Gluten Free Instant Pot Cheesecake

Instant Pot Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts that can be made in a pressure cooker. My easy recipe is gluten free, rich, creamy and comes out perfect every time.

New York style cheesecake has always been one of my favorite desserts. I used to bake it in a hot water bath in the oven and it was always delicious.

When I got my Instant Pot, I started experimenting with making delicious desserts like pressure cooker cheesecake. I was surprised that I could make perfect cheesecake in my Instant Pot!

At first, I thought a 7-inch cheesecake pan would be too small for my family, but it has turned out the be the perfect size because of how rich this dessert is. Best of all, it only uses simple ingredients you can buy locally.

Make this amazing New York style cheesecake in your Instant Pot for a special occasion or just to surprise your family with a special treat. You’ll be happy you did.

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

• 1 cup of gluten free graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients

• 16 ounces of room temperature cream cheese
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 1 tablespoon of gluten free all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup of room temperature heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Other Ingredients

• 1 cup of water
• Cooking spray or oil for greasing pan

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl
• Electric hand mixer
• 6-quart Instant Pot
• 7” springform pan
• Aluminum foil

Step by Step: How to Make Instant Pot Cheesecake

Follow these simple steps to learn how to make creamy cheesecake in your Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.

Step 1: Prepare Cheesecake Pan.

Wrap the bottom of a 7” spring form pan in aluminum foil. Lightly grease the inside of the pan.

Step 2: Make Graham Crust.

In a small mixing bowl, stir ½ cup of melted butter into 1 cup of gluten free graham crackers and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until well combined.

Step 3: Freeze Crust in Pan.

Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and up the sides of the pan as much as you can. Freeze for 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Beat Cream Cheese.

In a large mixing bowl, beat 16 ounces of cream cheese with your electric hand mixer on low speed until it’s smooth and creamy.

Step 5: Add Sugar and Eggs.

Gently beat in ½ cup of granulated sugar, then beat in 2 eggs. Do not overmix or try to whip it too much… you don’t want to add a bunch of air to the batter.

Step 6: Add Flour, Cream and Vanilla.

Mix in 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour, ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract just until blended and smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Again, do not overmix.

Step 7: Pour Batter Into Pan.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan over the crust you made. Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles that rise to the surface. I like to let my cheesecake sit in the pan for a bit to make sure I’ve gotten as many bubbles popped as they rise to the surface as possible.

Step 8: Prepare for Pressure Cooking.

Cover the top of the pan tightly with foil to prevent water from getting in.

Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of a 6-quart Instant Pot along with a trivet. Place the covered pan into a silicone sleeve (or foil sleeve) and lower it into the Instant Pot so it’s easier to remove.

Be sure to place the cheesecake pan on top of the trivet so it’s up out of the water. You do not want water getting into the pan.

Step 9: Pressure Cook Cheesecake.

Close the lid and make sure the valve is in the sealing position. Cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes. When the cook time is up, use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then use a quick pressure release to let all of the remaining pressure out of the Instant Pot.

Open the lid and remove the cheesecake from the pot. If there’s any moisture on the outside of the foil, use a paper towel to dab it all up. Once the excess moisture is gone, remove the foil and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature on a cutting board or cooling rack.

Step 10: Chill Cheesecake.

Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, then cover it and place it in the refrigerator. For best results, refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. If you serve the cheesecake the same day you make it, it may be fluffier than traditional cheesecake. If you wait until the next day, it should be denser.

Once chilled, remove from the fridge and take out of the pan. Remove the outer ring first, then remove the bottom piece of the pan. See tips below if you’re having difficulty with this step.

Step 11: Slice and Serve Cheesecake.

Slice and serve with your favorite cheesecake toppings. One of our favorite ways to serve cheesecake is topped with blueberry syrup and fresh blueberries!

Tips for Making Gluten Free Instant Pot Cheesecake

Answers to all of your questions about making this delicious gluten free Instant Pot Cheesecake recipe, including tips and substitution ideas.

Substitute for heavy whipping cream?

You can also use sour cream in place of the heavy cream with most New York cheesecake recipes like this one. Using one of these ingredients helps this rich dessert get its classic dense texture.

Why room temperature ingredients?

If you’re wondering why the dairy and eggs all specify room temperature, it’s because they will blend easier and smoother than cold ingredients.

You don’t want to overmix the ingredients or you won’t get perfect cheesecake. If you use room temperature ingredients, it’s a simple way to reduce how much you mix them.

Other crust ideas?

If you can’t get your hands on gluten free graham cracker crumbs, you can also make your own by putting graham crackers into your food processor.

Another option is to use the cookie part of gluten free Oreos to make an Oreo crust. Remove the filling, then process the cookie pieces in your food processor until they’re broken down into fine crumbs.

Best toppings for New York Cheesecake?

Once the cheesecake is done, you can pour so many things over the top of the cheesecake to give it a unique flavor. Some of our favorite toppings are:

• Blueberry syrup with fresh blueberries
• Chocolate sauce (or chocolate ganache)
• Salted caramel sauce
• Fresh strawberry jam or blueberry jam
• Apple pie filling
• Cherry pie filling
• Fresh fruit

5. What’s a springform pan?

Also called a push pan, a springform pan is a 2 piece pan for making things like cheesecake in. The bottom piece of the pan is separate from the sides, so you can remove the cheesecake much easier from the pan.

It’s important to choose a high quality springform pan when using the Instant Pot to make cheesecake. The flimsier ones (like the silicone pans) can let water from the steam inside of the pan, and the cheesecake won’t come out perfect.

6. Why doesn’t the cheesecake have a smooth top?

If you pull your cheesecake out of the Instant Pot and discover the top isn’t smooth, there are usually 2 things that could have gone wrong besides using cold ingredients, which we already talked about in tip #2.

First, if you didn’t wrap the pan tight enough in foil, water could have gotten inside the pan from the steam. That has happened to me the first time I made it, and I was so disappointed.

The good news is that the cheesecake should still taste good even if it doesn’t have a smooth top. Just load it up with toppings and people will never know (this particular cheesecake wasn’t pretty before putting chocolate sauce on it because I made it in a silicone pan!).

The other thing that can cause this to happen is to overwhip the cheesecake filling. If you put too much air into it when beating the filling, it will have more air in it rather than being dense like cheesecake is supposed to be. So make sure you’re blending the ingredients on low and for only as long as necessary to combine them.

7. Tips for getting cheesecake out of pan?

Sometimes it can be difficult to remove the cheesecake from the bottom piece of the spring form pan after chilling it. Some people like to put parchment paper in the bottom of the pan after greasing it to make it easier to remove.

I’ve never had trouble removing the outer ring of the pan, but the bottom piece will stick. I’ve personally found that using my Crème Brule torch to gently warm the bottom of the pan makes it slide right off.

8. How to store leftovers?

If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, and eat within 3-4 days.

9. Can you freeze cheesecake?

Yes, the best way to freeze cheesecake is to slice and freeze the individual slices. They’ll last for up to a month without the texture changing too much.

I like to flash freeze them, then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap and place all of the individually wrapped slices in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. Then we can just defrost individual slices as needed.

To defrost, place the in fridge overnight or on the counter just until defrosted (usually takes a couple hours).

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