Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake is inspired by Lindy’s Restaurant in New York, known for their famous Cheesecake. This will blow your mind. Really it will! Make it in your Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or any Pressure Cooker.
Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake
Years ago, my friend and co-worker, Phyllis, came to work one day with the most gigantic and gorgeous looking cheesecake I had ever seen. I could hardly wait until lunch time to have a slice. Each piece was so tall and luscious and big.
I know cheesecake and I LOVE cheesecake. It’s my all time favorite dessert.
Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake
Phyllis’ cheesecake (from Lindy’s restaurant in New York) turned out to be the best cheesecake I have ever had. I immediately converted it to the Instant Pot DUO Plus, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker and it is still he best cheesecake I have ever tasted.
Ingredients for New York Cheesecake.
- Cream Cheese – make sure to use Philadelphia brand as in this case, quality brands matter.
- Graham Crackers – plain or cinnamon are authentic to this recipe. However, chocolate graham crackers,
- Biscoff Cookies / Speculoos Cookies, Biscotti and many other cookies can be used for variation in flavor profile!
- White Sugar – low carb sweeteners can be subbed for a keto cheesecake.
- Butter
- Eggs – whole eggs and extra yolk(s) for extra creaminess.
- Vanilla Extract
- Orange and Lemon Zests – with such a tiny amount, citrus is not detected, but they brighten the recipe and take the flavor to a whole other level. Don’t skip. 🙂
- All Purpose Four – this makes the cake more dense, but is totally optional. An extra day in the fridge chilling will do almost the same thing. But, do you want to wait two days to enjoy this yummy New York Cheesecake?
- Sour Cream – part of the traditional top layer of a true New York Cheesecake. Similar in flavor to a sweetened crème fraîche, this layer melts into the cheesecake and becomes one with the cake. I promise you will NOT know that it is sour cream. It becomes just creamy, refreshing and sweet.
Prepare the Crust
*** The very first thing to do is to read my Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake Tips & Guide article for tips on a perfect cheesecake.
How to make Crust for Pressure Cooker Cheesecake.
- A food processor makes quick work of crushing cookies.
- Sweetener and butter is added.
- The crumbs are then packed into the cheesecake pan and placed into the freezer.
Prepare the Cheesecake Pan
How to Make Crust for Instant Pot New York Cheesecake.
- A push pan is a whole lot easier than a spring form pan. I always wonder what is stuck in the sliding part of the spring area.
- Parchment Rounds make life so much easier.
- Butter is your friend – grease well!
- A Fox Run Tart Tamper helps to press the crumbs into the Pan, but your fingers will work well.
- Freezing the crust while preparing the filling is suggested.
Prevent a soggy crust by first reading these guidelines.
Prepare the Filling
How to Make New York Cheesecake Filling.
- Ingredients should be at room temperature to avoid lumps.
- A good food processor is the easiest kitchen appliance to use for making cheesecake.
- Cream cheese and other ingredients are blended until smooth.
- All Purpose Flour can be substituted with Potato Starch, or Arrowroot Powder for low carb diets.
- When using the Microplane, for the zest, make sure not to scrape off any of the pith. Meyer lemons have a thin and bitter skin, so Eureka lemons are suggested
The zest shouldn’t be detected and serve to enhance the flavor of the cheesecake.
Be gentle with the eggs. You’ve read my article first, right; where I go into specific details?
Photo courtesy of Lauren Deschamps
Some people like to make individual size cheesecakes using Mason Jars, like the above photo.
They can be made with or without crust. Just divide the crust (if using), filling and topping equally between each jar.
The mini 4-inch cheesecake pans are perfect for two, like for Valentine’s Day. They also make nice gifts.
Pour the Filling into the Cheesecake Pan
Notice that you cannot see the crust. This is good and what you want.
Gift Giving Supplies for Instant Pot New York Cheesecake.
- Cake Boxes – beautiful white square cake boxes, which are easy to carry.
- Cake Rounds – white round cardboard cake bases to make pulling out the cake from the box easy and effortless.
Cover with Paper Towel and Foil
A paper towel over the top, will keep the Cheesecake moist as it cooks.
Make sure it is taut. You don’t want the paper towel to sink into the filling.
The foil will hold it in place.
Lower the Cheesecake into Pressure Cooker
If you don’t want to make this Homemade Sling, you might prefer this Silicone Sling/ Vegetable Steamer which is a nice product.
