This is an amazingly creamy Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake that is so rich and delicious. This pressure cooker Chocolate Cheesecake is chocolatey, creamy and just so YUMMY! Chocolate cheesecake made in your pressure cooker! How cool is that?!
Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake
A few years ago my siblings and I did a “staycation” here in Washington. We decided to go to Seattle and stay in a hotel and just be tourists for a couple of days.
Now, when I say siblings, I mean in-law siblings, and there are 14 of us! Paul is the youngest of seven! So with the spouses, we number fourteen! Oh, and I’m the youngest. Just thought I’d mention that (hee hee, I know they will be reading this).
We get together often, and always have a great time together. We do all kinds of things, and it is very special. We don’t fight, and there is always something to talk about!
So during our Seattle staycation we ended up at a local chocolate factory! How cool is that?! We got to go on a guided tour and learned all about the chocolate, from where and how it’s grown, harvested, processed, to the final tasty products.
The name of this chocolate company is Theo Chocolate. “Theo” is from the actual name of the tree Theobroma Cacao. This is a special company, and they are organic, Fair Trade, and just so great! I have always loved their chocolate, and it makes a difference in so many people’s lives. Visit their website to learn a lot at theochocolate.com!
The tour is so fun, and you get to sample the chocolate. I couldn’t believe how much I learned about not only chocolate, but the people involved in the whole process. It’s really a great story!
I mention Theo because that is what I used in my Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake! I just chopped up the bars and measured a cup. I mixed 85% dark chocolate with the 45% milk chocolate. You can just use chocolate chips, or whatever chocolate you love!
I want to say that Theo is not paying me to say all of this about them, in fact, they don’t even know I wrote this post. I just love them and am proud to have a company like theirs in Seattle!
Try my Caramel Sauce, you won’t regret it!
If you love cheesecake, try my other scrumptious recipes:
Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pressure Cooker Dreamy Orange Cheesecake
Instant Pot New York Cheesecake
Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake is so easy to make. It is chocolatey, rich, and creamy. Chocolate cheesecake made in your pressure cooker! How cool is that?!
- 20 Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (scrape filling out so you have a total of 40 discs)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 2 8oz Pkgs of Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips, semi sweet (or mix semi sweet and dark chocolate)
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso Powder (you can do without, but it enhances the chocolate flavor!)
- 1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 Eggs, room temperature
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Use a 7 or 8 inch cheesecake pan (I use a 7” push pan, but you can use a springform pan as well. Whatever will fit comfortably in your pressure cooker and hold all of the filling).
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Spray the pan with baking spray. If you have parchment paper, cut a piece to fit the bottom of your pan and spray that too.
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Put 1 1/2 cups of water in the inner liner of the pressure cooker.
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Put the trivet/rack in the pot as well.
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Usually made with aluminum foil, used to get the cheesecake in and out of the pot easily.
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Fold a 28” length of foil along the long end 3 times. You will end up with a sling that is 28” x 3”
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Scrape the filling out of the cookies and place them in a food processor. Discard the filling.
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Add 1 Tbsp sugar.
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Pulse several times until the cookies turn into fine crumbs.
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Add the melted butter and pulse several times to combine and soften the crumbs. You may need to scrape the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few more times.
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Pour crust mixture into your prepared pan and use your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to press the mixture into place. Cover the entire bottom of the pan and come up the sides a little. You do not have to come all the way up the sides. You want the crust to be about 1/4” thick or so.
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Put the pan in the freezer to chill and firm up while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
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Clean the crust residue out of the food processor.
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Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and pulse a several times until well combined. Then process until it's smooth and creamy.
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In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Heat for 25 seconds in microwave. Stir well and put back in for another 25 seconds. Stir very well again. It may take a couple minutes of stirring to become creamy, which is what you want.
Let it cool to luke-warm, then stir in the espresso powder and add it to the cream cheese mixture.
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Add the cocoa powder to the cream cheese mixture and pulse a few times to combine. Then process until smooth and creamy.
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Add the eggs last. Pulse just until combined. If you whip the eggs too much the cheesecake will puff up and won’t have the right consistency.
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Take the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into the pan.
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Cover the pan with a paper towel, then with a piece of foil. Crimp the edges around the pan so it stays taut and secure.
