This Healthier Instant Pot Cheesecake is so easy to make using a springform pan. It’s made lighter with Greek yogurt and honey!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Graham cracker crumbs – crushed pretzels, crushed cookie crumbs like Oreos, cold crushed cereal, or oats and flour are all popular crust choices instead of graham cracker crumbs.
- Butter – melted coconut oil will also work well to form the crust.
- Cream cheese – cream cheese is essential for cheesecake! You can try substituting it for mascarpone cheese, ricotta cheese or Greek yogurt, but it will alter the flavour.
- Greek yogurt – use regular plain Greek yogurt. Sour cream is the traditional option but it will increase the calorie count.
- Honey – maple syrup, agave or coconut nectar can be used in place of honey.
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is best but bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.
- Lemon zest – if you don’t have any lemon zest, add in a bit more lemon juice.
- Vanilla – maple syrup, almond extract, bourbon or brandy would all be good substitutes here.
- Large eggs – if you’re allergic to eggs, swap them out for condensed milk.
- Fresh berries – feel free to top with any berries or fresh fruit of your choice.
How to make cheesecake in the Instant Pot
- Make the crust.
- Mix together the filling.
- Pour the filling over the crust.
- Cover with foil.
- Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with cheesecake
Finish off your delicious cheesecake with some yummy toppings! I like the serve mine with fresh mixed berries – they add colour and fresh flavour, and are the healthier option.
That being said, there are tons of toppings you can add to your cheesecake. Here are some ideas:
- Make a fruit compote: combine mixed berries, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and cook until a syrup is formed. Mix in some fresh fruit to the syrup and voila!
- Syrups and sauces: add your favourite strawberry, caramel or chocolate syrups/sauces to the top of your cheesecake.
- Nuts: top with candied or raw pecans, pralines or walnuts.
- Whipped cream: whipped cream is a classic addition to any dessert! You can even use coconut whipped cream for a healthier option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Real cheesecake is made with three main ingredients: cream cheese, sugar and eggs. Lots of recipes also use sour cream or even ricotta. For this cheesecake, I used cream cheese, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, eggs and a graham cracker crust.
This recipe is a healthier take on the classic cheesecake. I used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and honey instead of sugar to cut down on the calories, so there are only about 161 calories per serving.
A runny cheesecake texture is a common problem for no-bake cheesecakes and is less likely to occur for a recipe like this that includes eggs. My tip to avoiding the possibility of a runny cheesecake altogether is to cover the pan with foil. Since we’re pressure cooking this cheesecake, the foil protects the cheesecake from any steam inside the Instant Pot and stops the cheesecake from any water leakage. If you end up with a runny cheesecake, continue to bake it a little bit longer until the cheesecake is no longer runny.
Storing and reheating
If you have any leftovers of this delicious cheesecake (although I doubt you will), it will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cut the remaining cake into slices and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend storing the fresh berries separately and adding them on right before serving. Since cheesecake is eaten cold, there’s no need to worry about reheating it!
Can you freeze cheesecake?
If you have enough cheesecake left, you can extend its shelf life by storing leftover slices in the freezer without the fruit. Cheesecake slices will last in the freezer for up to 6 months. Once you’re ready to enjoy, let the cheesecake thaw for a few hours in the fridge. Add on your desired toppings and dig in!
More Instant Pot dessert recipes
- Instant Pot Apple Crisp
- Instant Pot Rice Pudding
- Instant Pot Peach Cobbler
- Best Instant Pot Holiday Recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing any leftovers!
- Freeze extra slices in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
Healthier Instant Pot Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp butter, melted plus more for greasing
- 8 oz light cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh berries
Instructions
- Generously grease the sides and bottom of a 7 inch springform pan with butter. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl, then add this mixture to the prepared pan. Press this mixture evenly across the bottom to make a crust.
- Combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl, using beaters to blend until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, blending until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove some of the air bubbles in the filling. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, then create little handles to lower the pan overtop of the trivet down into the Instant Pot.
- Pour 1 cup of water into a 6-or 8-quart Instant Pot. Gently balance covered springform pan overtop of trivet and lower to the bottom of Instant Pot with the help of the foil handles. Fold handles overtop of covered pan so they don't stick out of pot.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 35 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 35 minutes.
- Let the Instant Pot do a natural pressure release, which should take about 20 minutes. Open lid when safe to do so and use oven mitts to carefully remove the cake pan using the trivet handles.
- Cool for 1 hour on the counter, then refrigerate for 1 hour before covering. Cake can be made up to 2 days in advance. Serve with fresh berries and enjoy!
