Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
This Instant Pot / pressure cooker peanut butter cup cheesecake is a creamy peanut butter–chocolate chip cheesecake with an Oreo cookie crust. The decadent cheesecake drips with milk chocolate ganache and is crowned with chopped peanut butter cups. This is one of our best pressure cooker cheesecake recipes, and it’s a real show stopper!
Connie, a Pressure Cooking Today reader, asked if I could change my oven-baked Peanut Butter Cheesecake Chocolate Cake into a pressure cooker cheesecake recipe. The result was fabulous!
I used my Pressure Cooker Samoa Cheesecake recipe as a starting point, adding peanut butter and chocolate chips to the cheesecake batter. Then I topped it the way the chocolate cake is topped, with chocolate ganache and roughly chopped peanut butter cups.
If you have a peanut butter lover in your life, they need to try this pressure cooker peanut butter cup cheesecake!
More Pressure Cooker Cheesecake Questions
What cheesecake pan to use in the Instant Pot / electric pressure cooker?
You can use either a springform pan or a push pan with a removable bottom to make cheesecakes in the pressure cooker. I prefer to use springform pans for their tight seal.
Most of my cheesecake pressure cooker recipes are written for 7-inch pans, which fit nicely inside a 6-quart Instant Pot or other 6-quart electric pressure cooker. (If you use another size pan or pressure cooker with these recipes, you may need to adjust your cook time.)
The Nordic Ware 7-inch springform pan is my favorite pan to use in the 6 quart Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Crockpot Express. I like that it has a raised base, which makes the cheesecake easier to slice and serve. I also like the little trough around the edge, which I think makes the pan easier to remove from the cooking pot.
If you’re using a 3-quart like the Instant Pot Mini, you can just fit a 6-inch push pan with no lip. In an 8-quart like the Instant Pot Duo-80, you can use an 8-inch springform pan with no or minimal lip or an 8-inch push pan. If you’re cooking in an 8-quart or larger, you’ll also need to add more water to the bottom of the pot.
Some pans have a wider base than others, so you’ll want to measure before you start cooking to make sure your pan fits inside your pressure cooker with room for the steam to rise around the sides.
No matter what the labels say, I don’t believe any “leakproof” pan is truly leakproof. In my experience, all springform pans leak at least a little amount of butter from the crust. I just use the corner of a paper towel to absorb any liquid in the trough before I open the springform pan.
If needed, you can always line your springform pans with foil. America’s Test Kitchen also recommends placing the springform pan inside a slightly larger cake pan. (You may have to use a 6×3-inch springform inside a 7-inch cake pan. I have yet to try this method, but the double pan may affect your cook time. Let me know if you try it this way!)
Do I need to cover my cheesecake in the pressure cooker/Instant Pot?
One of the most common questions I get about cheesecakes is whether they should be cooked covered with aluminum foil. Ultimately, it’s completely up to you!
I prefer to cook most cheesecakes uncovered because they cook faster and I’m not bothered by the condensation. (After pressure cooking, I just use a corner of a paper towel to blot up any extra water.) Plus, when I cook uncovered, I can use an instant-read thermometer to check if the cheesecake is done immediately after I remove the lid.
However, in this Instant Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake recipe, I cook the cheesecake covered. Just stretch the foil tightly across the top and down the sides of the springform pan. (No need to poke a hole for venting.)
(Note: If the recipe doesn’t call for cooking the cheesecake covered, if you choose to cook the cheesecake with foil you’ll need to increase the cook time by at least 5 minutes and possibly as many as 10 or 15 extra minutes depending on your brand of pressure cooker. You’ll notice that this cheesecake has a much longer cook time than many of my other cheesecake recipes. Part of the cook time increase is the foil, the other part is the peanut butter and chocolate chips in the batter. Any cheesecake with candy mix-ins will need additional cooking time.)
I also really love using the stretch-fit silicone lid that Pampered Chef offers with their pressure cooker accessories.
How do I keep my Instant Pot cheesecake crust from getting soggy?
Since the pressure cooker cooks with steam, the crusts have a tendency to be a little more moist than oven-baked crusts. However, your Instant Pot cheesecake crusts shouldn’t be soggy or gooey!
When you’re pressing the crust into the cheesecake pan, don’t press it more than 1/2 an inch to an inch up the side of the pan. Be sure the crust is firmly pressed to help it keep together when filled.
Don’t skip the freezing step, either! It helps your crust firm up and stay separate from the rest of the cheesecake.
