Pressure cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk makes Dulce de Leche? Really? It's one of those weird pressure cooker tricks I’ve read about it for years, but was too chicken to try. That is, until I needed it to top this Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Cheesecake.
Why was I afraid to try it? Because…well, because pressure cooking a sealed can is Not a Good Idea. The workaround is opening the can and covering it with aluminum foil - thanks to Pressure Luck Cooking for the tip. After that, dulce de leche is easy - a couple of cups of water, the pressure cooker rack, and 40 minutes at high pressure with a natural pressure release. The result? Dark, delicious milk caramel.
The next tip is adding a little cornstarch to pressure cooker cheesecake. (Thanks to commenter Mike C for the tip.) It helps the eggs bind the batter, preventing the eggs in the cheesecake from scrambling, and the cheesecake top from cracking as it cools. I’ve made a half-dozen cheesecakes with cornstarch, and so far, so good - no scrambling, and a minimum of cracking. I'm adding cornstarch to my standard cheesecake recipe.
Looking for a recipe that makes your guests say “You did what in your Instant Pot?” Try this cheesecake.
Recipe: Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
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Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices of cheesecake 1x
Description
Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. Want your guests to say “You made what in the pressure cooker?” Try a pressure cooked cheesecake topped with pressure cooked caramel from a can of condensed milk.
Ingredients
Crust
- ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Cheesecake
- 1 pound regular cream cheese, softened (2 (8-ounce) packages)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Dulce de Leche
- 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, lid removed and covered tightly with aluminum foil
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Spray a 7-inch cheesecake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, then spread evenly across the bottom of the pan and pack down, pushing the crumbs up the sides a little.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Soften the cream cheese by leaving it out at room temperature for at least 1 hour. (Or soften the cream cheese in the microwave, 30 seconds to 1 minute). Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar and corn starch, and beat on medium speed until the sugar is completely blended, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and beat on low speed until completely blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer again and scrape down the sides. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each on low speed until just blended. (Don’t over-beat the eggs.) Pour the filling into the prepared cheesecake pan.
- Pressure cook the cheesecake for 20 minutes with a natural pressure release: Put the cooking rack in the pressure cooker pot, then pour in 2 cups of water. If your rack does not have handles, make an aluminum foil sling to lift the cheesecake: fold a 2-foot long piece of aluminum foil over a few times, until it is a long strip about 4 inches wide. Center the cheesecake pan on the sling and carefully lower it into the pot, setting it on the rack. Lock the lid on the cooker and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes in an electric PC or 16 minutes in a stovetop PC, then let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 more minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any pressure left in the pot after 20 minutes.)
- Cool the cheesecake: Lift the cheesecake out of the pressure cooker. Loosen the cheesecake by running a paring knife around the edge of the pan. Cool the pan at room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Pressure cook the condensed milk for 40 minutes with a natural pressure release: While the cheesecake is cooling, empty the pressure cooker pot, wipe it out, then put it back in the pressure cooker base. Add 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Remove the label and lid from the can of sweetened condensed milk, and tightly seal the top of the can with aluminum foil. Set the can on a rack in the pressure cooker and lock the lid. Pressure cook on high pressure for 40 minutes with a natural pressure release. Carefully remove the can from the pot. Refrigerate the covered can until it is time to serve.
- Serve: Scoop the dulce de leche into a medium bowl, and whisk until it loosens up enough to spoon onto the cheesecake. Remove the springform from the cheesecake, cut it into slices (I cut it in eighths), and top each slice with dulce de leche. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Dulce de Leche will last, covered in the refrigerator, for up to a month.
- Dulce de Leche means “Jam of Milk” in Spanish.
- Don’t have the time to make your own dulce de leche? Look for dulce de leche topping in a Hispanic market, or substitute caramel topping.
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
- Rack (this silicone bakeware sling with handlesis my favorite)
- 7 inch springform pan
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake
Instant Pot Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake
My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
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