After drooling over all the Instant Pot cheesecake pictures on Facebook, I finally decided to make my own. My first attempt was this Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
The result was so amazing, I think I’m going to have to start running more often to work off all the cheesecake calories I’m going to be eating.
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Why Make Cheesecake in an Instant Pot
Despite all the luscious photos of Instant Pot cheesecakes I was seeing online, I put off making one for a long time because of all the IP cheesecake fails I saw pictures of. I’ll be honest. I was intimidated.
It appeared that it was just as easy to create a disaster as it was to create a masterpiece. After reading a lot of comments and articles, I found these helpful tips for making cheesecake in your Instant Pot from Amy & Jacky to be everything I needed to know to tackle this feat.
But why even attempt a cheesecake in your Instant Pot? Unlike other Instant Pot recipes, making cheesecake in an Instant Pot doesn’t free you up any more than if you baked it in your oven.
You still have to mix the ingredients in a separate bowl and construct the cheesecake in a springform pan. The cook time ends up being almost the same too when you account for how long it takes for the pot to come to pressure.
I decided to attempt it mostly out of sheer curiosity. I knew this appliance was a dynamo, and this not-so-obvious item to make in a pressure cooker would really cement its superstar status.
Aside from testing the wide variety of Instant Pot uses, another reason you might choose your IP over your oven is cost. As I’ve mentioned before, Instant Pots are remarkably fuel efficient relative to other kitchen appliances.
If you’re cooking in the summer, your cost savings are even higher since your Instant Pot won’t heat up your home while the cheesecake cooks. That means your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard to keep the house cool.
Of course, in cold-weather months, this is actually a reason to oven-bake your cheesecake instead of using your Instant Pot.
How to Make Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake
As I mentioned above, I followed all of Amy & Jacky’s IP cheesecake-making tips. The two big ones are to work with ingredients that are at room temperature and to use a hand mixer, not a stand mixer.
Don’t ignore this advice! In the online forums, those two things alone account for most of the cheesecake fails.
If you adhere to those two rules, you should be delighted with your results. The steps to make this Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake are really quite simple.
Step One – Make the Crust
First, spray the inside of a 7-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Then, combine graham cracker crumbs with some sugar and melted butter to make the crust and press it into the bottom of the pan.
Line the edge of the pan with parchment paper.
If you want to make a Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake, add some peanut butter cup pieces to the top of the crust before proceeding to the next step.
Step Two – Make the Cheesecake Mixture
Next, cream together cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Then, mix in two eggs one at a time.
After that, add vanilla extract and sour cream. Mix until smooth.
If you want a peanut butter flavored cheesecake, add the peanut butter to the mixture and beat well to incorporate it. Otherwise, set the peanut butter aside until the next step.
Step Three – Prepare Cheesecake to Bake
Pour the prepared cheesecake mixture into the springform pan. If you haven’t already added the peanut butter, swirl it into the cheesecake mixture now.
Step 4 – Cook
Carefully run a fork back and forth over the surface of the cheesecake to remove air bubbles. Cover the pan with foil.
Set the trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot. Then, pour two cups of water into the pot liner. Craft a sling out of aluminum foil and use it to lower the cheesecake pan into the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes and let the pressure release naturally for 12 minutes after the timer goes off before releasing the rest of the pressure.
Use the foil sling to carefully lift the pan out of the Instant Pot. Let the cheesecake cool completely, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to chill before serving.
When ready to serve, release the cheesecake from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Slice and serve. You can top individual pieces with peanut butter, whipped cream and/or chocolate syrup.
Here is the recipe card with the exact measurements and detailed instructions so you can make your own Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
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๐ Recipe
Instant Pot Peanut Butter Cheesecake
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Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs processed in food processor, crushed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Cheesecake
- 1 pound regular cream cheese softened (2 8-ounce packages)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- ยฝ cup peanut butter either mix in with cheesecake batter or swirl it around on top of the batter after you pour the batter into the pan. Soften the peanut butter or slightly melt before swirling
- peanut butter cup pieces optional
Instructions
- Combine graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter and pat down on the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. If desired, sprinkle peanut butter cup pieces on top of the crumb layer. Line sides of the pan with parchment paper.
- Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and then mix in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream until smooth.
- Mix in the peanut butter OR set it aside to swirl into the cheesecake.
- Pour mixture into springform pan on top of the graham cracker crust.
- If swirling the peanut butter into the cheesecake, this is when you will do that.
- Run a fork back and forth through the cheesecake several times to remove air bubbles.
- Cover with foil.
- Place trivet in bottom of pot. Pour two cups of water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Make a sling out of aluminum foil to lower the pan into the pressure cooker.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and turn to sealing position.
- Set for a manual high-pressure time of 35 minutes. When the time has finished, allow for a natural release for 12 minutes before letting out the rest of the steam.
- Carefully remove the pan from the Instant Pot. Allow it to cool completely before placing in the refrigerator. Chill for 4 hours or more before serving.
Nutrition
More Instant Pot Resources
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Would this work the same if I wanted to make a crustless cheesecake? Food allergies are a beast!!!
It should! I haven’t made it that way, but there’s no reason making it without the crust should change the way the rest of the cheesecake turns out.
Do you put a trivet in the pot after adding water to set the cheesecake on or put it down into the water?
Hi Debbie, thanks for asking since apparently, I am terrible at making notes of details and that’s an important one! I always use a trivet whenever I insert another pot or dish into the Instant Pot. I will add that detail to the recipe now. Thanks again for asking for clarification!
I made this tonight for my extended family and it was a huge hit! I’d never made a cheesecake in the IP before, so it was an experiment for me. I didn’t use any chocolate, peanut butter only, in a swirl It was outstanding! I”ll make this again for sure. Thanks!