Get out your stretchy pants, cause this recipe for M&M’s®Frozen Red Velvet Cheesecake, sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, holds nothing back! As always, all opinions and writings are my own. Thank you to my sponsors who allow me to continue producing free printables and recipes! #CollectiveBias #RedVelvetLove
Looking for a festive Valentine’s Day dessert the whole family will love? This thick & creamy Red Velvet Frozen Cheesecake is sure to please the masses!
As I was dreaming up something to make for Valentine’s Day, I remembered a Easter pie recipe that we used to make. all. the. time. I couldn’t find the recipe, so I decided to try and remember the basics and create a new cheesecake from there.
Whipped cream, pudding, M&M’s®, and cream cheese to start. The original recipe had a graham cracker crust, but those are messy and this is Valentine’s Day, so I decided to go with a red velvet base to pair with the new bag of M&M’s® Red Velvet that I picked up from Walmart’s seasonal aisle (have you guys seen these yet?!). Those seasonal candy aisles literally get me every time.
The original pie that I remembered from my childhood was thin & creamy (almost like a pudding), leaving very little hope for any kind of clean pie cut. So instead of splitting the cheesecake batter into two pies, I piled it all on one round cake to create a thick & creamy frozen layer of cheesecake heaven. Allowing it to set in the freezer for a few hours gave me a nice thick pie to cut into, while creating a creamy ice cream-like texture.
The base is a simple red velvet cake mix that I allowed to completely cool before adding the cheesecake layer. Once I smoothed out the top of the cheesecake layer with a spatula, I topped the cake with crushed & whole M&M’s® Red Velvet and the regular Valentine’s Day themed milk chocolate M&M’s® before popping it into the freezer. You’ll want to make sure to add these before freezing or you will have a had time getting the M&M’s® to stick on!
M&M’s® Red Velvet Frozen Cheesecake
A frozen cheesecake topped with M&M's on a red velvet cake base. The perfect Valentine's Day or Fourth of July cake.
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake Base:
- 1 18.25oz. Red Velvet Cake Mix
- + the Eggs Water, Oil that your box calls for.
Cheesecake Layer:
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 3.4oz. instant vanilla pudding (you just need the powder, do not prepare beforehand)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 8oz. container whipped cream (Cool Whip), thawed (not frozen)
Topping:
- 1/2 cup crushed M&M's® Red Velvet
- 1/2 cup whole M&M's® Red Velvet or more to cover cake
- 1/2 cup Valentine themed milk chocolate M&M's®
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
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Prepare cake mix according to instructions on box. Split the batter in half to bake two 9" round cakes (you will only need one of the cakes for this recipe, so you can eat or freeze the other!). Once baked, allow the cakes to cool completely. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and use a knife or cake leveler to carefully level off the "dome" of the cake.
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Line the exact same pan that you just removed the cake from with aluminum foil, allowing for a 3-4" overhang so that you can easily lift the cake out later on. You will need a deep cake pan in order to be able to get the height of this cake. Carefully place the leveled cake back into the foil-lined pan and place in freezer for 30 minutes to allow cake to slightly harden.
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In the meantime, it's time to make the cheesecake filling!
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Add cream cheese to large mixing bowl and whip with a electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy.
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Turn the mixer to low speed, and add in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla pudding powder, and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute until everything is incorporated. (You may need to turn the mixer off and scrape the sides.) Add in milk and water and continue mixing on low speed until combined.
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Turn the mixer off and gently fold in the whipped creamy with a spatula until smooth.
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Remove your cake from the freezer and gently pour the cheesecake mixture on top. Using a spatula, carefully smooth off the top to ensure the mixture covers the entire cake and all the "sides".
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Place 1/2 cup crushed M&M's® Red Velvet in a large plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush the M&M's®. Sprinkle on top of cheescake along with the 1/2 cup of whole M&M's® Red Velvet and the 1/2 cup of the Valentine themed milk chocolate M&M's® .
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Cover with plastic wrap and foil and place entire pan in freezer for 4-6 hours. I left mine overnight to completely harden, so that I could ensure a nice, clean cut.
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When time to serve, carefully lift out the cheesecake by the foil "handles" and gently peel back the foil from the edges of the cheesecake. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut slices. If pie is too frozen to cut, allow to thaw for 20-30 minutes until knife is able to be run through (if you plan to serve this as a frozen dessert, you will need to apply a good amount of pressure to your knife to cut through the cake.)
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Recipe Notes
See more great M&M's® Red Velvet recipe and party ideas at myconfectioncorner.com/valentines-day where you can also download a coupon to save on your M&M's® purchase.
Nutrition
I’m usually pretty good at keeping my hands off blog goodies most days, but you guys, this one is not one of those days. This recreation of the pie I remember making as a kid ranks about 5 cheesecake levels higher than the original one and may be my new favorite frozen cheesecake base. I can’t wait to experiment with other flavors of cake & M&M’s® (chocolate, mint, pastel, PEANUT BUTTER) for other occasions. Any one have a favorite Valentine’s Day dessert that I should know about? Leave a comment below sharing your family Valentine’s Day traditions!
Joan says
I made the cake…but how in the world did you put the creamcheese mixture on all the ‘sides’ when it was in the aluminum pan…looks like yours was only on the top of the cake.
Melissa says
Hi Joan! I’m not sure if I’m understanding your question correctly (forgive me if I am!), but I used a deep cake pan for this. Once you bake the cake, line the pan with foil, and then reinsert the cake the deepness of the pan holds up the tall cheesecake layer. Let me know if I can provide more clarification.
Tricia says
This looked too good to pass up! We are having a cupcake/cookie baking contest at work for Valentine’s Day and I decided to make this red velvet frozen cheesecake recipe by downsizing to cupcakes! They turned out beautiful! I can’t wait for my coworkers to sample & hope I win the grand prize!
Melissa says
Oh how fun to make them into cupcakes! I hope you were able to test some out before giving them all away ;) Definitely report back with how everyone likes them & good luck in the contest!
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
Wow this looks completely delicious and so perfect for valentine’s day. Red velvet and cheesecake are one of my favorite combos and I have got to try those m&ms!
T Kraus says
DO you mean an 8 oz container of Cool Whip? Or do you whip an 8 oz container of heavy cream?
Melissa says
A 8oz. container of Cool whip is what you’ll want.
Anu says
Oh wow, this cheesecake looks amazing. A wonderful idea, and this must taste heavenly. Sounds fascinating.
Jasmin says
Saving and than upgrading family recipes is such a fun way to test your creativity…
You did very nice job with this Easter / Valentines day cheesecake!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
What a decadent and delicious cheesecake.. and so perfect for Valentine’s Day. Wish I had a slice now!
Monique | WritingMonique says
This looks delicious. I really, really want to try this out!
JanetGoingCrazy says
Oh wow, this cheesecake looks amazing and I love the story behind your mom’s recipes. What a great way to preserve those recipes. I can’t wait to try this cheesecake for my husband who love red velvet! #client