Some people like to use Grafiti Bands Cross Style as they make it so easy to get pans and bowls in and out of the Instant Pot DUO Plus, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker. The Grafiti Bands will hold the paper towel in place nicely, as well.
If you have an 8 quart or larger Pressure Cooker, you could use an 8 Inch Cheesecake Pan. Details of other size cheesecakes are in the notes section following the complete recipe/instructions below.
Perfect Jiggle, No Liquid Running
How to Tell if Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake is Cooked.
- A cheesecake is done before the center of it is set.
- It will be a teeny bit jiggly in the center (no more than one inch) and the sides will be slightly higher (they will flatten out shortly).
- Tilt the cheesecake a bit and use a paper towel to remove any condensation/water that got trapped under the foil during cooking.
- Also, notice that when tilted, nothing is running out of the center and there is no sluffing of the cake whatsoever.
- This is a perfect jiggle.
- The heat that is trapped inside will continue to cook the center while the cheesecake cools.
If there is more than a tiny movement, put the Cheesecake back into the Instant Pot DUO Plus, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker and cook for another 3 minutes and ten wait 10 to release.
Crème Fraîche Layer
What is the Sweet Crème Fraîche Layer?
- It is a refreshing, light, creamy and sweet top layer that is found on any good authentic New York Cheesecake.
- This layer melts into the hot, baked filling and becomes one with the cake.
- It is not a “topping,” so if you are one who likes to add cherries or other fruit, you can still do that when you serve the cheesecake.
- This Sweet Crème Fraîche is so delicious on its own, you can even top a bowl of strawberries or blueberries and have a sweet and light dessert.
Grab your whisk and the three ingredients and you are good to go!.
Alternatively, you can use Homemade Instant Pot/Mealthy/GoWise Greek Yogurt, if you like. You may need a touch more sugar though, so taste it to makes sure that it is sweet.
The Sweet Cream Completer Layer is typical of a true Jewish Deli New York Cheesecake, as seen in Lindy’s Restaurant and Junior’s Restaurant. Skipping that layer is like the song, “Love and Marriage.” I can hear Frank Sinatra singing in my ear.
“Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
Dad was told by mother
You can’t have one, you can’t have none
You can’t have one without the other.”
How to remove Cheesecake from Push Pan
How to Remove Instant Pot Cheesecake from Push Pan.
- It is easy to remove the sides of the push pan.
- Grab a jar and place underneath the pan and firmly push down on the sides.
Why Wait 24 Hours for Instant Pot New York Cheesecake to Set.
- Note, that cheesecakes need a full 24 hours to set properly, develop flavor and become dense, so prepare accordingly.
- Otherwise, it will be somewhat flavorless.
- All cheesecakes will taste much, much, much, better. Really, I am not joking.
- If you decide to eat the Cheesecake the same day it was baked, understand that it will taste eggy and be light and not dense.
Removing Cheesecake with LamsonSharp Chef’s Slotted Turner
I use this LamsonSharp Chef’s Slotted Turner to remove the cheesecake to a plate. It’s super thin and fits easily between the Cheesecake and the base of the pan.
The Parchment Round peels right off the cake.
It is not a good idea to cut the cheesecake on top of the push pan base, as it will scratch and sticking will become a problem.
Rubbermaid Containers are great for transporting Cheesecake
Rubbermaid Disposable Containers are perfect for Cheesecake transport.
Use the lid as the base for the cheesecake (see photos above) and the bowl as the cover! The Containers are cheap enough not to worry about bringing the Container home!
Cheesecakes freeze really well. I like to slice up the Cheesecake and place a piece of waxed paper in between each slice.
Then I place the whole Cheesecake into a Round Lock & Lock (which is BP free) and store in the freezer. Easy, peasy.
When you want a piece of Cheesecake, just remove a slice and in 30 minutes, you’ve got yummy Cheesecake! I use Lock & Lock for all my pantry items too. You’ve probably noticed them in many of my recipe photos.
Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot New York Cheesecake.
- Read my article on How to Make Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake Guide.
- Allow cream cheese and eggs to become room temperature before starting.
- Grease push pan well, for easy cheesecake release.
- Mix in eggs last and do so very slowly only until barely incorporated.
- Leave Instant Pot New York Cheesecake in pressure cooker untouched for 20 minutes.
