These decadent mini cheesecakes are individual-size variations of classic New York cheesecakes. Rich, creamy filling with a crunchy graham cracker crust, these petite cakes are made in the Instant pot and ready to chill in a little over 30 minutes.
Top this petite dessert with fresh berries, homemade berry compote, salted caramel, or your favorite cake topping, and enjoy!
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One of the things that makes cheesecake great is its incredibly moist texture. That perfect cheesecake texture can sometimes be difficult to achieve in the oven due to the dry heat.
That's where the instant pot comes in handy! Since the instant pot is, by nature, a steam-cooking environment, the cheesecake comes out perfectly moist every time. No dryness or cracking here!
These cheesecakes are incredibly creamy and layered with buttery graham cracker crust into perfectly portioned ramekins. These single-serving desserts also freeze beautifully which makes them great to prep ahead of time!
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
This instant pot cheesecake recipe is made with a simple graham cracker crust and a rich and creamy cheesecake filling. Let's take a look at what we'll need:
For the Crust
Graham Crackers: I use honey graham crackers for a little extra sweetness, but regular graham crackers will work as well. You can also use vanilla wafers if you like.
Butter: be sure to use unsalted butter so that you don't end up with overly salty cheesecake crust. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes ahead of prepping so it can come to room temperature.
Brown Sugar: gives the crust a little extra sweetness and helps bind the crust.
For the Cheesecake Batter
Cream Cheese: I like to use Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese, but other varieties will work as well. Be sure you use full-fat cream cheese and bring it to room temperature before using it in the filling.
Sugar: we use granulated sugar to sweeten the cheesecake filling.
Sour Cream: cuts the sweetness of the cheesecake with a little bit of tang and creates an even creamier texture.
All-Purpose Flour: helps thicken the filling slightly and also acts as a binding agent.
Eggs: our primary binding agent to help the mini cheesecakes set and hold their shape and create a creamy, custard-like taste.
Vanilla Extract: gives the filling a touch of floral sweetness.
Lime Juice: fresh lime juice adds freshness and a delicious tang to offset the richness of the other ingredients.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes in the Instant Pot
This recipe takes just 25 minutes to prep. The rest of the time is either cooking or chilling! Here are the step-by-step directions:
Grind the graham crackers: Add the graham crackers to a food processor and grind them into a fine crumb. Alternatively, place the graham crackers into a ziplock bag and use a skillet or something similar to crush them.
Make the crust: In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter. Spread about 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each jar, then use the back of a spoon to compress it into the jar. Place the jars in the freezer.
Make the cheesecake filling: Blend cream cheese and sugar in a food processor, then add in the sour cream, flour, lime zest, and vanilla.
Blend again, then process in the eggs one at a time. Be careful not to overmix the batter at any stage.
Assemble the cheesecakes: Take the jars out of the freezer, then add roughly four tablespoons of the cheesecake filling to each jar.
Tap each jar on a cutting board to rid it of any air bubbles, then use the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Cover each jar with an oven-safe lid or a piece of foil.
Pressure cook: Pour one cup of water into the instant pot, set a trivet on the bottom, then place the cheesecake jars on the trivet.
Place another trivet on the jars, then stack the rest of the jars on top of that. Close the lid, set the vent to sealing, then pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
Finish and chill: When the cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release, then open the lid when the pin drops.
Cool the cheesecakes at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then place them in the fridge to fully chill for 6-8 hours.
Serving Suggestions
Cheesecakes are one of those foods that taste better the next day! For the best flavor and texture, I recommend chilling these mini cheesecakes for 10-12 hours.
I prefer to do that over-night, as that reduces the temptation to dig into it every time I open the refrigerator 🙂 Once chilled, serve them as-is, or top them with one of the following options:
Cheesecake Toppings
Fresh Berries- Top the cheesecake with your favorite berries and dollops of whipped cream.
Berry Compote: To make a compote, wash and rinse a pint of raspberries, blackberries, or both. Add them to a saucepan over medium heat along with 2 teaspoons (or more, if needed) of sugar. Stir and gently smash a few berries with your spatula. Cook and continue to stir for 7-10 minutes until a light sauce forms and the sugar is dissolved. Cool, then serve over the cheesecake!
Salted Caramel- Melt a couple of tablespoons of your favorite store-bought caramel sauce in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 seconds. Pour over cheesecake and spread evenly, using an offset spatula or a butter knife. Lightly sprinkle some sea salt on top.
Dark-Chocolate Walnut (or Pecans) - Melt some bittersweet chocolate chips in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, Drizzle on the cheesecake in a side-to-side motion, creating horizontal stripes. Chop up some walnuts or pecans and sprinkle on top.
