Pressure Cooker Samoa Cheesecake
Samoa cheesecake is rich, dense New York style cheesecake with a crisp chocolate graham cracker crust. The top is crowned with a coconut caramel topping and finished with a drizzle of semi-sweet chocolate.
I’ve posted several pressure cooker cheesecake recipes on Pressure Cooking Today. One of my favorites is adapted from a recipe sent to me by Jerry, a long-time Pressure Cooking Today reader.
This recipe is based on the New York Cheesecake with a Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookie Crust recipe from Jerry. It’s a fabulous cheesecake. I love the creamy, rich, texture, but some readers were having trouble with it overflowing the springform pan, so I decided to reduce the volume a little bit, but keep the rich, dense texture.
Making Samoa Cheesecake in an Instant Pot
You’ll need a cute little 7 Inch Springform Pan to make this samoa cheesecake in the pressure cooker. A regular 9″ springform pan won’t fit in a 6-qt electric pressure cooker.
Also, you should make a Foil Sling to help lower the springform pan in and out of the pressure cooking pot. This will prevent the cheesecake pan from sliding.
This Pressure Cooker Samoa Cheesecake is so decadently delicious. It has the flavors of my favorite Girl Scout cookie, but it also has a smooth, creamy cheesecake middle.
I can’t tell you how much my husband and I love this pressure cooker cheesecake recipe. It may be the best cheesecake I’ve ever made. Put this cheesecake recipe on your list to make as soon as possible. You’ll be glad you did.
Before you get started making the recipe, be sure and read my Making Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake posts for additional tips.
The easiest way to know a cheesecake is done is to use an instant-read thermometer. When the middle reaches 140°F, it’s done.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup crushed chocolate graham cracker cookies
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 12- ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 12 chewy caramels unwrapped (I prefer Kraft)
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare a 7 inch springform pan by coating it with a non-stick spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter. Spread evenly in the bottom and 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 heavy cream, sour cream, vanilla, and flour. Mix in eggs one at a time just until blended; don't over mix. 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 35 minutes. When beep sounds, turn off pressure cooker. use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure. When valve drops carefully remove lid. Remove cheesecake and check the cheesecake to see if the middle is set. If not, cook the cheesecake 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:
- Preheat oven to 300°. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet.
- When the coconut is cool, place caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds. When smooth, stir in toasted coconut. Carefully spread the topping evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
- Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl on 50% power, stirring often. When melted, put in a small Ziploc bag, snip off a little bit of the corner of the bag. Drizzle over the top of the caramel topping.
Notes
More Samoa inspired dessert recipes for you to try:
Homemade Samoa bars, from Barbara Bakes
Samoa brownies, from Southern Plate
Samoa magic bars, from Crazy for Crust
25 amazing Samoa recipes, from Beyond Frosting
I got almost all of the ingredients and I’m looking forward to making this over the weekend! It will be my first attempt at instant pot cheesecake. One question, I have milk chocolate but no semisweet chocolate (for the topping). Will that make a big difference? Has anyone made this recipe with milk chocolate instead of semisweet?
Hi Ashley – this would be great with milk chocolate as well. Enjoy!
This cheese cake looks amazing and can’t wait to make. I have a Duo 8Qt, do I need adjust the cook time or the amount of water you put in the inner pot? Thank you!
Thanks Nadia – I would use 2 cups of water under the cheesecake in the 8 quart, but the same cook time. Enjoy!
I just tried this recipe in my IP Ultra 6 qt with a 7 inch spring form pan, and it didn’t go so well. The default setting for cake on the Ultra is 40 minutes at high pressure, which I thought was okay because I inadvertently added the third egg white. I mixed all the ingredients by hand at room temp, so I don’t think I introduced too much air, and I did NPR for 10 minutes. The cheesecake pretty much exploded and was way over cooked – internal temp about 200 deg F or more. It is more like cake than custard, at least hot, and it doesn’t taste very good, though the batter was yummy. The extra egg white might have made it a bit fluffier, but I don’t think it was the only culprit. I am going to chill it anyway and see what it tastes like tomorrow.
