Description
The Instant Pot cheesecake got a makeover! The amazingly quick and easy cheesecake is gluten-free, naturally sweetened, made with less fat, and is seriously delicious!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2/3 C pecan halves
- 4 pitted dates
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (if using salted, leave out the additional salt)
Filling:
- 16oz neufchâtel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
- 1/4 C plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 C maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Blueberry topping:
- 1 C fresh blueberries
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Citrus Topping:
- 1/4 C plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
Make the crust:
1. In a the bowl of a food processor, blend the pecans, dates, and salt together for about 30 seconds until the pecans and dates are broken up into very small pieces. Add the butter and pulse 2 to 3 times until the butter is incorporated.
Alternately, if you do not have a food processor, use a blender or knife to finely chop the dates and pecans. Transfer to a bowl and use a fork to mix in the butter. (Your crust may have bigger pieces if you do this method).
2. Transfer the pecan/date mixture to the bottom of a springform pan and use the back of a spatula to gently press out the mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan and out to the sides.
3. Place the springform pan in the freezer until your filling is ready, about 15 minutes.
Make the filling:
- Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. Set a timer for 1 minute and turn the mixer on low. While the cream cheese is mixing, add the yogurt, syrup, and vanilla to the bowl. Turn off the mixer when the timer goes off and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer on medium-low and mix again, this time for thirty seconds.
- Set the timer for thirty seconds one more time, turn the mixer back on low, and add the eggs one at a time. After about thirty seconds, the eggs should be incorporated in the cream cheese mixture. If there are still any streaks of yellow, simply give the filling a quick stir with your spatula.
Fill and Cook the Cheesecake
- Take the springform pan out of the freezer and pour the cream cheese filling into the pan. Gently tap the cheesecake on the counter to bring up any air bubbles. Pop the bubbles with the tip of a toothpick or small knife.
- Cover the springform pan with a paper towel, and then a piece of foil. Press the foil down over the sides of the pan to hold the paper towel in place.
- Pour a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, place in a trivet, and then set the springform pan on top of the trivet. Cover the Instant Pot, select MANUAL, and set the cooking time for 30 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cheesecake has cooked for 30 minutes, let the pressure release naturally. Once the pin has dropped and the pressure is released, you can take off the lid and carefully take out the cheesecake. Set the pan on the counter and remove the foil and paper towel. Use the paper towel to gently soak up any moisture on top of the cheesecake.
- Let the cheesecake rest on the counter or a cooling rack for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake and then release and remove the wall of the springform pan. Leave the cheesecake cool completely on the counter for 1-2 hours before refrigerating.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Prepare the topping:
Blueberry Topping:
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup of blueberries and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before topping your cheesecake.
Citrus Topping:
- Stir together the yogurt, lemon juice and zest, and maple syrup. Pour on top of cheesecake and spread evenly across with a spatula. Optional: sprinkle a little extra zest on top. Tip: make the citrus topping and add to cheesecake before you are ready to serve. Refrigerate the topping for best results.
Notes
- I use a 7″ springform pan for my cheesecakes. If you want to use a 6″ pan, try adding a few minutes to the cooking time since your cheesecake will be slightly thicker.
- You will know that the cheesecake is done because the center of the cheesecake will be set–not runny. A little jiggle is normal as the cheesecake will continue to set up as it cools.
- This recipe does not need lemon juice. The tartness of the yogurt is sufficient and when I tested it with lemon juice, the cheesecake was too tart.