Simple, rich and creamy, cheesecake is hard to resist. Sometimes there is a little tang from a sour cream topping or maybe it’s topped with fresh fruit, often strawberries or cherries. The traditional method takes hour. But perfect cheesecake in the pressure cooker? It takes just minutes with fantastic results!
Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a favorite dessert but I rarely make one. Being a healthy eater, it’s a high calorie indulgence – a pound or more of real cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon and a touch of vanilla. A regular size cheesecake usually serves 12-16 people so a lot can be leftover and that's too much temptation lurking in the refrigerator.
Cheesecake In The Pressure Cooker?
With the purchase of a pressure cooker I read about making cheesecake in it. It seemed a really strange idea at first. My experience with pressure cookers was my mom’s old jiggle-top model. I went near the hissing, spitting pot with trepidation, certain it would blow up. In it she made perfect rice, stews and soups – but never cheesecake.
My new pressure cooker makes incredible soup, short ribs, and wonderful rice and bean dishes in radically reduced time with great flavor, but cheesecake? I finally decided to take the plunge and try it out. The result? Incredible! I can’t imagine making it the old way in the oven again. It’s fast and with the 7″ pan yields a small size that serves 6-8.
Just Mix and Pour
After making the crust, mixing and pouring, then placing in the pressure cooker, it only takes 15 minutes at high pressure. Allow the pressure to come down naturally, another 7-10 minutes. That’s it! Then you cool on a rack at room temperature and chill overnight. It’s amazing. You can actually eat it almost right out of the pressure cooker. It’s like cross between a cheesecake and soufflé at that point. After a few hours or an overnight chill it becomes more dense and velvety like a traditional cheesecake.
After combining room temperature cream cheese and the rest of your ingredients in a food processor (or hand mixer), pour it into your prepared pan. I’ve tried both 7″ and 8″ springform pans and the 7″ size and like the results from the 7″ better. The pans seem to have disappeared from local cooking stores, but you can order them off Amazon.
For a Gluten-Free Crust
For a gluten-free crust, I use organic, gluten-free ginger snap cookies. I found them at Whole Foods. Check their website for where they are sold in your area. To make the crumbs, whirl the cookies in a food processor or put them in a heavy duty zip bag and crush finely with a rolling pin or meat pounder. I like the extra flavor from the ginger cookies, either regular or gluten-free.
To aid in lifting the pan into and out of the pressure cooker, a heavy strip of folded foil is placed under the pan. These “wings” are folded down inside the cooker so they don’t interfere with the lid closing.
Tools note – You will need a 7” - 8" springform pan, and a trivet that fits in your pressure cooker. The trivet elevates the pan above the pressure cooker bottom. I use an 8-quart Fagor pressure cooker, but the model I have is old and seems to have disappeared. I'm sure it would work in the newer "instant pot" style cookers, but I've not tried it.
📖 Recipe
Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 teaspoon soft butter for greasing the pan
- ½ cup finely crushed ginger cookies regular or gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces regular cream cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon zest
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla almond is good too
Instructions
- Prepare a foil strip for lifting the cake out of the pressure cooker by taking an 18” strip of foil and double folding it twice lengthwise. Set trivet inside the pressure cook and ad 2 cups of water. Place the foil strip on the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
- Grease the bottom and sides of the springform pan with the 1 teaspoon of soft butter. In a small bowl, mis the cookie crumbs and the melted butte together, then pour the crumbs into the springform pan. Pat most of the crumbs on the bottom with a little up the sides, pressing to adhere and create a smooth base. You can use your fingers or a flat bottom glass to assist with the coverage and evenness.
- With a food processor or electric hand mixer, puree the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in the eggs, lemon juice, both zests and vanilla. Do not overwork the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Carefully lower the pan into the pressure cooker, keeping it level. Fold the foil strips down so that they do not interfere with closing the lid. Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure, then lower the heat to maintain pressure and time for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. It takes mine 7-10 minutes.
- Carefully unlock and remove the lid tilting away from you so the hot steam can escape. When steam subsides, remove the pan to a wire rack to cool. If there is a little water on top blot with a paper towel. The cheesecake will look a little puffy almost like a dense soufflé. As it cools it condenses.
- To un-mold after cooling and chilling, run a thin knife around the inside of the pan, release the spring and remove the pan rim. To serve, garnish as desired. To slice easily, see trick below!
Jan Holman says
I have made this cheesecake in my 10 quart pressure cooker/canner from Fagor. No jiggler(petcock) means less noise. Did not have a springform pan, but used a Pyrex rectangular glass baking dish. I covered it with foil, cooked on high (high equals 15 psi/per manual). This was the most perfect-looking cheese cake! No cracks, just creamy bliss! I will cook my cheesecakes in a pressure cooker from now on!
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for reporting back Jan. Love to hear how you made it and how it worked out for you. Im sure your experience will help others!
