A chocolate graham cracker crust with a peanut butter cream cheese filling, and topped with a chocolate ganache. This Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake is quick to put together and much easier to make than a traditional cheesecake!
Desserts for Friends
In my Triple Chocolate Cake post, I wrote about how much I enjoy making desserts for my friend Danielle. She praises my desserts so much that I feel like a celebrity for a week. Seriously, next time I’m feeling sad, I’m just going to make her a dessert so I can feel good again.
Danielle’s husband Jon is also quite complementary of my desserts. More than once my husband has gotten texts describing my desserts in ways that are not fit to repeat on my blog, but boil down to him saying he really likes them. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to make these people food?
Birthday Cheesecake
My friend Caitlin’s birthday was last month, and to celebrate she had a group of friends join her at a local winery. I wanted to make her a cake and asked her husband for some advice on what type she might enjoy. He told me that Caitlin loves cheesecake, peanut butter, and chocolate. The cake choice was obvious: I needed to make her a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake.
The cheesecake, as well as the evening, turned out to be amazing. Later that night, Jon texted my husband that the cheesecake was amazing, and something along the lines of “I bet the Cheesecake Factory would hire Christine.”Â
As the cake did turn out well, I hadn’t photographed it, and Jon’s birthday was coming up, I decided to remake the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake for Jon.
My husband and I had Jon and Danielle over for dinner, and I presented him with his own Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake. It was a huge success.
Tips for Instant Pot Cheesecakes
I have made my fair share of cheesecakes in an Instant Pot, so I have plenty of tips to help you out:
Tips for Instant Pot Cheesecakes
Instant Pot Cheesecake Equipment
First, the proper equipment is key:
- You need a steaming rack to set the cake on (the one your Instant Pot came with is perfect).
- A 7″ springform pan. I use this Instant Pot silicone 7″ cake pan.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Use room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs. Room temperature ingredients will mix together better, leading to a smoother cheesecake.
Do NOT Over Mix the Eggs
I can’t stress this tip enough. Mix all the ingredients except for the eggs, and then LAST thing, break the egg yolks with a fork and stir them into the batter with a spatula or spoon. Do NOT use a mixer, and stir the least amount possible to incorporate the eggs.
If you over mix the eggs, it incorporates air into the batter which will cause the cheesecake to rise. If the cheesecake rises, you will not have as smooth or as dense of a cheesecake, and the top will be uneven. However, if you do make a mistake don’t stress, you can level the cake once it has cooled and it will still be tasty.
Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 5 tbsp butter melted
Ganache and Decor
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Hershey chocolate bar
Instructions
Crust
- Stir together chocolate graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the sides of a 7" springform pan so that the crust goes about half way up the sides.
Cheesecake
- Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and peanut butter smooth, and no clumps remain. Then mix in sugar, cornstarch, and flour until well combined.
- Next beat in sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla.
- Finally, break eggs in a bowl and pierce yolks with a fork or toothpick a few times. Stir eggs into cream cheese mixture, stirring as little as possible to incorporate eggs.
- Pour batter over crust. If batter does not fully cover crust, remove the crust that you can see (any crust over the batter will get soggy).
- Place 1 cup of water in the bottom of Instant Pot. Place pan on metal Instant Pot rack and lower into base. Cook on high pressure for 36 minutes. Let natural release for 20 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, the transfer to refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving.
Ganache
- Once cake has cooled in refrigerator, use a knife to loosen sides of cake from pan, then gently remove side of springform pan.
- Place dark chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, heat heavy cream until boiling, about 45 seconds. Pour heavy cream over chocolate chips and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and whisk until smooth.
- Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread ganache over top of cheesecake (take the ganache slowly to the edges unless you want to let ganache drip down the sides).
- Use a grater to grate Hershey bar and sprinkle over top of ganache as desired.
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed this Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake, you might enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Instant Pot Cheesecake with Berry Topping
Instant Pot Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Instant Pot Key Lime Pie
Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Cake
Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Links to items used to make this recipe:
Instant Pot 6 Quart Duo
Instant Pot 7″ Silicone Springform Pan
Instant Pot Metal Rack
Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer
