Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe (Step by Step)

Name: Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 31 min
Total time: 41 min
Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups finely crushed Graham Crackers (I used Honey graham crackers); 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted ); 2.5 tsp brown sugar; 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (454 gms / 2 blocks cream cheese ); 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla extract or essence; 2 large eggs at room temperature; 2/3 cups regular white sugar; 2 tbsp Cornstarch; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence; 2 tbsp normal white sugar; 6 inch springform cake pan; 1 cup normal water; 15 oz Cherry Pie Filling (425 gms or 1 can)

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This is the Best Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe you'll ever make. Delicious, decadent, creamy, dense New York Style Cheesecake that's what you are going to get. The post covers a complete Step by Step tutorial of Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake with amazing Tips & Tricks.

Browse a huge collection of easy INSTANT POT RECIPES from Foodies Terminal.

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe with cherries — Instant Pot New York Cheesecake

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake 1st place winner

It took me a while and lots of homework to perfect the skills of making an Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe or rather any cheesecake.

Once you learn the whole process of making an Instant Pot New York style cheesecake and know the tips and tricks that actually work things won't be difficult, the recipe will be a success and you'll have a proud moment to celebrate 😀

At the same time, it can go very wrong if you overdo the steps or don't follow the instructions. Happened to me so many times.

Hence, I decided to compile all my learning from mistakes and every little adjustment that I made to nail this Best Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe under one roof. Let's begin....

Easy Instant pot new york style cheesecake — Look at that gorgeous creamy slice...Yum!

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients

Cream Cheese at room temperature.
Eggs at room temperature.
Sour Cream at Room Temperature.
Vanilla Extract.
Melted Butter.
White Sugar.
Brown Sugar.
Corn Starch.
Crushed Graham Crackers.

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake - Tips & Tricks

1. The Cheesecake Pan

prepping the cake pan step by step — Prepping the Cheesecake pan

Choose a spring form pan or a push pan with removal bottom. It's much easier to pop out a cooked cheesecake from these pans without cosmetic damage.
Grease the pan with cooking spray or butter. You'll be rewarded with flawless cheesecake edges.
For flawless edges & easy release you may even line the inside of the pan ring with parchment paper.

2. The Graham Cracker Cheesecake Crust

To make a good cheesecake it's essential that you make a delicious crust first. A crust that doesn't fall apart while slicing the cheesecake.

Making the step by step cheesecake graham cracker crust — How to make Cheesecake Crust

1 & ¼ cups finely crushed graham crackers works perfect for a 6" springform pan. It shall give you a nice & a little less than ½" crust. If you love thinner crusts go for 1 cup crushed graham crackers.
Take the help of a food processor or a blender to crush the graham crackers. It saves time and makes a really good fine crust without any bigger crumbs.
DO NOT press the graham cracker crust too hard while setting it into the pan. I learned it the hard way! This is VERY important, if you press it too hard for a long time the cheesecake crust becomes very stiff and you have to struggle to slice it. Press it with the back of a glass or your palm.
Chill the crust in the freezer while you prep the rest of the recipe,10 mins to be precise. The chilling process helps set the cheesecake crust very well & it won't fall apart while slicing.

3. The New York Cheesecake batter

Step by step new york cheesecake filling with pics — How to make New York Cheesecake Filling

All ingredients must be at the room temperature. Beating cold ingredients will lead to a lumpy cheesecake and it won't bake evenly as well.
Do not over beat the Cream cheese. Or to say do not over mix the ingredients. Over mixing will incorporate too much air into the batter. As a result, it will lead to a fluffy filling and hence, you'll end up with a soufflé like cheesecake which we don't want to happen anyway.
Never mix the ingredients at high speed. Low Speed is the key to success.
Just mix enough to incorporate each ingredient. You must never beat a cheesecake batter like a cake batter.
Whisk the eggs separately before adding them to the batter. Believe me guys this helps a lot, I read it in an article by Martha Stewart and this tip works like a charm. Whisking the eggs actually breaks those tough transparent albumin. As a result this helps to incorporate the eggs into the filling much faster preventing over-mixing.
Mix one egg at a time and just incorporate them into the filling. Over mixing the eggs will incorporate too much air into the cheesecake filling making it light & fluffy. As a result your cheesecake will puff up while baking, later collapse and crack when cooled. It'll also become soft like souffle.
Knock out those air bubbles by tapping the cheesecake pan a number of times on the counter top. With each tap the air bubbles will surface up & burst. Popping the air bubbles is an art and if you are good at it you'll get incredible results and a smooth cheesecake top that you dream about. Alternatively you may slowly stir the filling with a fork to burst the air bubbles.
Do not skip the cornstarch. It adds incredible creaminess, improves the texture of the Instant Pot New York Cheesecake and also prevents cracking.

