This M&M cheesecake is a creamy baked cheesecake loaded with colorful M&Ms. It has a buttery graham cracker crust, vanilla cheesecake filling with chocolate M&Ms, plus a cloud of homemade whipped cream on top.
This baked M&M cheesecake is so nostalgic with colorful swirls thanks to milk chocolate M&Ms! The colors from the mini and regular M&M candies bleed into the cheesecake batter, creating a fun rainbow cheesecake adults and kids will love.
The graham cracker crust makes the cheesecake taste almost like chocolate chip M&M cookie dough, similar to these peanut M&M cookies!
I love a rich and creamy baked cheesecake. You'll find many cheesecake recipes on my website, like salted caramel cheesecake, blueberry crumble cheesecake, and cosmic brownie cheesecake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Graham cracker crust- The crust is buttery and soft yet crunchy. It complements the creamy cheesecake and chocolate M&M's flawlessly.
- Baked cheesecake- The cheesecake is baked and chilled overnight for a rich, dense yet fluffy texture like this marble cheesecake!
- Two types of M&Ms- I used regular and mini M&Ms for variety, but you can use whatever kind of M&Ms you want, like peanut or peanut butter.
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Graham crackers- You need 2 sleeves of graham crackers.
- Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar to sweeten the crust. Make sure it isn't dried out.
- Unsalted butter- Use melted unsalted butter so the crust isn't too salty.
- Cream cheese- Use full-fat cream cheese in a block, not a tub. Low-fat or spreadable cream cheese makes the filling too runny! Pull out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before baking to reach room temperature so it mixes easily.
- Granulated sugar- Sweetens the cheesecake filling. Cane sugar and caster sugar are good substitutes.
- Greek yogurt- Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream to cut through the rich cream cheese. Pull it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Cornstarch- Helps thicken the batter and keep it from cracking.
- Large eggs- Pull out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking to reach room temperature.
- M&Ms- Use any type of M&Ms you like. I bought larger bags at Aldi, but you can find them at most grocery stores.
- Heavy cream- This needs to be cold for making the whipped cream. Make sure it's heavy whipping cream, not half and half.
- Powdered sugar- You need a few tablespoons to sweeten the whipped cream. You don't need to sift it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Graham crackers substitute- If you don't have graham crackers, you can also use Nilla wafers, gingersnaps, or Biscoff cookies.
- M&M substitute- You can make this cheesecake with other candies like Reese's pieces or Cadbury eggs. You can also use a combination of mini and regular semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Step by Step Instructions
Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
Step 1: First, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to a fine crumb. Then mix in the brown sugar, melted butter, and salt.
Step 2: Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and lower the heat to 325ยฐF. Prep the water bath; fill a casserole dish or roasting pan with water and place it on the bottom oven rack.
Step 3: For the filling, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 4: Next, mix in the Greek yogurt, vanilla, cornstarch, and salt on low speed.
Step 5: Add the eggs on low speed one at a time. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl after eggs 2 and 3.
Step 6: Fold in the M&Ms. The color will bleed, creating swirls which is normal!
Step 7: Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. Bake until the edges are set but the middle of the cheesecake is puffy and jiggles slightly.
Step 8: Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let cool on top of it for another hour. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Decorating the Cheesecake
Step 9: Make the whipped cream by mixing cold heavy cream and powdered sugar on high speed until there's stiff peaks.
Step 10: Carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan, place it on a cake stand, and dollop a generously amount of whipped cream on top. Garnish with more M&Ms, slice, and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature cream cheese, yogurt, and eggs are easier to blend into a smooth batter compared to using cold ingredients. Cold cream cheese can also leave behind chunks that cause cracks.
- Mix the ingredients well. Because chunks cause cracks, it's important to mix the cream cheese and sugar very well. Mix in the rest of the ingredients on low speed, but make sure everything is well blended.
- Don't skip the water bath. Moisture from the water bath helps prevent cracks and ensures the cheesecake turns out smooth instead of dry and rubbery.
- Don't overbake. The cheesecake is done when it jiggles a bit in the center with a gentle shake. It should jiggle like Jell-O. If it sloshes like a liquid, it's not done yet.
- Cool gradually. As cheesecakes cool, they naturally shrink, so it's important to cool them gradually. Rapid temperature changes from hot to cold can cause cracking, so patience is key in the cooling process.
Storage Tips
Store the M&M cheesecake in a large airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. I recommend a large cake carrier.
Freezing Tips
Make sure the cheesecake is chilled and remove any whipped cream on top. Wrap it in plastic wrap, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze up to 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Mini cheesecakes can be made using a muffin tin. Simply fill the muffin liners with the graham cracker crust and bake at 325ยฐF for 10 minutes. Next, add the filling and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes. Cool gradually following the instructions in this recipe.
You can use an 8X8 or 9X9-inch pan to make this into M&M cheesecake bars, but I recommend making a half batch of the filling for this.
Yes, the cheesecake will turn out rubbery or crumbly without it. Baking cheesecake in a water bath helps ensure even heat distribution around the cheesecake, resulting in a smoother, creamier texture. The stream from the water bath prevents the surface of the cheesecake from drying out, forming a tough crust, or cracking.
You definitely can! My chocolate ganache cheesecake has a ganache recipe you can use.
More Cheesecake Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Baked M&M Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
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Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 180 grams graham crackers about 2 packages
- 73 grams brown sugar light or dark
- 100 grams unsalted butter
- ยผ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake
- 680 grams cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 140 grams granulated sugar
- 150 grams plain Greek yogurt room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 90 grams M&Ms
- 115 grams mini M&Ms
Whipped Cream
- 240 grams heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- First preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.ย Set aside.
- Pulse the graham crackers to a fine crumb in a food processor or crush by hand. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.180 grams graham crackers, 73 grams brown sugar, ยผ teaspoon salt, 100 grams unsalted butter
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared springform pan with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
Cheesecake
- Take the crust out of the oven. Lower the heat to 325ยฐF/165ยฐC. Fill a roasting pan with hot water and place on the bottom oven rack. This is the water bath.
- Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and creamy.680 grams cream cheese, 140 grams granulated sugar
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the yogurt, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and salt on medium-low speed until smooth.150 grams plain Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Mix in the eggs one at a time on low, scraping the sides of the bowl after eggs 2 and 3.3 large eggs
- Fold in the regular and mini M&Ms with a rubber spatula. The color will bleed and swirl into the batter.90 grams M&Ms, 115 grams mini M&Ms
- Pour the batter on top of the crust. Bake for 65-80 minutes until the edges are set but the middle is puffy and jiggles slightly.
- Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool on top of it for 1 more hour before covering in plastic wrap and chilling in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Whipped Cream
- Place cold heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.240 grams heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap and release the sides of the springform pan.
- Place the cheesecake on a cake stand, cover with whipped cream, and garnish with more M&Ms. Enjoy!
Notes
- Fill roasting pan with hot water. Place on bottom rack and place cheesecake above it.
- Double wrap the springform pan with foil and place it inside a roasting pan. Then fill it halfway with hot water.
- Place the springform pan inside a 10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in a roasting pan and fill with hot water halfway up the cake pan.
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