Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

No water bath or oven space needed when you make Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake for dessert! Baked in a 6 inch or 7 inch springform pan, it’s made in half the time as its baked version, which makes it the perfect ending for your Thanksgiving for Two dinner.

With Thanksgiving For Two coming up, the big question is – are you ready?

Perhaps you’re planning on making turkey tenderloin recipe with mashed potatoes for two and gravy without drippings, but what about dessert?

Maybe you’re eying up my small pumpkin cheesecake recipe but your oven will already be busy.

That’s where Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake comes in handy!

It’s similar to my Instant Pot Cheesecake but with pumpkin added for fall.

When people hear Instant Pot, they often think of dinner such as Instant Pot pork roast and Instant Pot beef stew.

But you can also make Instant Pot cheesecake! One that tastes exactly like it was baked in the oven but in half the time.

Instead of preheating your oven and baking for over an hour, you use a pressure cooker and cook it for 25 minutes.

You don’t even need to fuss with a water bath! Just add water to the bottom of your pot.

You can make either a 6 inch cheesecake or 7 inch cheesecake, which makes about 6-8 small slices.

Although if you’re looking for a larger cheesecake, check out my 9 inch pumpkin cheesecake. It won’t fit in an Instant Pot but you can still make it in the oven.

Let’s get started!

What is an Instant Pot?

An Instant Pot is a popular brand name of a pressure cooker designed to cook food faster using steam pressure.

They can be a little daunting at first because of the steam, but once you understand how a pressure cooker works, it’s quite easy.

The model I own is no longer available, but it’s similar to this Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 6 quart pressure cooker.

Why Make Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

1. No water bath needed: Water baths can be clunky and accidentally get your cheesecake wet if not done properly. Just add a little bit of water to the bottom on your pot and boom – no fussy external water bath.
2. Made in half the time: Normally your small pumpkin cheesecake recipe takes roughly 65 minutes in the oven. Here it takes 25 minutes in the pressure cooker.
3. Frees up oven space: If you’re making this for Thanksgiving dessert, chances are your oven is occupied with stuffed Cornish hen and green bean casserole. By making pressure cooker cheesecake, you don’t have to worry about making room (plus you can make it the day before as well!)
4. Doesn’t heat up your kitchen: If your oven is anything like mine, it’s an inferno especially in the summer. Using an Instant Pot means your kitchen won’t be unbearable.

What pan do I need for Instant Pot Cheesecake?

You will need either a 6 inch springform pan or a 7 inch springform pan, which both sizes fit in a pressure cooker.

Your Instant Pot pumpkim cheesecake recipe will not work in a round cake pan because it’ll be too difficult to remove; you cannot invert cheesecake like you would with a regular cake.

If you don’t have a springform pan, I highly recommend making mini pumpkin cheesecakes in a muffin pan or no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars in an 8×8 pan instead.

Ingredients For Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

Your pumpkin cheesecake in an Instant Pot is made up of the following ingredients:

• Graham cracker crumbs: Graham cracker is the most traditional for the crust, but you can use gingersnap for more holiday flavor. Use a food processor to easily crush into crumbs.
• Butter: Use to bind the crust
• Cream cheese: Make sure you’re using full-fat cream cheese as the low fat and fat free versions may make the batter too watery after baking.
• Granulated sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the tanginess of the cream cheese
• Eggs: Cheesecake is technically a custard with eggs as they help make a smooth, rich, batter. As with all baking recipes, use large eggs.
• Canned pumpkin: It wouldn’t be pumpkin cheesecake without the pumpkin! I use canned for the most consistent results.
• Vanilla: Enhances the pumpkin and cream cheese flavors

How To Cook Cheesecake In An Instant Pot

To make your pumpkin cheesecake for Instant Pot:

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt then pat it into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla then transfer batter to pan and place inside an Instant Pot.
4. Cook on Manual Setting for 25 minutes.
5. Release the pressure, hit the Off button, then let sit for 15 minutes without removing the lid.
6. Remove from the Instant Pot and cool for 1 hour at room temperature then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

How To Know When Cheesecake Is Done

One of the challenges about making Instant Pot pumpkin cheesecake is knowing when it’s done, especially since it’ll still jiggle slightly in the middle.

The best way to ensure it’s done baking is with a digital thermometer. The internal temperature of a cheesecake should be 150F degrees.

How To Remove an Instant Pot Cheesecake

Because your 7 inch cheesecake will be quite snug in your pressure cooker, you may have some difficulty grabbing it with oven mitts.

That’s where crafting a make-shift foil sling comes in handy!

Take a long piece of foil (roughly 20 inches long) and fold lengthwise (hot dog style for the millennials out there) about 2-3 times or until you have a long, thick piece.

Place your pan in the middle then bring the two ends up to wrap and lift your pan. Now you can easily lift your pan in and out of your Instant Pot!

How To Garnish Pumpkin Cheesecake

Your small pumpkin cheesecake recipe may taste good as is, but we can make it taste even better with a garnish!

I used maple whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

You can also use traditional homemade whipped cream or chocolate whipped cream.

You can also drizzle it with some homemade caramel sauce.

More Small Cheesecake Recipes

Looking for more flavors? Make any one of these small cheesecakes in the Instant Pot:

• Small Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
• Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake