New York-Style Instant Pot Cheesecake
Learn how to make New York-Style Cheesecake — in the instant pot! This cheesecake recipe is so much simpler than the oven version!
You’ve officially seen it all.
Cheesecake made in the instant pot.
There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. But not only is instant pot cheesecake easy to make; it’s just as good as it’s oven counterpart. It starts with a buttery graham cracker crust and is topped with a velvety smooth cream cheese mixture and then pressure cooked for a little less than an hour. It’s also a manageable 6-inch cheesecake so you can make it for dinner parties or during the holidays when you’re trying to stretch the dessert table a little more and don’t want to have TONS of cheesecake around after.
Side note: who are those people that don’t want to have cheesecake around? I’m one of them!
In the name of recipe testing, I have gone through many, many slices.
I have to tell you, the last time I made cheesecake before this instant pot version, was when I was in my third year of college, years ago. I was so traumatized by the experience; it took me a whole ten years to recoup. It was a Sunday afternoon, I had invited a few close friends over for lunch, and I thought cheesecake would make the perfect dessert after a light meal.
To skip ahead: the cheesecake was delicious; the crust was an entirely different story. I baked the crust as the recipe stated. The cheesecake mixture was creamy and tangy. I even decided I’d bake it in a water bath to ensure a crack-free cheesecake. But what I didn’t anticipate is that the water bath would end up doing more harm than good. You see, in my naivety, I poured the water so far up the sides that it ended up getting inside the foil wrapping. That first bite was nothing but a soggy-bottom, mouthful of mush.
Making instant pot cheesecake means there’s no need for a hot water bath or squatting every twenty minutes next to the oven to make sure your beloved cheesecake isn’t going to have cracks. Both of which I’ve been tortured with before. None of that nonsense when you’re making cheesecake in the pressure cooker.
To be honest with you, I never thought I’d be making anything sweet in the instant pot (affiliate link). Chicken broth? Yes. Soups? Definitely. Rice? That’s a given. But dessert? Um.. really?
The first time I made cheesecake in the instant pot, I learned a valuable lesson that I’m going to pass on to you. If you’re like me and use a ton of garlic or onions in your instant pot recipes, do yourself a favor, and buy an extra sealing ring (affiliate link) before you attempt to make this cheesecake. You can tell if you need a new sealing ring if when you lift the lid of your IP, the smell of ____ (insert last meal cooked in instant pot) starts invading your nostrils. The first time I made instant pot cheesecake, I almost died, because the top layer smelled// tasted// emitted smells of garlicky beef soup. I’m all for beef soup and cheesecake – just not together on the same plate, please and thank you!
So please, whatever you do consider ordering a new seal before you serve this cheesecake to loved ones, it’s quite a mortifying experience. One that almost had me halting my cheesecake making for yet another decade.
Tips on perfecting instant pot cheesecake:
- Crust: I’m using the crust I always use for my Key Lime Pie Bars. You’ll need graham cracker, pecans, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Once you’ve made the crust, you can either bake it for 10 minutes or pop it in the freezer for 20.
- To ensure your cheesecake is crack-free: plan ahead. Sorry folks, no manual pressure release on this one! Seriously; don’t do it. After playing around with this recipe tons, I have to tell you, you’ve gotta let the pressure cooker naturally release its pretty to ensure that the cheesecake stays crack-free and cooks all the way through.
- Make ahead: my two favorite words around Thanksgiving! I like to make this cheesecake 24-48 hours ahead and guess what? Cheesecake tastes better as it rests; win-win. So make it today, or tommorow if you’re planning on serving this for T-Day.
- Use a smaller springform pan: This recipe will work with both a 6-inch (affiliate link) or 7-inch springform pan (affiliate link). You’ll also need the steamer rack (affiliate link) that came with your IP. We’ll add water to the base and then place the rack on top to pressure cook the cheesecake.
Dear Cheesecake Lovers: How about this year we make instant pot cheesecake and leave the oven to things like turkey//stuffing// rolls// pies and everything else that requires the ovens attention during the holidays?
I’m keeping it ultra classy with my New York-Style Cheesecake right here.
