How to make an 8-inch cheesecake in an 8-quart Instant Pot
This light and fluffy Instant Pot 8-inch cheesecake recipe is designed for 8-quart pressure cookers so you can feed this stunning and tangy dessert to even more people. (Or have extras leftover, we won’t tell.)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This cheesecake has the ratios and cook times tailored specifically to an 8-inch springform pan, which gets you 50% more cheesecake. Best of all, Instant Pot cheesecake doesn’t require a messy water bath in the oven or any special techniques.
We’ve mastered cheesecakes of all flavors, including mini cheesecake jars and decadent layered beauties. We’ve had an 8-inch cheesecake on our list for a while now. If you have an 8-quart or larger Instant Pot, this is the cheesecake recipe you’re looking for!
This is one of our favorite super tangy Instant Pot cheesecakes. If you’re looking for other shapes and sizes, try our Instant Pot Cheesecake Bites, this beautiful Caramel Pecan Cheesecake (it was on the cover of our desserts cookbook!), or a Heart-Shaped Cheesecake that’s perfect for someone you love!
If this is your first cheesecake in a pressure cooker, start with our guide to making perfect Instant Pot cheesecake article.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Here’s what you need to make a classic vanilla cheesecake with graham cracker crust in an 8-inch pan:
- Graham crackers. You’ll need finely crushed graham crackers for the crust.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter to avoid a too-salty dessert.
- Cream cheese. This should be at room temperature for easy blending.
- Sugar. Regular granulated is what you’re looking for.
- Sour cream. This is the secret to super tangy, flavorful cheesecake.
- Flour. You just need a bit of flour to thicken up the filling.
- Vanilla. Be sure to use the pure stuff, not imitation.
- Eggs. These should be at room temperature so the cake isn’t too cold when you start pressure cooking.
How to Make an 8-Inch Cheesecake in an 8-quart Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Start by preparing your pan. Coat an 8-inch springform pan well with nonstick cooking spray. You can also line it with parchment paper to ensure a smooth release, but it’s not necessary.
Next, make the crust by combining the crushed graham crackers and melted butter. Spread this mixture in an even layer in the prepared pan. You also want the crust to come about an inch up the sides of the pan. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
While the crust chills, blend together the cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the sour cream, flour, and vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix until everything is just combined.
Transfer the batter into the springform pan, then pick it up and tap it on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
Fill the pressure cooking pot with 1 ½ cups of water and place a trivet inside. Place the cheesecake pan on a sling and gently lower it onto the trivet. Now you’re ready to cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. When the cooking time ends, turn off the Instant Pot and let the pressure release for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
If the cheesecake is still not fully set in the center, you may need to cook on high pressure for another 5 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release. Once it’s set, remove the cake pan using the sling and place it on a wire rack. If necessary, use a paper towel to carefully soak up any water on the surface of the cake.
Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, then cover it well with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.
Just prior to serving, cut the chilled cheesecake into slices and serve with your favorite toppings.
Important Tips for Making an 8-inch Cheesecake
Check out our detailed tips for pressure cooking cheesecake in our post about how to make cheesecake in an Instant Pot.
- The first step is to double-check your pan size:
- check that your pan can sit flat on a trivet and has space to spare around the sides so that your cheesecake will cook properly
- check that your pan is actually an 8-inch pan. (The first one we received turned out to be only 7 inches, and we didn’t notice until the pan was overflowing with batter!)
- It’s also important to use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs to ensure that your cheesecake filling is totally smooth and uniform with no clumps.
- Use a hand mixer to gently mix the cream cheese batter until just blended. Overmixed batter is the #1 reason cheesecakes will overflow the pan or have an uneven texture.
- Tapping the cake pan on the counter a few times will help reduce the air pockets or bubbles inside.
- Before refrigerating, use a thin, flat spatula or knife and run it around the edge of the pan to help prevent it from sticking while it chills.
- It’s very important to let the cake chill in the fridge. Otherwise, it will be warm and gooey when you slice into it and won’t hold its shape well. I prefer to let it chill for a full 24-hours before serving, but it should be set in as little as 4 hours.
Recommended Products to make an 8-inch Cheesecake
There are a few key items you’ll need for this recipe:
- An 8-inch springform pan. Be sure that it’s the right size!
- A trivet. You can use the one that came with your Instant Pot or use this one that combines a sling and trivet into one nifty device.
- A sling. It’s easy to make your own with aluminum foil.
Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Cheesecake
Yes, you could easily switch out the graham crackers for a different crushed cookie. Oreos and chocolate chip cookies work well.
In fact, it’s better to make this recipe in advance. You can chill the cake for up to two days before serving it.
This recipe has too much volume and will overflow a 7-inch pan, which is the size that fits in a 6-quart Instant Pot. Instead, click over to this cheesecake recipe for a 6-quart Instant Pot, which has the right ratios and timing for that size.
This depends entirely on how thick you cut the slices. For me, I like to slice the cheesecake in 12. (Slice into quarters, then slice each quarter into thirds.)
A general guideline is to increase the ingredients by half. (For most cheesecakes on our site, this would mean using 24 ounces of cream cheese instead of the 16 ounces called for in a 6-quart recipe.) You can use this cook time as a guideline, but keep in mind that New York style cheesecakes or cheesecakes with a lot of chocolate or candy bars in them will need to increase the cook time even more than in this recipe.
MORE Cheesecake Recipes
Try these other Instant Pot cheesecakes next:
- Easy Raspberry Cheesecake is a summertime classic with fresh tart berries.
- Nutella Rolo Cheesecake is an over-the-top cake that’s great for a birthday party.
- Meyer Lemon Cheesecake is a lovely light and springy cake to serve your favorite lemon lover.
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8-inch Cheesecake | Instant Pot recipe
This easy Instant Pot cheesecake recipe is designed cook in an 8-inch pan that fits inside a large 8-quart pressure cooker with a graham cracker crust and tangy cream cheese filling.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- Toppings (compotes, fresh diced fruit, chocolate sauce, caramel, etc.)
Instructions
- Prepare an 8-inch springform pan by coating it with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, if desired.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter. Spread evenly in the bottom and no more than 1-inch up the side of the pan. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar at medium-low speed until smooth. Mix in sour cream, flour, and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Don’t over mix!
- Pour batter into the springform pan on top of the crust. Tap the filled pan gently on the counter to bring air bubbles to the surface and pop with a fork or a toothpick.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the pressure cooking pot, and place a trivet in the bottom. Center the filled pan on a sling and carefully lower it into the cooking pot. Fold the sling down so that it doesn’t interfere with closing the lid.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 40 minutes cook time. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the cheesecake and check that the center is set. If the cheesecake isn’t quite done, return the lid and cook at High Pressure for an additional 5 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release.
- When the cheesecake is done, use the sling to carefully remove it from the cooking pot. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- Use the corner of a paper towel to soak up any water on top of the cheesecake.
- When cheesecake is cooled to room temperature, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap overnight (or at least 4 hours).
- Refrigerate until ready to serve and top with your favorite cheesecake toppings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 335Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 254mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
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How much melted butter goes into the crust? Amount is missing from recipe.