Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray, and set aside.
Place Oreo cookies into a food processor, and pulse until fine crumbs form then drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture into the prepared pie plate.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, and allow to cool completely before filling.
To make the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate chips and peppermint extract, and mix until combined.
Finally, stir in the whipped topping (Cool Whip). Pour mixture into cooled Oreo pie crust.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the pie to set.
To make the topping:
In a large mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla or peppermint extract.
Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to beat on low speed until combined then increase speed to medium. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream on top of the finished peppermint pie or use a piping bag to decorate the edges. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy and white chocolate shavings if using.
Serve cold and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pie can also be frozen.
Notes
This could be a no-bake pie. The crust can be refrigerated for 15-20 minutes prior to being filled instead of being baked. Baking the crust yields a slightly crispy, crunchier crust. However, refrigerating the crust works well, too.
This pie works great as a frozen pie! I’ve found that freezing the pie for a couple of hours or even overnight helps this pie hold together well and gives it a nice texture. While it’s not necessary to freeze the pie, it tastes amazing and works beautifully.
The peppermint extract can be adjusted to taste but I recommend waiting until all the ingredients are mixed before adding more. If you don’t like a heavy amount of peppermint, perhaps start with less than a teaspoon and work up from there. The same goes for the topping. Either peppermint or vanilla can be used or a combination of either.
The texture of the filling is similar to thick cheesecake filling. If the white chocolate has started to cool, there may be a few small lumps, but that won’t ruin the pie.
The best way to cut this pie is with a warm, wet, sharp knife. Sounds a little strange, but it cuts straight through the crust and helps keep the pieces of pie clean and straight.
Whipped topping (Cool Whip) could be used to spread over the top of the finished pie instead of homemade whipped cream.
To make the white chocolate shavings, I used a block of white baking chocolate (Ghirardelli brand) at room temperature and carefully ran a vegetable peeler over the edges. Then I kept the shavings in the refrigerator until I was ready to garnish the pie.