Lynda Perry says
I remember also going for chicken pie at the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop. It was a treat for us. Making cheesecake today for my Thanksgiving dinner and will give yours a try. Made mini ones in mason jars yesterday.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Lynda. How neat you have that memory too. Hope the recipe works for you. Have not tried the mason jar one yet.
Happy Thanksgiving.
razzy says
Sally,
Hip Pressure Cooking is a fabulous pressure cooking resource and her book is excellent, but neither for canning in a pressure cooking. You might want to correct that statement.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Razzy. Nothing to correct, and your comment made me scratch my head as I don't mention anything about pressure canning in this post for cheesecake. Actually Laura has good information on her website about pressure canning. Here is a link to her Pressure Canning Guide and FAQ sheet. http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-canning-faq-put-em-up/#canning. And here is another link on her site with more resources. Hope that this helps, if it is the information you are looking for. Best regards.
Linda Bronsgeest says
I love La Palma Chicken Pie Shop. They make the best chicken pies ever. I'm going to try your cheese cake...a favorite in my house. Thanks for the recipe.
Stephen says
for a good alternative to sour cream, try plain (whole milk, not non-fat) Greek yogurt such as Cabot Greek-Style Yogurt that is 10% milkfat. I had excellent results with this substitution.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Stephen. Thanks for the comment. There is no sour cream in this recipe, so I am not sure what you mean.
Marcia Shapiro says
I tried making a peanut butter cheesecake in my Power Pressure Cooker (Electric). When I took the cake out of the pan, it just fell apart. The recipe calls for cooking on high for 22 minutes, then let the pressure reduce naturally, and sit in off cooker for 1 hour. My problem is my cooker doesn't have a high button, just buttons like soup/stew, rice, pasta, etc. I don't really know which button is high, so did I under cook it? Or over cook it? What should I do the next time I make the cheesecake?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Marcia. I am not sure. First, I do not use an electric pressure cooker, and second my recipe was not for a peanut butter cheesecake. Sounds like an entirely different recipe. You might try connecting with who ever created that recipe or search for another. One good website and trusted source for pressure cooker recipes you might try is Hip Pressure Cooking. Laura is terrific and knows all things pressure cooking.
Gerry Haliburda says
Using 10 qt pressure cooker with 9 inch spring from pan,how long to cook
Sally Cameron says
Hi Gerry. I have not tried a 9" springform, only the 7" and 8". On time, you may have to experiment. Instead of 15 minutes at high pressure you may have to go more like 18-19 minutes. I am just not sure. If you make it, please report back on the timing so other readers will know. Thanks for your question.
Lauraine Griffin says
Hi, I have just received my Springform Pan and would like to make the cheesecake but, not able to buy sour cream, would you buy whipping cream or thick double cream and add lemon juice to it. Thankyou.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Lauraine. You can't buy sour cream? Hmm. I would try using creme fraiche. If you can't buy that, you can make your own. It's very easy. If you are not familiar with it, it's basically French style sour cream. Delicious, and it's cheaper to make at home. Just whipping cream won't do. Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick. Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days. Some recipes say more like 12-16 hours. It should work fine. I will have to try this myself.
Barbara Schieving says
I posted my version of your pressure cooker cheesecake today. Thanks for the inspiration! So good!
Andrea says
Katherine, I've made the recipe in a 6" pan, as I don't have a 7" one. Mine is 3" deep, which seems necessary, rather than the common 2 1/2", and it works just fine, even with the same baking times. If you only have a 4" pan, you should look at a cake pan volumes website, and figure out what to do. Based on this site: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html, I am guessing the recipe here makes about 4 cups. You could just use a cup measure to figure out what your 4" pan holds in volume, and then scale the recipe accordingly. Hope this helps.
katherine says
cooking for twenty five and want to make a variety of cheesecake. just ordered the pressure cooker and I'm wondering if you can cook the cheesecake in a 4" spring form pan and how long
Sally says
Hi Katherine. I've never tried it in such a small pan. The 7" works great and serves 6-8 people. I would make 4 of the 7", or even 5. You can always send people home with leftovers!
MLR says
Bought the Fagor for Cooking & then found out it will can 4 quarts of meat. NOW cheese cake too. Thanks
Sally says
Marylynne, great you bought a Fagor! I love the three I have. You can do so much with them. I have recipes for cheesecake, soup, stew, and canning on my blog. And this does not mention the day to day things that it speeds up like rice, etc. To do more, get a couple of cookbooks and read some pressure canning blogs like Hip Pressure Cooking that Laura writes. Enjoy!
Krista says
This is delicious!!!
Sherie says
Hello Sally, i have just happened upon your site and how happy i am about that. after reading about your cheesecake in the pressure cooker, i am going to buy a new pressure cooker. i once had one of the jiggley-top ones your Mum had and have never replaced it. i have seen some of the latest ones and you have convinced me. bye for now. love and respect from Sherie
Sally says
Great idea Kelly! I LOVE goat cheese. Will have to try it!