Last Updated on April 5, 2024
Instant Pot Cream Cheese is a life saver, I was able to make it in minutes without any fuss. If you’re looking for an easy way to make cream cheese, then this is the recipe for you!
If you love Instant Pot recipes, then this is the recipe for you. It’s a great way to avoid a trip to the grocery store when you need cream cheese for a recipe.
Instant Pot Cream Cheese
It is believed that cream cheese was invented around 1873 by William A. Lawrence. This cheese is a soft and rich cheese that has a mild flavor.
Cream cheese is a staple in most American kitchens, and with this pressure cooker recipe you can avoid a trip to the grocery store, when the craving hits for a soft cheese.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Instant Pot Cream Cheese is an easy way to make cream cheese. If you’re looking for something quick, this recipe will be perfect!
- Easy to make
- Saves a trip to the grocery store
- Perfect for picky eaters
If you love cream cheese recipes, you may enjoy this Instant Pot Cream Cheese Chicken recipe.
Ingredients
This recipe for Instant Pot Cream Cheese only requires a few simple ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store. You won’t need any unusual ingredients, so it’s perfect for those who are new to pressure cooking!
- milk
- lemon juice
- Dash of salt, optional
Substitutions
Milk: Soy milk is a good dairy free milk option.
Lemon juice: If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, you can substitute white vinegar.
Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need a few simple tools to make this Instant Pot Cream Cheese recipe.
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Cheesecloth
- Instant Pot
- Food processor
How to Make Instant Pot Cream Cheese
This recipe is really easy to follow. Just add all of the ingredients to your pressure cooker and cook, it doesn’t get any easier than that.
Step 1: Add milk and lemon juice
In an instant pot, pour in milk and lemon juice. Give it a little stir.
Step 2: Pressure cook the cream cheese
Close the lid, seal the pressure valve and set the instant pot for 6 minutes on low pressure.
Step 3: Allow the pressure to naturally release
Once finished, allow the instant pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then release any other pressure manually.
Step 4: Stir the whey
Stir result. Curds should have separated from milk leaving whey.
Step 5: Strain the curds
Place a cheesecloth over a strainer and remove the curds with a slotted spoon or spider spoon. Place the curds on the cheesecloth and let the curds come to room temp.
Step 6: Dry the curds
Once cooled, wrap the cloth and squeeze the curds until dry.
Step 7: Blend the cream cheese
For smooth creamy cream cheese, place the cheese curds in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 8: Salt the cream cheese
This is the point you would add salt to taste and other flavor options.
Variations / Options / Add-Ins
Once you have mastered the basic Instant Pot Cream Cheese recipe, you can start to get creative with your flavors. Here are a few variations to get you started!
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese: Add in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs of your choice for a delicious flavor boost.
Honey Walnut Cream Cheese: Stir in 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoon of honey for a sweet and nutty cream cheese.
Jalapeno Cream Cheese: Add in 1/2 teaspoon of diced jalapeños for a spicy cream cheese that is perfect for tacos or burritos.
Serving Suggestions
Once you have made your delicious Instant Pot Cream Cheese, there are endless possibilities for what you can do with it. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Serve as a dip with chips or vegetables.
- Spread on bagels or toast.
- Use in recipes like cheesecake or frosting.
FAQs
Do you have questions about Instant Pot Cream Cheese? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Cream cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
You can use any type of milk in this recipe, including soy milk.
Yes, you can freeze cream cheese. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Yes, you can double this recipe. No need to adjust the cook time.
More Instant Pot Recipes
If you like Instant Pot recipes, give these recipes a try:
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Instant Pot Cream Cheese
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Ingredients
- 8 cups milk
- 6 tbsps of lemon juice
- Dash of salt optional
Instructions
- In instant pot, pour in milk and lemon juice. Give it a little stir.
- Close the lid, seal the pressure valve and set instant pot for 6 minutes on low pressure.
- Once finished, allow the instant pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then release any other pressure manually.
- Stir result. Curds should have separated from milk leaving whey.
- Place a cheesecloth over a strainer and remove the curds with a slotted spoon or spider spoon. Place the curds on the cheesecloth and let the curds come to room temp.
- Once cooled, wrap the cloth and squeeze the curds until dry.
- For smooth creamy cream cheese, place the cheese curds in a food processor and blend until smooth. This is the point you would add salt to taste and other flavor options.
Nutrition
Need to run to the store for a few ingredients first? Don’t forget to pin this recipe so you can find it when you’re ready to cook!
It burnt, followed instructions, might try half quantity
I looked it up and found some suggestions that might help next time:
Use the “Yogurt” setting (if available): It’s gentler and designed for milk.
Try pot-in-pot cooking: Place milk and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl inside the Instant Pot on a trivet with water below. This reduces direct heat contact.
Preheat the milk using sauté mode (low) and stir constantly, then turn off and add lemon juice before sealing (if avoiding pressure).
Add a little water (maybe ¼ cup) before the milk to form a thin barrier, or rinse the pot with water before pouring in milk to help prevent sticking.
Use nonstick inner liner (if you have the ceramic nonstick liner for Instant Pot).
