Thin Mint Cheesecake Recipe
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Thin Mint Cheesecake is a Girl Scout cookie twist on the perfect Italian classic cheesecake. What better way to prepare for St. Patrick’s Day than with this easy dessert that will stop your guests in their tracks.
Thin Mint Cheesecake is one of those desserts that makes your taste buds curious, evoking a craving that only Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies can create. The unbreakable bond of chocolaty goodness with a flavor of fresh mint. Now imagine that with cheesecake. It’s OK to be curious. We promise this dessert delivers.
What is Thin Mint Cheesecake?
Besides being the unexpected hero of desserts, Thin Mint Cheesecake is a creamy, delicious version of cheesecake combined with the classic flavor of Thin Mint Cookies. We love how unexpectedly good this cheesecake is. Like, we knew it would be good. But it’s SO good.
If you’re like us, your love of cheesecake runs deep. It’s a very versatile dessert, which comes in hand for this recipe. The creamy filling takes on flavors like berry or chocolate, so why not chocolate and mint? It absolutely makes sense.
Combine that love of cheesecake with an undying love of Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. Whew. This dessert is a crave-worthy culinary creation. If you can resist the cookies someone, we applaud your self-restraint. (And we’d like to know your secret.) But if you can’t, this is a great way to enjoy the delicious flavor and make it last just a little longer.
About this Chocolate Mint Cheesecake
101 How to Store Your Cheesecake
You’ll want to store your Thin Mint Cheesecake in the refrigerator. First, allow the cheesecake to cool completely; this will help keep it from cracking.
Then, you will want to carefully remove your cheesecake from the cast iron and place it in a container or traditional pie pan before placing it in the refrigerator, covered with a plastic dome/lid or plastic wrap. If you choose not to remove the cheesecake from the cast iron, you’ll still want to keep it covered so the cheesecake doesn’t absorb other flavors from the items in your fridge.
When you remove the cheesecake from the fridge, allow it to warm slightly at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating.
Can I put Cast Iron in the fridge?
You absolutely can. We do it for a short period but end up transitioning our cheesecake from the skillet into a pan if it is not eaten quickly. You want to avoid a drastic change in temperature for your cast iron to avoid cracking. But in terms of storing cast iron in the fridge, one of the main reasons not to is food will continue to react with the iron, which can mess with your flavor. It also can cause cast iron to rust and will throw off the balance of your oh-so-important seasoning.
It’s up to you, but no matter how you go … make sure your cheesecake is thoroughly cooled before taking action.
Can cheesecake be frozen?
Yes, it can! You can freeze your whole cheesecake or in slices to enjoy a little bit at a time. The key to successfully freezing desserts is to allow them to completely cool, then freeze uncovered. Once the cheesecake is frozen, you can wrap it in foil or plastic and place it in a freezer back.
To thaw your cheesecake, place it in the refrigerator after removing the wrap (if possible). Freezing will allow it to last 4 to 6 weeks.
How to make cast iron Thin Mint Cheesecake
As with many desserts, you’ll start with a delicious crust. Crushed/crumbed Thin Mint Coolies will be used (mixed with melted
Next, you’ll make your cheesecake filling using
Baking is pretty simple, but given the delicateness of cheesecake, you’ll want to place an oven-safe bowl with water on the rack below for the duration.
Choosing your cast iron For Cheesecake
For this recipe, we used a 10-inch cast iron skillet. As always, you’ll want to ensure your skillet is properly seasoned and well-oiled. You will also spray your skillet before pressing in the crust.
If you’re looking for the perfect skillet or just getting started with cast iron, we recommend this Lodge Cast Iron 10″ skillet.
What to Serve with Thin Mint Cheesecake
Looking for a way to combine everything for a full meal plan? This section, found in every post, will help you pair the recipe you’re viewing with other flavorful dishes to make your mealtime that much easier. Enjoy this section of posts? Leave a comment below and let me know!
- Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls – Speaking of delicious, irresistible flavors inspired by birthday cake!
- Chocolate Cherry Cobbler Cake – Rich, decadent chocolate cobbler with cherries, a match made in heaven!