- Pour sweet/creamy layer onto hot cheesecake and let sit for one hour.
- Do not attempt to cut cheesecake for at least 24 hours.
Pressure Cooker Lindy’s New York Cheesecake
This Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake is awesome topped with Pressure Cooker Lemon Curd, Fresh Berry Compote or Gooey Hot Fudge Sauce.
Other Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipes to Make.
- Pressure Cooker Meyer Lemon Cheesecake
- Holiday Spice Peppernuts Cheesecake – Biscoff Cookies are perfect for this recipe!
- Pressure Cooker Peppermint Milkshake Cheesecake
- Pressure Cooker Blackberry Cheesecake
- Pressure Cooker Cookies ‘N Creme Cheesecake – check the post for a photo of an 8 ounce single
- Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake Style Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
- Pressure Cooker Banana Pudding Cheesecake.
- Pressure Cooker Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
- Pressure Cooker Italian Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake, which are 50% less calories.
- Pressure Cooker Three Ingredient Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is a totally different take on a cheesecake.
- Pressure Cooker Red White and Blue Cheesecake Singles – great for 4th of July and made in mini 4 oz size Mason Jars.
- Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Muffin Cheesecake Bites recipe is perfect for Winter gatherings!
My fabulous and original Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake recipe has been duplicated and is popping up on blogs and in cookbooks unfortunately, so make sure to share this recipe with all your friends and all your groups.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot DUO Plus, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
- LamsonSharp Chef’s Slotted Turner– I totally love this spatula!
- Alpha Armour Salt Box with Spoon
- Sonder LA End Grain Teak Cutting Board, Juice Grooves & Compartments
- KitchenAid 11 Cup Food Processor
- Microplane Stainless Steel Zester
- 6 inch Fat Daddio’s Push Pan
- 6 inch Parchment Paper Round
- Graham Crackers
- Rubbermaid Disposable Containers – for holiday travel!
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Instant Pot New York Cheesecake
Print Pin RateIngredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup Honey Maid Graham Crackers (crushed)
- 2 teaspoons White Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Butter melted
Filling
- 16 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 2 teaspoons All Purpose Flour (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Orange Peel grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Peel grated
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 1 Egg Yolk room temperature
- 1/4 cup Whipping/Heavy Cream
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
Crème Fraîche Layer
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 teaspoons White Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Please read my article Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake Tips & Guide, before proceeding.
Crust
- Add cookies and sugar to the bowl of food processor and pulse a couple of times, until small crumbs form. Melt butter in microwave or on stove top and add to graham cracker mixture. Pulse until just combined.
- Pour cookie mixture into bottom of greased 6-inch cheesecake pan and press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan and no more than one inch up along the sides.
- Place pan with crust into freezer for 20 minutes while you mix up the filling.
Filling
- Blend together cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, flour, grated peels, salt and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, lightly mixing until just combined. Do not over mix the eggs.
- Pour filling into the pan, on top of the crust.
Cook
- Add 1.5 cups of water to the bottom of your pressure cooker and then place a trivet inside the pot.
- Cover the cheesecake first with a paper towel and then with a piece of aluminum foil and loosely secure the foil.
- Place cheesecake into pressure cooker using a sling.
- Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Cook at High Pressure for 38 minutes. When beep sounds, wait 18 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- After all pressure has been released, open pressure cooker and gently remove the pan. Remove the foil and paper towel. Tilt the cheesecake pan and dab off any liquid that may have accumulated.
- The center (no more than an inch) will be slightly jiggly (not wet, JIGGLY), but don't worry. The heat that is trapped inside will continue to cook the center while the cheesecake cools.
Crème Fraîche Layer
- Whisk together the sour cream, extract and sugar to make a Sweet Crème Fraîche and then spread on the hot cheesecake. Let cool on wire rack for at least one hour.
- Lightly cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Cheesecake can be removed from pan after an hour in the refrigerator.
Notes
8 oz Wide Mouth Glass Jar - cook 7 minutes
4 oz Wide Mouth Glass Jar - cook 4 minutes
16 oz Glass Jars - DON'T DO IT!
15 minute Natural Pressure Release
Nutrition
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Kathy says
April 14, 2019 at 9:33 amHi Jill! Love this recipe and have had perfect results. I would like to try it in the individual 8 oz. Jars and just wondered how many it will make?
Thank you!
Lori says
April 11, 2019 at 5:55 pmWonderful recipe. Would like to make it without a crust. Is that possible? There is just the 2 of us and we don’t have too much for desert so it lasts long enough for the crust to get soggy. Thanks in advance.
Eileen says
March 31, 2019 at 7:04 pmI really looked around at several different highly rated recipes for IP cheesecake. I decided to try this one and it did NOT disappoint. I made the 8” version, followed it to a T and it all went perfectly. It sat in the fridge for about 18 hours and was perfect when I cut into it. The Lemmon zest was just a hair too much for my taste. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted good, I just wasn’t going for a Lemmon flavor at all and most of my fam could detect it. Thanks so much for a perfect recipe.
Nikki says
March 30, 2019 at 12:17 pmHi, I’ve made this several times and it’s come out amazing! I’ve even increased the recipe by 1/2 to do a taller cheesecake and it came out amazing like the others. Now I’m onto one of your other cheesecakes and I noticed that in the instructions are to hand fold the heavy cream in after adding the eggs but in this recipe you say to blend it in with the other ingredients (before the eggs). Just curious what the difference is?
Thanks!
Nikki
Jill says
April 1, 2019 at 7:59 pmJust the way I did that one. Jill
Laurie says
March 8, 2019 at 11:07 amI’m out of sour cream, can I use your Greek yogurt for the topping?
Cindy says
March 2, 2019 at 5:15 pmSeriously as good as any cheesecake I’ve had in a restaurant, and I made it! Amazing taste and texture. Recipe was so easy to follow and I loved the extra instructions on making the perfect cheesecake.
Jill says
March 2, 2019 at 8:10 pmThank you, Cindy. I am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake. Jill
Nancy says
February 18, 2019 at 6:24 pmI made this and your cookies n creme cheesecake. Both were amazing. Thank you for the great recipes and the helpful tutorials.
Jill says
February 18, 2019 at 8:48 pmThank you so much, Nancy. Jill
Shawna M. says
February 11, 2019 at 4:16 pmThis is the best cheesecake recipe I have ever found and an avid baker. Thank you for sharing this with us! I modify the crust and sweeteners for my keto lifestyle by processing nuts, melted butter, salt and a dash of cinnamon for the crust, and using Pyure for the sweetener.
Jill says
February 11, 2019 at 7:51 pmI am so glad you like my recipe and modified it nicely for keto. I’ve seen so many people modify my recipe for keto. Jill
Nikki says
February 3, 2019 at 10:31 amThank you so much for another amazing share!! This was a HUGE hit!!
I just received your cookbook and can’t wait to start working on some very yummy sounding recipes!
Jill says
February 3, 2019 at 7:01 pmThank you, Nikki. Enjoy. Jill
Kathy Watson says
January 12, 2019 at 6:37 pmThis recipe rocks! Made my first ever Cheesecake in my Insta Pot! It was delish! The hardest part was waiting the 24 hours!
Dena says
January 12, 2019 at 8:11 amHello,
I have made this cake and it was very good. I would like to make it crustless. Will this work? Will the push pan leak? Thanks!
Ken Slattery says
January 2, 2019 at 8:18 pmThe results are delicious!. I have made the New York cheesecake with both a 6 x 3 inch and a 7 x 3 inch pan with the larger one’s ingredients increased by half per your notes. However, it does not seem right that the larger cheesecake should be cooked for less time (37 minutes) than the smaller one (38 minutes). Shouldn’t a larger mass require more time to cook than a smaller mass? In my first attempt at making the larger cheesecake, it was undercooked after the prescribed 37 minutes and I cooked it for another four minutes with another natural pressure release and it then seemed to be fine.
Katrina Craig says
January 1, 2019 at 5:07 pmI am a newbie and was wondering if you could sub some of the cream cheese for marscapone cheese?
Randy Wellman says
December 12, 2018 at 7:52 amI’ve made this cheesecake recipe for 3 Christmases now. I make the cheesecake in a jar. It’s the most asked for thing I do at Christmas. I’ve also made 4″ pans and full sized cheesecakes and they all have been perfect. Follow this recipe; use it as a base for anything else you nay want to add and you won’t be disappointed.
Christine says
December 6, 2018 at 12:05 pmI’m a forgetful cook/baker, so the cheesecake was already in the instant pot when I realized I forgot the cream (not the sweet cream layer). It still turned out!