Place your cheesecake on a taller trivet if you suspect the water is boiling up and over the bottom of the cheesecake pan.
Another way to prevent a soggy cheesecake bottom is to melt a little bit of baking chocolate and use a pastry brush or spoon to spread a very thin layer of chocolate over the crust before freezing. The chocolate will act as a barrier to keep moisture out of the crust.
In a pinch, you can also prebake your crusts to help them set. I’d start with 7 minutes in the oven at 350°F. (Be sure to let the crust cool before filling.)
Making Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake in an Instant Pot
As always, make sure your ingredients are completely at room temperature before you start cooking. If your ingredients are too cold, your cheesecake is more likely to turn out lumpy. If you forgot to get your ingredients out in advance, place the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water. Place the cream cheese in a ziplock bag in a bowl of just-slightly-warmer-than-lukewarm water. Wait about 15 minutes, then check.
Don’t overmix your ingredients. While you want to make sure your sugar and cream cheese are smooth, if the cheesecake gets too much air beaten into it, your cheesecake will rise and fall when it cooks.
(Get more cheesecake tips from my Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake Post.
This Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake is super smooth, rich, and creamy. Just a little slice is all you need to satisfy your peanut butter cup cravings.
Update: This cheesecake recipe is a reader-favorite, and it’d be perfect for Valentine’s Day. I wanted to make a video for you to see how easily it comes together. Give it a try!
Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed Oreo cookie crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup coarsely chopped peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Prepare a 7-inch springform pan by coating it with a nonstick spray. Use a parchment round, if desired.
- In a small bowl, combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and butter. Spread evenly in the bottom and no more than 3/4-inch up the side of the pan. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth, blend in peanut butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and flour. Mix in eggs one at a time just until blended; don't over mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the springform pan on top of the crust. Cover top of springform pan with aluminum foil.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooking pot, and place the trivet in the bottom. Carefully center the filled pan on a foil sling* and lower it into the pressure cooking pot. Fold the foil sling down so that it doesn't interfere with closing the lid.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the timer for 50 minutes. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then use a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure. When valve drops, carefully remove lid. Remove cheesecake from the cooking pot and check to see if the middle is set (about 150°F on an instant read thermometer). If not, return the foil and cook the cheesecake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the springform pan to a wire rack to cool. Remove aluminum foil. When cheesecake is cooled, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When cheesecake is chilled, prepare topping: Place half of the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add remain chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool until ganache is thickened but still thin enough to drip down the sides of the cheesecake.
- Spoon chocolate ganache on top of the cheesecake, spreading to edges and letting it drip down the sides. Pile coarsely chopped peanut butter cups on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
*Make a sling with a 20 inch piece of aluminum foil, folded three times length wise.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 597 Total Fat: 42g Saturated Fat: 21g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 117mg Sodium: 308mg Carbohydrates: 49g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 39g Protein: 11g
Other Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Cheesecakes You’ll Love
- Meyer Lemon Pressure Cooker Cheesecake
- Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
- Hollywood Two-Tone Cheesecake in the Pressure Cooker
- Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Cheesecake Pops
- Red White & Blue Instant Pot Cheesecake
If you want even more cheesecakes, my Instantly Sweet cookbook offers several new flavors. Some of my favorites include:
- Instant Pot Japanese Cheesecake (page 54)
- Pressure Cooker Red Velvet Cheesecake (page 48) with White Chocolate Ganache (page 42)
- Tropical Cheesecake (page 41)
- Mini Lemon Cheesecakes in a Jar (page 57)
What flavor of cheesecake would you like to see me make next? Let me know in the comments!
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Thanks so much for sharing your recipes! It seems my cheesecakes are being overbaked. Both the strawberry and pb cheesecakes from your cookbook have been 90′ C when I checked internal temp. I’m guessing it’s my pressure cooker (Bella brand) but wondered if you have suggestions for how I can adjust baking times. Thank you!
That’s so nice . thanks Emmy! The pan you’re using can make a difference as well as your altitude in addition to different brands. You can reduce the cooktime a little bit next time, unless you were happy with the texture of your cheesecake, then I wouldn’t change a thing. Shorter cook times will be a creamier cheesecake, long cook times will be a little more dense. If the cheesecake was pretty and had a great texture, I woudln’t worry about the higher temperature.
Could you pressure cook this cheesecake in half pint mason jars, if so how much better in each jar and how long would you cook them?
