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Instant Pot New York

How to Make Perfect New York Cheesecake in Your Instant Pot

/Updated /24 Comments/in /by Mary Hunt
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You could have knocked me over with a feather as I was searching for ways to use my Instant Pot and locked eyeballs with—Instant Pot Cheesecake. What?! I can bake in this thing?

New York Cheesecake made in an Instant Pot

 

Every day, it seems, I learn something new that I can do with my Instant Pot multi-cooker. But cheesecake? I had visions of throwing cheesecake ingredients into a pot of boiling water and expecting some kind of miracle.

Well, I’m excited (and relieved) to report that I was way off base with the boiling water scene, but a miracle? Spot on! We’re talking silky smooth New York-style cheesecake that doesn’t come out dry or cracked—with a delightfully firm and crunchy crust—exactly the way it should be. Fast and so easy, too.

One time in my life, I’d attempted to make cheesecake long before I knew anything about pressure cooking. The results were less than stellar. I turned out a dry, rough-textured specimen with a big crack down the middle. It was quite awful. But that was then, and this is now!

There aren’t enough words to describe just how great this instant pot cheesecake recipe is. Instead, I’m going to show you. Prepare to be amazed.

Gather the essential ingredients

It’s important to use room temperature ingredients, and that you have all the ingredients on hand. You will need cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar, lemon juice, eggs, graham cracker crumbs, butter, and vanilla extract. That’s all you need to get started making the most delicious New York Cheesecake

(The full printable recipe is below.)

 

A tray of food on a table, with Cheesecake and New York

You need this equipment

You’ll need an electric pressure cooker such as a 3-, 6-, or 8-qt Instant Pot; the trivet that came with the Instant Pot, and a 6-inch cheesecake pan with a removable bottom—like this anodized aluminum Fat Daddio’s 6-inch cheesecake pan, which works perfectly to release the cheesecake, and doesn’t leak.

Instant Pot and Pressure cooker

Pro Tip

Never put aluminum in the dishwasher. Automatic dishwasher detergent reacts with aluminum turning it dark, splotchy, dull, and quite ugly.

Basic steps

Step 1

Prep the pan line with crust

Step 2

Mix in the cheesecake batter ingredients

Step 3

Cook the cheesecake in the instant pot

Step 4

Cool the cake, slice it up and Enjoy!

A bunch of different types of food, with Cheesecake and Tea

All photos by Tawny Chapman

A piece of cake on a plate, with Cheesecake
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5 from 9 votes

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake

This silky smooth New York Instant Pot Cheesecake doesn’t come out dry or cracked and has a delightfully firm and crunchy crust, exactly the way it should be. Fast and so easy, too. So yummy!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time28 minutes
Resting in Refrigerator4 hours
Total Time4 hours 47 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 458kcal

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the batter

  • 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the topping

  • ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Instructions

Crust

  • Prepare pan by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. Spray inside of the pan bottom and sides with cooking spray, then lay the parchment paper onto the bottom, where it will adhere nicely.
    cuting paper
  • In a small bowl, place graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir with a fork until well incorporated. Pour all of the crumb mixture into the prepared pan.
    mix
  • Using the bottom of a drinking glass, a small ramekin, or another similar item with a flat bottom, press the crumb mixture on the bottom of the pan so that it is very tight, flat, and uniform. Set aside.
    cup

Batter

  • In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch, sea salt, and ⅔ cup white granulated sugar. Set aside.
  • In a medium-size bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese. Break it up with a fork. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese for about 15 seconds using Low speed. You do not want to incorporate a lot of air into the cream cheese, simply make it smooth. Add half of the sugar mixture and beat on Low speed, for about 30 seconds, until incorporated. Add the rest of the sugar mixture and beat on Low for 30 seconds.
    mixing
  • Add sour cream and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture. Beat on Low for about 1 minute.
  • Add the room temperature eggs, beating on Low for about 30 seconds, or until well incorporated. Do not overmix.
    mixing
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan with graham cracker crust.
  • Place trivet into the inner pot of the Instant Pot, making sure the "feet" are down. Pour one cup cold water over the trivet.
    instant pot
  • Place the cheesecake pan on top of the trivet. Close the lid with the valve in the "sealed" position. Set Instant Pot to High Pressure for 28 minutes followed by 10 minutes natural release.
  • Open lid gradually. Using hot pads or mitts, lift the trivet and cheesecake out of the Instant Pot and place on a cooling rack or heat resistant plate.
    instant pot
  • Absorb any condensation that might have dripped onto the surface when you removed the lid, by lightly tapping it with a soft paper towel to absorb that water. Allow cooling for about 15 minutes before adding the topping to the still warm cheesecake.
    cake

