Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Sweet yet tangy cheesecake, filled with all your favorite chocolate candy flavors.
Texture: The crust is thick and crunchy yet buttery, while the filling is ultra-rich and smooth with bites of softened chocolate candy. The ganache and candy on top just take it to a whole new level!
Ease: Very doable, the chilling period just requires patience.
Pros: Perfect way to use up all that extra Halloween candy taking up space with a crowd-pleasing recipe you can share with family, friends, and coworkers.
Cons: As with most cheesecakes, this has to be made a day ahead of serving.
Would I make this again? Absolutely, any time I’m overloaded with candy!
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Not sure what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy? Enter, the Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake!
Somehow, after I hand out candy on Halloween, I’m always left with a ton of leftover candy bars.
This recipe is absolutely perfect for using up all that leftover chocolate candy in one over-the-top, decadent, delicious dessert.
It’s a total show-stopper and a crowd-pleaser, so it’s perfect for a large group for any party, potluck, or dinner.
I have included all my best cheesecake tips below, as well as some customization ideas if you’re not sure which of your leftover candy bars to use here.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake
What’s the Best Pan for Cheesecake?
- This recipe requires a 10-cup, 9-inch diameter springform pan like this one.
- Not all springform pans are made equally; you want one that’s both heavy-duty and sturdy.
- Avoid putting your pan in the dishwasher. Hand washing will extend the life of a springform pan.
- Just because your pan is 9-inches in diameter doesn’t necessarily mean it has a 10-cup batter volume capacity. Every brand may vary slightly, so be careful not to overfill your pan if yours has a smaller capacity!
Leftover Candy Ideas for Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake
Feel free to use any combination of chocolate candy you have on hand, but here are my favorites for this cheesecake:
• Snickers
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Twix
• Milky Way
• Almond Joy
• M&Ms
• Crunch
• Hershey’s
• Kit Kat
• Peppermint Patties
• Rolos
• 3 Musketeers
Do I Have to Use a Water Bath?
No! Though I typically recommend baking cheesecakes with a water bath, I’ve found the ‘low and slow’ alternative still produces a great cheesecake, though you may still end up with a crack in your cheesecake depending on your oven. Luckily, since this one is getting covered in a generous amount of chocolate ganache and chopped candy bars, it won’t matter too much.
How to Get SMOOTH Cheesecake Filling
- Make sure your cream cheese is completely softened to room temperature.
- Fully beat the softened cream cheese, and then the cream cheese and sugar, until totally smooth. This may take several minutes.
- Be sure to scrape down all the nooks and crannies of your mixer bowl (especially the bottom!) and paddle attachment between each step.
How to Tell When Cheesecake is Done Baking
Don’t overbake your cheesecake! The residual heat of the oven will continue to cook the cheesecake even after the heat has been turned off. That means you want your cheesecake to look dry at the edges but slightly wobbly or jiggly like Jello in the center when the baking time has ended. The internal temperature should be 140°F-150°F. Use a digital instant-read thermometer to verify this.
How to Serve Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake
Cheesecake will ONLY finish setting up after it has cooled completely, then been chilled in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. Only then should you remove the Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake from the springform pan, cover with ganache, and slice and serve it.
How to Store Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake
Store your Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Beyond 3 days, the crust will become mushy. Read just below for freezing instructions.
How to Freeze Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake
Cheesecake freezes wonderfully! Place whole Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake or individual slices on a baking sheet inside the freezer until firm. Wrap the cheesecake or each individual slice in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To serve, defrost a whole cheesecake in the fridge overnight. You can also defrost individual slices in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 36 Oreo cookies (One 14.3 ounce or 405 gram package)
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 32 ounces (907 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Halloween candy (any mix you like)
For the topping:
- 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- Chopped Halloween candy, for garnish
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cookies until they are finely ground crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Make the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar, cream, and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat. Stir in the chopped candy.
- Pour the batter into the cooled crust. Bake for about 1 hour, or until set and the top looks slightly dry. If the middle is slightly wobbly, that’s fine. Err on the side of underbaking rather than overbaking. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 6 hours. Release the cheesecake from the pan onto a cake stand or serving plate.
Make the topping:
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream just until simmering. Pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes before stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour over the cheesecake.
- Sprinkle the chopped candy over the cheesecake. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with additional recipe tips.
Tessa, you really are very creative in your recipes and I seem to learn a great deal. I am hoping that 2017 proves to be a wonderful and successful year for you as you well deserve it. Thank you for all of your information and always feel free to vent when needed. Sometimes, we all need a listening ear !
Sincerely, Lynda O’
this is the most creative use of Halloween candy I’ve ever seen! Love this idea, thank you
I’m salivating!!! Wish I had kids so I could sneak their Halloween candy to make this hehehe
Haha!
Oh and also,I’m looking forward to you coming out of “hiding!”
There is ZERO chance we can be trusted with this in the house! Can this filling be used in the chocolate covered cheesecake bites so I can spread the calories amongst the neighbors?
Haha! Yes, just half this recipe if you’re going to bake it in an 8×8-inch pan for the bites 🙂