Pressure cooker cheesecake is quick, easy and has an amazing texture. You will love this basic instant pot cheesecake, and it’s a great base for any other flavor you’d like to create!
Why I made a instant pot cheesecake.
I haven’t been the biggest fan of the instant pot – I know most people love it – but for me most of the time it’s faster and better to simply cook it myself.
So as you can imagine I was hesitant to jump on the instant pot cheesecake wagon as I am a cheesecake fanatic! Here is what I will say:
The pressure cooker cheesecake is quicker and the cheesecake texture is amazing!!!! The negative? Because of all the steam I found the crust got to soft, almost soggy.
So you have to pick – foolfproof, easy cheesecake recipe with a soft crust or slightly tricky, but once you know your oven, amazing cheesecake with a nice crust.
Also the instant pot limits the size of your cheesecake – which can be good or bad! If you are feeding a crowd then you might want a larger cheesecake. But the 7 or 8 inch that fits in the instant pot is enough for most families.
PLUS you could stack them and make 2 cheesecakes at the same time!!!
Just take me to the instant pot Recipe already!
If you’d rather skip my tips and tricks for this easy cheesecake recipe, along with links to other instant pot recipes and get straight to the best cheesecake recipe ever made in an instant pot – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
How to turn any cheesecake recipe into an instant pot cheesecake
Now of course you could take my caramel cheesecake, pistachio cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, Lemon meringue pie cheesecake, peanut butter cup cheesecake or maple bacon cheesecake recipes in the instant pot too (or any other flavor you like)!
First pick your springform pan size – I use an 8 inch springform pan for my 8 quart pressure cooker, but I recommend a 7 inch for the 6 quart (the 7 will fit in the 8 quart as well)
Now adjust the recipe (there is a serving side slide in my recipe cards). Adjust until you get down to 2 lbs of cream cheese (for the 8 inch pan) or 1 1/2 lbs of cream cheese for the 7 inch springform pan.
Prebake the crust (or you could just freeze it if it’s a crumb crust). Add the cheesecake filling and from there the rest of the pressure cooking directions are the same.
Occasionally you’ll add a topping while the cheesecake is warm. The rest of the time you’ll let the cheesecake cool and chill and then add the rest of the toppings.
Tips and Tricks for the BEST instant pot cheesecake ever
-Room temperate ingredients are key for a smooth texture.
-Beat the cream cheese and sugar as much as you want, scrap the sides and make sure the batter is smooth. Once you add the eggs, do NOT overbeat, just mix on low until they are barely incorporated, beating after you add the eggs is what often leads to cracking.
-Cover your cheesecake with a paper towel, then cover in foil. The paper towel will soak up excess liquid, but might leave a paper towel image if your cheesecake rises and touches the top – easy to cover with the sour cream topping.
-The reason for the paper towel is to soak up the excess liquid from the steam. Without it the liquid will collect and drip off the foil into the cheesecake and you’ll end with a bubbly, rippled cheesecake (still edible just not as pretty).
-The topping is optional, but I recommend it – it covers any imperfections, add’s a slight tang and tastes amazing.
-When baking I add the topping and then place the cheesecake back in the oven to cook the topping for a couple minutes, I was worried the topping might be weird without that baking time but the residual heat of the cheesecake set the topping just fine!
-Do NOT eat it right away, cheesecake needs to sets and it gets so much BETTER with time in the fridge, at LEAST 8 hours.
-You can freeze cheesecake! I like to freeze my cheesecake, cut it up and dip it in chocolate!!! seriously so good!
-Remove the cheesecake pan after it has cooled completely in the fridge as it needs the time to set to become firm.
-This cheesecake is good with my berry coulis, or cherries, or any manner of berry!
To make this easy cheesecake recipe you’ll need
- an instant pot (I use an 8 quart)
- a cheesecake pan (I used an 8 inch springform pan, if you have a smaller instant pot you’ll need to use a 7 inch)
- instant pot rack or this trivit/sling
- paper towels (large enough to cover the pan, I like to double layer it)
- foil (large enough to cover the pan)
- Berry Coulis (not necessary, but it’ll taste great with the cheesecake!)
Best cheesecake recipe in an instant pot
If you love these instant pot recipes as much as I do, I’d love a 5 star review. Be sure to share on social media and tag me if you make it @ashleemariecakes! If you want to stay updated on new recipes sign up for my newsletter and join my Facebook Group!
If you love instant pot cheesecake you’ll love these other instant pot recipes!
Instant Pot Egg Bites | Instant Pot Jambalaya | Instant Pot Coconut Curry
Or check out these amazing cheesecake recipes you can also make in the instant pot!
