Instant Pot Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. It doesn't even have to be anything fancy. Just good ol' fashioned plain cheesecake. So when my girlfriend brought home this crazed Instant Pot and started making pressure cooked eggs and whole chickens "in 35 minutes flat"... I thought about what was really important: desserts. After compiling many cheesecake recipes, this is the result, and it is so deliciously good!

Step 1: Ingredients & Tools

Ingredients:

Crust:

• Butter spray/butter/crisco to grease pan
• 9-12 graham crackers (I like a thick crust, so I use 12)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar

Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 pinches of salt
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs

Topping:

• 3 Tbsp sour cream
• 3 tsp sugar

Tools:

• Hand mixer
• Instant Pot & trivet
• 7" springform pan or 8" baking dish (dependent on what you have and height of cake you want)
• Parchment paper
• Paper towel
• Aluminum foil

Step 2: Prep Pan

If you don't have a springform pan (one that fits in your Instant Pot), you can use a baking dish. This is what I did the first time around. However, after we realized we liked the recipe so much, we purchased a springform pan online since it is easier to get the cake out and the cheesecake ends up looking better.

1. Line your pan with parchment paper. If it's a baking dish, you will need to line the whole thing with one sheet to get the cheesecake out later. The cake will form to the parchment paper ridges, so it won't come out with smooth sides. If the paper looks too big, take scissors and cut closer to the dish so it fits in the Instant Pot easier. If you are using a springform, wrap the parchment paper around the bottom piece only.
2. Spray or coat parchment paper and pan with butter.

Step 3: Graham Cracker Crust

Crust:

• Butter spray/butter/crisco to grease pan
• 9-12 graham crackers
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar

1. Crush graham crackers: you can do this with a blender, a ninja, or any other fancy kitchen crushing gadget, but I just crushed my crackers the old fashioned way with a plastic ziplock bag and a rolling pin. Note: if you do it this way, only crush a few crackers at a time.
2. Add melted butter, salt, and brown sugar and mix with a fork.
3. Pour mixture into the bottom of your pan and press down, first with your fingers and then with a flat-bottomed cup to really pack it down.
4. Chill in the freezer while making filling. This doesn't need to chill for a certain amount of time. Just leave in the freezer to quickly set it.

Step 4: Filling It Up

Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 pinches of salt
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs

1. Soften cream cheese in microwave for about a minute.
2. Add all ingredients to bowl - except eggs - and mix with a hand mixer (Pro tip: stand mixers can over mix the filling and add air, so use with caution).
3. Add eggs and mix well.
4. Pour mixture over crust and gently drop the cheesecake on the counter to release bubbles.
5. Lay paper towel over cheesecake pan and cover with aluminum foil. This is a tip for any cake making in the Instant Pot. If you don't want your cakes covered with water after it's done pressure cooking/steaming, then cover with a paper towel first. You don't want the towel touching the cheesecake, just lay it over the top of the pan. The crimped aluminum foil will help keep it in place.
6. Pour 1 cup of water in Instant Pot, place cheesecake on trivet, and set in Instant Pot.
7. Pressure cook on High for 30 minutes, Natural Release for 10 minutes, then Quick Release: for newbies like me, this means that after the 30 minutes, let the Instant Pot release it's pressure by itself for 10 minutes. Then, you can hit the quick release button to let all the rest of the steam out.

Step 5: Top It Off

*Even after using the paper towel and foil method, you might have a little excess water on your cheesecake when it comes out; just dab it up with a fresh paper towel.

Topping:

• 3 Tbsp sour cream
• 3 tsp sugar

1. Combine the sour cream and sugar in small bowl.
2. Smooth it over the warm cheesecake.
3. Place in fridge for at least 4 hours, however we like it better if it sits overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 6: Slice & Enjoy!

Remove the cheesecake from the pan, and you're ready to eat! Since it's a basic cheesecake, from here you can also add any toppings your family likes: whipped cream, strawberries, caramel, or chocolate. Let your imagination go wild!