How to Store & Freeze
Leftover mini cheesecakes will last covered in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To enjoy again, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then serve with desired toppings!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- This cheesecake cooks evenly if all ingredients are at room temperature. It may take a bit of planning, but believe me, it's worth it.
- Don't over-mix the batter as that creates more air bubbles in the batter, which will result in an uneven cheesecake filling.
- Freeze the crust while you prep the batter. The colder crust holds up better in the instant pot and next to the creamy filling.
- Cover the cheesecakes with foil or an oven-safe lid. This helps prevent moisture in the instant pot from dripping into the cheesecake.
- Use tongs to remove the jars from the instant pot after they cook. They will be hot!
- Freeze any leftover cheesecake jars in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use 4-6 ounce mason jars or ramekins for this recipe, which make for perfectly individual-sized cheesecakes!
When the cheesecakes are done cooking, they will be mostly set, but slightly jiggly in the very center. They will set up more as they chill in the fridge!
If your cheesecakes are collapsing in, there were likely air bubbles in the filling. To remove the air bubbles, gently tap each jar on a cutting board before cooking. This helps the air bubbles rise to the top and pop.
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Mini Cheesecakes in Instant Pot
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Equipment
Ingredients
For Crust
- 8 honey graham crackers (to make about ½ cup crumbs)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For Cheesecake Batter
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature (preferred: Kraft philadelphia)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
Make Crust
- Add graham crackers to a food processor and grind to a super-fine crumb. Alternatively, add them to a ziplock bag, seal it, and pound it with a skillet until completely crushed.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter. Spread about 1½ tablespoons of mixture in the bottom of each jar. Using the back of a spoon press it down to compact it. Put the jars in the freezer while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Assemble Cheesecakes
- Add the cream cheese and sugar to a food processor jar and blend at medium-low speed for one minute until smooth. Add in the sour cream, flour, lime zest, and vanilla, and blend again for 30 seconds.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and blend for 15-20 seconds at low speed until combined. Don't over mix!
- Take the jars out of the freezer. Using a tablespoon add roughly 4 tablespoons of filling into each jar, leaving ¼-inch from the top.
- Gently tap each jar on a cutting board so the air bubbles rise to the top and pop. Pop any remaining bubbles with a fork. Using the back of a spoon, smoothen the top.
- Cover each jar with an oven-safe lid, or a piece of aluminum foil. Doing this prevents the moisture from dripping into the cheesecake.
Pressure Cook
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pot and place a tall trivet at the bottom. Place the jars on the trivet. You can easily fit 5-6 jars in one layer. Place another trivet on top of the jars, and stack the remaining jars on top of that.
- Close the lid and set the vent to sealing position. Pressure cook for 6 minutes at high pressure. Once the cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally, takes about 10-12 minutes. Open the lid when the pin drops.
- Using tongs remove the jars and place them on a cooling rack. Cool them for 20-30 minutes, then pop them in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or overnight. Serve it as-is or top it with fresh berries, or a whipped topping of your choice.
Notes
- This cheesecake turns out awesome if all ingredients are at room temperature. It may take a bit of planning, but believe me, it's worth it.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will create more air bubbles in the batter, which will result in an uneven cheesecake filling.
- Freeze the crust while you prep the batter. The colder crust holds up better in the instant pot and next to the creamy filling.
- Cover the cheesecakes with foil or an oven-safe lid. This helps prevent moisture in the instant pot from dripping into the cheesecake.
- Use tongs to remove the jars from the instant pot after they cook. They will be hot!
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated with detailed instructions and step-by-step photos.
Jan says
Thank you for this recipe. Can you put mason jar lids on the cheesecakes to keep moisture out while cooking?
Aneesha says
Hi Jan, yes you can! I hope you enjoy these cute little cheesecakes!
Alice says
What size jars are you using?
How many ounces, please. Thanks!
Aneesha says
In this recipe, I used 4oz jars. Enjoy!
Darci says
Hi! I just made these and they all bubbled over in the instapot. I believe I followed all the directions as close as possible. Any ideas why this happened?
Aneesha says
Hi Darci, if you mean they overflowed from the jars, then the filling was too much for the size of your jars. I recommend leaving a 1/2-inch clearance on the top of the jar.
Susan says
Thank you very much for sharing such a delightful recipe!
Aneesha says
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Nichol Swift says
Hello,
How long should I pressure cook if I make in mini ramekins? I can’t wait to try!
Nichol
Aneesha says
Hi Nichol, I would suggest 20-22 minutes on high pressure for ramekins. Enjoy!