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Lay the sling out and set the pan on it, centered. Gather up the two ends and very carefully lift the pan and set it in the pressure cooker, leaving the sling with it. Just fold over the two ends of the sling on top of the pan.
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Close the lid of the pressure cooker and set the steam vent to the Sealing position.
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Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button and then the + or - button to choose 40 minutes. High pressure.
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When cook cycle ends, let the cooker naturally release pressure for 20 minutes. Then manually release the remaining pressure.
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When the pin drops and it is safe to open the lid, do so carefully, facing away from you.
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Gather up the two ends of the sling and VERY carefully lift the cheesecake pan out of the cooker and onto a cooling rack.
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Leave covered for a few minutes, then carefully peel off the foil/paper towel.
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Let cool for an hour, then put the pan in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. I prefer to make my cheesecake in the evening and let it cool overnight.
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Top with extra chocolate, caramel sauce, whipped cream, strawberries or other fruit, or a sweet sour cream topping (Cheesecake in photos has my Caramel Sauce poured over it. Very good!).
This is a very creamy cheesecake. I think it tastes best after it has warmed up a bit. Almost to room temp. The texture is more creamy than cake like.
Resources to Make Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe and More
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Bonnie
I just made this cheesecake, and it was a breeze, thanks to your recipe. And DELICIOUS too! I made it in a 6″ springform pan without changing anything except not putting all the mixture in the one pan for obvious reasons. Perfect recipe as is. Thank you!
Debbie
I made this for the first time this weekend for our Easter Dessert. I followed the recipe exactly (I loved the detail in all the steps) and it turned out perfectly! Thank you for a well written recipe and a delicious cheese cake! I used the Fat Daddio 7 inch push pan. I’m adding this to my cheesecake collection! Thank you!
Susie
I just want to say that I have made this three times so far and it always gets raves. I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers for the crust so I don’t have to scrape out Oreo filling (my husband would gladly eat all the scraped out Oreo cream if I let him, and he doesn’t need the calories :)). I like a thick crust so I use 40 Famous wafers, a quarter cup of butter, and the 3 T of sugar called for. My tip is to melt the cream and chocolate chips first, before I even make the crust, because the melted chips stay really hot and take a while to cool down to lukewarm. Sometimes the cheesecake is done in 40 minutes and sometimes it it still jiggly in the middle and has to go back into the Instant Pot for 3 minutes. ( In that case, I give it a 10 minute release time before I open the valve.) I use a Fat Daddio 7” push pan, with a parchment circle in the bottom and sprayed with Pam, and I use a thin-edged fish turner spatula to lift it off the pan bottom when it’s time to serve. I store it in an upside down disposable Rubbermaid serving bowl (Walmart).
Julie
I just pulled off the foil from the cheesecake and the majority of the cheesecake isn’t cooked – looks like wet pudding. I used a 7 inch pan in a 6 qt IP. I put it back in for another 20 minutes. Super Disappointed!!
Sandy
Oh no! I don’t know what to tell you. I have made this so many times and it always turns out. If it was a little jiggly when you took it out, that is normal. It firms up as it cools. Did you let it naturally release the full amount of time? Are you at a high altitude? These are things that can affect the results in pressure cooking.
Emily B
Made this today for my daughter’s birthday. I found 40 minutes just slightly too short a cook time (was just a little runny in the centre. I will go next time to 42 minutes and see if that helps. We are at 3500ft altitude, which might have some effect. I added a chocolate ganache to the top. Rather than using cookies I bought a bag of baking chocolate crumbs (same section as graham crumbs in the baking aisle) and used 1 cup of crumbs. I did find with this change the crust called for way too much butter, it was dripping out the bottom of the pan. Next time I’d use half or a third as much, just enough to bind. This was a very sweet and creamy cake, great texture for the most part, maybe a touch too sweet for my taste but was a hit at the party. Thanks for the recipe! It won’t let me rate the recipe, but I’d give it 4 stars!
Sandy
Hi, I’m glad you liked it. at 3500 feet altitude you would want to add about 5% to the cook time. I think 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of crumbs would be better, and do freeze it first if you didn’t last time. You could also blind bake it in a 350° oven for 7-10 minutes. That will help it stay crisp. Thank you for your review!
Erin
Going to try this today! However, at the top of the recipe it says cook time is 35 minutes but the instructions say 40 minutes? I have a 7 inch pan. Please advise? Thanks!
Sandy
It’s 40, sorry. I’ll fix that.
Sharron
Do you think you could stack two small springform pans in there and make two at once? Maybe with a rack between? Delicious by the way!!
Sandy
As long as they both fit!
katie Westwick
I made this last night with my 8 yo son. Served it this morning with cherries and whipped cream and it tastes amazing!! Can’t wait to try another flavor. My son loved it too. So creamy and chocolatey. Thank you for the recipe, love my instapot. Take care, Katiie
Van
I’m a single guy and want to cut this recipe in half. I’ve done the math, and to keep the dimensions the same, it would need to go in a 5″ pan. Would the cook time be the same?
Sandy
Hi Van, the cook time will be less as the volume is decreased. I’m giving you an educated guess of a 30 minutes. If you cook it uncovered, it could be about 20 minutes.
Heidi Bailey
No water added to bottom of insta pot?
Sandy
Yes there is water. If you read the instructions, you will see it and how much, etc.
Kathie
Made this last night for a get together today. It was a big hit. Wanted to rate if 5 stars but no matter how many times I reloaded the page the rating stars wouldn’t fill. Looking forward to making your pumpkin cheesecake.
Sandy
Thank you, Kathie! The stars don’t always show up until I load the comment. A bug that has been driving me nuts! Lol.
Alexis
Can I make the cheesecake batter and then let it sit for a few hours before I cook it? I want to make it in the morning and then cook it in the afternoon to prep my afternoon this weekend. If that’s possible, could you recommend how to store it for those few horus? Thank you!
Sandy
Yes, just pop it in the fridge, and take it out about 30 minutes before you pour it into the crust and cook it.
Adam Ritchie
I don’t have a food processor, what size of one would i need? This look good, i just got started with instant pot and can’t wait to try it
Sandy
I use an 11 cup and that is plenty of room. Maybe you can use one as small as 8 cup, but I’m not positive. You can use a hand mixer if you have one.
Bina
Would you still cook the chocolate cheesecake for 40mins if you have an 8in pan (in a 8qt0?
Sandy
No, I think I would reduce the cook time by about 5 to 8 minutes. I haven’t tested this, but it makes sense since you need to add 5 minutes for a 6″ pan.
Bridey
Do I cook on high pressure or low pressure?
Sandy
High
John
I’ve bought a package of Oreo crumbs.. would you happen to know the weight of the 40 Oreo discs so I can match it up with the crumbs that I’m using? I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while and I’d love to try it. Thanks!
Sandy
I weighed 10 of them and it came to 1.5 oz. So multiply that by 4 and you get 6 oz. This is without the cream filling.
Betty
How do I adjust the cook time to make this in a 6 inch pan in a mini (3quart) instant pot. My6 inch pan is very deep and can handle the volume.
Sandy
Try adding 5 minutes to the cook time.
Tiffany
I tried this recipe tonight. Did everything as directed and even securing the paper town with foil, the paper towel ended up resting on the cheese cake and it pulled up come batter when I took the foil off. Is this normal?
Sandy
No, you need to secure it taut and crimp the foil over it and it won’t touch the cheesecake.
Kristen
This is our go-to cheescake recipe. I replace the chocolate with white chocolate and top with fruit topping. To die for!!! I would like to make this in an egg bite mold. How long would you recommend cooking it in the molds? I would like to do 1 batch of chocolate and 1 of white chocolate.
Sandy
Hi Kristen! Thank you for your review! For the mold I would try a batch at 8 minutes with a 7 minute natural release. Then you will know if you need to adjust for the next batch.
Reenam
Hi,
I tried this recipe and it turned out great the first time. I tried it again yeterday and unfortunately the edges were cracked and uneven. I had two main questions:
1) when the foil is placed, should it cover thr whole pan or just the top surface?
2) after the 40mins pressure time is up, should the “keep warm” function be cancelled whilst awaiting the 15min pressure release?