I have an IP Lux 3 qt and a Duo 8 qt, so I can do some experimenting, but my guess is the Ultra is more efficient and gets to a higher pressure, so the time should be decreased. The IPs are really fun, but you do need to experiment for awhile!
Hi Kitty – definitely put it in the refrigerator and let it chill overnight and then it should taste much better. The IP is so fun!
I have an 8 in springform pan and I made a peanut butter cup cheesecake in it. That recipe was for a 7 in as well and the recipe author suggested simply keeping the recipe the same and increasing the cooking time by a third. Do you think that would work for this recipe?
Oops…this should have said reduce cooking time by 1/3
Yes – I think reducing it by 1/3 sounds like a good plan for this cheesecake as well. Let me know how it goes 🙂
So I cooked it for 24 minutes in an 8 inch pan and the center was just the tiniest bit jiggly….it was definitely cooked…I might even reduce it by a couple more minutes next time I make it.
Thanks!
Thanks for the follow up!
I Barbara,
Thank you for the delicious recipe, this last part of the instructions was not clear to me:
Make a sling with a 20 inch piece of aluminum foil, folded three times length wise.
Top cheesecake just before serving.
Thank you,
Lan
Hi Lan – the foil sling is for taking the cheesecake out of the pressure cooker (referenced earlier). Here’s more info https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-tip-using-a-foil-sling/ Enjoy!
Hello! I’m excited to make this for thanksgiving! I have an 8qt instant pot and use a 9″ springform pan. Would I need to adjust timing or amount of ingredients at all for the 9″ pan?
Thank you!
Hi Lauren – My 9″ pan does not fit in the 8 quart Instant Pot, but if yours does, you’ll double the ingredients and the cook time will be about 45 minutes. If you have an 8″ pan you’ll use 1 and 1/2 times the ingredients. Enjoy!
Can i substitute the 1/2 cup of sugar for 1/2 cup granulated sweetener? Also I’ve seen recipes for cheesecake that call for ricotta cheese. Can I use 8 oz of cream cheese with 8 oz of ricotta cheese?
*I’ve never made cheesecake before and I just bought my instant pot and im dying to make a cheesecake! I have all other ingredients, I just want to make use of the ingredients I already have.
Thanks!
Hi Andrea – congratulations! The Instant Pot is a great pressure cooker. If you want to use ricotta, I would follow this recipe https://twosleevers.com/instant-pot-keto-ricotta-lemon-cheesecake/. Have fun!
Just wondering if the ingredient list is correct for the 1/2 cup crushed chocolate graham cracker cookies. 1/2 of a cup just doesn’t seem like enough to me.
Hi Donna – You can use 1 cup if you’d like a thicker crust. It’s just a matter of preference.
If it doesn’t set in the middle and you say cook 5 more minutes do you mean in the insta pot that has to build pressure again?
Hi Blair – yes, in the Instant Pot and it will need to build pressure again.
If you put it back in for another 5 minutes, should you do another 10 minute natural release after and then a quick release or can you just do a quick release this time?
Hi Sarah – yes, do a second 10 minute npr if you cook it longer.
I just made this cheesecake and already goofed. I lost track of time and left it in pressure cooker until it did a complete natural release and then some. When I took off foil, it was a bit wet so I used paper towel to cyphen off water. Looks good, we will see when I cut into it. My question is, why do you have to wait to top it until just before serving? I do not plan on eating it at one setting as there is just myself and husband eating it this time?
Hi Helen – when the caramel is chilled it can be difficult to cut and you can’t warm the caramel up if it’s on the cheesecake. But it’s easy to warm the caramel up again if it’s in a serving dish. Hope you enjoyed it!
That makes sense. We could not resist trying the cake before I put the toppings on it. Even with my mistake of leaving it in the cooker, it was amazing. The texture was so smooth and taste was wonderful. Thanks for sharing and all your advice.
