Easy Blueberry Cheesecake in the Instant Pot
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This Instant Pot Blueberry Cheesecake is creamy, sweet, and tangy. In a buttery graham cracker crust, this smooth and silky cheesecake is swirled with a delicious blueberry compote and kissed with a hint of lemon.
Using your Instant Pot delivers a perfect, crack-free cheesecake every time! It’s a perfect dessert for any occasion! (And yes, you can bake this recipe in the oven too- find the baking instructions under the FAQ section.)
Cheesecake would be at the top of the list if I had to choose a single dessert for the rest of my days. (Narrowly beating out ice cream if you can believe it.) There is just something about cheesecake’s decadently sweet and creamy consistency that I can’t resist!
With the bright purple swirls of a homemade blueberry compote, this blueberry cheesecake is absolutely gorgeous to look at and even better to taste. The good news is that cheesecake is super easy to make in the pressure cooker!
One thing to note is that cheesecake needs a bit of planning ahead as you will need to chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours (or preferably overnight) before serving.
Why this recipe works:
I love using my Instant Pot for soups, stews, and large cuts of meat, but did you know a pressure cooker is perfect for cooking cheesecakes too?
Cheesecake needs moisture to keep it from cracking. The Instant Pot makes the perfect steam bath environment for your cheesecake!
instant pot blueberry cheesecake Ingredients + notes
(Ingredients and notes at a glance. Grab the full recipe at the bottom of the post.)
- For the crust: Graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter | You can use premade graham cracker crumbs or crush your own from regular graham crackers. Unsalted butter is best, but if you only have salted, that will also be fine.
- Cream Cheese | Use full-fat cream cheese and ensure it is at room temperature.
- Sugar | Granulated
- Vanilla extract | For flavor, I always recommend pure vanilla extract over imitation. It just tastes so much better.
- 1 Lemon | Use fresh lemon as you also need the zest.
- Eggs – Large, should also be at room temperature.
- For the blueberry compote: Blueberries and sugar. You’ll need 16 oz of blueberries. You can use either fresh or frozen.
How to make Blueberry Cheesecake in the instant pot
1 Prepare the pan: Spray a 7.5” springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot insert.
2 Make the blueberry Compote: Combine all blueberry compote ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until sauce has reduced, and will coat the back of a wooden spoon, stirring and mashing berries frequently. Transfer to a bowl to cool and thicken.
3 Make the crust: In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp sugar, and melted butter. Using a flat bottom measuring cup, press the graham mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, and about 1” up the sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4 Make the cheesecake filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium power until smooth. Beat in vanilla, zest, and lemon juice until just combined. Add eggs and beat until just combined. Pour over chilled crust.
5. Add the Blueberry Compote. Spoon a few Tbsp. of the blueberry compote on top of the cheesecake batter. Swirl it into the batter with a toothpick or knife. Reserve remaining compote for serving.
Optional step: if you want a cheesecake with a smooth top, not marred by water splashes, you can cover the cheesecake tightly with foil to keep water out while cooking. If covering with foil, add about 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Place cheesecake on the Instant Pot trivet, carefully lowering it into Instant Pot. Replace lid.
6 Pressure cook the cheesecake: Set the valve to the “sealing” position. Using the manual setting, pressure cook the cheesecake for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to natural-release the pressure once the cooking time is complete.
Remove cheesecake from Instant Pot using trivet handles. Uncover cheesecake. It will be very jiggly and will firm up as it cools. Cool on the countertop for 1 hour.
Refrigerate the blueberry cheesecake for at least 6 hours uncovered, overnight preferred for the best flavor and texture. Drag a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove springform.
7 Garnish and serve: Garnish with optional lemon slices, lemon zest, fresh blueberries, and/or whipped cream.
Serve with a spoonful of blueberry compote.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure both your eggs and cream cheese are at room temperature. Using cold ingredients will cause your cheesecake to be either grainy, lumpy, or over-beaten.
- Keep the crust low in the springform pan. A shorter crust makes it much less likely that the crust will absorb moisture while cooking. (Resulting in a soggy crust.) Another option would be to omit the crust for a crustless cheesecake. (I do this when making low-carb cheesecake.)
- Don’t over-mix your cheesecake ingredients. When the cheesecake batter is overmixed, more air is incorporated into the batter, causing the cheesecake to over-rise during baking, and it will then fall, leaving cracks. (Another reason why room temperature ingredients are so important.)
- Use a trivet at the bottom of the pressure cooker or a silicone sling. You don’t want the cheesecake pan sitting in the water. (I love the silicone sling for removing the cheesecake from the pot after cooking.) If you don’t have a sling, you can make one with aluminum foil.
