Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
Made with a gingersnap crust and a richly spiced, pumpkin cream cheese batter, this Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake turns out perfect every time.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- ¾ cup gingersnap cookie crumbs ~about 10 gingersnaps
- ¼ cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Pumpkin Cheesecake Batter
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree *see note using homemade
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- In a food processor fitted with an s-blade, about 10 gingersnap cookies (to equal) ¾ cup gingersnap cookie crumbs with ¼ cup pecans until they resemble crumbs. Be sure the mixture is equal to about 1 cup of crumbs. If not, add in a couple more cookies and process again.
- Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Press the mixture into a lightly greased 7 by 3-inch springform pan or cake pan and then place the crust into the freezer while preparing the cheesecake filling. Alternatively, bake the crust at 350℉/175℃ for 10 minutes for a crispier crust.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, ½ cup canned pumpkin puree, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract on low speed until just smooth and creamy. Add 2 large eggs and beat on low speed until JUST combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust, tap on the counter gently to remove air bubbles, and cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Pour 1½ cups cold tap water into the inner pot and add the trivet. Place the pumpkin cheesecake on the trivet inside the Instant Pot and place the lid on the Instant Pot, being sure the vent knob is pointed towards sealed.
- Set to cook on high pressure for 45 minutes by hitting the manual button or pressure cook button and use the +/- buttons to adjust the time to 45 minutes.)
- Once cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Release remaining pressure and remove cheesecake from Instant Pot.
- Allow pumpkin cheesecake to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing the foil. After 10 minutes, remove the foil, and gently use a butter knife to loosen sides from pan.
- Place a paper towel or piece of parchment paper on top to the pan, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for 8-12 hours before serving. The towel will help absorb condensation.
Notes
Prep in Advance: Like all cheesecakes, this pumpkin cheesecake tastes best if made at least 8 hours in advance.
Storage: Pumpkin cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 4 days or can be frozen for up to 30 days.
Pumpkin: This pumpkin cheesecake calls for 100% Pumpkin Puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. If using homemade pumpkin puree, be sure to drain over a fine-mesh strainer for 4 hours and measure out ½ cup of the strained puree to use in this recipe.
Crust: If you don't care for gingersnaps, use graham crackers or another cookie of choice in their place. You can also omit pecans for a nut-free cheesecake by using a a full cup of cookie crumbs.
Pan: A 7-inch pan is a perfect size to fit inside a 6 or 8-quart pressure cooker. For cheesecake, I like to use a springform pan, but if you don’t have one, a 7-inch stainless steel cake pan will work.
Spices: Feel free to replace the cinnamon with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for a more classic pumpkin spice flavor.
Water: It is really important to use cold water at the bottom of the pan, warm water will change the results.
Foil: If you DO NOT cover with foil, only cook this cheesecake for 35 minutes at high pressure--and be very careful removing the lid from the pressure cooker to not drip condensation down onto the cheesecake.
Note on Eggs + Cornstarch: A few readers were having issues with the cheesecake bubbling up slightly when pressure cooked. The issue appears to be caused by pressure cooker models that run a bit hotter, and this issue can be avoided completely by adding cornstarch and not overmixing the eggs into the batter.
See Instant Pot High Altitude Conversion if cooking 2500+ feet above sea level.
Nutrition
Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 184mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 3785IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 0.8mg
