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My peppermint pie tastes like a candy cane in a light, creamy cheesecake. Smooth, fluffy and pink, with crushed candy canes for crunch and a chocolate crust underneath. It’s the dessert you still have room for after a big holiday meal.
On my holiday table I love a mix of traditional treats and fun desserts, and this no-bake candy cane pie is one of the fun ones. It looks festive without much decorating at all, and it’s ready to set out with almost no work on the day.
I build it on a chocolate cookie crust because chocolate and peppermint taste so good together, and I top it with fresh whipped cream that holds up when you slice it.
The No-Bake Christmas Pie I Make While My Oven Is Busy
With cookies, cakes and rich Christmas desserts all over the table, I love having one dessert that’s cool and creamy, and this peppermint pie is it. It tastes refreshing instead of heavy.
And my favorite thing about it? It never goes in the oven, so while my oven works overtime on everything else, this pie sits happily chilling in the fridge until I’m ready for it. That’s the kind of holiday help I’ll take every single time.
The Whipped Topping That Holds Up When You Slice It
When I tested this pie with Cool Whip on top, it would not hold. Even after five, seven and ten hours in the fridge, the topping slid down the sides as soon as the pie was sliced, and an overnight chill only made the slices a little neater.
So I whip cold heavy cream with a little dry white chocolate instant pudding mix until soft peaks form, and spread that on instead. That small amount of pudding mix helps the cream hold its shape, and in my last test the topping stayed put through the chill and when the pie was cut, while still tasting light and creamy.
Use instant pudding, dry powder only, and give the pie its full two hours in the fridge before you slice it. The test pie that held up so well had every minute of that chill, so don’t cut it short.
What You’ll Need
Oreo pie crust or chocolate pie crust: Any good chocolate crust works, but a peppermint pie with an Oreo crust is my favorite. Premade Oreo crusts have gotten hard to find, and the chocolate crumb crusts I’ve bought can be crumbly or even broken in the package, so check yours before it goes in the cart. If you can’t find a good one, my homemade Oreo pie crust works great.
Cream cheese: I soften it on the counter first, because room temperature cream cheese beats into the powdered sugar smooth and cold cream cheese leaves lumps. It’s also what gives the filling its light cheesecake flavor.
Heavy cream: I use it twice, once whipped to stiff peaks for the filling and once whipped with the pudding mix for the topping. Keep the topping cream cold until you whip it.
White chocolate instant pudding mix: It only goes in the topping, and you only need a small scoop of the dry powder from the box. Save the rest of the box for another batch.
Candy canes or peppermint mints: Either one works, and they go in the filling and on top. I pulse them in a food processor, or seal them in a zip-top bag and crush them with the flat side of a meat mallet, and the pieces in the filling give every bite a little crunch.
See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Peppermint Pie
Step 1: Whip the Cream for the Filling Whip the heavy cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, then set it aside while you make the pink filling.
Step 2: Make the Pink Peppermint Filling Beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until smooth, then mix in the food coloring, peppermint extract and vanilla until it’s one even shade of pink. Stir in the crushed candy canes.
Step 3: Combine It and Fill the Crust Add the pink mixture to the whipped cream and mix on low speed until combined, then pour it into the crust and smooth the top. If your crust is in a foil pan, set it inside a glass pie plate first so it stays steady.
Step 4: Add the Topping and Chill Whip the cold heavy cream with the dry pudding mix until soft peaks form, spread it evenly over the filling, and chill the pie for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle on the crushed peppermint right before serving.
How to Get Clean Slices
Slice this pie cold, straight from the fridge. I use a small serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, and I wipe and dip it again between every cut so the filling doesn’t drag. The serrated edge saws through a crumbly store-bought crust instead of crushing it, and cutting from the edge toward the center with a pie server under each slice gets it to the plate in one piece.
If you made my homemade Oreo crust and it cuts a little hard straight from the fridge, let the pie sit out for a few minutes first.
Making It Ahead (and Making Two)
You can make the whole pie the night before, topping and all, and keep it in the fridge overnight.
I wait to add the crushed peppermint on top until right before serving, because candy canes pull moisture from the topping and turn sticky or start to dissolve. The candy canes inside the filling soften a little as the pie sits, and that’s fine.
Making two pies? Double the whole peppermint pie recipe and use two crusts. I’ve tested it as a double batch, and it works.
TRIED IT AND LOVED IT
This will be my 4th Christmas in a row making this dessert! The instructions are fairly easy and prep time minimal. I’ll be making two of these one for work and the other for my family, well maybe another just for myself 🙂
Storing and Freezing
Cover the pie with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I don’t freeze the finished pie, because whipped cream turns watery and loses its shape when it thaws, and the crushed peppermint on top goes soft and sticky. Other cooks who freeze pies like this one do it before the topping goes on, and that’s how I’d do it too.
Wrap the filled crust well, freeze it for up to 1 month and thaw it overnight in the fridge. Then whip the topping, spread it on, chill for 2 hours and add the crushed peppermint right before serving.
My no-bake candy cane pie has a fluffy pink peppermint cream cheese filling in a chocolate crust, under a whipped topping that holds its shape. Make it the night before.
1½ tablespoonswhite chocolate instant pudding mix (Jell-O)dry powder only
Crushed peppermint candyfor the top
Instructions
In a large bowl, whip the ½ cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set it aside.
½ cup heavy cream
In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the powdered sugar and cream cheese until smooth.
¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
Add the food coloring, peppermint extract and vanilla extract and mix until the color is even.
5 drops red food coloring, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Mix in the ¼ cup of crushed candy canes.
¼ cup peppermint candy canes or mints
Add the cream cheese mixture to the bowl of whipped cream and mix on low speed until combined.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth the top.
1 Oreo pie crust/chocolate pie crust
Whip the 1½ cups of cold heavy cream with the 1½ tablespoons of dry pudding mix until soft peaks form. Spread it evenly over the filling.
1½ cups cold heavy cream, 1½ tablespoons white chocolate instant pudding mix (Jell-O)
Chill for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint over the top right before serving.
Crushed peppermint candy
Jenn’s Notes
Tips:
Let the cream cheese come to room temperature first so the filling beats up smooth, with no lumps.
If your crust comes in a foil pan, set the whole thing inside a glass pie plate so it stays steady.
For clean slices, use a small serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, and wipe it again between every cut.
Making two pies? Double everything and use two crusts.
Storage:Cover the pie with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can make the whole pie the night before, topping and all, and add the crushed peppermint right before serving so it stays crunchy. Do not freeze the finished pie, because the whipped topping turns watery when it thaws and the peppermint on top goes sticky. To freeze ahead, wrap the filled crust before the topping goes on and freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then add the topping, chill 2 hours and finish with the peppermint.
haven’t even tasted this yet but I can tell it’s awesome! it’s on my favorites list anything peppermint is awesome in my opinion!!!