Bring a little joy to dessert time with these Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cheesecake Cups from our friends at Party Pinching! Combining creamy cheesecake filling, hot cocoa, and a cool peppermint twist, this treat captures the cozy comfort of the season. Made with our seasonal favorite Peppermint Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars, these cups turn a simple moment into something sweetly memorable — perfect for sharing, gifting, or sneaking a bit for yourself. Get the full recipes with pictures here!

Makes 20-24 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Carton Peppermint Chocolate Chip Seasonal Chewy Granola Bars
• 4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/4 Cup Butter, softened
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 8 oz. Whipped Topping, thawed and divided
• 2 1/2 Packets Instant Hot Cocoa Mix (1.38 oz. each)
• 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/8 Teaspoon Peppermint Extract
• Pink Food Coloring
• Tiny Marshmallow Bits
• 24 Mini Candy Canes
• Canned Whipped Cream

Supplies:

• Piping Bags
• Food Processor, optional
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Directions:

1. Chop up six (6) granola bars into small pieces, or place in a food processor.
2. Spoon the crushed granola into the bottom of a each mini dessert cup and press down.
3. To make the hot cocoa cheesecake filling: With a hand mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and cream together until thoroughly combined.
4. Beat in the hot cocoa packets one at a time.
5. Add the mixture to a piping bag.
6. Pipe the hot cocoa mixture on top of the granola ¾ of the way full.
7. To make the peppermint whipped topping:
8. Fold in the peppermint extract and a few drops of pink food coloring into 4-ounces of whipped topping and pipe on top of the chocolate layer.
9. Level off the top of the peppermint mixture with an offset spatula or knife. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour to set.
10. Right before serving, spray the whipped cream on top or use a piping bag with the remaining whipped topping.
11. Snap off the straight end of the mini candy cane.
12. Place the curved end of the candy canes into a zipper bag and crush with a rolling pin.
13. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes and the tiny marshmallow bits on top.
14. Place the straight candy cane in the cup.

FEATURED FLAVORS

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars are seasonally available October through December.