3) is there anything i can do to prevent my bad edges? I think it was to do with the edges sticking ti the sides if the pan and then breaking on cooling.
Thanks so much
Sandy
Hi Reenam. First, the foil covers the top only. You can turn off the pot for the natural release. I use a baking spray that is for cakes and has a little flour in it. Cooling the cheesecake slowly helps it not crack, but you might also want to try less cook time, maybe 5 minutes less and see if that helps.
Gem
I know this post is old but looked like there were still some recent comments. I was wondering what the purpose of the paper towel is? I am making this recipe but skipped the paper towel under the foul and am wondering if it will still turn out ok? Thanks!
Sandy
Hi Gem, the paper towel is not vital to the recipe. What it does is catch some of the moisture and keeps it off of the cheesecake. But honestly, you don’t even have to cover a cheesecake when you pressure cook it. If you do cook it uncovered, shorten the pressure cook time to about 30 minutes.
Kelli
Is this recipe for 6 quart IP? That’s what I have, if not what adjustments need to be made?
Sandy
It is for the 6 qt or 8 qt. As long as you use the 7″ pan for the cheesecake you can use either pot!
Arivendi
I used this recipe, but I skipped all the chocolate and used white chocolate chips in place of regular. It is amazing and your instructions were spot on! We made 2 cheesecakes before this one that were super dry even though I followed instructions to a T. This one was the perfect density! It didn’t even flatten in the middle! 🙂
Sandy
Hi Arivendi! Thank you for your review! This recipe is based off of my regular cheesecake recipe. You can really have fun with it! With the white chocolate, you can add a tsp of peppermint extract and have another wonderful variation! https://www.simplyhappyfoodie.com/instant-pot-white-chocolate-peppermint-cheesecake/
Sue
Can’t wait to try this recipe but I have a question. I live in Utah and usually follow the high altitude directions on a box cake mix. Would I need to do anything different for this recipe?
Sandy
Hi Sue, add 5% to the cook time for every 1000 feet above 2000 feet. So for 3000′ + 5%, 4000′ + 10%, 5000′ + 15%, and so on.
Len
I found I don’t need the “sling”. My 6qt has a trivet that has a handle on each side. No need to make the sling.
Sandy
That’s great! One less step!
Emily
I made your regular cheesecake, and the chocolate one. So yummy and smooth. However, even though I am from Long Island and had Lindy’s cheesecake many times, I still prefer a little denser cheesecake…just a little bit. I know, weird, huh? Anyway, when your cheesecake was done in my Instant pot, I removed the cover like you said, but left it in the cooker for another 20 minutes…haha, forgot that the keep warm thing was on. I was worried it would be like a brick, but no. It was just a little less creamy and a little more firm than yours. I then took it out of the Instant Pot and put it on a cooling rock and removed the foil and paper towel. PERFECT! let it cool to lukewarm and put in fridge overnight. To die for. Of course, the pressure cooking removes all the calories, right? Right? Thank you for the very best cheesecake I have ever eaten.
Sandy
Haha Emily! Of course the IP removes those pesky calories! I’m thrilled that you like my cheesecake recipe! If you add a couple teaspoons of flour to the batter it will be a bit denser, but it will always be different than one baked in the oven. Thanks so much for your review!
Emily
Just remember to adjust your cooking time for altitude in the Instant Pot. I have to add 5% at my altitude of 4800 ft. There are Instant pot altitude tables online. The new Ultra adjusts automatically on their preset settings. Your recipe is fabulous……
Angel
Hi! ?
I am a chocaholic and will definitely be trying this recipe!! Hehe!! However, I did try making my first cheesecake in my cooker last week. It also had a chocolate crust. I just used Oreo cookies and did not remove the cream filling. It alleviated the need for the extra sugar as well as the cleaning of the processor for the next step. I simply put them in a ziploc sandwich bag and mashed them all up with a rolling pin, then put them in a mixing bowl and added the butter. Just a thought!! It came out great and tasted wonderful!! ?
Sandy
Hi Angel! I have seen that some people do this, so I decided to try it with my next cheesecake!