Pressure cooker new york cheesecake with sour cream topping — Pressure Cooker New York Style Cheesecake

4. Cooking the New York style Cheesecake

pressure cooking vanilla cheesecake in Instant Pot uncovered — Pressure Cooking Vanilla Cheesecake in Instant Pot UNCOVERED

You may cook the Cheesecake covered (with an aluminum foil) or uncovered. Covering the Cheesecake before pressure cooking is not mandatory at all. It might be helpful if you forget to open the lid of the Instant Pot after the natural pressure release. Condensation water collects fast on top of the cheesecake after the pressure from the IP is released completely, so if you are forgetful cover it 😀
Avoid over cooking. This is one more factor that contributes hugely to surface cracking. The cheesecake will also loose its creaminess and become dry & firm.
Open the lid of the Instant Pot slowly & gradually. The sudden shift in temperature may also cause surface cracks.
Allow the hot cheesecake to come down to room temperature naturally and slowly. You may place it on the counter top or even keep it inside the Instant Pot that's turned off with an open lid. Don't skimp on this slow and gradual cooling process. It's hard to resist at this point but you don't want to ruin the fruits of your labor 😀
Check for right doneness. A slight jiggly center is what you want. The residual heat will set the jiggly center and it will be perfectly cooked by the time the cheesecake comes down to room temperature slowly & gradually.

PRO TIP: Covering and cooking the Cheesecake reduces the risk of condensation build up. However, it never guarantees prevention of surface cracks and dents because smooth tops are not entirely condensation dependent. If you decide to cook it without the cover the cooking time will reduce by 30% which is 31 mins for a 6"X 3" pan and 27 mins for a 7" pan.

making the sour cream topping for a classic new york cheesecake — How to make sour cream topping for a classic New York Cheesecake

5. Chilling the Instant Pot New York Cheesecake

It's very important that you allow the cheesecake to completely come down to room temperature before chilling it in the fridge. The gradual cooling process prevents it from cracking. The residual heat cooks the jiggly center and sets it.
Set the hot Cheesecake on the counter top to bring it down to room temperature even better don't bring it out from the Instant Pot, turn off the Instant Pot and keep it's lid open.
Chill it in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight. You'll end up with a perfect dense but creamy cheesecake.

Instant pot new york cheesecake with cherry topping — Creamy dreamy Cheesecake Slice that's perfect

6. Slicing and Releasing the Cheesecake

Releasing the Cheesecake from the springform pan with the help of a glass — Releasing the Cheesecake from the Springform pan

After about 15 mins of chilling the Cheesecake run a pairing knife around it's edges to get a smooth, damage free release from the cake pan. Cheesecakes happen to shrink when cooled. The edges do come off naturally from the rim of the cake pan. Moreover, greasing the pan also leads to a smooth release.
Slowly unlatch the spring form pan and place the cake tin on top of an empty glass and gently push the rim of the pan towards the bottom of the glass. Clean edges guaranteed.
Dip a knife in hot water, wipe off and slice the New York style Cheesecake. Repeat the process for each slice.

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Instant Pot New York Style Cheesecake - FAQs

Can you use springform pan in Instant Pot?

Yes, you can use springform pan in Instant Pot. It's an ideal cake pan for making Cheesecakes in the Instant Pot.

Can I use parchment paper in Instant Pot?

Yes, you can use parchment paper in Instant Pot.

How can you know that a Cheesecake is undercooked?

You can know that a Cheesecake is undercooked if the center area more than 2"-3" jiggles or around the edges jiggles.

What happens if you over mix Cheesecake?

If you over mix Cheesecake the batter will have too much air in it, as a result the cheesecake will puff up, crack, become souffle like, and the center of the Cheesecake might not set at all.

How do you soften cream cheese?

You can soften cream cheese by micro waving the cream cheese blocks for 30-40 seconds.

How do you get lumps out of cream cheese?

You can get lumps out of cream cheese by softening the cream cheese either by bringing it to room temperature or microwaving it for just 30-40 seconds.

What does it mean when a Cheesecake cracks?

When a Cheesecake cracks it means that the batter might have been over mixed, as a result the batter might have too much air in it which makes the cake puff up while getting cooked, than it collapses & cracks. It also means that the cheesecake edges might have stuck to the cake pan rim and might have cracked while releasing the cake.

Will Cheesecake firm up in the fridge?

Yes, cheesecake firms up beautifully in a fridge when kept for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.

What size spring form pan fits in Instant Pot?

4", 6" & 7" spring form pan fits in a 6 quart Instant Pot.

How do you get a cheesecake out of a springform pan?

You can get a cheesecake out of a springform pan by the following method: Dip a knife in hot water, wipe it clean than run it around the edges of the cheesecake and the rim of the cake pan, slowly unlatch the sprinform pan and place it on top of a drinking glass, gently push down the rim of the cake pan towards the bottom of the glass. You'll have a beautiful undamaged cheesecake.

How long should cheesecake cool before going in the fridge?

The cheesecake should cool down for a minimum of 1 hour or come to room temperature completely before going in the fridge.

Do you let cheesecake cool in the pan?

Yes, you must let cheesecake cool in the pan completely until it reaches room temperature.

Should Cheesecake be jiggly after baking?

Yes, a cheesecake center remains jiggly after baking and that's the important sign that tells you that it's cooked or done.

Do you need to line a springform cake tin for cheesecake?

Lining a springform cake tin for cheesecake with parchment paper helps in the easy removal of the cheesecake, although it's not mandatory and just greasing the cake pan with butter works fine as well.

Why is my Instant Pot Cheesecake lumpy?

Instant Pot Cheesecake becomes lumpy when ingredients used are not at room temperature, especially using a cold cream cheese leads to a lumpy cheesecake.

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake 1st place winner

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients