Like everyone else out there, we got an Instant Pot on Black Friday from Amazon. I have heard great things about this little gadget and I could resist no longer. I will say it took me a little while to open it. With the holidays, our chocolate shop was swamped, and we just had no time. And I'll also say, it was a wee bit intimidating. There is something scary about a pot that can blow up at any moment! I know I'm not alone in that thought, right?!? But sooner or later, I had to break it in, and what better way than a mouthwatering, delicious triple chocolate cheesecake?
Cheesecake in the Instant Pot?
The day finally came after Christmas. I decided to give it a go. I read the instruction manual about 100 times. I can probably still recite it (it's not that much info). I then went for the water test to make sure it heated up properly and there were no issues. All was good so far. Now, what to cook?
Everyone said how easy cheesecake was, so I figured why not. The first cheesecake I made was a New York-style topped with caramel and pecan brittle bark. I was amazed at how easy it was and how perfectly cooked it was. Hmmm, I thought. What else could I try? Of course, chocolate things are always the goal for me, so I figured why not try an easy chocolate cheesecake recipe in the instant pot. I did some research and saw a recipe in The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book for chocolate cheesecake. I gave it a go. It was good but needed a few modifications, like more chocolate. After some testing, we came up with the instant pot triple chocolate cheesecake.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
The ingredients in this are pretty simple. The best advice I can give is to use the best chocolate you have access to. It really does make the flavor so much better. We use Valhrona for almost everything.
- Oreo cookies
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Dark brown sugar
- White sugar
- Whole egg
- Egg yolk
- Sour cream
- 53 - 60% chocolate
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Cocoa powder
- Chocolate
- Whipping cream
What Does Cocoa Percentage Mean?
This is the weight of the bar that comes from cocoa butter and cocoa liquor. Which combined is cocoa mass. We will call this the cacao content. So if we are using a 65% chocolate, that tells me that 35% of the chocolate comes from non chocolate items. That could be things like cane sugar, milk powder, vanilla.
There is More to it Than Just a Percentage of Chocolate
The difference in percentages doesn't tell you anything about the quality of beans, or how they were processed. Fermentation, drying and roasting are just as important as the percentage of cocoa solids to bring out those beautiful flavor notes!
If you're not sure which chocolate to buy, don't just think of the cocoa content when making your decision. The taste of a bar can vary depending on what kind of palate you have and how high quality the beans are. No matter how high or low the cocoa percentage on a bar of chocolate, your taste buds will do just fine picking out whether it's delicious or not.
How to Make the Triple Chocolate Cheesecake With Oreo Crust
The steps to make this Triple Chocolate Cheesecake are quite simple. We mixed the ingredients in a food processor, but you could easily use a blender.
- Combine crushed Oreos and melted butter to form a crust. Press into the springform pan and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Combine cream cheese with your sugars and cocoa powder. Once combined, add eggs one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and sour cream. Pulse to continue to combine the ingredients.
- Scrape down the bowl and add vanilla and flour. Mix until creamy and then pour into your springform pan on top of your crust.
- Pour two cups of water into the bottom of the instant pot and lower in your springform pan using a tinfoil sling.
- Cover and set to seal and cook at high pressure for 28 minutes. Note: This does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to reach full pressure.
- Allow for a 15-minute natural pressure release before opening the instant pot and removing the cheesecake.
- Cool overnight in the fridge before topping with ganache and serving.
FAQ
1. Make a tin foil sling.
2. Get a piece of foil about 21 inches long. Fold it in thirds length wise like you would a letter.
3. It's now ready to use for lifting the cheesecake in and out of the instant pot.
4. If you don't want to make a tin foil sling, you can easily grab a nice silicone one that should last you the life of your instant pot.
1. The middle needs to be set.
2. You are looking for an internal temperature of about 150° Fahrenheit.
3. Use an instant read thermometer for this or go with the jiggle test.
Here is where creativity comes into play. Your cheesecake will be covered in chocolate so you don't really see that much. But if you don't want the ganache topping, you could cover it with whipped cream or even berries.
Yes you can! Most cheesecakes will last about a month in the freezer. You can freeze it whole or cut it in slices for easier access when you are ready.
1. Allow your cheesecake to cool completely.
2. Slice and wrap with plastic wrap. If you are keeping it whole, just wrap with the plastic.
3. Once it's wrapped in plastic, then wrap a second time, but with foil.
4. Most important, when you are ready to eat the cheesecake allow to thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or leave in refrigerator overnight.
Can I Bake In The Oven If I Don't Have An Instant Pot?
Yes, you can. Place cheesecake in a 325° Fahrenheit preheated oven in a water bath. Be sure to wrap your springform pan with foil to prevent any water from seeping in. Cook for about 60 minutes and start checking for doneness. You are looking for an internal temperature of 150° Fahrenheit. It could take up to 70 minutes, depending on your oven.
Special Equipment Needed to Make Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Obviously this recipe requires an Instant Pot.
We also used a 7-Inch Round Springform Pan
. These are the only special requirements for this recipe.