New York-Style Instant Pot Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 9 large graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs
- 2 tablespoons ground pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Cheesecake filling:
- 12 ounces cream cheese (or 1 1/2 packages)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF if you plan on baking the crust. If you're freezing it, you can skip this step. Regardless of which method you use, wrap your 6 or 7-inch springform pan tightly in foil and spray the inside of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- crust: combine the butter and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and zap until the butter melts, about 30-40 seconds. In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, pecans, and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter on top and using a rubber spatula mix until the crumbs are covered in the butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Place the pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes or bake for 10 minutes. If baking, allow the crust to cool to room temperature before proceeding.
- cheesecake filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, salt, vanilla, lemon zest, and cornstarch until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar and let it mix in completely before adding the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the crust. Cover the top of the springform pan with a piece of foil and wrap it tightly around the rim.
- pressure cook: Pour 1 1/4 cups of water into the base of the instant pot and place the steaming rack on the bottom. Place the springform pan on the rack. Lock the lid in place and seal the vent. Cook the cheesecake on manual high pressure for 37 minutes and allow the Instant Pot to naturally release its pressure for 25 minutes afterward (the 'keep warm' setting should still be on, you don't want to turn your IP off completely).
- let cool: carefully remove the springform pan from the IP then remove the foil. Using a piece of kitchen towel, gently wipe the surface of the cheesecake if there is any moisture on the surface of the cake. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature, about 3 hours before placing it in the refrigerator to cool overnight. Cheesecake can be prepared 24-48 hours in advance. Top with whipped cream, berries, or apple or cherry pie filling before serving!
Notes
- 9 graham cracker sheets is roughly 1- 1 1/4 cups of crumbs.
Update (1/30/2018): A few readers have mentioned the cheesecake didn't set for them in the middle as it did for me in the time noted. For this reason, I'll be retesting the recipe. This recipe was tested multiple times and my cheesecake was perfectly set in the time noted. In the meantime, a helpful reader suggested to help the cheesecake set, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it overnight. This seems to help solidify the center a bit more. You can also check the cheesecake once the pressure releases and if it is still pudding-like in the center, you can continue to pressure cook it for an additional 5-10 minutes (depending on how puddingy it is) then natural pressure release with the 'keep warm' setting on.
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What a hit! I did have to cook an extra 10 minutes!
I did add 15 minutes to the cooking time after reading the previous comments. It turned out AMAZING!!!! This was also my first time to make REAL cheesecake. Saving the recipe. Will definitely make again and again.
Hello, made this on Tuesday and I thought it was pretty good. Then I tried it after 24h in the refrigerator and it was fantastic! I did leave it too cook for 48min and had no problems. I was wondering if you have another cheesecake recipe coming, any different flavors? Can I put 2 cheesecakes in one pressure cooker? Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Oh, dear. No IP. Your recipe looks delicious. Any advise for time and temp in the oven? I realize most requests are for the opposite conversion 🙂 Thanks.!
I love this cheesecake! It was my very first cheesecake in the instant pot so I was very nervous about it actually turning out. The recipe was easy to follow! I ended up doing a 50 minute cook time and the 25 min NPR. I let it set in the fridge overnight, I added peaches on top and it was perfect! Thank you for sharing your recipe!♡
This was the best cheese cake I’ve ever made. Easy , delicious and just the right size. The only thing I did differently is cook it for 48 min as recommended by others. Perfect!
I made this recipe twice and it came out perfectly delicious, but the 3rd time it puffed up like a soufflé and didn’t cook through. I researched and determined that perhaps I over-mixed it, so I tried again and although my 4th try didn’t puff up, it still didn’t cook through. I followed the directions to the letter adding 11 minutes to the cooking time with a natural release of 25 minutes. The only difference between my successful attempts and unsuccessful attempts is that I used the original base pot the first 2 times and a coated dark pan the second 2 times. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong?
Hmm, I think the coated dark pan may indeed be the culprit. I know that when you’re baking in a regular sheet pan vs. a darker pan, it does significantly change the baking. However, I usually find that darker pans take less time to cook so this stumps me. I’ve never made the cheesecake in anything but the original base pot, so I really feel that may indeed be the issue.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I’ll try again using the original pot and let you know. When it came out correctly, it was the best cheesecake ever, on par with bakery cheesecakes and Ina Garten’s famous recipe!
