M&M Cheesecake

This M&M cheesecake is a baked cheesecake full of colorful M&M’s! It has a graham cracker crust and a creamy cheesecake center. It is topped with homemade whipped cream and both mini M&M’s and regular M&M’s.

This M&M cheesecake makes me so happy. It is full of colors and milk chocolate M&M’s!

The best part about this cheesecake is all of the colorful swirls when you cut into it. Since there is so many M&M’s, the colors bleed into the batter as you mix them in. It results into a kind of rainbow cheesecake.

For more M&M recipes, try Monster Cookie Cheesecake, Mini M&M Cookies, and M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Why This Recipe Works

• Graham cracker crust- The crust is soft after it bakes, but not soggy. It is soft so it blends well into the cheesecake when you take a bite! I hate a crust that is hard as a rock!
• Baked cheesecake- This cheesecake gets baked and chilled overnight.
• Whipped cream- You can make homemade whipped cream or a whipped topping like cool whip. If you want extra sweet you can also make a chocolate ganache.
• Two types of M&M’s- I used mini’s and regular, however you can use whatever M&M’s you want!

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

• Graham crackers- I used two packages of graham crackers. You can also use vanilla wafers, Oreos, nutter butters, or digestive biscuits.
• Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar.
• Unsalted butter- The butter is melted for the crust.
• Cream cheese- Use full fat cream cheese. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
• Sour cream- Use full fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt. Pull this out 2 hours before baking so it is room temperature.
• Heavy cream- For the cheesecake, pull this out 2 hours before baking. For the whipped cream, it needs to be cold.
• Eggs- Pull the large eggs out 2 hours before baking.
• M&M’s- I used mini M&M’s and regular M&M’s. I bought the bigger bags at my grocery store.

Step By Step Instructions

Here is how to make and bake this cheesecake. You will need a 9-inch parchment paper circle, 9-inch spring form pan, a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and a rubber spatula.

STEP 1: Make the crust. Using a food processor, or even a ziplock bag with a rolling pin, blend the graham crackers into a fine crumb. Then, add the brown sugar and melted butter. It should resemble wet sand.

STEP 2: Compact the crust. Next, pour the graham cracker crumbs into the prepared pan. Use your hands to go around the sides and press the crust halfway up the sides of the pan.

Then, use the back of a measuring cup to really compact the crust down.

STEP 3: Bake. Bake the crust for 11 minutes at 325F.

STEP 4: Beat the cream cheese and sugar. Using the mixer, first beat the softened cream cheese on high speed for 1 minute. Add in the white sugar and beat again.

STEP 5: Add wet ingredients. Next, add in the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, vanilla extract, and eggs into the cream cheese mixture. Add the eggs in on low speed one a time!

Then, fold in both types of M&M’s using a rubber spatula. The colors will bleed and create pretty swirls!

STEP 6: Pour. Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. Then, prepare the water bath. See below for my water bath tips.

STEP 7: Bake. Bake for 70-80 minutes until the edges are baked but the middle has a slightly jiggle.

STEP 8: Cool. First, turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let it cool for 30 minutes. This allows it to cool slowly. Then, cool completely on a cooling rack (wire rack).

Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.

Decorating the Cheesecake

First, remove the cheesecake from the pan. Tilt it on it’s side to remove the parchment paper.

Next, make the whipped cream ( or use cool whip) and pipe the whipped cream in cute dollops on top. The, pour all the M&M’s on top! I used a piping bag with Wilton 1M piping tip.

Water Bath Tips

The water bath provides a moist environment for the cheesecake. This is because of the steam. When it is too dry, it will create cracks in the cheesecake.

Here are two techniques to try. They both use a roasting pan with hot steaming water.

1. Place the springform pan inside a 10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in the roasting pan. Fill the pan with the hot water (about halfway up the cake pan)
2. Wrap the springform pan with foil twice very tightly. Place the springform pan inside the roasting pan. Fill the pan halfway up with hot water.

My favorite method is the first one. This won’t let any water at all get into the crust. It makes baking cheesecake so easy!

The second option gives the chance to get water inside and create a soggy crust.

Preventing the Cheesecake From Cracking

• Beat the wet ingredients minus the eggs on high speed. Everything need to be super creamy and smooth. Chunks of cream cheese can cause cracks.
• Add the eggs on low speed. The goal is to have as little air as possible when mixing in the eggs. Too much air can cause big bubbles in the cheesecake batter. It will make the cheesecake rise and fall too quickly when baking. Which causes cracks.
• For best results, use a water bath. This is essential! See above for cheesecake tips.
• Cool the cheesecake. Once the cheesecake is done baking, it needs to sit in the hot oven for 30 minutes. This lets it cool slowly.
• If you were to put the cheesecake on the counter right after done baking, it will be too quick of a temperature change, which cause cracks.

FAQ

Storing and Freezing

Store this M&M cheesecake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.

Freezing

You can freeze the M&M cheesecake in individual cake slices. Store in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days. Thaw for 1-2 hours before eating.

You can also freeze the cheesecake before decorating. Wrap the cooled cheesecake (it needs to chill in the fridge overnight first), in plastic wrap and freeze up to 30 days.

Thaw for 1-2 hours before decorating.

Other Cheesecake Recipes To Try

Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.