Peppermint Cheesecake Rice Krispie Treats

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: June 9, 2023

After my first Rice Krispie recipe failed, I went back to the pantry to see what else I could find to make Rice Krispie treats. I went looking through all the goodies I found at World Market, Walmart, and Target. I had some Jet-Puffed Peppermint Mallows, a box of cheesecake flavored Jell-O Pudding, a bag of Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips, and a bottle of Peppermint Pigsy Dust. Well, now that got the creative juices flowing. I never had peppermint cheesecake before, but it does exist. So why not try it as Rice Krispies.

The cheesecake flavored Jell-O pudding I found at Walmart and the marshmallows are from Target. The peppermint flavor in the marshmallows is mild, but I found something else to amp up the flavor.

These little treasures I found at World Market. I think they may have them at other store also. They have a nice peppermint flavor, but are oh, so creamy. I have to go by some more of these.

The marshmallows melted into a very pretty pink color. To bad it’s not Valentine’s Day.

These baking chips boosted up the peppermint taste to the max. Then I added the powdered cheesecake Jell-O mix.

I was going to leave them like this and just drizzle some melted chocolate on top, but then I went to the fridge and realized I still had some heavy cream and mascarpone cheese left from making my No Bake Butternut Squash Cheesecakes the other day. Well, this was supposed to be a peppermint cheesecake flavored dessert, so why not top it off with a whipped mascarpone frosting.

After I spread the frosting over the treats, I sprinkled it generously with Pigsy Dust. Isn’t this bottle the cutest? I found it at World Market. It’s basically a fine dust of crushed peppermint candies. Great for sprinkling on anything.

I had placed the treats back in the fridge for the frosting to set and when I removed the tray, I noticed the Pigsy Dust had melted into my frosting, making little red polka-dots. I love it!

But I wasn’t done yet. I still wanted to add some melted chocolate and a few more bits of Peppermint Crunch. I used Ghirardelli Baking Chips because they melt very easily in the microwave and come out smooth, not lumpy. But you can use whatever chocolate you like best.

I choose to cut the squares before I added the chocolate because I wanted nice clean cuts. You also need to clean you knife after every cut if you want the lines precise. I just used a fork to drizzle the chocolate, but you can use a piping bag for a clean look.

You have a nice crunchy peppermint cheesecake base topped with a light, fluffy frosting, a drizzle of chocolate and another hint of peppermint. This is a lovely decadent treat. This isn’t just for kids. Welcome to my Peppermint Paradise.

Peppermint Cheesecake Rice Krispie Treats

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: stove top no bake dessert snack peppermint Jell-O Cheesecake Pudding Mix rice krispies Jet-Puffed Peppermint Mallows Christmas bars rice krispie treats American winter

Ingredients (24 Squares)

For the treats

4 tablespoons butter
1 bag (10.0 oz.) Jet-Puffed Peppermint Mallows
1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
1 box (3.4 oz.) Jell-O Cheesecake Instant Pudding mix
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal

For the frosting

1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon Peppermint Pigsy Dust

Additional Toppings

1/2 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Baking Chips
1/4 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Instructions

For the treats

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add the peppermint baking chips. Stir until the candies are all melted and mixture is smooth.

Next add the dry pudding mix and stir until completely blended.

Then add Rice Krispies and stir until completely incorporated.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan or a cookie sheet and spread it evenly with a piece of greased waxed paper.

For the frosting

With a stand mixer on medium to medium/high speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy).

In another bowl, blend together mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated.

Spread the frosting evenly over the treats with a spatula.

Sprinkle with Pigsy Dust and place in fridge to cool (about 10-15 minutes).

Cut treats into squares with a sharp knife, wiping down knife after every cut.

For the additional toppings

Place chocolate baking chips in a microwave safe container and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

With a fork or piping bag, drizzle chocolate over cooled treats and sprinkle with peppermint baking chips.

Rice Krispie Treat recipe adapted from Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats by Shugary Sweets
Mascarpone Frosting Recipe by Martha Stewart

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Gin Thyme Lemonade

Beverages

Christiana George

Updated Date:
June 8, 2023

To understand my feelings about alcohol, I need to tell you a story.

One 4th of July when I was in college, I went to an Independence Day party thrown by a bunch of frat guy friends. There were hamburgers, there were hot dogs, there were chicken wings and other barbecue-ish food items. The only things missing were beer and dessert.

In the middle of the party, one of the guys made an announcement.

“They’re bringing the cake!” he said.

“The cake?!” I squealed. “Yes! All right! Awesome! That is great to hear!”

“No,” (he rolled his eyes. Okay, maybe he didn’t, but he probably did inwardly.) “the keg,” he corrected.

A cheer went up in the room. I felt crestfallen.

Chris finds this story oh-so-amusing, and to this day, makes fun of me for it. But you know what? I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’d choose cake over liquor any day. I’m just that kind of woman. (What kind of woman, you ask? The kind that dreams about petting dogs, no joke. Chris thinks I’m repressing something.)

That being said, you will notice that today’s post features a very awesome alcoholic beverage. With the amazing weather we’ve been having—and the fact that Chris and I celebrated our move-to-New-York anniversary recently (thanks for the comments, guys!)—it seemed that kind of day. The kick-off-your-shoes-and-expose-your-very-pale-feet kind of day.

And anyway, I’ve evolved. I actually enjoy alcohol now. Although I have to admit, I’m a girly drink type of person. I’ll have none of that neat-scotch, thanks, but give me something fruity, ideally something that masks much of the taste of the alcohol, and I am down. I mean, let’s face it, I’m presenting you spiked lemonade. It doesn’t get more gentle than that. But it’s good stuff, and the subtle hint of thyme makes it doubly lovely. And even though it’s kind of early in the season for lemonade, I can definitely see it making its debut at your first barbecue of the year. It’ll be a smash hit, I promise, just don’t serve it to the kiddies (or alternatively, don’t add the gin).

Another confession: I made this lemonade with Meyer lemons, so I suppose it’s really a gin thyme Meyer lemonade. I had a bunch lying around that were starting to shrivel, so I decided to juice them. (I’ve also been on a grapefruit juicing spree lately—Greyhounds!) I encourage you to try this drink with Meyer lemon juice sometime. Think extra floral notes!

Anyway, I’m starting to feel really red around my ears (the unfortunate side effect of being Asian I’m afraid), so I’m going to stop now and go finish my drink. Cheers, and have a great weekend everybody.

GIN THYME LEMONADE

Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 4 (makes about 8 cups)

Feel free to omit the alcohol.

Ingredients:

1-1/3 to 1-1/2 cups sugar (according to your sweetness preference)
5 cups cold water
1 small bunch of thyme (10 to 15 sprigs or so)
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup gin

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar, 1 cup of water, and thyme to a boil, and stir until the sugar melts completely. Turn off the stove and add the remaining 4 cups of water, lemon juice, and gin. Stir, then refrigerate. Serve cold, preferably with ice.