Thin Mint Cheesecake

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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 CHOCOLATE MINT CHEESECAKE 101

How to store your cheesecake

You’ll most definitely want to store your Thin Mint Cheesecake in the refrigerator. First, allow the cheesecake to completely cool, this will help keep it from cracking.

Then you will want to carefully remove your cheesecake from the cast iron and place in a container or traditional pie pan before placing in the refrigerator, covered with a plastic dome/lid or plastic wrap. If you choose not to remove 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 go to remove from the fridge, allow the cheesecake to warm a little at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating.

Can I put Cast Iron in the fridge?

You absolutely can. We do for a short period of time, but end up transitioning our cheesecake from the skillet into a pan if it is not eaten quickly.

You definitely want to avoid a drastic change in temperature for your cast iron to avoid cracking. But in terms of storing in 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 which way 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 in foil or plastic and place in a freezer back.

To thaw your cheesecake, place in the refrigerator after removing the wrap (if possible.) Freezing the cheesecake 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 butter) to press a crust into your 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Next, you’ll make your cheesecake filling using cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and mint extract. To top it off, a drizzle of chocolate swirl!

Baking is pretty simple, but given the delicate-ness 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 make sure your skillet is properly seasoned and well oiled. You will also spray your skillet prior to pressing in the crust.

If you’re in the market 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 bring it all together 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!

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Thin Mint Cheesecake


Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
resting time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 people
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.

Ingredients
 

  • 1 box of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies
  • 4 Tablespoons of butter melted
  • 3 8 ounce packages of cream cheese at room temperature
  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese or 1 cup of sour cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon mint extract
  • 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 drops of green food coloring or enough to color to your liking
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy 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.
  • Reduce the oven to 275°F.
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese for approximately 3-5 minutes on low speed until smooth. **
  • Add the ricotta (or sour cream) and cream together on low until smooth.
  • Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and mint extract to the bowl and blend until incorporated.
  • Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
  • 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.
  • 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.***

Video

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. 
**You 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. 
***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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

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3 Comments

  1. Holly Bishop says:

    5 stars
    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

  2. Beth Ward says:

    5 stars
    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!

  3. Debby Blom says:

    5 stars
    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.