Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Name: Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 5 h 5 min
Yield: 10 servings
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; 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped; 1/3 cup heavy cream; 2/3 cup coarsely chopped peanut butter cups

February 6, 2019

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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

An Instant Pot is one of the most popular brands of electric pressure cookers. They are easy to use and your Instant Pot can help you create this delicious Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake!

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!

Yield: 10 servings

Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes

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.

Other Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Cheesecakes You’ll Love

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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