Simple Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipe

If you're into your Instant Pot and all of the magic tricks that it can do, then we have another recipe that will amaze you and once again prove that there's literally nothing that this machine cannot do. Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts on the planet, and its creamy texture and graham cracker crust makes it incredibly enjoyable to eat. According to Thought Co., cheesecake was created as early as 2,000 B.C. It's believed to have originated in Greece and "may have been served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 B.C. to give them energy." Who knew?

Kit Hondrum of Kit's Kitchen is the mind behind this Instant Pot cheesecake that is perfect for pleasing a crowd. Whether you're making it for a birthday, special occasion, or just because, it's safe to say that it's always a good time for cheesecake. She says that her favorite part of this recipe is the ease. "I love how easy this is to make in the Instant Pot, so you don't have to worry about doing a water bath like you do when you bake in the oven," she shared. 

For starters, you need to gather all of your ingredients for this easy Instant Pot cheesecake. Hopefully you already have some of the items at home already, so you can keep your grocery list relatively short. The recipe calls for graham crackers, salted butter that's been melted, light brown sugar, and of course, cream cheese. In addition, you also need granulated sugar, full-fat Greek yogurt, large eggs, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt. Once you have everything together, it's time to get cooking.

When it comes to making cheesecake, you have to think ahead. Hondrum says you should "remove the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs from refrigerator about two hours before [you begin to cook], to allow those ingredients to come to room temperature." 

To begin, line the bottom and the sides of a 7.5-inch springform pan with parchment paper. After you've done that, add the graham crackers to the food processor and blend until you get a fine crumb. Achieving this will only take about one minute, and it's easy as pie (or cheesecake in this case.) "You can also crush the graham crackers with a bag and rolling pin if you don't have a food processor," Hondrum notes.

Add melted butter and brown sugar into the food processor and pulse to combine.

Pour the crust mix into the springform pan that you lined with parchment paper earlier. Spread and pack down the mixture to make an even, packed layer across the bottom of the pan. The back of the spoon or the bottom of a cup work well to make the graham cracker crust even. Then, put the pan with the crust in the freezer so the crust base can set. While that sets up, you can get to work on the filling.

Make sure to clean out the food processor before you start the next step — you're not going to get that smooth texture you're going for if there are bits of crust floating through your filling. Once it's clean and dry, place the cream cheese, sugar, yogurt, eggs, flour, vanilla, and salt in the food processor. Blend the mixture until everything is combined. If needed, you can stop and scrape down the sides so the mix doesn't stick. Make sure you don't over blend because we don't want the mix to become too thin. 

Take your pan out of the freezer and pour the filling over the top of the graham cracker crust.

Next, pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Put the cheesecake on top of the trivet –making sure the handles are angled up, so you can use them as handles — and carefully lower it into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the lid on the pot and set to manual high pressure for 35 minutes, making sure the valve is set to seal.

When the timer goes off after 35 minutes, allow a natural release for 10 minutes. After that, you can perform a quick release, just be sure to stand out of the way, as the steam is hot. Use potholders or gloves to remove the cheesecake from the Instant Pot, carefully holding it with the trivet handles. Gently blot off any water that has collected on top of the cheesecake. 

Believe it or not, your Instant Pot cheesecake is almost done at this point — but you've still got a while until it's ready to eat.

Most of the time spent on this cheesecake will involve simply waiting for it to arrive at the perfect temperature. 

Allow the cheesecake to cool for at least 90 minutes at room temperature. While it's cooling, it should be placed on a trivet or a cooling rack, ensuring the bottom has a chance to properly cool, as well. Once it's thoroughly cooled, put it in the fridge for at least four hours, or overnight, before serving. You can top it with your favorite cheesecake topping, or leave it as-is. As for topping suggestions, Hondrum shares that this pairs well with "fresh cherries, fresh raspberries, chocolate shavings, shredded coconut, cherry pie filling, whipped cream, or chocolate drizzle." How would you even begin to choose?

Leftovers? "This is good in the fridge (sealed/covered) for probably one week," Hondrum says. "I would freeze any leftovers in individually-wrapped portions."