Instant Pot Strawberry Vanilla Cheesecake (Step-By-Step Recipe)

Learn how to make Instant Pot vanilla cheesecake with a strawberry cream topping that will be a hit with the whole family. With detailed instructions and step-by-step photos (at the bottom), this beginner-friendly recipe is great to master if you’ve never tried making a pressure cooker cheesecake before. Leave a rating or comment at the bottom of this post if you’ve made this recipe or have any questions!

---

When it comes to making Instant Pot desserts, you can’t go past a good, creamy cheesecake. It is by far the most popular pressure cooker cake to make because it always turns out great and often better than in the oven. Plus, if you don’t want to use the oven or don’t have one currently, opting for an Instant Pot cheesecake instead is always a great option.

This is a simple cheesecake with vanilla cream cheese filling and strawberry jam whipped cream topping and is beginner-friendly for those of you new to pressure cooking or the kitchen in general. You will find our simple recipe below and step-by-step photo instructions underneath in case you need more guidance. 

INSTANT POT CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS

Before you begin, here is a snapshot of the ingredients you need to make this vanilla strawberry cheesecake.

• Crust: graham crackers, brown sugar and melted butter go in the crust – classic combo, really! 
• Cheesecake Filling: cream cheese, eggs, flour, cream (sour or heavy) and vanilla make up the main cheesy filling.
• Topping: sour or heavy cream whipped and mixed with strawberry jam and decorated with fresh berries – easy peasy.

You will find the recipe for this lentil stew just below or you can jump to detailed step-by-step photo instructions under the recipe card. These are especially handy if you’re an Instant Pot beginner.

---

You might like more recipes from our Instant Pot For Beginners series: 

• Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole (Step-By-Step)
• Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Step-By-Step)
• Instant Pot Chicken Breasts & Gravy (Step-By-Step)
• Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup In The Instant Pot (Step-By-Step)

Print

HOW TO MAKE CHEESECAKE IN THE INSTANT POT

Here are step-by-step instructions for making vanilla cheesecake in the Instant Pot. We made it in the Instant Pot Duo Classic & Nova 6-quart pressure cooker. 

Step 1. Butter a 7” springform cake pan, bottom and sides and set aside. You can line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, which will make it easier to detach the springform tin once it is cooked.

Step 2. To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork to form wet crumbs. If using graham crackers, process them into crumbs using a food processor or by using a rolling pin and a Ziploc bag. You can also combine the crumb mixture in a food processor.

Transfer the crumb mixture to the bottom of the springform pan. Use a flat-bottom glass to press the crust onto the bottom and up the sides. Not all the way, but about 1/4-1/3 up the sides of the pan. Place the pan with the crust in the freezer while you make the batter, for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 3. In a large mixing bowl, beat 16 oz. cream cheese with a hand mixer for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup white sugar (gradually) and mix well. Add 2 eggs (one at a time) and whisk briefly just until combined. Do not overmix. Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup sour cream/heavy cream to the batter and mix just until combined. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt stir in with a spatula.

Step 4. Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust. Cover the cake tin tightly with foil, this will catch any condensation drops. 

Step 5. Set the trivet inside the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of boiling hot water to the bottom. You can also use cold water but adding hot water allows the Instant Pot to come to pressure quicker building up less condensation in the process.

Place the pan carefully on the trivet in your Instant Pot. You can use a foil sling to do this. Close the lid and set the valve to “sealing” position (on Classic Duo). 

Secure and lock the lid; make sure the pressure handle is pointing to Sealing on Duo Classic. Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the timer to 40 minutes on HIGH pressure. After a few beeps/seconds, the ON sign will come on indicating the pot is heating up and the pressure is building; pressurizing will take about 10-12 minutes and then the 40-minute timer will begin.

Once the timer is up, do not release pressure but let it release naturally. When the valve is dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face and let any remaining steam escape.

Step 6. Using a towel or the foil sling inside, remove the cheesecake pan from the pot. Remove the foil and gently blot the surface of your cheesecake from any built-up condensation; you can use a kitchen roll/paper towel. It might feel wobbly at this stage but it will set in the fridge. 

Step 7. Let the cheesecake cool completely. In the meantime, whip the sour cream or cream and stir in the jam. Spread the strawberry cream on top of the cheesecake as a thin layer. You could also spread the cream first and then add the jam and swirl it around for a pretty pattern. Then cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, to overnight.

Top cheesecake with fresh strawberries before serving. To cut perfect slices, clean the knife after each cut (you can keep a glass of warm water for that).