Name: Instant Pot Cranberry Cheesecake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 block softened cream cheese; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 egg; 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 3 tbsp butter; 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries; 1/2 cup sugar; 3/4 cup of water, divided; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Jump to Recipe

Looking for the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert? Look no further than this amazing, make ahead friendly Instant Pot Cranberry Cheesecake!

One quirk I've discovered with my anxiety is that I often wake up in the middle of the night for hours. Although I should just know better by now, I still try to get back to sleep.

My brain is like "Heck NO! We have things to think about!"

One night I was thinking about cheesecakes, among other things. But cheesecakes and cranberry glaze sound so much yummier!

This recipe is dedicated to midnight musings.

Instant Pot Cranberry Cheesecake Tips And Tricks

USE a muffin scoop to portion out your cheesecake batter! It works great and keeps the sides of the jar clean.

TAKE out the cream cheese a few hours before you plan on making this cheesecake, it must be fully softened for a smooth batter. IF you forget or need to make cheesecake like RFN, you can dice the cream cheese and spread on a plate to warm up OR place it in a ziplock bag and place it in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes.

BAKING the crust is not necessary, but if we're being totally honest, it gives a much better final product. If you want to blind bake the crust, simply preheat the oven to 325f and bake for 10-15 minutes after you've pressed the crumb into the jar.

THE cranberry glaze can be unsieved. I like to press it through a sieve to remove the skins, pulp, and seeds of the cranberries. Once it's been filtered, it takes on a sort of translucent glow that's just beautiful!

One hand holding a squarish mason jar, and another hand using the back of a spoon to press the cheesecake crust into a smooth layer.

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Pressure Cooker Cheesecake Ingredients:

softened cream cheese
sugar
sour cream
vanilla
egg
graham cracker crumbs
brown sugar
butter

Cranberry Glaze Ingredients:

fresh or frozen cranberries
water
sugar
vanilla
cornstarch

Side view of 3 of the Instant Pot Cranberry Cheesecakes. You can really see the shine and translucence of the red cranberry glaze.

Recommended Tools

Instant Pot - I use a 6QT Instant Pot and it perfectly fits 4 of these half-pint jars!

Mixer - This one is subjective, but I'm not into giving myself tennis elbow to whip the cheesecake batter into a smooth consistency! I use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, but a handheld mixer will work great too.

Half-Pint Jars - I am a major mason jar lover, and I really LOVE these half-pint wide mouth jars specifically for cheesecake. (And creme brulee!)

Jar Lifter - When you're dealing with hot jars, a jar lifter is a major lifesaver. I just use the one I have from canning - love a tool with multiple uses!

Bright red cranberry glaze before sieving. It's lumpy and filled with seeds.

How to Make Individual Instant Pot Cheesecakes

Check near the bottom of the post for a printable recipe!

Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, and the sour cream until smooth. Add in the vanilla and the egg and mix till creamy.
Divide the crust mix into 4 mason jars and press down firmly.
Divide your cheesecake batter between all 4 jars, I like to use my muffin batter scooper!
Place them on the trivet in your Instant Pot. Lightly cover with tinfoil.
Cook on high pressure, with natural release.
Once the pressure has dissipated, remove the jars and allow to cool for a few minutes at room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill completely before adding topping!

A hand using a muffin scoop to distributed instant pot cheesecake batter into prepared mason jars.

Can I Make This Instant Pot Cheesecake Ahead?

Yes. Please do!

This Instant Pot Cheesecake recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas, PLUS you can make it ahead. I love hosting holiday dinners, but they can be hella stressful, so I am ALL about making anything I can ahead.

If you're going to make these adorable individual cheesecakes ahead, stop at the stage where you place the cheesecakes in the fridge. You can do this up to 3 days in advance.

Make the cranberry glaze up to 24 hours in advance, and allow it to cool to room temperature before pouring on the cheesecakes. Return the cheesecake to the fridge until serving time!

*The longer the cranberry glaze is on the cheesecakes, the more it will leach colour into your cheesecake*

Cranberry glaze in a sieve with a spoon stirring and pushing the glaze through the mesh.

Other Sweet Instant Pot Recipes You May Love:

📖 Printable Recipe

Instant Pot Cranberry Cheesecake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

Looking for the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert? Look no further than this amazing, make ahead friendly, Instant Pot Cranberry Cheesecake! The sweet yet tart cranberry glaze is extra delicious in contrast to the creamy richness of the cheesecake.

Ingredients

Cheesecake

1 block softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp butter

Cranberry glaze

1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup of water, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

For the Cheesecake:

Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, and the sour cream until smooth.
Add in the vanilla and the egg and mix till smooth. Set aside for now. This helps the air bubbles work their way out of the batter.
In a small bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar and butter, then split into 4 mason jars and press down.
Divide your cheesecake batter between all 4 jars, I like to use my muffin batter scooper!
Once the batter has been divided among the jars, bang them on the counter lightly to pop any air bubbles.
Place them on the trivet in your Instant Pot - with 1 cup of water. Lightly cover with tinfoil.
Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally.
Once the pressure has dissipated, remove the jars and allow to cool for a few minutes at room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill completely before adding topping!

For the glaze:

Combine the cranberries, sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a medium saucepan.
Bring the cranberries to a gentle boil, and cook until the cranberries start to burst and release their colour.
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of water with the cornstarch in a small glass to make a slurry.
Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened.
Pour the sauce into a fine-mesh sieve placed over a measuring cup with a spout.
Use the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze, stir, and press the cranberry sauce through the sieve. Scrape the remaining glaze from the bottom of the sieve.
Pour the glaze on the cheesecakes, dividing it among the 4 cheesecakes.
Place in the fridge for the glaze to firm up.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD DIRECTIONS:

To make these cheesecakes ahead, stop at the chill in the fridge step 7. They can say in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Make the glaze a few hours before serving and pour on the cheesecakes once it cools a bit and then return the cheesecakes to the fridge.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 1gSugar: 52gProtein: 4g

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