- Angel Food Cake – If you want a light but decadent flavor combination, this cake is just right.
Cheesecake Tips
- You can also add the cookies to a bowl and use a potato masher to crush the cookies into the perfect crumble texture for the crust. This is a great step for kids to help with.
- You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to create the filling or a hand mixer with whisk attachments for more control. Just be careful not to overwhip the
cream cheese or your cheesecake will end up with a consistency more like mousse. - The cheesecake will be much easier to cut and serve by allowing to sit on the counter after removing from the fridge. This allows the crust to soften enough for a clean removal from the skillet.
- CAUTION: A cast iron skillet should never go directly from the oven to the fridge or freezer. A dramatic, quick change in temperature at any time with your cast iron can cause it to crack.
More recipes you’ll love
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- PIMENTO CHEESE BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD
- Traditional Cheesecake Recipe
- Thin Mint Poke Cake
- Grilled Chicken Caprese
- BOY SCOUT SNACK MIX
Thin Mint Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 box (9-ounces) Thin Mint cookies or other mint cookies or sandwich cookie
- 4 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted, melted
- 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese or 1 cup of sour cream
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon mint extract get it here
- 1.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract get it here
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 drops green food coloring like this, or to your liking
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips like these
- 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
- Place a full box of Thin Mint cookies into a plastic baggie and wrap in a towel.*Crush the cookies with the bottom of your skillet until they reach a crumb-like consistency. Add the crumbs to a bowl with melted butter and stir. Then press in an even layer onto the bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.1 box (9-ounces) Thin Mint cookies, 4 Tablespoons butter
- Reduce the oven to 275°F.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese for approximately 3-5 minutes on low speed until smooth. **3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- Add the ricotta (or sour cream) and cream together on low until smooth.15 ounces ricotta cheese
- Add the sugar, vanilla extract, mint extract, and salt to the bowl and blend until incorporated.¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon mint extract, 1.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Stir in the food coloring.3 large eggs, 5 drops green food coloring
- Place the skillet on a baking sheet. Pour the batter over your thin mint crust. (Note: Pan will be very full.)
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with heavy cream. Place dobs of it (or drizzle) on top of the batter. Using a knife or a toothpick, gently swirl the chocolate a couple of times for the desired design.½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Then place centered in the oven. (Tip: to prevent cracking of your cheesecake, place an oven-safe bowl or casserole dish with about two inches of water in it, on the rack below the cheesecake).
- Bake 50 to 55 min. or until the center of cheesecake is almost set. The center should still look somewhat soft. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool slowly, preferably overnight. The filling will continue to set as it cools, and taking it out of the oven too soon may cause it to crack.
- Once fully cooled to room temperature place it in the fridge, removing and allowing to warm up in temperature 20 minutes before serving.***
Notes
- *You can also add the cookies to a bowl and use a potato masher to crush the cookies into the perfect crumble texture for the crust. This is a great step for kids to help with.
- Y**ou can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to create the filling or a hand mixer with whisk attachments for a bit more control. Just be careful not to overwhip the
cream cheese or your cheesecake will end up with a consistency more like mousse. - ***he cheesecake will be much easier to cut and serve by allowing to sit on the counter after removing from the fridge. This allows the crust to soften enough for a clean removal from the skillet.
- CAUTION: A cast iron skillet should never go directly from the oven to the fridge or freezer. A dramatic, quick change in temperature at any time with your cast iron can cause it to crack.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
This sounds wonderful! My daughter in law birthday is coming up and I think I’ll try this for her. Unfortunately I don’t have any Girl Scout thin mint cookies so I’ll be putting the Keebler grasshopper cookies on my grocery list.
This is a great recipe to impress, and it is not difficult! FYI this recipe is easily converted to be gluten free just by swapping in gf chocolate mint cookies (I use Goody Girl). Thank you!
This looks so amazing! I love thin mints so much that I buy 20 boxes every year and freeze them so I have them all year long. I can’t wait to try this out! I mean you can’t get any better than thin mints and cheesecake