Topping

  • In the meantime, prepare the topping by placing ½ cup sour cream in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar. Mix well by hand until all of the sugar is incorporated into the sour cream.
  • Spread topping over the top of the still-warm cheesecake, then leave it in the pan on the cooling rack until it has fully cooled to room temperature.
  • Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. This is very important. 4 hours is mandatory, 8 hours is better, or overnight is best. This refrigeration time is critical!
    riseing dough
  • To remove the cheesecake easily from either a springform or pan with removable bottom first run a knife dipped in hot water along the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan. Re-dip the knife as necessary to prevent the knife from dragging at the cake. 
    Next, if you are using my favorite pan with a removable bottom, grab a tall drinking glass or similar and set it on the counter with the open end up (or if using a springform pan, release it now and move cheesecake to a serving plate.) Hold the cheesecake with both hands above the drinking glass. Now bring it down hard and swiftly on the open-mouthed drinking glass and watch the pan part drop to the counter leaving the removed cheesecake sitting on top of the glass. Good job!
    cheese cake
  • Move cake to serving plate. Enjoy!
    A slice of cake on a plate, with Cheesecake

Notes

1. I am using my 6-qt. Instant Pot in the photos.
2. Alternate pan sizes: I prefer a 6-in x 3-in pan for this cheesecake because the end result is a tall cheesecake, which is in keeping with the traditional New York cheesecake height. A 6-inch pan fits in a 3-qt. as well as 6-qt. and 8-qt. Instant Pot. If you prefer a cheesecake with a larger diameter, but shorter height, a 7-in x 3-in pan works in a 6-qt and 8-qt Instant Pot (but not the 3-qt size). If using a 7-in. pan, increase the ingredients for the crust appropriately, unless you are good with a slightly thinner crust. 
3. It is of the utmost importance that all ingredients are at room temperature before starting this recipe. If the butter, eggs, cream cheese, sour cream etc. are cold right out of the fridge, the end result will be a rough-textured cake. Making sure that ingredients are at room temperature before starting produces a smooth and silky result. 
4. You can buy graham cracker crumbs already "crumbed," or use graham crackers. One cup crumbs is equal to about 10 crackers as they come in a package. Put them into a zip-type bag, then crush them with your fingers or use a rolling pin to pulverize. Or place the crackers in a food processor and pulse until small uniform crumbs appear.
5. The center of a perfectly pressure-cooked cheesecake should jiggle from side to side when removed from the Instant Pot. It will firm up during the cooling process and time in the refrigerator.
6. The cheesecake in the photos has a lacey, almost filigree appearance around the edge, which I think is so lovely. This is the result when I prepare the pan with parchment paper on the bottom then spray the inside wall of the pan with cooking spray. I do not get this effect when adding a ring of parchment paper for the edge of the pan, rather than the cooking spray. Your result may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg

First published: 1-9-20; Revised & Updated 4-16-21

FAQs

What's the difference between New York style cheesecake and regular cheesecake?

New York–style cheesecake relies on heavy cream or sour cream. The typical New York cheesecake is rich, taller in size and has a dense, smooth, and creamy consistency. Chicago–style cheesecake is a baked cream-cheese version which is firm on the outside with a soft and creamy texture on the inside.

Why is my cheesecake still jiggly?

A cheesecake that is fully cooked (baked) will be still jiggly, but not soup. The top of the cheesecake will jiggle as a whole while the center two inches will be even a bit “jiggly-er.”

What is a water bath for cheesecake?

A water bath is simply a pan of hot water placed in the oven when baking, to create steam and add moisture This is important for baking foods like cheesecakes, which tend to crack from the heat of the oven, or custards which can become rubbery without moist heat. All these things can be avoided when making things like cheesecakes and custards in an electric pressure cooker because by its very nature, a pressure cooker is a water bath and just one reason it is such a lovely way to make cheesecake.

How long should cheesecake cool before removing from pan?

Once the cheesecake reaches room temperature, it should be covered tightly and then refrigerated for at least 4 hours; 8 hours is better, and overnight is best.

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Cheesecake and Cream

 

 

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24 replies
  1. Janis says:

    I have not made your recipe yet. I did another recipe a few years ago. I wish there was a way for the graham cracker crust to not get so moist. If you can figure that out pls lmk because I would love to make this

    Reply
    • Jeannie says:

      5 stars
      I have made it 7 or 8 times, and the crust has always been crispy not soggy. I have used both a 6 qt Instant Pot and an 8 qt instant pot. I first used the 6 inch pan that Mary lists in the recipe.

