Name: Instant Pot Cheesecake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs; 3 tablespoons butter (melted); 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 eggs (separated); 2 (8 ounce packages) cream cheese (softened); 1/2 cup sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice optional (but encouraged)

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Baked in the moist heat of the Instant Pot, Instant Pot Cheesecake turns out light, fluffy, and perfect every time! This Instant Pot Cheesecake is a show-stopping dessert!

Love cheesecake? Check out Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake and Instant Pot Carrot Cake Cheesecake. No Instant Pot? You will love my classic Cheesecake Recipe.

I do not believe the Instant Pot is created for all recipes. Muffins, cookies, and steaks can easily be ruined in a pressure cooker. But cheesecake is another story.

The environment that the Instant Pot creates is perfect for baking a delicious creamy cheesecake. My Classic Cheesecake recipe is baked in a water bath, which helps keep a moist environment that helps the cheesecake bake evenly. The Instant Pot creates that moist heat and bakes up a cheesecake to perfection.

This cheesecake has amazing tang and creaminess. It is rich and luscious, while being less dense than most cheesecakes, thanks to the whipped egg whites. This was my Nana’s secret and keeps this cheesecake lighter in texture, while still being incredibly decadent.

This Instant Pot Cheesecake is truly the BEST! It is perfect for holidays, entertaining, or even a dessert at home. Because Instant Pot Cheesecake is a bit smaller than traditional cheesecakes, you don’t need a crowd to make this delicious recipe!

How To Make Instant Pot Cheesecake

Step One: Prepare Crust

In the food processor, pulse the graham crackers and butter until crackers are broken down into crumbs.
Add in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are wet and resemble wet sand.
Press the crust down into a 7-inch spring-form pan. I wrap my pan in foil, this is not necessary but will help prevent any leakage of the cheesecake if your pan does not seal well.
Place crust in the freezer while assembling cheesecake filling.
Alternatively, you can bake the cheesecake crust at 400 degrees for 10 minutes if you would like a crunchier crust that holds up better when sliced.

Step Two: Prepare Cheesecake Filling

Start by setting all your ingredients out 3-4 hours BEFORE making your cheesecake. Room temperature ingredients are essential for a smooth and uniform cheesecake.
Beat together cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice until creamy and smooth.
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until light and fluffy. Gently fold egg whites into the batter until just combined. By whipping the egg whites, this cheesecake is light and airy, while still be super creamy.

Step Three: Pressure Cook Cheesecake

Remove crust from the freezer or oven.
Pour cheesecake filling unto crust. Gently tap down cheesecake on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Cover cheesecake with a piece of foil to prevent condensation from forming on it during pressure cooking. This step is technically not necessary, but if not covered, the cheesecake will take less time to cook AND you will need to be extremely careful removing the lid from the instant pot so that the condensation will not drip down on the cheesecake. Also, if you do not cover with foil, you will need to carefully blot off the condensation with a paper towel after cook time.
Place 1 and 1/2 cups cold water in the bottom of Instant Pot.
Add trivet to the inner pot of Instant Pot.
Place cheesecake on the trivet.
Set to cook on high pressure for 35 minutes or 40 minutes for a denser cheesecake.
Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
Release any remaining pressure and remove cheesecake from Instant Pot.

Step Four: Serve Cheesecake

Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around edges of the springform pan and carefully loosen outer ring, to release the cheesecake from side of the pan.
Close outer ring again and cover the cheesecake with parchment paper or wax paper (to prevent moisture from forming on cheesecake) and then wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Best if eaten after 8-12 hours of being refrigerated.
To serve this pressure cooker cheesecake, I recommend removing from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before serving for the flavors to really pop. Top as desired with fresh fruit, pie filling, chocolate, caramel, etc.