I also skipped the flour and used gluten-free graham crackers because I needed to accommodate someone with celiac disease. It came out quite dense – maybe the lack of flour and cream compensated for each other?
The eaters (my colleagues!) are raving about it so I think it was a great success! Next time, I’ll remember the cream…
Jill says
December 6, 2018 at 6:26 pmHi Christine. I am glad you enjoyed the cheesecake. You are correct, the flour and cream to compensate each other. 🙂 The cream adds creaminess to the cake and the flour, denses it up. (Yes, I made up that word and usage of same.) Jill
Patti says
November 29, 2018 at 8:17 amCould it be made with 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese?
Jill says
November 29, 2018 at 7:24 pmYes, it won’t be as rich and you may need to cook a bit longer, or reduce the cream. Let me know how it turns out. Jill
Jessica says
November 26, 2018 at 6:49 pmImpressive and very creative recipe! Sounds like you have definitely mastered this unique method of making cheesecake, and I cannot wait to try it out!
EDWARD DAWSON says
November 26, 2018 at 4:05 amOur first IP cheesecake has been a disappointment because the crust (same instructions as this) is glued to the bottom of the pan. It does not slice, even with our sharpest knife. We greased the pan without using a paper lining, and our recipe did not mention putting the crust in the freezer.
We are serving delicious, crustless cheesecake and wondering what to do. Can you help?
Jill says
November 28, 2018 at 12:44 pmSorry, your other recipe did not work out and since I am not familiar with the recipe you used, I cannot offer any suggestions. I am sure you won’t have any issues with mine. Jill
Michelle says
November 18, 2018 at 12:45 pmIMPRESSED or what. I made this Friday for my daughters birthday FOR Saturday. RAVE REVIEWS. THANK YOU. Only changes I made were gluten free Graham crackers and gf flour as my daughter is celiac. I also added 5 min as I have the silicon springform pan and 3 min for elevation. I think I wud have been good with just the extra 5 min. There was no jiggly center. Again thank yo. Only comments were more lemon next time pls. And I better make 2
Ps. I only tried making one other cheesecake recipe that I found online and it was an utter FAIL. So very very happy with this recipe. THANK YOU
Jill says
November 18, 2018 at 2:22 pmI am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake. Jill
Cambrie says
November 14, 2018 at 3:10 pmThe recipe used to say how much potato starch to sub for the flour, but I no longer se the amount. How much potato starch be used in place of flour? Thanks!
Julie Wong says
October 28, 2018 at 6:20 pmI just made my first IP cheesecake and it’s killing me to wait while it spends the night in the refrigerator. I have a 7″ x 2.5″ springform pan and the amount of batter was perfect. According to the directions, I subtracted 5 min from the cook time for a total of 33 minutes plus 18 minutes release. For my size pan, I think this was a little too long. There was no wobble left in the center of the cake. There appears to be minimal cracking and when I make it again, I think I will cook it only for 28 min. I love LOVE the sour cream topping. I think I’ll service the cheesecake with a fruit compote on top. YUM!
Sandra Morrissey says
April 29, 2018 at 2:57 pmI’m also pretty new at IP cooking. I made your cheesecake today and the taste I know is going to be amazing the only thing is I had to put get an extra 5 minutes. And the paper the paper towels kept collapsing on top of the cheesecake. Just took a little bit off but what’s causing that
SusieW says
April 12, 2018 at 5:39 amI made this last night in a 6″ springform pan and I just ate a piece for breakfast— DEEE-LISH! Perfect texture!
I followed the directions except (don’t you hate that) I baked my graham cracker crust 10 minutes at 400 degrees, I did not add orange zest, I did not add the extra egg yolk, and I added 3 teaspoons of sugar to the sour cream instead of the 2.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I will make this again and again!
Sharon says
December 27, 2018 at 2:15 pmI swear the first time I used this recipe, it said to bake the crust – not freeze it.
Jill says
December 27, 2018 at 8:05 pmYou could do either. It is less hassle to freeze and doesn’t make much of a difference as the pressure cooker is a moist environment, so that baked crust won’t stay crisp. Jill
Victoria Fassano says
April 11, 2018 at 8:56 pmWhile there is an awful lot of peripheral information surrounding this recipe it is actually quite simple. Third time making it and it is perfection – this from a true NY gal!