      I have made it in a 7″ X 3 ” pan and a 8″ X 2.5″ pan as well. I adjust the volume of the crust and the filling depending upon the pan size, using 1 1/4 of Mary’s original recipe for the 7″ and 1 1/2 recipe for the 8″. The cooking time is the same for each of the pans.

      Reply
      • Mary Hunt says:

        Jeannie … You’ve it down, girl! I’ve never had a problem with soggy crust, either. It may be a problem of shortened cooking time. I do add 2 minutes to the cooking time called out in the structions as I live at semi-high altitude over 5,000 ft. It is one of the best things I know how to make. Gets rave reviews every time! And every time I see cheesecake at Costco for nearly $20, I like it even better! I can make this cheesecake for under $5. Easy.

  2. Janet says:

    Like you, I’m in the Denver mile-high area. I’ve learned to multiply Instant Pot cook times by 1.15, rounding up to the next minute. Did you do that, or did you use the 28 minutes?

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      I’m slightly ambivalent as my research says that 5,000 ft and lower is not considered “high-altitude” when it comes to temps for baking/cooking. My kitchen is exactly 5,280 ft. I’m never quite sure if I should add time to cover those 280 ft. or not! But I love your precise adjustment. I’m going to try this the next time I make NY Style Cheesecake in my Instant Pot! Thanks for the tip.

      Reply
  3. Jeannie says:

    5 stars
    All I can say is, WOW!!! My husband and I had Easter dinner with relatives and I offered to make a cheese cake. We were all amazed with the results (this was my first time making a cheese cake in an Instant Pot).

    I misunderstood about the “natural release” so my Instant Pot was still on warm during “…the 10 minutes natural release.” Now I know why mine wasn’t jiggly in the center. When I opened up the Instant Pot, my cheese cake had risen above the sides of the pan in a couple of places sort of souffle-like, but settled back down in the 15-20 minutes cooling period. I put the sour cream topping on and then into the refrigerator overnight.

    I took it out of the fridge for an hour of so before serving and served with mixture of sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blue berries on the side. Everyone thought it was fabulous and I consider it the best cheese cake I have ever made.

    Even with the 10 minute natural release with the IP on warm, the texture was light, delicate, and smooth. Next time I will make it with the 10 minute natural release with Instant Pot “off” to see the difference, but the texture on this one was really, really nice, too.

    Reply
  4. Barb says:

    Hi
    A couple of questions please.
    Is the time the same for both 6″ and 7″ pans?
    Do you leave ‘Keep Warm’ ON or turn it OFF for the NPR?
    Thanks very much, sounds like a winning cake!

    Reply
    • Mary Hunt says:

      Yes time is the same. Turn it OFF. There are lots of models of instant pots … if yours is one that you set up “Keep Warm” at the beginning, just skip. If it automatically goes to Keep Warm or something like L001 shows up in the screen when it’s done, just hit Cancel. Then allow it to release naturally. Hope that helps

      Reply
  5. Suzi says:

    5 stars
    I used Oreos to make the crust and then top the cheesecake with homemade ganache! Oh-my-goodness! It is addictive!

    Reply
  6. Jackie B. says:

    5 stars
    Mary, I am flabbergasted! This recipe delivered exactly what you describe above. What a treat! What a find! I feel so proud It looks beautiful; you have given us a gourmet dessert at a fast food price. Thank you so much. I never would have thought this could be done with a pressure cooker–wild!

    Reply
  7. Judy says:

    I am looking online for the InstaPot 6” Cheesecake pan you refer to Mary. I only find a springform and like yours which doesn’t seem to be that kind but rather a removable bottom only. Is that correct? Most seem to be 7”-7.5”. Where do you get the kind you have? If not can I use a regular 6” springform pan or does it need to be an IP brand? Thanks and it looks delicious!

    Reply
  8. Susan Sharp says:

    5 stars
    I made this and it was delicious but after making it I understand why ready made is $$. Way too much time for me. “Instant”? I think not.

    Reply
  10. Jennifer Bienstock-Cohen says:

    5 stars
    This was so easy & incredibly delicious! I wish I could include a photo. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with such detailed instructions.

    Reply
  12. A C says:

    5 stars
    I have an IP and use it regularly, but have never taken the plunge to attempt the desserts. I just may do it now. I have all of the ingredients except the graham crackers

    Reply
  13. Marie says:

    One tip: Plastic wrap is terrible for our oceans/environment. Save money and avoid more plastic in our oceans by simply using a plate. Cover the cheesecake in the pan with a plate and then refrigerate. It’s a win for the environment and a win for the budget!

    Reply

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