Disney character…hmm. I also assumed that was related to the former planet. But now you’ve got me wondering…
The peppermint lore is new to me, David. So interesting!
I love creamy peppermint flavor combinations so this cheesecake has my name on it. Love the idea of making it with ricotta too!
The ancient Greeks really believed peppermint could cure anything! I guess it was the predecessor to Windex, huh? 🙂
Also, this ricotta cheesecake is amazing. It’s slightly different than a traditional all-cream cheese version, but I really enjoy it!
We love mint in all possible ways including a hot peppermint tea. In fact, we plant 4 to 6 different types of mint every summer, and the best one is…chocolate mint. David, if you haven’t tried it, please do it next summer. It is so fantastic in lemonade and iced tea.
Back to the recipe. The combination of chocolate and mint is marvelous and so festive. The fact you’ve made a ricotta cheesecake is great (I need to try a ricotta cheesecake yet.), and the fact you’ve served it with a luscious chocolate mint sauce is even better!
You know, I have chewed on a leaf of chocolate mint before – it’s pretty cool stuff! I only have the traditional mint planted in our garden (I hope it comes back next year), but now you might’ve inspired me to add some more varieties!
As far as this recipe, you totally need to try a ricotta cheesecake! I personally like to go half and half with the ricotta and cream cheese as the ricotta version can be a little dry and crumbly. The mix is perfect if you ask me! And the Andes mints on top? That just screams holidays, right?
your cheesecake looks beautiful david tho i have to admit i don’t eat them. bit of a lactose intolerance, dontcha know?:) I do like the thought of a japanese one as they are apparently very light in texture…
A Japanese cheesecake? I haven’t heard of that style yet…I’m intrigued!!
Love everything peppermint — but I’ve never thought to pair it in a cheesecake. It looks divine, David! Now I’m craving some After Eight mints!
Aren’t those After Eight mints amazing, Michelle!? How do they make them so thin? I went with Andes mints for this cheesecake, but a good After Eight mint would accomplish the same goal – if you don’t eat them all first! 🙂 Happy Holidays, my friend!
My goodness, David! You have so many delicious holiday desserts – I don’t know where to begin. Each one seems to be my new favorite. I do love mint and chocolate together so this one probably really is my favorite cheesecake!
Haha – I do enjoy a fun holiday dessert. I looked at my December posts, and I think half of them are desserts. 🙂 Oh well, January is coming, and we won’t be indulging as much then!
Either way, I highly recommend this cheesecake, Kathy! The Andes mints on top really brings the holiday fun to this one. Cheers, my friend!
A lot of people I know dont like the mint and chocolate combination, I am the total opposite. This means any chocolates that has it will be all mine. Making that cheesecake of yours at home will also be a good insurance that its all reserved for me.
Haha – I know what you mean, Raymund. Laura doesn’t like mint + chocolate, so that meant I got to keep all of the chocolate sauce to myself! I like the way you think – a dessert that protects itself just for you!
Oh my goodness what a fascinating history about mint! So cool, didn’t know any of it. And what an excellent idea to combine ricotta and cream cheese here in the cheesecake filling, I can totally see how that would be the best of both cheesecake worlds. 😋. So delicious David, I certainly wouldn’t be able to stop at one slice!
I know! Who would’ve thought the Greeks placed such high value on mint. I guess it’s like the ancient version of Windex? (Hah – kidding!!) I do really enjoy these cheesecake, and the chocolate + mint topping? I could eat that with a spoon! Happy holidays, Shannon!
Would you believe that I got a box of peppermint chocolates for Christmas from a neighbor. I know exactly where some of them are destined. 😊
Hah – well if that isn’t fate telling you to make a ricotta cheesecake, then I don’t know what is! 🙂 Happy New Year, Karen!!
I love the sound of peppermint chocolate cheesecake!
What sound does a peppermint chocolate cheesecake make?
2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs ~11 full-sized graham crackers –> how many GRAMS is that? I ask because I never have graham crackers, but I do have Petit Beurre cookies and I used those…
Hey Monika! I’m not familiar with Petit Beurre cookies, so I don’t know how the weight would compare to graham crackers. However, I looked up the graham cracker weight, and you would need ~175 grams of graham cracker crumbs for this recipe. I hope this helps! 🙂
The recipe says to refrigerate the cheesecake but later says to thaw it. I’m confused!
Hey Linda! You totally caught a typo in the recipe – thank you so much. When I wrote up this recipe, I copied the instructions over from a previous cheesecake recipe. I like to freeze my traditional (all cream cheese) cheesecakes overnight so that they are easier to remove from the pan. I totally missed that line in this recipe! This ricotta cheesecake does not need to be frozen. I’ve updated the recipe – thank you so much for catching that error. My apologies for the confusion!