An Instant Pot blueberry swirl cheesecake is a thing of beauty. It comes together easily without the heat of your oven. Made with ricotta and cream cheeses, lemon juice, and fresh blueberries, it’s just as thick, rich, and tangy as the kind that makes your kitchen swelter.
Adapted from Cynthia Graubart | Blueberry Love | Storey Publishing, 2021
Do allow time for the ricotta and cream cheese to come to room temperature before beginning.–Cynthia Graubart
☞ Contents
Instant Pot Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
Equipment
- 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
For the compote
- 2 cups (10 oz) fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the crust
- 1 1/4 cups (4 oz) crushed store-bought or homemade graham crackers about 8 rectangles
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter melted
For the filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup ricotta cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream preferably full fat
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Prepare the Instant Pot
- Fold a 24-inch-long (60-cm) piece of foil in half lengthwise and in half again lengthwise, to form a foil sling 3 inches (8 cm) wide and about 24 inches (60 cm) long. Place a wire rack or metal trivet* on the bottom of the Instant Pot insert.
Make the compote
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken but is still syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The compote will thicken more as it cools.
Make the crust
- Place the graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin or your hands to crush until fine crumbs form. Alternatively, you can blitz the crackers in your food processor.
- Dump the crumbs into a small bowl and stir in the sugar. Pour the melted butter over the crumb mixture and use a fork to combine thoroughly.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 7-inch (18-cm) springform pan, covering the bottom and at least 1 inch (25 mm) up the sides. Use the bottom of a glass to smooth the surface. Stash the pan in the freezer until needed.
Make the filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, and sour cream together until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Stir in the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Assemble the cake
- Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cheesecake filling into the crust. Top with 1/2 cup of the blueberry compote and use a knife to swirl the compote into the filling. Smooth the top with an offset spatula, if needed.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot insert. Place the springform pan in the center of the foil sling and move the sling and pan into an 8-inch cake pan. (If your Instant Pot is smaller than 8 quarts, wrap the bottom of the springform pan with aluminum foil instead.) Place the cake pan onto the rack inside the insert. Tuck the sling into the sides.
- Seal the top of the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow for a natural release for 15 minutes, then switch to manual release. Remove the lid carefully to avoid dripping moisture onto the cheesecake.
- Use the sling to remove the springform pan. Dab the top of the cheesecake with paper towels if necessary, to remove any collected moisture.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator. Run an offset spatula around the inside edge of the pan. Open the springform pan and place the cheesecake on a serving platter. Top the cheesecake with the remaining blueberry compote. Cut and serve.
Notes
*Can I cook a cheesecake in an Instant Pot without a trivet?
If you’re new to Instant Pot cooking, you might think that you can get away without using the trivet. We would definitely caution you against trying this cheesecake without one–you’re definitely going to end up with a burned bottom. However, trivets are easy to get and pretty easy to substitute, too. If you have a trivet from the table that fits, or a couple of stainless steel cookie cutters, those will both work in a pinch. You just need to make absolutely certain that they’re solid metal and won’t burn.Show Nutrition
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Most cheesecakes can be cloyingly sweet but this Instant Pot blueberry swirl cheesecake strikes a nice balance with the blueberry compote adding the only sweetness. As the compote goes in the filling as well as being a topping, you can easily control how sweet the cheesecake is. The combination of ricotta and blueberry is a great pairing and a welcomed cheesecake variation. The use of the Instant Pot cuts down the time and stress of baking a cheesecake.
It took only about 40 minutes in the Instant Pot (including coming to pressure and natural release time) compared to about an hour for the oven and however much time it takes to cool in the oven. The Instant Pot also allows for even cooking without the need of a bain-marie, simplifying the process even further. This recipe is a great starting point for those curious about using an Instant Pot for cheesecake and experimenting further.
I’ll definitely be making this Instant Pot blueberry swirl cheesecake again. It was easy to put together and the final result was a very creamy and light cheesecake. Be sure to swirl the compote through the entire cheese cake, as there is no sugar in the filling and it needs that blueberry sweetness. I ended up making a second batch of the compote–it was that good. It thickened up much more overnight, so it clung to the cheesecake rather than pooling around the bottom–perfect!
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Heather Jones
Let’s talk about cheesecake. It’s usually thick and creamy, maybe a little tangy, and can even manage to be light. This recipe for Instant Pot blueberry swirl cheesecake didn’t disappoint. My husband has been asking for cheesecake, but I’ve been avoiding it, because I tend to get a little anxious waiting for it to cook and see if it’s set. This solved the problem by locking it away in my trusty Instant Pot so I couldn’t over-check the cheesecake.
I’ll admit, I used lime juice to replace lemon juice because I love the added zing it gives. I also smashed the blueberries for the compote to release the fresh juice. This was so easy and fun and the resulting cheesecake was a masterpiece! Definitely enjoyed every bite of creamy, luscious, tangy blueberry-sweetness this provided. Yum.