This is over the top decadent. Super rich and a little goes a long way. But soooooo good! We have now made four chocolate cheesecakes, and everyone I know has broken all New Year resolutions for weight loss.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Happy New Year!
"Wow. This recipe was not at all difficult and it turned out perfectly. Really, really delicious! I’d had mixed success with cheesecakes in the oven before. This was too easy. I should add that the quality of ingredients makes a difference. I used 63% Scharffen Berger chocolate. Do use a quality chocolate as the chocolate flavor really is front and center in the final product. I followed the recipe exactly as written (used Fat Daddio’s 7-inch removable bottom pan) and it was flawless. Keeper for sure." ~Chris
More Cheesecake Recipes You'll Love:
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I Just Want to Watch, Where is the Video?
If you would like something other than ganache on top we made a Raspberry Mousse Chocolate cheesecake, and if chocolate isn't your thing at all, we also have a pumpkin cheesecake in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 20 whole Oreo cookies
- 4 tablespoon of unsalted butter melted then cooled
Cheesecake
- 1 lb room temperature cream cheese (At least 2 hours at room temp)
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 whole egg - room temperature
- 2 egg yolks - room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 8 oz chocolate 53% - 60% Melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Ganache
- ¾ cup chocolate
- 3 oz heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Spray the 7" springform pan with cooking spray.
- Add two cups of water to the instant pot and place the rack on the bottom.
- Make a tin foil sling to lift the cheesecake in and out of the instant pot.
Crust
- In a food processor combine the whole Oreo cookies and the butter.
- Pour the crumb butter mixture into the bottom of the pan and pat until even and going up the sides of the pan. Put in freezer for 10 minutes.
Cheesecake
- In a food processor, mix the cream cheese with dark brown and white sugar, and cocoa powder.
- Once combined, add one egg followed by the 2 egg yolks.
- Add the melted chocolate and sour cream.
- Continually scrape the bowl down. Add vanilla flour and mix until creamy.
- Pour mixture into the springform pan and smooth with a spatula.
- Place pan on the tin foil sling and slowly lower into the Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to maximum pressure for 28 minutes.
- Once done, turn machine off and let it return to normal pressure for 15 minutes.
- Unlock lid and use sling to transfer pan to cooling rack for an hour.
- Chill in refrigerator overnight.
Ganache
- Put the ¾ cup of chocolate in a bowl.
- Heat the heavy whipping cream to a simmer. Pour over chocolate.
- Chocolate will melt, stir until incorporated. Once incorporated, use a spatula and spread over the top of the cake.
- Put back in refrigerator to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sue says
How can I tell if my springform pan will work? I have a Duo 6, 9 in 1. I have an 8 inch springform pan that fits into the instapot pan but with very minimal extra space. How do I know if this is an adequate fit?
serena says
Only one way to really know. Give it a try. I don't have an 8" to experiment with, so without seeing I can't say for sure if it will work or not.
Bernadette Channel says
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe. I have made it several times and it never fails. I get lots of compliments on it too.
serena says
Thanks so much for sharing this! So glad you love it 🙂
Nita says
I made this today using 6” corningware bowl, lined with parchment paper and oiled. Didn’t change anything else. Once cooled I put a plate over it and flipped, tap tap tap till it popped out, peeled the paper then put a platter I wanted to serve it in over the cake and flipped again. Lastly drizzled the ganache all over the top and popped into the fridge. It’s rich and so delicious!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
serena says
I love this! Thanks for sharing this option 🙂
Louise says
Is there any reason why the IP should take 20+ minutes to come to pressure for this recipe? Or is something wrong with my IP?
serena says
That's a long time. Might be the instant pot is on it's last few days 🙁
Louise says
Thanks. My IP never did seal but, despite that, I could tell that the cheesecake was cooking. After a looong time, and several cups of water later (to fill the IP), the cheesecake measured the right temperature and it came out perfect (in a 6" pan)!
I've ordered a new sealing ring - hopefully that will do the trick (my IP is only 8 months old!) and then I can try the cake again according to the recipe instructions. I might omit the sugar or use a much darker chocolate next time, as it came out quite sweet. Anyway, thx for a great recipe!
Caryn says
I need to go buy a 7in pan I'm the morning (my 8in does not fit) and am planning to bring it to a NYE party at 7pm. So I can't refrigerate overnight. How long does it really need? Although my son thinks we should have a blast chiller like they do on Chopped, we do not. ;). Thanks for any advice you may have...
serena says
Ha! I think I should have a blast chiller also, but I'm right with you, none for me either 🙂 Shoot for as long as you can with this. Try for 8 hours. Worse case, it is going to be a bit soft, but should be fine. Happy New Year!