I used lactaid free milk curds look burned??
If you use an ultra-pasteurized lactaid free milk it alters the proteins, making them less stable for cheesemaking. This can lead to uneven curdling or a burnt appearance. Also, dairy proteins in lactose-free milk may be more prone to scorching under pressure. Another reason is the acid (lemon juice) might not have mixed evenly, causing some areas to overreact and burn.
IF you try making the recipe again with lactaid free milk, here are some things you can try to see if you can prevent the curds from looking burned: Use the “Yogurt” function instead of pressure cooking. Heat the milk to around 180°F (82°C), then add the lemon juice and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before straining. Stir the mixture well before cooking to make sure the lemon juice is evenly distributed.
Can I use my ninja foodie? It has a pressure cook setting.
Yes, you can use the pressure cooker setting on a Ninja Foodi to make this cream cheese recipe. The Ninja Foodi operates similarly to an Instant Pot, so it should work as long as you follow these adjustments:
Use the Low Pressure Setting: Make sure to select the “low pressure” setting on your Ninja Foodi. If the Foodi doesn’t specify “low pressure,” you may need to consult your manual to find the equivalent setting.
Set the Same Cooking Time: Set the cooking time for 6 minutes, as in the Instant Pot instructions.
Release the Pressure Carefully: After the cooking time is complete, allow the Ninja Foodi to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
Follow Remaining Steps: Continue with the recipe steps for separating the curds and whey, straining, and processing the curds into cream cheese.
The process should yield similar results. If you notice differences in how the milk curdles, you might need to adjust the timing slightly based on your specific Ninja Foodi model.
What do you do with the whey?
The leftover whey from this Instant Pot cream cheese recipe can be repurposed in several ways instead of discarding it, if you would like. Whey is nutrient-rich and can add flavor and moisture to various recipes. For example, use whey as a liquid substitute for water or milk in recipes for bread, muffins, pancakes, or waffles to add a slight tanginess and extra nutrients; or mix whey into smoothies or shakes as a protein boost. It’s also good for the garden too – Dilute whey with water (about 1:4 ratio) and use it as a natural fertilizer for plants. Its nutrients can enrich soil and promote healthy growth.
Give it to Goldilocks
No no it’s miss muffet Goldie eats the porridge 🙃🙃
Does it require fresh lemon juice
Great question! No, you do not have to use fresh lemon juice.
It might be my instant pot but I followed exactly and ended up with dry and scolded curds . I will try again and reduce the heating time to see if I end up with better results. I did blend mine to see what would happen, I ended up adding back 3/4 of the whey and I still have a very gritty cream cheese
I looked up what might have caused this issue for you and these are the suggestions I found to try next time:
– Consider reducing the pressure cooking time.
– Use a quick release of pressure to avoid overcooking.
– Ensure proper mixing of milk and lemon juice before sealing the pot.
– Monitor the milk temperature if possible, to prevent scalding.
Do you keep the sealing ring in the lid? When I make yogurt I don’t use the ring as the pot does not actually use pressure.
For this recipe, I definitely pressure cook it so yes, the sealing ring remains in the lid.
i set my instant pot to the correct settings as listed below, but it started making these popping sounds. is that cause for alarm? or is that normal? i ended up setting the valve to venting for a little bit, and it went away. not sure if i did it wrong or what. it might over cook it, since i had to restart it all over again :/
Hm, sounds like there may have been some moisture on the bottom of your inner liner. As the heating element heats up, that water pops as it evaporates. Next time, just make sure to wipe down the exterior of your inner liner before putting it inside the Instant Pot. Not a major cause for concern though. Sorry you had to start over!
My batch of curds came out very dry and crumbly. What mistake did I make?
I looked it up and it says it can be caused by using raw milk or outdated milk.
Can I use this cream cheese to make cheese cake?
Yes, you can use this cream cheese to make cheesecake. Thanks for asking.
Can I use almond milk? It mentions soy milk.
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it. I looked it up and this is what I found from Taste of Home, “Almond milk can work as a cup-for-cup substitute in a baking recipe, but it will change the texture. Because almond milk is a dairy-free milk alternative, the fat content is lower, making it far less rich. At the same time, it can slightly alter the flavor of what you’re baking due to the taste.” It also mentions that soy milk has a thicker structure than other non-dairy alternatives, and when you use it as a substitute, the final product ends up with a similar texture. So that’s why we mentioned soy milk as an alternative in this recipe.
No, i just got liquid.
That’s too bad, I’m sorry.
Would this work with half & half to make it more carb friendly?
I think that would work but haven’t tried it so can’t promise what the outcome will be. If I give it a whirl, I’ll come back and update the post to share that as a substitution. Likewise, if you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out.
Thank you, Corinne. I appreciate that and will do the same if I try it that way.
How much cream cheese doe it yield?
It yields 2 cups of cream cheese.
How long should this cream cheese last in the fridge? What would happen if I halved the recipe?
Cream cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I haven’t tried halving the recipe, so I can’t tell you what would happen if you halved it.
I would like to know if I can use skim milk for the instant pot cream cheese.
Yes, you should be able to use skim milk to make the cream cheese.