Happy Holidays Peppermint Chocolate Cheesecake Lasagna

That’s what I call it.

The more popular name is “Sex in a Pan” and while my husband definitely agrees with that nickname, I don’t happen to agree. I’m a fan of texture, and putting a pile of cold gloop in my mouth is off-putting, to say the least.

That’s why my version of this popular classic has a bit more texture to provide a better mouth-feel. Adding nuts, chocolate chips, crushed cookies, or anything that has a little bit more crunch makes a pile of whipped cream taste a bit more like a chocolate sundae! And adding peppermint helps make it a bit more festive, especially when so many are celebrating Christmas Eve today!

I put chocolate chips into the cheesecake layer, but you can also add them to the pudding layer or whipped cream layer if you’d like (or all 3!) It’s up to you!

So, without further ado, here’s my recipe for peppermint chocolate lasagna cheesecake!

Ingredients

Chocolate Crust

-1 + 1/4 cup almond flour
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 tsp salt
-4 tbsp melted butter
-1 egg

Cheesecake Layer

-8 oz cream cheese
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/3 cup chocolate chips (or nuts!)

Chocolate Layer

-1 cup heavy cream
-1 cup almond milk
-1/2 cup sugar
-4 egg yolks
-1/2 tsp xanthan gum
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-3 tbsp butter
-1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Whipped Cream Topping

-1 cup heavy cream
-1/4 cup powdered sugar
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dust with cocoa powder to finish the top layer!

Instructions

Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and grease the inside of a 9×9 pan.
2. Whisk together the almond flour, the cocoa powder, the sugar, and the salt. Add the melted butter and an egg and then stir until it comes together.
3. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a little bit of water until you can press it down into the bottom of your pan.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then let cool while you prepare the cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake Layer:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until it’s smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and the heavy cream and continue beating until it’s no lumps remain.
3. Using a spatula, pour in your chocolate chips, nuts, etc. and stir until combined.
4. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust and then refrigerate for 30 minutes while you make the chocolate layer.

Chocolate Layer:

1. Put a medium saucepan over low heat and pour in the heavy cream, the almond milk, and sugar. Let the mixture simmer and keep stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth, and then pour 1/4 cup of the cream into the yolks and stir them to make sure that you don’t have scrambled egg! Then whisk the yolks back into the saucepan.
3. Sprinkle the surface with xanthan gum and then whisk as hard and as fast as you can to make sure you don’t get any lumps. You can also strain the mixture if you see little globs of xanthan gum floating around in your mixture that won’t dissolve.
4. Whisk in the cocoa powder and keep whisking for about 2-3 minutes to make sure the mixture is thoroughly incorporated.
5. Take the pot off the heat and add in the butter and peppermint extract, whisking until it’s incorporated.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes and then spread it over the cheesecake layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Whipped Cream Topping Part:

1. In a clean electric mixer, beat the cream until it starts to come together. Then, add in the sugar and vanilla and keep beating until stiff peaks form.
2. Spread it over the chocolate pudding layer.
3. Using a flour sifter or a sieve, sprinkle cocoa powder over the top of the whipped cream and then let sit in the fridge at least one more hour to set before serving.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!