Thanks! So glad it was a hit 🙂
What do you think about adding cacao to regular Graham crackers? (As I don’t have chocolate ones & don’t want to search stores!)
Hi Monika – you could certainly give it a try. You might have to add some sugar to taste as well.
You could use oreo crumbs too
Hi
This was very helpful as I have a new pressure cooker. Mine didn’t come with a trivet – so can you tell my how high off the base your trivit stands? and can you recommend something I can use as a makeshift trivet?
Thanks so much
Thanks Sam – glad it was helpful. Most of my pressure cooker trivet legs are only about an inch high. Some have use balls of aluminum foil to keep a pan off the bottom of the pot.
Hello it looks wonderful. Can I bake the recipe in the oven as I don’t have a pressure cooker. If so how at what temperature and for how long. Thanks
Your recipe calls for 12 oz. of cream cheese but it is usually sold in 8oz. Did you mean 16 oz. (2 pkgs.)? Or do I need to cut one in half?
Yes, you do need to cut one in half. Enjoy!
I love your recipes I made Pork chops with potatoes and carrots today all in 10 min. So happy I bought this Pot
Hi, I made this and your triple layer chocolate one too and took them with me when visiting family over the Christmas weekend. Everyone loved them, they were both so creamy and decadent tasting but light at the same time, real winners! Thanks for the tips and I’m making this one again to take to my mum’s house for New Years ☺
I’m thinking about making this tonight for a party. How would you change the recipe if I have to cook it in the oven? Thanks for your time!
Hi Sara – what size pan are you going to make it in?
I absolutely love your site as a new instant pot user. Thank you for all of this information! I would love to see you do an Oreo cheesecake too! Thank you again for sharing all of your wisdom!
If I wanted to do these in 4 or 8 Oz mason jars, how long would you cook them for? I made a 6″ with this recipe and it was delicious!
Thanks Claire – it would depend on how much batter you put in the jar, but they should cook really quickly i would try 6 minutes.
Hi, this looks perfect for a showstopper cheesecake, I’m hoping to make it this week to take as an edible gift when visiting the inlaws this weekend! My question is about the caramel, I made dulce de leche in my instant pot from a can of condensed milk so I’d like to use this. Would I still need to add the cream or is it OK to use on its own warmed enough to spread? Also I’ll be travelling 2 hours with my cheesecake so I’d like to finish it including the topping at home, do you think it will affect the cake? We’ll be travelling in the morning and probably won’t be eating it until the afternoon. Lots of questions I know but it will only be my 2nd IP cheesecake and I’m nervous, thanks for your help.
Hi Zahida – I think dulce de leche would work well in this recipe without adding the cream and warming it up just until it’s easy to spread. You should be okay to top it at home and serve it later in the day – I don’t think the dulce de leche will set up as firmly as caramel. You could let it sit at room temperature for just a bit if the topping is too firm to cut. Enjoy!
That’s great and one more thing I forgot to ask, we don’t have graham crackers here so would original oreos be good? Or a chocolate bourbon sandwich biscuits (not sure if you know them)
Oreos would work well. I haven’t had a chocolate bourbon sandwich biscuit but if it’s a crisp, crumbly cookie then it should work as well.
I think I may make this for an “event” this week. I don’t have time (nor do I need the calories, ha) for a trial run. My question is the topping. It appears from your picture to be thick enough to stay on top. I have made a caramel topped cheese cake previously, where the caramel all seemed to run off or be absorbed. I guess I’m wanting your reassurance that it won’t likely happen. Thoughts? Thanks for any suggestions.
Hi Shelly – yes, the topping is thick and doesn’t run off. In fact, it’s best to add the topping right before serving and not to refrigerate it too long or it can be difficult to cut. It’s perfect for a small event. Enjoy!
