Do you need some instant pot dessert recipes? You have to give this instant pot cheesecake recipe a try! It's a classic vanilla cheesecake that tastes amazing topped with your favorite pie filling or just plain.
Can you believe I had a pressure cooker/instant pot before they were all the rage and never once made a recipe for the blog? I could have been ahead of the times, but instead, I'm behind like always. It's okay, I'm in the game now. I have a couple of cakes coming up too!
What Do You Need To Make An Instant Pot Cheesecake
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
- Trivet/Rack
- 7-inch springform pan (I use a pan with a removable bottom.)
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- flour
- sour cream
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
How To Make An Instant Pot Cheesecake
Begin making an instant pot cheesecake like you would any other cheesecake. Prepare your crust and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Instead of baking it, you'll freeze it for about 10 minutes until it's firm. While it's freezing, work on the cheesecake filling.
To prepare the filling as usual. Add in the cream cheese and sugar, and beat until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract, flour, and one egg at a time. Beat until smooth. Lastly, beat in the sour cream and heavy cream. Pour the filling into the frozen crust.
I like to double wrap my pan with heavy duty tin foil to make sure no water gets into my cheesecake. Cover the top with foil too.
Then I add 1 cup of water to my pressure cooker and the trivet/rack. Carefully place the pan in the center of the trivet/rack. Lock the lid in place and turn the pressure release valve to the sealed position. Set pressure to high and the time to 35 minutes. When the cheesecake is finished cooking and the pressure cooker beeps, release pressure naturally for about 20-30 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid and take the cheesecake out. Let it cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge to chill overnight or at least 6 hours.
How do I keep the water off of my cheesecake? You can cover your instant pot cheesecake with tin foil. Be sure to add an additional 5 minutes to the cooking time.
How to get savory smells out of your instant pot? While my pressure cooker isn't in use, I add a small bowl of baking soda in the bottom of it to absorb the odor. You can also buy a second sealing ring for the pressure cooker. One can be for sweets and the other for savory.
Is it normal for the cheesecake to not have a smooth top when it's cooked? Yes. That's why you need something pretty like fruit pie filling, caramel, ganache, fresh fruit, etc to cover the top up with.
Don't have an instant pot? Try these traditional cheesecakes instead!
Instant Pot Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 T. butter melted
- 2 T. granulated sugar
Filling
- 16 oz. (2 bricks) cream cheese room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 T. all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 can fruit pie filling
Instructions
Crust
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Stir to coat the crumbs with the butter.
- Press the crumbs in the bottom and sides of a 7-inch springform pan.
- Place into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes and work on the filling.
Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the cream cheese and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla extract, flour, and the eggs one at a time. Beat until the eggs are incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in the sour cream and heavy cream.
- Pour the filling into the chilled crust.
- Double wrap the pan in heavy duty tin foil and cover the top in foil.
- Fill the pressure cooker with 1 cup of water.
- Place the trivet/rack in the pressure cooker.
- Carefully place the pan in the center of the trivet/rack.
- Lock the lid in place and turn the pressure release valve to the sealed position.
- Set pressure to high and the time to 35 minutes. When the cheesecake is finished cooking and the pressure cooker beeps, release pressure naturally for about 20-30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid and take the cheesecake out. Let it cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge to chill overnight or at least 6 hours.
- Add pie filling to the top and serve.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
Cheryl Harlan says
I found your cite when I was looking around. You are talking about Instant Pot Cheesecakes. What do you mean by that. I don't understand what the instant pot means. And I do not have a pressure cooker. So what do you do then?
Miranda says
An instant pot is a pressure cooker. If you don't have one, you'll have to make a different cheesecake. I added a link to my other cheesecake recipes above for tons of cheesecakes baked in the oven.
Darlene says
Did you change this?? Thought I made it last time and it was perfect but didn’t remember it saying to cover in the recipe box, not sure this time if it cooked enough and the foil took some of the top off
Miranda says
I haven't changed it.
darlene says
Sorry, I guess it was not yours but yours is so much better it will be the only one I make from now on!u
Miranda says
awww! Thank you!
Jennifer Wise says
This looks delicious! I can't believe it's make in an instant pot.
#madebyyoumondaylinky
Kristen says
This sounds absolutely amazing! Now I just need to get an Instant Pot!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
Cheese cake in an instant pot? Who knew? Thank for sharing at the What's for Dinner party - hope to see at next week's party tomorrow!