Hi Theresa – yes, you can make pressure cooker cheesecake in Mason jars. I haven’t tried this one, but I think 5 minutes would be about right. Don’t fill the jars more than 2/3’s full because the cheesecake does rise and fall as it “bakes”.
Hi Barbara,
I made this on Tuesday and it turned out great. Posted a pic of the finished product on the Instant Pot Community page and it has received nearly 2000 likes. I made sure to include the link to the recipe several times in the comments. Kudos to you for a great recipe.
Sincerely,
Rocky Lawrence
Thanks for sharing Rocky! Glad it was a hit. I’ll go check out the pic 🙂
This recipe sounds amazing and I would like to try it. However, I see that you only use 12oz of Cream cheese. Packs are 8 oz not 6 oz. Would it hurt to add the extra 2 oz from each block?
Hi Julie – it may be too much volume for your springform pan, but you can try it. Just don’t fill the pan more than 2/3’s full. You could make an individual one later if you have extra batter.
I made this cheesecake yesterday exactly by the recipe. It is delicious! Turned out perfect!
That’s great – thanks Jackie!
Can this be made with a brownie bottom instead of a cookie crust? I’m a huge fan of these type of cheesecakes and would love your opinion!
Hi Carly – yes, I used a brownie crust in this cheesecake https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-black-forest-cheesecake/just combine the two recipes. Enjoy!
I made this amazing pot of the weekend anything out amazing! My only complaint is that it was too small. If I were to follow this recipe and put it in the oven, so that I can make a larger version, what would the cooktown be?
Thanks Trisha – so nice to hear you loved it! If you were to bake it in the oven, you’d want to double the ingredients and bake it in 9 inch pan in a pan of water as described in this recipe https://www.barbarabakes.com/strawberry-cheesecake-with-an-oreo-cookie-crust/ and cook it for 80+ minutes until the center is 155 degrees F. Enjoy!
When the recipe calls for Oreo cookie crumbs, should I remove the filling before crushing? Or does that include the whole cookie? (Not that it’s a hardship to remove the filling. . .I have plenty of space for it in my belly!)
Hi Denise – I’ve done it both ways and it doesn’t seem to matter much. Maybe do half and half – some for your belly lol.
Hi Barbara,
I made this cheese cake 3 years ago and it was amazing!
I use a Fagor 8 quart stove top cooker.
I neglected to make notes about the cooking time at higher pressure, (15psi).
I generally deduct 15% cook time from instant pot recipes. ~42 minutes is the calculation.
Or, do you think I should use low pressure instead and increase the time? (7-8psi).
Also, is 155F the target temperature for doneness?
Thanks!
Thanks Gary! 42 minutes at high pressure sounds good to me. The target is 150 F.
Can I substitute the heavy cream with anything? Also, would leaving the chocolate chips out of the cheesecake reduce cooking time?
Hi Trisha – you can sub sour cream for the heavy cream. The cook time is the same if you leave the chocolate chips out.
Thank you! I am going to try it this weekend!
Why should a pressure cooker recipe take 50 minutes when a bake in the oven cheesecake takes that long? Seems odd to me.
Hi Debbie – this one takes longer to cook because of the addition of the peanut butter. It would take longer in the oven as well.
Mine turned out rubbery and icky. The crust was soggy. It didn’t look at all like the picture. Not sure what went wrong. I threw it in the trash.
Hi Debbie – sorry you had trouble with the recipe. Here’s a link to my pressure cooking tips to help you troubleshoot https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/making-perfect-pressure-cooker-cheesecake/ Did you try letting it set up in the fridge overnight before you threw it out? An overnight rest changes the texture.
I would love to try a raspberry and pistachio cheesecake in my Ninja foodi pressure cooker that crisps. What do you think? I would love for you to make one in your pressure cooker. Thank you
Hi Prenby – I think it sounds delicious. I have a raspberry cheesecake that is awesome https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-raspberry-cheesecake/ which you could easily pair with pistachios. Or a pistachio flavored cheesecake with a raspberry curd would be nice https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-raspberry-curd/. You could incorporate pistachios in the crust like in this recipe https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-caramel-pecan-cheesecake/ You could try air frying the crust to crisp it up before adding the cheesecake layer. So many fun possibilities.
First thing made in instant pot, Excellent !!!
Took one piece to work now have to make two more cakes to cover every one at work, one person went out and bought an Instant Pot just so she could make the cheese cake .
Hi Steve – love that you just jumped in and made cheesecake. You’re off to a great start. Thanks for sharing!