Tips for the BEST Instant Pot Cheesecake

This Instant Pot Cheesecake tastes best if made at least 8 hours in advance.
Cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 4 days or can be frozen up to 30 days, just be sure to defrost in the refrigerator, NOT the microwave, as that will ruin the cheesecake’s texture.
A 7-inch pan is a perfect size to fit inside a 6 or 8-quart pressure cooker. For the cheesecake, I like to use a springform pan, but if you don’t have one, a 7-inch stainless steel cake pan will work. If you use a 6-inch cheesecake pan, you will need to add 7 minutes to the cook time.
Use mini pot holders to remove your cheesecake from the pressure cooker or craft a foil sling by taking a 20-inch piece of aluminum foil and folding it three times lengthwise. Carefully center the filled pan on a foil sling and lower it into onto the rack in the pressure cooker. Fold the foil sling down so that it doesn’t interfere with closing the lid.
Why cover the cheesecake with foil? I have made cheesecake in the instant pot many times without covering the cheesecake in foil. HOWEVER, it can be a bit tricky to perfect due to the condensation that forms during the cooking process. Therefore, I recommend covering with foil for the best results. If you opt-out of this step, you will need to cook for 5-7 minutes LESS time and be extremely careful removing the lid from the instant pot so that the condensation will not drip down on the cheesecake. You will also need to carefully blot off the condensation with a paper towel after cook time.
I really recommend having 2 sealing rings for your Instant Pot, one for savory dishes and one for sweet dishes. That way your cheesecake will not taste like Instant Pot Chili.

More Favorite Dessert Recipes

Instant Pot Cheesecake

Instant Pot Cheesecake turns out light, fluffy, and perfect every time!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Pressure Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

Cheesecake Graham Cracker Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter melted3 tablespoons butter melted
1 tablespoon sugar1 tablespoon sugar

Cheesecake Filling

2 eggs separated2 eggs separated
2 (8 ounce packages) cream cheese softened2 (8 ounce packages) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice optional but encouraged1/2 teaspoon lemon juice optional but encouraged

Instructions

For Graham Cracker Crust

Process graham crackers to form 1 cup graham cracker crumbs in food processor.
Add in 1 tablespoon sugar and pulse to combine.
With food processor running, add in melted butter through lid. Process until graham crackers look like wet sand.
Press into bottom of 7 inch springform pan. Place in freezer for 10 minutes or bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes for a crunchier crust.

Cheesecake Batter

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks have formed and set aside.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon juice until creamy.
Gently fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture, being careful to not over mix or deflate the egg whites.
Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared crust. Gently tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles. Cover pan with a piece of foil.
Place 1 and 1/2 cups cold water in bottom of Instant Pot. Add trivet to inner pot of Instant Pot and place cheesecake on trivet.
Set to cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, or 45 minutes for a denser cheesecake. Hit manual/pressure cook and use +/- buttons to adjust timing.
Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure and remove cheesecake from Instant Pot.
Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and then carefully loosen outer ring to release cheesecake from side of pan.
Close outer ring again and cover cheesecake with parchment paper or wax paper (to prevent moisture from forming on cheesecakand then wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Best if eaten after 8-12 hours of being refrigerated.

Equipment Needed

Notes

Cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 4 days or can be frozen up to 30 days, just be sure to defrost in the refrigerator, NOT the microwave, as that will ruin the cheesecake's texture.
A 7 inch pan is the perfect size to fit inside a 6 or 8 quart pressure cooker If you use a 6 inch cheesecake pan, you will need to add 7 minutes to the cook time.
It is best to have all your ingredients at room temperature BEFORE preparing the batters for the cheesecake. This step is crucial to a SMOOTH cheesecake.
If you do not cover your cheesecake with foil, you will need to cook for 5-7 minutes LESS and be extremely careful removing lid from instant pot so that condensation will not drip down on the cheesecake.
Full fat or 1/3 less fat cream cheese can be used, but do not use fat free cream cheese for this recipe.
If cooking at higher elevations, refer to Instant Pot High Altitude Conversion.

Nutrition

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Instant Pot Cheesecake