Amy says
I've seen a few questions and answers about the chocolate, but I'm still a little confused...What form of chocolate do you use for the 3/4 cup chocolate in the ganache---bars? Chips? Should it be 3/4 cup before or after melting...and if you're using a chocolate bar, how do you measure 3/4 cup?
serena says
I used a high quality chocolate chip. You could use bars also, either works. 3/4 cup before melting. Cut the bar into small pieces and put it into a measuring cup. Hope that helps.
splendidcakes says
This is one of the best baking recipes I've ever used, and I used to bake for a living. I made it for Thanksgiving, then for my husband's birthday, and going to make it again for Christmas Eve. Highly recommended!
serena says
Thanks so much! I always love hearing when others enjoy the recipe
Madeline says
I was wondering - I make my own greek yogurt in my IP, and I use it plain on baked potatoes instead of sour cream. Do you think I could substitute plain greek yogurt for the sour cream in this recipe?
serena says
I'm trying Greek yogurt in my IP today! I'm excited. I'm going to say yes I believe you can substitute, but I have not tried it before. Now I'm curious. If you end up making it please share how it turns out.
Sarah says
Interested in trying this for a Christmas party. I’ve only made two other dishes in the instant pot so far. Have a 6 qt duo plus. Any other tips to make sure it somes out well?
serena says
Follow the instructions and you should be fine. It's pretty simple. Don't overfill the springform pan. After some comments I learned that not all pans are the same height.
Judy says
My husband is Celiac so what can I use instead of the 1 Tbsp of flour? I just got my IP and never made cheesecake before! Would love to try this!
serena says
I've not tried it, but you could possibly replace flour with almond flour on a 1:1 ratio. Let me know if you give it a try. Would love to hear if it works
Judy says
Thanks for your suggestion, unfortunately, my kids have nut allergies so I cant use almond flour 🙁 my life is not easy when it comes to cooking lol
Erin says
Try Xantham gum!!! I’m not 100% sure on the ratio, but it’s a fantastic thickener for baking that is gluten free and nut free!!
Tricia says
I use gluten free flour in a 1:1 ratio. Works great. My family LOVES this recipe!!
Tracy says
I don't have a food processor 🙁 I have a Blendtech (like a vitamin) and hand mixers. Would either of these work?
serena says
Yes you could use these. Just be careful not to overmix the eggs. Your cake won't rise as much if that happens.
Sally says
This is absolutely the best chocolate cheesecake ever. I want to make some in 4.25 inch pans as Christmas gifts. Do you think I could bake two at once using a rack? And wouldn't the cooking time be altered, too? I am thinking I could get two cheesecakes out of a single batch. I am making 8 cheesecakes. I would love your input on this! Thank for this amazing recipe!
serena says
Yes, I think you could do two at once with a rack. Definitely cooking times would be altered. You are looking for an internal temp of 150 - 155 degrees on a thermometer. I'm guessing since I haven't tried the smaller pans, but I would try it with a cook time of 13 minutes with a quick release and check the temp. Then go from there with adding a bit more time or calling it done. I'm curious to know if it works out. Please share if you end up making these
Shirl says
This cake was delicious. My only problem was the ganache put it over the top as far as sweetness (that's just my personal taste others may find it just fine). I do love the idea of a ganache on top, but wondered if you have any suggestions for cutting the sweetness of the ganache or perhaps another type of topping instead?
serena says
You could try a much darker chocolate in the ganache. Would definitely reduce the sweetness. Or even just no ganache at all?
Diem says
Can you makes a video too
serena says
Yes, we have one on YouTube https://youtu.be/gT7MRw_iQ0A
Marcia says
I made this and it turned out really amazing. I used 60% dark in the batter and a hazelnut milk chocolate for the genache. The taste was divine. One question: i followed he recipe to a T and used very high quality chocolate, but it turned out VERY dense - almost like fudge. Any suggestions? Also, why do you use the food processor for the batter instead of a mixer?
serena says
So glad you liked this Marcia. We use the food processor to get a dense cake, like a NY style. We found using the mixer gave it a fluffier texture. It just folded in a bit more air than I wanted. I would guess that you may have overmixed a bit if it was like fudge.
Pamela Laughlin says
I have a Vitamix blender, but I don't have a food processor. Can I use an electric hand mixer?
serena says
Yes, it will just be a wee bit fluffier due to air being mixed into the batter. Be careful not to overmix and you should be fine.
Jaclyn says
How would you adjust the time for an 8 inch pan?
serena says
I haven't tried it with an 8" pan. But I would reduce by just a few minutes and then do a manual release of the pressure as soon as it is done and take the temperature of the cheesecake. You are looking for an internal temperature of 150F. If not up to temperature, turn it back on for a few more minutes.
Victoria says
what would the cooking adjustments be for an 8" pan in an 8qt IP?
serena says
I haven't tried it with an 8" pan. But I would reduce by just a few minutes and then do a manual release of the pressure as soon as it is done and take the temperature of the cheesecake. You are looking for an internal temperature of 150F. If not up to temperature, turn it back on for a few more minutes.
Janelle Anderson says
Love this recipe! I've now made this many times and everyone raves over it! I do usually need to add three minutes to the cook time using a 7" springform. Tonight I'm trying to make these into mini cheesecakes....using silicone for the first time. Wish me luck!
serena says
So glad you love this! How did the mini ones turn out?
Shirley says
What type of cocoa powder did you use? Was it Dutch process or the regular kind?
serena says
Regular cocoa powder