- Slicing the cheesecake: Dip a large, sharp knife in hot water, dry on a paper towel, and slice. Repeat for each slice. Unflavored dental floss also works great to cut your cheesecake into perfect slices.
Recipe Variations
- Try substituting the blueberries for a bag of frozen mixed berries.
- Use strawberries instead of blueberries. If using strawberries, you may need to mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp cold water to make a slurry; add the slurry to the boiling strawberry mixture at the end of cooking to thicken.
- Want a lemon cheesecake? Increase the fresh lemon juice to 4 tablespoons plus the zest of one lemon.
- No fresh lemons on hand? No problem, just omit it. It’ll still be delicious! I do not recommend using bottled lemon juice.
FAQ’s
How To Get A Crunchier Graham Cracker Cust On Instant Pot Cheesecakes
If you want a crunchier crust on an instant pot cheesecake, you will need to blind-bake your crust in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 7.5” springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Use a flat bottom measuring cup to press the graham mixture into the bottom of the springform pan, and about 1” up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes.
Can I Use Fat-Free Cream Cheese?
You can use low-fat cream cheese, but I do not recommend fat-free.
Can I Use An 8-Inch Pan For This Recipe?
Yes, if an 8-inch springform pan fits into your pot, you can use it. You should reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes.
Does The Cooking Time Change For A 6 Quart Vs 8-Quart Pressure Cooker?
No, cooking time is the same for either size. You would only need to change the time if you used a smaller pan. (Due to the increase in thickness.)
How To Tell When The Cheesecake Is Done?
The outside of your cheesecake should look set, but if you give it a gentle shake or tap the side of the pan with a spoon, you should see a small circle that jiggles in the middle. If your cheesecake seems undercooked, just add about 5 more minutes in the pressure cooker.
Can This Cheesecake be baked in the oven?
Yes! These are the oven-baking instructions:
Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 325 F. Prepare the blueberry cheesecake filling as directed. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Place the pan into a large baking dish and place it into the oven. Fill with about 1 inch of warm water.
Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 F or until the center is almost set. Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.
How To Store This Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipe
Store your leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can Cheesecake Be Frozen?
Yes! Cheesecake freezes beautifully. You have two options: Freeze the entire cake or individual slices.
To freeze the entire cake: Cool the cheesecake completely, then chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 6 hours. Wrap it well in plastic wrap, and then foil. (The more airtight you can make the cheesecake the longer it will last.)
To freeze a few slices, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then place them into an air-tight container.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 2-4 hours.
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Instant Pot Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: desserts
- Method: pressure cooker
Description
This Instant Pot Blueberry cheesecake is creamy, sweet, and tangy. In a buttery graham cracker crust, this smooth and silky cheesecake is swirled with a delicious blueberry compote and kissed with a hint of lemon.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or about 9 to 10 graham cracker sheets)
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
Cheesecake
- 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (reserve half zest & juice for compote)
- 2 large eggs
Blueberry Compote
- 16 oz bag frozen blueberries
- Splash of water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Reserved lemon juice and zest
Instructions
- Spray a 7.5” springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1 cup water into Instant Pot insert.
- Combine all blueberry compote ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until sauce has reduced, and will coat the back of a wooden spoon, stirring and mashing berries frequently. Transfer to a bowl to cool and thicken.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and melted butter. Using a flat bottom measuring cup, press the graham mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and about 1” up the sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium power until smooth. Beat in vanilla, zest, and lemon juice until just combined. Add eggs and beat until just combined. Pour over chilled crust. Spoon a few Tbsp. of the compote on top of the cheesecake batter; swirl into the batter with a toothpick or knife. Reserve remaining compote for serving.
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Optional step: if you want a cheesecake with a smooth top, not marred by water splashes, you can cover the cheesecake tightly with foil to keep water out while cooking. If covering with foil, add about 5 minutes to the cooking time. Place cheesecake on the Instant Pot trivet, carefully lowering it into Instant Pot. Replace lid.
Place the cheesecake on the Instant Pot trivet and carefully lower it into Instant Pot. Replace lid. Set the valve to the “sealing” position. Using the manual setting, select low pressure and pressure cook for 40 minutes. Quick-release pressure when finished cooking.
- Remove cheesecake from Instant Pot using trivet handles. Uncover cheesecake. It will be very jiggly and will firm up as it cools. Cool on the countertop for 1 hour. Drag a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove springform. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours uncovered, overnight preferred for the best flavor and texture. Cover once cool.
- Serve with a spoonful of blueberry compote.
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