HI! When you say “Remove cheesecake and check the cheesecake to see if the middle is set. If not, cook the cheesecake an additional 5 minutes.”, what exactly do you mean? Do you just let it sit in there for 5 more minutes or do you manually cook it at high pressure again for 5 minutes?
Hi Carrie – you cook it a high pressure again for 5 minutes.
How do you check to see if the middle is set? I’m jiggeling it, it kinda seems normal to me but I’m not sure … thanks!
We don’t have Graham crackers where I live, what could I swap them out with?
Hi Paul – most crisp crumbly cookies will make a tasty crust for cheesecake.
HAVE YOU MADE ANY CHEESECAKE RECIPES FOR THE 8 QT INSTANT POT USING AN 8″ PAN? I JUST RECEIVED MY 8″ FAT DADDYS PUSH BOTTOM PAN. I HAD ORDERED THEIR 8″ SPRINGFORM PAN BUT BASE WAS WIDE AND IT WOULD NOT FIT. THINKING NEED MORE BATTER AND LONGER COOK TIME?
Hi Jenene – I don’t have an 8 quart yet, so I haven’t tried it. However, I would probably use 3 pkgs of cream cheese, 3 eggs and keep the rest the same. I’d try adding 10 minutes to the cook time. Let me know how it goes.
made this one last night. May family is loving these cheesecakes, my waist not so much 🙂
did you know that you can toast the coconut in the instant pot too? No need to turn on that hot, expensive-to-run oven. Just place dry coconut in instant pot on saute and stir continuously till golden brown. Remove to bowl to cool completely.
Great tip!
I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing Ilana.
I just made this cheesecake in my Instant Pot and it’s awesome! I was afraid the cake itself might be tough but the texture is perfect and the toppings are wonderful. I will definitely be trying some of your other pressure cooker cheesecakes. Thanks!
Thanks Robin – glad you loved it! Enjoy!
Barbara, my cheesecake pan is a Daddio 6×3 inch push bottom pan. Is there a way to adapt your wonderful recipes or do I have to toss the excess batter?
Hi Teri – you shouldn’t have any trouble with excess batter using the 6×3 inch Daddio push bottom pan. Many people prefer that pan and have used it successfully with my cheesecake recipes with no changes. Just be sure not to over mix the batter and you should be fine. Here’s my cheesecake tips https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/making-perfect-pressure-cooker-cheesecake/
Enjoy!
Thanks Barbara! You never let me down. I’m recommending your site to everyone who will listen on the crazy IP Facebook community. 😀
<3
When I select manual and adjust minutes to 35 the instant pot never shows the minutes again. It merely stays on “On”. Is this normal, or is my instant pot defective
Hi Renee – that’s perfectly normal. It will say on until it reaches pressure. Then when it reaches pressure, it will show the minutes and start counting down. Enjoy!
What kind of trivet do i use in the pressure cooker? I have the instapot ip60
Hi Julie – I often use the rack that came with my Instant Pot Duo, or if you don’t like that one, here’s a link to one on Amazon http://amzn.to/1T05Lfe
I am a novice to pressure cooking I would like to try this with my new silicon cake pan. . Any changes in should make. Thanks!
Hi Bette – silicone may slow down the cooking a little bit, so just check it after the 35 minutes to make sure it’s cooked to your desired texture. Enjoy!
I used 20 Kraft caramels with 1/4 c heavy whipping cream. After putting it in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes, I stirred it till smooth and let it cool till barely warm. I poured it over the cheesecake, which I had removed from the side pan, and let some drizzle down the side. I then sprinkled it with about 1/2 cup of the toasted coconuts and then drizzled with chocolate. The caramel stayed soft and the topping was delicious.
Thanks for sharing your success!
Any chance of a larger recipe for my 10 lyre pressure cooker? It will hold a much larger pan than 7″. Thank you
Hi Lynette – you could double the recipe and use a 9″ pan. Your cook time will increase, and I haven’t tried it, but my guess is 50 minutes. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your yummy recipes. Want to try the cheesecake and wondered if my 8″ springform pan could be used. It seems to fit inside my cuisinart electric pressure cooker- wasn’t sure if cooking with pressure would require more open space inside the cooker and if I should adjust time. Many thanks!
