Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake

Are you dressing up for Halloween tonight? Or did you over the weekend?

I dressed up with Jared last year for Halloween, but hadn’t since high school before that. I find adult costume parties and Halloween STRESSFUL. The amount of time, energy, and money required to come up with a good costume is just exhausting. Anyone else feel the same?

Maybe if I have kids one day I’ll have a different opinion. Kids seem to make holidays like Halloween and Christmas so much more fun.

Whether you dressed up or not, you’re bound to have a ton of leftover Halloween candy taking up space in your pantry over the coming weeks. Calling your name. Teasing you.
Or maybe after a week of snacking what’s left behind doesn’t excite anyone. Snickers, Twix, and Reese’s don’t last long in our house.

Whatever the case this recipe is absolutely perfect for using up all that leftover chocolate candy in one over-the-top dessert. It’s absolutely a show stopper and crowd pleaser, so it’s perfect for a large group. Then you can be rid of that candy and move onto the next foodie holiday… Thanksgiving!!

This recipe makes perfect use of:
• Snickers
• Reese’s
• Twix
• Milky Way
• Almond Joy
• M&Ms
• Crunch
• Hershey’s
• Kit Kat
• Peppermint Patties
• Rolos
• Milk Duds
• 3 Musketeers

For extra tips & tricks on making beautiful cheesecake (like avoiding cracks, telling when the cheesecake is actually done, and making ahead of time), check out my free guide:

By the way, if you haven’t heard, I’m co-hosting the Holiday Baking Bonanza with Ashley from Baker by Nature to bring you the BEST holiday recipes, tips, tricks, resources, and giveaways throughout the season. To follow along, join our free Facebook community HERE. You won’t want to miss out!

How to make

Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Leftover Halloween Candy Cheesecake uses up ALL those Snickers, Twix, Reese's, Milkyway, and more taking up space in your pantry in one over-the-top cheesecake recipe!

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 36 Oreo cookies (1-14.3 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 (see above)

For the topping:

• 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
• Chopped Halloween candy, for garnish

Directions

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a food processor, process 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:

1. 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.
2. Sprinkle the chopped candy over the cheesecake. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Recipe Notes

Do NOT use double-stuff Oreos for the crust. Make the crust with Oreo filling intact.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe by Tessa Arias