Peppermint Pie (aka Candy Cane Pie)

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.

If you love pies you never have to bake, I have a whole collection of no bake pie recipes, and this one fits right in with the rest of my easy Christmas desserts.

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.

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.

More Christmas Desserts

• Peppermint Bark
• Oreo Peppermint Bark
• Peppermint Oreo Truffles
• Candy Cane Fudge
• Christmas Fudge