I believe the problem is the foil. I haven’t made your recipe per se, but I do make Instant Pot cheesecakes every week. When I first started using my IP to make cheesecakes, I used the wrapped foil method. My cheesecakes were never done—sometimes cooking them three times before they would partially set. Then I started not using any foil at all, just a piece of round parchment paper laid loosely over the top to catch condensation. They have turned out perfectly every time with the suggested pressure and release times in the recipes I’ve used.
Hmm.. that’s really interesting. I can see how the foil could be an issue. Thank you for sharing!
Trying this, thank you!
I’ve made this recipe several times always with foil as directed. When it’s done the center looks a bit loose but once cooled it totally sets up. Excellent flavor.
How much is 9 graham equal to? Lazy here bought the crumbs.
This is only the second thing l’ve tried to cook in my instapot copy so, first of all thank you so much for all the (very) helpful hints. I made mine in a stainless steel pudding bowl cos it was all I had that would fit. We’re in lockdown here so buying something to size wasn’t an option. Used the juice from 1/2 the lemon instead of vanilla essence and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for the same reasons also, left the cinnamon out cos l forgot to add it to the crust before l pressed it. Didn’t change anything else and followed instructions and times as written. IT IS FANTASTIC. The flavour and texture are perfect. I had enough left to make 4 mini cheesecakes in ramekins to freeze for later. Cooked them for 10 minutes but think 8 may have been better. l’m grinning as l write this though, cos the odds of any of them lasting the night let alone getting frozen, are fairly slim. It really is THAT good. Thanks again.
What is the foil for? I’ve made a different recipe that didn’t call for foil and it was good. Made this recipe and it’s great too. I used the foil. I’m wondering if the people whose didn’t cook in the center were using 6 inch pans. I’ve seen elsewhere they take longer to cook than a 7 inch does.
The harsh reality is that springform pans leak, even those marketed as “leakproof.” If you don’t use foil you risk water getting in and your cheesecake getting out.
This isn’t as big a problem for a cheesecake mixture with a crust but make something like a runny egg recipe and without the foil it may be all over your counter before it even makes it to the pot.
This is EASILY the absolute best NY Style Cheesecake on the planet. Using my new Ninja Foodi (Christmas gift), I followed the recipe exactly as written, except I used Walnuts because I didn’t have any pecans. It is/was fabulous!! I don’t think we will ever buy NY Style Cheesecake again. This is that good. The crust is PERFECT.
omg thanks!! I was trying to see if i can replace with walnuts too 🙂
Must the crust be baked first? Want to make this while camping, and won’t have access to an oven or freezer.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was incredible even though I didn’t read the part about making it a day in advance. A teenage relative thought it was the best cheesecake they’d had.
The pecans in the crust adds a nice touch. The lemon zest and vanilla are the perfect flavors to compliment the cream cheese and sour cream.
I am going to make two for Easter so there is extra.
Marzia:
I have a 7” by 2-1/4” tall springform pan that came with my 6 qt. IP. Nowhere do I see a lower pan height being addressed. There are references to 3” and 4” tall pans but not 2-1/4”. (Not just on this site, though this is the recipe I will be trying—it looks the best). I don’t want the cheesecake to overflow. How full can the pan be? Will the cheesecake rise a little?
Can I use a hand mixer if don’t have stand kind with paddle attachment please?
I just wanted to put in a quick word. I have made this recipe three times. I don’t adjust the ingredients except for less sugar (my full cheesecake takes 1/2 cup). I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I am at altitude and I don’t adjust the cook time and it has turned out perfectly creamy each time. I am not a huge instapot fan, I know, blasphemy, but really use mine for things like baked beans and THIS cheesecake. Just be sure to buy an extra seal if you use your pot for sweet and for savory
This was the 1st desert I ever made in the instapot and everyone loved it SO much I made a 2nd one the next day but added lemon curd and grated lemon on top and wow that was excellent too !
Thank you for your very clear and precise instructions- it came out perfect !!
So easy to make, and instructions are easy to read. I just put mine in the IP . I’m wondering instead of using foil if we could use plastic wrap?