Instant Pot Vanilla Cheesecake with Dulce de Leche Topping
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A creamy and delicious vanilla bean cheesecake with a crust of salty pretzels and graham crackers topped with luscious Dulce de Leche.
If you haven’t read any of my other blog posts about Instant Pot Cheesecake you are missing out. Cheesecake made in the Instant Pot is seriously the best.
Before I get to the recipe have you ever made a cheesecake in the Instant Pot? My husband does not really like the Instant Pot. All that changed when I tried making one in the Instant Pot for New Year’s Eve a few years ago.
Because the cheesecake is made in the Instant Pot it’s in a contained space with water. Because of this it stays super moist and the top of the cheesecake won’t crack. It also means that cheesecake made this way is the creamiest, most decadent cheesecake you’ve ever tasted.
I wasn’t sure what flavor of cheesecake I wanted to make so I went with the basic vanilla bean cheesecake. Then I topped it with Dulce de Leche to give it that creamy toffee flavor that we love so much.
Ingredients:
- Graham Crackers (use the plain or honey flavored if you want a bit more sweetness)
- Granulated Sugar
- Pretzels (I used regular twists but any will work)
- Butter (again I used salted but use what you have)
- Cream Cheese (use the full fat, low fat won’t work as well)
- Eggs (Large or extra large)
- Flour
- Vanilla Bean Paste (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 vanilla bean scraped out)
- Dulce de Leche (buy in a can or make your own with sweetened condensed milk)
To Make the Cheesecake: Combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and flour in a food processor and process until smooth. Add in the vanilla bean paste and mix until combined. Pour into the pan with the prepared crust. Place the trivet in your Instant Pot and pour in one cup of water. Tightly cover your cheesecake with foil and lower it into the Instant Pot. Cook for 40 minutes on high pressure. Allow pressure to release for 10 minutes the release the rest of the pressure. Remove from the Instant Pot and let cool to room temperature.
The base of the cheesecake is a pretzel graham cracker crust. I saw lots of recipes that just had a pretzel crust but I known that pretzels don’t hold up all that well so I went with a half and half mixture to give it the saltiness of the pretzels but the texture from the graham crackers.
Next I mixed up the cheesecake itself. You can make the cheesecake mixture in a food processor or using a mixer. I like using my 5 speed Cuisinart hand mixer but you can use whatever you have. You really do need something to help you blend the mixture until it is silky and smooth.
As far as using vanilla bean paste I like it because it not only adds the vanilla flavor but you can see the specks of vanilla in the cheesecake. You can get the same effect from using vanilla extract and a vanilla bean.
Do I have to use the pretzels in the crust?
No you don’t. You can use all graham cracker crumbs instead. That’s what I do in my normal cheesecake recipes and it always turns out great.
Can I use a regular 6 inch cake pan?
No! You definitely need to use a 6 or 7 inch springform pan so that you will be able to get your cheesecake out of it. You don’t have to buy one specifically for the Instant Pot. I got mine as part of this Instant Pot baking set and it works great.
How do you make Dulce de Leche?
There are two methods you can use to make the Dulce de Leche. The first recipe is using a water bath in the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk into a pie pan and cover with foil. Put the pie pan in a roasting pan and add enough water to reach halfway up the pie pan. Bake for 45 minutes then check to make sure the water level is the same, add more if needed. Bake for an additional 30-45 minutes or until the milk is thick and golden in color. Remove from oven and cool.
The other method is the stove top method. Remove the label from one can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk. Place in a large pot and cover with water making sure there is 2-3 inches of water above the can. Bring the water in the pot to a boil. Boil the can for 3 and a half hours, checking every 30 minutes to make sure the can is still covered with water. Remove from heat and cool completely before opening.
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.
Bake the cheesecake before putting the Dulce de Leche on top. The most important thing to remember before putting the cheesecake in the Instant Pot is to cover it tightly with foil. You do not want any water getting into the pan with the cheesecake.
Once the cheesecake is out of the Instant Pot it needs to come to room temperature before adding the Dulce de Leche. Pour the Dulce de Leche on top of the cheesecake and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
More Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipes:
- Instant Pot Key Lime Pie Cheesecake
- Triple Flavor Instant Pot Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Lemon Lavender Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Once it has chilled slice it in to 8-10 slices. It is a small cheesecake but it’s super rich and a small piece goes a long way.
I chose to decorate mine with just a sprinkle of golden sprinkles. Really any color sprinkles will give it a bit of sparkle but it doesn’t need anything to achieve that wow factor.
The flavor of this cheesecake is out of this world. It’s a creamy, vanilla flavored cheesecake that is smooth and delicious. The Dulce de Leche has a tasty toffee flavor and pairs well with the vanilla cheesecake. This is a great dish to serve for a special occasion!
If you’ve tried my Instant Pot Vanilla Bean 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:
Instant Pot Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 c. crushed pretzels
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 4 Tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cheesecake:
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ c. sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
For the topping:
- 1 can 13.4 ouncecs Dulce de Leche
Instructions
- Place the graham crackers, pretzels, sugar, butter, and salt in a food processor and process until the mixture begins to stick together.
- Pour the crust mixture into a 6 or 7 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 but the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and flour in the food processor and process until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla extract and vanilla caviar and mix until combined.
- 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 40 minutes high pressure.
- Once the cheesecake has cooked for 40 minutes allow the pressure to
release for 10 minutes naturally then carefully release the rest of the
pressure. - Allow the steam to leave the Instant Pot before attempting to get the cheesecake out. Carefully remove it from the pot and take off the foil.
- Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature.
- Pour the Dulce de Leche in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Pour the Dulce de Leche on top of the cheesecake and smooth it on top.
- Put the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours manually.
- When ready to serve remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator. Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!
Notes