Laura
Thank you for the recipe. This was my first instant pot cheesecake attempt and it came out beautifully. I then immediately made your New York cheesecake recipe too . New York cheesecake is my favorite dessert and there are a few popular instant recipes out there. I’m glad I went with yours first. So creamy. Again thank you for the great recipes. I can’t wait to try out all the cheesecake recipes that you have created.
Sandy
Hi Laura! I’m honored that you chose my cheesecake recipe as your first in the IP! I’m very glad you enjoyed both recipes! Thank you so much for your review, it is wonderful to hear from you!
Chamila Purbhoo
hi. I have a pressure cooker that we use.mostly for pulses as we have Indian origins. I want to try the cheesecake too but I can’t understand the folding process of paper for preparing the tin and all. I think if u could add pics to these procedures would help enormously. I read a few times but I still cannot understand it clearly:(
greetings from sunny Mauritius in the Indian ocean.
chamila
Sandy
Hi Chamila, I will work on getting some photos up. In the meantime, you can watch my Pumpkin Cheesecake video, which has a better explanation of the foil sling.
Gorjean Armen
Hi Sandy, I made this cheesecake yesterday. I got distracted and only after I got it in the pan, realized that I had forgotten the cream. The batter fit perfectly in my 6 in pan, so I decided to cook it anyway. I did it according to directions and it set up nicely. We tried it today, and it was the best Chocolate Cheesecake I have ever had. The crust was perfect and crisp and the intense dark chocolate flavor was outstanding. I need to make another, for an occasion this weekend, but since my guests prefer Milk Chocolate, I will try it with the cream. Thanks for the recipe and clear instructions.
Gorjean Armen
Can I make the filling using an electric mixer? I don”have a food processor, just a small food chopper (which will work for the crust).
Sandy
Hi Gorjean, yes, just add the eggs last and hand mix them in so they don’t get over mixed. The rest you can use the mixer.
Gorjean Armen
Thanks, Can’t wait to try it!
Lovella
This looks amazing? How would one adapt it for a 6″ pan?
Sandy
Hi Lovella! If you line the side of your 6″ pan with parchment and let it come up higher than the pan, you can use all of the batter and the cheesecake will stay contained when it rises. You’ll need to cook it uncovered, which is fine, it just won’t be as smooth on top. Then add 5 minutes to the cook time.
Dana
Can you make ahead of time and freeze it? Will it taste the same after thawing?
Thanks!!
Sandy
Cheesecakes do freeze well. Place the cheesecake (make sure it is cooled completely) on a baking sheet pan and put in the freezer, uncovered, until it is firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then heavy duty aluminum foil, and place in a zip-closure freezer bag. Return to the freezer. To thaw, take out cheesecake and let thaw at room temp. Is a previously frozen cheesecake as good as a fresh one? Almost. But fresh is always better!
JJ
Trader Joe’s has gluten free peppermint O’s out!
I’ll try a gf version for my first cheesecake in the IP!
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Sandy
Hi JJ! Thanks for the comment! Corn starch is a great sub for flour. You can do crustless, or the O’s, as you said. If you like peppermint, check out my white chocolate peppermint cheesecake! It’s amazing! https://www.simplyhappyfoodie.com/instant-pot-white-chocolate-peppermint-cheesecake/
Dennis
I’ve seen some cheesecake recipes for Instant Pot that have 50 plus minute cook time. Your pumpkin one calls for 50 minutes. This one is 35. Is that just because of the different ingredients?
Sandy
Hi Dennis! Yes, the pumpkin cheesecake has a full cup of pumpkin added to it, and needs that extra time. My New York Cheesecake is only 37 minutes. They all have their own variations, therefore, different times. Variables such as altitude and so on make a difference, too.
Sali
20 sandwich cookies , does that mean 20 wafers or 40 ?
Sandy
Hi Sali, it’s 20 sandwich cookies, then you scrape out the filling, so you are left with 40 halves (or wafers, as you call them). Hope that helps. Enjoy the cheesecake! 🙂
Sali
Thanks Sandy,
I made this last week!!! boy was it a hit !!! so rich and delicious.. my husband thought i bought it from our local bakery shop.. he couldn’t believe that I made this. This is the best chocolate cheesecake i have tried yet so far
Sandy
Hi Sali! Yay! That is a big compliment, and I appreciate that you took the time to tell me! Take care!