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake | Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake | Pistachio Cheesecake with coconut macaroon crust
To watch me make this instant pot Cheesecake play the video in the recipe card (if you’re on desktop, it should be auto playing for you).
You can find all my cooking show style recipe videos on YouTube, or my short recipe videos on Facebook Watch, or my Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Instant Pot Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 C Vanilla wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp butter melted
Cheesecake
- 2 lbs cream cheese
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 tsp vanilla
- 2 lrg eggs
- 1 egg yolk
Topping
- 3/4 C full fat sour cream
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375
- mix all the crust ingredients and toss lightly with fork until well blended.
- Press firmly into the bottom of a 8 inch spring form pan.
- Bake on the bottom rack until crisp and golden, about 10 min.
- Let cool.
Cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth
- Add the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on med until light and fluffy, about 30-60 sec.
- Scrape the bowl, beat 45 sec more – make sure it’s smooth with no chunks.
- Add the eggs and yolk one at a time until they are incorporated and the batter is velvety, about 30 sec – do NOT overbeat.
- Scrape the bowl and mix 10 sec more – do NOT overbeat.
- Pour the filling over crust,
- Add 1 C water to the instant pot
- Add the cheesecake to the instant pot rack and cover with a double layer of paper towels then foil (the foil helps hold the paper towels in place)
- Place in your instant pot, and close the lid
- Presser cook on high for 37 mins
- Let release naturally for 10 mins then quick release
Topping
- Mix the sour cream, sugar and vanilla
- Mix until smooth
- Add the topping to the warm cheesecake as soon as it comes out and let cool for 30 mins
- Then refrigerate the cheesecake for 8-12 hours
Guion Leach
Hi I love Ipots and cheesecakes, In your recipe indicated they could be used in IPOTs, you give 2 lbs of cream cheese. BUT that would be 4 BRICKS OF CREAM CHEESE and there is not an IPOT sized pan that could take that much cheese and other ingredients. Do you mean to say 2 Bricks of cream cheese, as your egg amount seem to be normal about 1 egg per brick of cheese. By going to the servings amount indicator, it does not take into account the size of the pan as 9″ is still given in the directions for the crust. The number of servings does change the other ingredients which is helpful, but I am concerned with the size of the pan and the number of bricks of cheese and eggs needed for each recipe. IPOT cheesecakes can be finicky about this. Could you check your directions and gear them to the size of the pan that we have to fit in our IPOTs? In your first recipe, you note that you are using an 8 quart, and an 8 inch pan, which most of us with the 6 qt Ipots will not be using. Your recipes sound SO GREAT, but I am afraid of batter going everywhere! Could you just clarify this?
Ashlee Marie
as you can see in the video I do use 4 bricks. I use an 8 inch pan, not a 9 inch pan, and it does fit in my 8 quart just fine. Again you can see all this in the video. I like my cheesecake’s tall. You an use the sliding scale in the recipe to change the amt of batter if you want. Most people I know have an 8 quart, but for 6 quart pots I suggest using a 7 inch pan and for a tall cheesecake doing 1.5 lbs. but of course if you like shorter cheesecakes do just 1 lbs.
Dawn Farris
I dont know how I’m missing them – but I cant find the sliding recipe scale in the recipe card section. Can you provide a direct link? I made the recipe as directed and put the rest in mason jars following the same instant pot instructions
Ashlee Marie
where it says “servings” click the number and the sliding scale opens up
Megan
My husband loved loved loved the cheesecake! It was my first time making cheesecake and I’m still new to the instant pot. My only question is that the middle was still kinda soft after it sat in the fridge overnight. Should I have cooked it a little longer?? It was delicious just the center drooped and didn’t quite set up. Also would greasing the spring form help make edge look clean?? It stuck to the wall of the springform. If didn’t look pretty but was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Ashlee Marie
it’s a personal preference. I think that most people overcook their cheesecake, I like mine to be just a little soft in the middle. and yes you can spray the outside of the pan with a non stick spray.
Maggie
Make your cheesecake for the first time today. Didn’t have sour cream so I improvised and used strawberry Greek yogurt and lemon curd mixed together to top the cake. It was delicious
Ashlee Marie
you can leave the sour cream topping off, it’s optional, but glad the strawberry yogurt worked fr you
Leiana
I love your mixer in the video, what brand is it?
Ashlee Marie
It’s a bosch universal mixer – Their website is here http://bit.ly/Ilovemybosch I have a full review here http://ashleemarie.com/bosch-universal-mixer-review-love-bosch-series/