Thanks Sonya – if it fits, it should work fine. You may want to increase the volume or reduce the cook time. Enjoy!
I don’t have an electric pressure cooker – just a standard Prestige. I time from when the cooker comes to pressure,; a little button pops up then. How long should I cook it from then? Have never tried making cheesecake in a pressure cooker 🙂
Hi Teresa – electric pressure cookers work the same way. They don’t start counting down the time until they reach pressure.
Just made the Samoa cheesecake from this recipe. The cheesecake part seems okay. But the topping directions are a bit off. 1 1/2 cups coconut is way to much for this 7 in form. And the caramel your are referring to must be different than the kraft ones you buy in a bag in the candy section. When I was unwrapping them 12 didn’t look like much so I did 14 and I still don’t think it was enough because when I put the coconut in, it was more of a glob of coconut than a nice thick caramel and coconut sauce. It just didn’t end up looking like your picture. So next time I will use a lot more caramels and about a cup of the coconut.
Hi Kelly – sorry you had trouble with it. Did you toast the coconut?
Yes I did and the topping set up so hard that you couldn’t hardly cut through it. I had to take a very sharp paring knife to cut it. That destroyed the cheesecake. But it tasted good. It was really pretty but need to work on the caramel ratio to coconut.
Definitely change it up however works best for you. You can even add some milk or cream when you melt the caramel to thin it out. Did you add the topping just before serving?
Could I use a 6″ springform pan?
Hi Theresa – yes, others have done it with good results.
WOW, the first time I made a Cheescake in an InstantPot, follwed your recipe with the exception that I used graham crackers for the crust. I had a circuit breaker pop after the 1st 8 minutes of cooking and thought maybe I had ruined it, but brought up to pressure again and finished it for the time left and it was PERFECT! am amazed at how easy it really was.
Hi Ann – That would be a little nerve racking. Fortunately, cheesecake is really forgiving. Glad it turned out perfect for you!
I made this and it was very good. The only thing I would change is to make only half of the coconut topping. I found there was too much of it but that is probably a personal taste thing.
Would this do okay without the flour? I’m gluten free..
Hi Maureen – yes you can omit the flour. Enjoy!
I can’t wait to make this. It’ll be my first pressure cooker dessert. If successful, I’d love to make it for a friend’s birthday in November. Unfortunately, he lives out of town so I’ll have to overnight ship it to him in an insulated styrofoam box with ice packs. Not only will the cold keep it fresh but I can’t imagine a way to ship a soft cheesecake without it being mashed up. Do you know if this will freeze and defrost well? Thanks for your wonderful blog.
Hi Sam – I haven’t tried it, but generally cheesecake freezes well. I’m not as sure about the ganache. Let me know how it works.
What altitude are you at? I made the cheesecake today in my Instant Pot with the rack that came with it and it took 55 minutes. I first did 40 minutes’ then 10, and then 5. I’m at 3500 feet elevation. Have you ever put some cacao powder in the mix for a chocolate cheesecake? If so, how much? My family loved it the first time even after I refrigerated it overnight half baked and then cooked it more upon your suggestion. It was so forgiving as it still came out! I didn’t have any issues with the caramel being too hard. I used Werthers Original Chewy Caramels as that’s what my hubby bought! However, I decorated it before dinner and we had it right afterwards. Do DELISH and pretty! Thanks for sharing your talent!
Hi Sue – I’m at about 4,000 feet. So glad your family loved the cheesecake. I did increase the cook time of the recipe after I made it again recently. Also, I wonder if the problem she was having with the caramel getting too hard was because she was measuring the coconut after it was toasted instead of before and there was too much coconut for the caramel coconut ratio. Thanks so much for the great feedback!
