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Instant Pot Maple Cheesecake with Candied Walnuts. A sweet fall treat from the pressure cooker.
Fall is maple syrup season - maple sap starts flowing when temperatures fall below freezing at night, and rise back above freezing during the day. I'm writing this while visiting Canada, producer of 80% of the world's maple syrup. I'm surrounded by red maple leaf flags and cute, decorative bottles full of syrup.1
In other words, the idea for a fall cheesecake was all around me. Of course, I'm pressure cooking it - I love my Instant Pot cheesecakes. The trick to pressure cooking cheesecake is finding a 6- to 7-inch cheesecake pan that will fit in your Instant Pot. I have a two of these Nordic Ware 7-inch springform pans. While you're buying the pan, pick up a bakeware sling, to make it easy to lift the cheesecake pan in and out of the pressure cooker. (Or, in a pinch, you can make a sling by folding a strip of aluminum foil.)
The other trick is 2 teaspoons of corn starch, a recent addition to my cheesecake technique. It helps bind the eggs in the batter, adding structure to keep the cheesecake from cracking while it cools.
Recipe: Instant Pot Maple Cheesecake with Candied Walnuts
Inspired by: New York Maple-Walnut Cheesecake Recipe - NYT Cooking
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Instant Pot Maple Cheesecake with Candied Walnuts
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 slices of cheesecake
Description
Instant Pot Maple Cheesecake with Candied Walnuts. A sweet fall treat from the pressure cooker.
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
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup (Grade B if you can find it)
- 2 large eggs
- Real maple syrup (for topping)
- Candied walnuts (aka glazed walnuts) for topping
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 and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 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 maple syrup 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.
- Serve: Remove the springform from the cheesecake, cut it into slices (I cut it in eighths), and top each slice with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of candied walnuts. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- I don't cover my cheesecake with foil while cooking. I used to, but I stopped when I realized how much it slows down cooking. (The center would never set.) I use a paper towel to dab at any water on top of the cheesecake after cooking.
- If you can't find candied walnuts - they seem to be a seasonal ingredient in my grocery stores - candied pecans make a great substitute.
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
- 6- to 7-inch cheesecake pan
- Rack (this silicone bakeware sling with handles is my favorite)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 406
- Sugar: 29.8 g
- Sodium: 251.8 mg
- Fat: 26.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.2 g
- Protein: 6.2 g
- Cholesterol: 111.4 mg
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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- Look, I had to buy the cute bottle of syrup shaped like a maple leaf. I think it's a law, and I don't want the mounties after me. ↩
Ross says
I made this recipe this weekend but instead of using graham crumbs , I used around 10 maple leaf cookies , put them in the Vitamix blender with the cream filling until they ended up like crumbs. It turned out great, gave it a nice maple flavor.
Mike Vrobel says
Great idea!
Steve Coppage says
Mike:
I purchased the springform pan and sling from your links. Questions- Do I put the sling on the rack (mine has handles), or use the sling instead of the rack? I assume you don't take the sides of the pan off untill done refrigerating 4 hrs? Your picture still has the bottom of the springform pan for serving. Do you recommend parchment paper for the bottom or some way to move to a serving dish so I can make a second cheesecake for the dinner?
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Currently making chicken stock for our Thanksgiving dinner 😉
Mike Vrobel says
Sling instead of the rack, don't take the sides off until done refrigerating, and I do serve straight from the bottom of the springform pan. (I make a 2nd cheesecake by having 2 pans. 🙂