Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake

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Smooth and creamy Key Lime Cheesecake is made in the Instant Pot and has notes of tangy key limes in the sweet cream cheese filling and a ginger almond graham cracker crust.

A plate with a slice of cheesecake, three slices of lime, and two forks on the plate and the entire cheesecake behind the plate.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Let’s talk about the Instant Pot.    While I enjoy using it every now and then because it makes cooking so much faster my husband does not enjoy it.  He says that it over cooks food.

Last year on a whim I decided to make a cheesecake in my Instant Pot but I didn’t tell him that’s how I made it.  I let him try it and he declared it was the best cheesecake I’ve ever made.  I waited until we finished it to tell him that it was made in the Instant Pot.

He was shocked but still said it was the best cheesecake.  I’ve made several more in the Instant Pot since then and they’ve all turned out perfectly.  In fact, when I made this Key Lime Cheesecake my husband said that the price of the Instant Pot was worth it just for making cheesecake.

While I used the same basic recipe for this cheesecake as I do my other Instant Pot cheesecakes I did decide to try something a little different and used vanilla yogurt instead of the sour cream.   I thought it would make it creamier and add in some vanilla flavor.

A pan with a graham cracker crust.

Ingredients:

  • Nairn’s Stem Ginger Oat Biscuits
  • sugar (I used Dixie Crystals)
  • butter
  • salt
  • Almond Extract Paste (I used Taylor & Colledge)
  • cream cheese
  • eggs
  • vanilla yogurt
  • flour
  • key limes
  • vanilla bean paste (I used Taylor & Colledge)

To Make the Crust:   Place the oat biscuits, sugar, butter, salt, and almond extract paste in a food processor and process until smooth.   Press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan and about one inch up the sides of the pan.  Freeze.

To Make the Cheesecake:   Combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla yogurt, flour, key lime juice, key lime zest, and vanilla bean paste in the food processor.  Process until smooth.  Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cheesecake mixture into the crust.

To Cook the Cheesecake:  Pour water into the bottom of the Instant Pot.  Cover the cheesecake with foil.  Heat on high pressure for 45 minutes.  Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes then manually release.

A pan with a cheesecake in it.

I made the crust of the cheesecake using Nairn’s Stem Ginger Oat Biscuits.  I like the texture of these and they stand up well to the cheesecake.  It also gives the crust a nice ginger flavor.   I also added in Taylor & Colledge almond extract paste to give the crust a nutty flavor.

The cheesecake itself is made with cream cheese, Dixie Crystals sugar, eggs, and vanilla yogurt.   Then I flavored it with fresh key lime juice and zest from the key limes I got from Melissa’s Produce.  I love the tart scent of key limes and just knew that would be delicious in a sweet dessert.

What’s the difference between Key Limes and regular limes?

Key limes are small, spherical limes that grow in more tropical climates.  They are a pale green or yellow whenever they are ripe and they contain more seeds than a regular lime.  They are also much smaller than a regular lime.

Key limes are super tart and extra aromatic which makes them the prized choice for sweet desserts like this cheesecake.

I Don’t Have a springform pan, can I use a regular cake pan?

The answer to this is not really.  While you could use a 6 inch cake pan and it would probably bake up fine, it’s very difficult to get a cheesecake out of a regular pan because you cannot flip it upside down.  While you do not have to buy a springform pan made for the Instant Pot you do need one that is 6 inches and fits inside of the Instant Pot.  Invest in an Instant Pot Spring Form pan.

How Do I Store this Cheesecake?

Keep the cheesecake in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.  You can also keep it in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  I would recommend not putting the limes on top before you refrigerate because they can sweat which compromises the texture of the cheesecake.

I can’t find almond paste or vanilla paste, can I use extract instead?

You can use extract in place of either one of these.  I find vanilla extract you need to use twice as much but it packs a similar flavor.  With almond extract it has more of an artificial taste than the almond paste and I would use the same amount.

Can I substitute the ginger oat biscuits?

You can use graham crackers in place of the biscuits but they are a little sweeter and will yield a bit of a different texture.  However, they will have a similar taste to the biscuits.

A plate with a slice of cheesecake, three slices of lime, and two forks on the plate.

The cheesecake baked in the Instant Pot and when it was time to come out I was happy to see that it looked perfect.  There were no cracks in it and it smelled great.

I popped it in the refrigerator for a few hours and when it came out I put a few slices of key lime on top and we sliced it up.   I originally planned to add sprinkles but it looked great with the simple decoration.

More Cheesecake Recipes:

The flavor of this cheesecake was amazing.   The cheesecake was creamy and smooth and was lightly flavored with the key lime.  It gave the cheesecake a nice sweet and tart flavor.

Pin Image: A plate with a slice of cheesecake, three slices of lime, and two forks on the plate and the entire cheesecake behind the plate, text, a cutting board with a plate of eggs, a bag of sugar, a box of graham crackers, a bag of key limes, and a block of cream cheese.

The crust had a nice almond and ginger flavor.  It paired well with the sweet and tart cheesecake.  This is definitely one of our favorite cheesecake recipes and it’s perfect for spring!

If you’ve tried my Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

A cheesecake with a lime in the middle and lime wedges around the edges.

A plate with a slice of cheesecake, three slices of lime, and two forks on the plate.

Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake

Smooth and creamy Key Lime Cheesecake is made in the Instant Pot and has notes of tangy key limes in the sweet cream cheese filling and a ginger almond graham cracker crust.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 c. ginger oat biscuits crushed
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract paste

For the cheesecake:

  • 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 c. vanilla yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 4 key limes zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  • Place the oat biscuits, sugar, butter, salt, and almond extract in a food processor. Process until smooth.
  • Pour the crust mixture into a 6 inch spring
    form pan. Press into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the cheesecake.
  • To make the filling put the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, yogurt, and flour in the food processor and process until smooth.
  • Add in the key lime zest, key lime juice, and vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined.
  • Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan with your prepared crust.
  • Place the trivet in your Instant Pot. Pour in one cup of water.
  • Cover your cheesecake with foil. Make sure the seal is tight otherwise you will have a waterlogged cheesecake.
  • Carefully lower your pan on top of the trivet in the Instant Pot.
  • Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set to 45 minutes high pressure.
  • Allow the pressure to release for 10 minutes naturally then carefully release the rest of the pressure manually.
  • Carefully remove the cheesecake from the pot and take off the foil.
  • Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature then put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
  • If desired top the cheesecake with thin slices of key lime.
  • Cut into 8 pieces and enjoy!

Notes

A Hezzi-D original recipe
A plate with a slice of cheesecake, three slices of lime, and two forks on the plate.

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18 Comments

  1. Love the ginger oat crust and it pairs well with key limes. Great idea to use vanilla yogurt too. Love this instant pot cheesecake and bookmarking to try!

    1. As much as I use my Instant Pot, I have never made a dessert. This looks delicious and perfect to try my hand at baking in the IP.

  2. I’m a big key lime fan. I love the idea of ginger flavor in the crust. I’ll take a big slice please!

5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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