Clearissa Coward says
I do not have an insta pot but this is a good reason to won one. It looks delish. TFS with OMHGWW
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
it amazes me what can be cooked in an instant pot! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party.
Life Diet Health says
Well I never knew pressure cooker cheesecake was a thing! You make it sound so easy too! Thanks for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday (don't forget to add your links for a chance to be featured the following week). Have a great weekend.
Marcia says
It is hard if not impossible to find heavy cream in my area. Heavy whipping cream is easily available. I understand that any whipping cream has some air whipped into it. Can I substitute heavy whipping cream for heavy cream in this cheesecake recipe?
Miranda C. says
You definitely can use heavy whipping cream in place of heavy cream. The recipe will still work wonderfully.
Miz Helen says
This is a great cheesecake recipe for the Instant Pot! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back to see us soon!
Miz Helen
Jerri says
I love cheesecake! This looks delicious! Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites. I'm featuring you this week.
Theresa says
Do I leave it in the pan to complete chill?
Miranda C. says
Hi Theresa! Yes, leave it in the pan to cool completely. This will prevent the cake from cracking when unmolding. A cold cheesecake is much easier to remove from the pan. Good luck!
Kathleen J Hittle says
Very moist and creamy. Easy to make and tasted very good. I will be making this again in the very near future. My family loved it.
Miranda says
YAY! So glad you love it!
Ginny says
How long is the cheesecake supposed to be in the instant pot? I put it on Pressure Cook and put the time in for 35 minutes.
It seemed like it just went on by itself. I looked at it after about 40 minutes. It didn’t release and when I canceled everything after a couple of hours there was no release. I just opened it let it chill.
Miranda C. says
Hi Ginny! That is very strange. Maybe the Instant pot didn't seal correctly. Usually, I put the cheesecake in, set the pressure and timer and it takes about 10 minutes for the instant pot to reach high pressure and begin baking. After baking at 35 minutes, it is about another 10-15 minutes to depressurize. Check the seal on your pot and make sure the lid is locked on. I hope this helps!
Jeanine says
Don’t have a 7 inch spring form pan only an 8 Inch- would/could that work?
Miranda C. says
Hi Jeanine- An 8" pan would work, as long as it fits into your instant pot!
Leslie says
Tastes great but the center did not set. Any tips? I put in fridge over night and served in the evening.
Miranda C. says
Hi Leslie! The cheesecake probably needed another 5 minutes to cook. I know it can be tricky to get cooking times correct on the Instant pot! I am working on tweaking this recipe and updating it soon. Hopefully it will work perfectly for you next time- it is a great recipe!
Josiw says
I just tried this, first time making cheesecake and first time using my instantpot. I just took my cheesecake out of the instantpot and it’s very wet and jiggly. Will this become firm if I let it sit or do I need to cook it lol longer. Please help. This was my birthday gift to myself lol
Miranda says
Happy Birthday! If only the center is jiggling and the rest looks set, I would refrigerate it and it would firm up. It shouldn't look wet at all so I would definitely put it back in for another 10 to 15 minutes and let it naturally release again.
Peggy says
If you are going to freeze the cheesecake, do you freeze it without the fruit topping?
Miranda says
Yes, I would freeze it without the fruit topping.
Greg Mahoney says
I have done this recipe twice now in the last year and both times my Center looks like pudding. I am using the recipe that calls for 35 minutes with 30 minute natural release. What am I doing wrong? I'm assuming that I need to add more time?
Miranda C. says
I would suggest adding more time. Every instant pot is a little different and this may effect the cooking time. If the center is very soft each time, try adding 10 minutes to the cooking time (so 45 min at high pressure total). Hopefully this helps!
Erica says
Hello, when I removed the bottom foil from the pan there was butter on the foil maybe 2 tsp. Is this suppose to happen. Anyone else have this happen. Also mine seemed ready except still soft in the middle so I placed it back in the instapot for 5 more minutes. There was also a little water on it even though I covered it with foil so I just dabbed it with a paper towel. I haven’t tried it yet but the butter on the bottom foil concerns me.
Miranda says
The butter in the bottom is from the crust. It happens sometimes to me when I'm testing different cookies for the crust and have added a little too much butter for the cookies to absorb. It's perfectly fine! The cheesecake will look soft in the center like a set-up jello until it's chilled.