I made this the other day. It was really good, but I had a heck of a time cutting it. The caramel and coconut combination once chilled is pretty tough. Any suggestions? I am making it again today for a party, so I may just wait and at the last minute do the caramel and chocolate, so it doesn’t sit in the fridge for hours.
Hi Julie – glad you enjoyed it and are making it again. I used Kraft caramels and heavy cream and my caramel coconut mixture was too hard to cut, but you could definitely wait and just add it last minute. It might be fun to make the caramel a little bit thinner and add it to each slice so that it drips down the sides. A couple of people had to cook the cheesecake a longer than 30 minutes. I’d love to know if you had to cook it longer as well. Thanks!
Thank you for the recipe! It looks delicious! I’m making it for my son’s birthday Sunday. Are there suppose to be pecans in the recipe? We are definitely Girl Scout Samoa fans and I know he will really like this!
Hi Sue – it will be a fabulous birthday cake. No there aren’t any pecans in this recipe. There were pecans in the recipe it was adapted from though. Enjoy!
I made the cake today. The center was pretty jiggly. Will it set up after being refrigerated overnight. I have an I’m
Nxt ant Pot and am wondering if I should have cooked it longer. Not too much experience with cheesecakes. Thanks for the response on the pecans!
If it’s just a little bit soft in the center it will set up in the fridge, but if it’s pretty jiggly then you want to cook it a little bit longer.
Thanks Barbara! I out it back in this morning ! Got my fingers crossed. I used a taller rack that placed the pan higher, would that have had an affect on the timing? I was concerned with the rack that came with the instant pot that the pan would be sitting in water. Thanks so much for your responses!
Never knew it was possible to make a cheesecake in a pressure cooker! This just looks divine – and I LOVE the samoa flavour.
You could easily make a cookbook on just your pressure cooker cheesecakes. Wow, Barbara! My boys love Samoas, and I really need to make this for them (well, I’ll eat slice, just for quality control.)
PS Barb
My daughter just married a fine young man from American Samoa. I will have to make this for them.
Thanks for the honorable mention. This is a great addition. I have my whole family, across the country, into pressure cooking , and Pressure Cookung Today’s!
I have a couple Hungarian recipes I am converting to pressure cooking, I will have them to you soon.
Keep up the great work you do!
Hi Jerry,
I’m pretty new to pressure cooking, very new to PressureCookingToday, and I’m VERY Hungarian! Have you posted your Hungarian pressure cooking recipes anywhere? I would love to try them!
Thanks
Kinga
I love your recipes!! My main challenge is that I don’t own an electric mixer and I am physically unable to mix things for long periods. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can make this gorgeous recipe? Thanks and keep those recipes coming.
Hi Paul – cheesecake doesn’t like to be over mixed, so you should be able to do it with a strong mixing spoon. Just be sure and allow your cream cheese to come to room temperature and make sure it’s really soft and it should mix easily with the other ingredients. Enjoy!
Thanks Barbara. I will let you know my happy results when completed.
Oh man am I in trouble………all my favorite flavors….does that ever look AMAZING. I’m still working on getting a cheesecake made in the pressure cooker……..which one do I try first? I love having a pressing decision like that.
You’ve got me craving cheesecake again….maybe I can get to it over the weekend between snowstorms….fingers crossed!
I am so excited to try another cheesecake! This looks delicious!
The recipe calls for putting the trivet in the bottom of the pressure cooker. I have the Instant Pot…will the steam rack with handles work as the trivet?
Hi Julie – Yes, I cooked it in the Instant Pot and used the rack that came with the Instant Pot. I recommend using an aluminum sling as well. Enjoy!
I’m going to make your Meyer Lemon Cheesecake for Valentine’s Day. This one will be next!
Hi Kitty – you can’t go wrong with lemon for Valentine’s Day to get someone to pucker up 🙂 They’re both great choices.
Sounds great, but the description says toffee pecan shortbread crust? Is that a different cheesecake?
Yes, that’s the recipe this one is based on. I’ve updated the post to make it more clear. Thanks!