If you love cheesecake but find it challenging to make then this Instant Pot Cheesecake Jars recipe is SUPER easy and guarantees you a perfect result every time
Take the biscuit crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a food processor. Pulse until combined. When you press the crumbs in between your palms it should hold its shape.
Divide it evenly between the mason jars and press it down until even.
Close the lid and let it sit in the refrigerator till we prepare the cheesecake batter.
Cheesecake Batter
Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl in between to ensure even beating.
Whisking continuously add in the sugar a little at a time until combined.
Time for lemon juice and vanilla essence. Beat them as well.
Scrape the bowl and add the egg. Beat on low speed until just mixed. You might want to switch to a spatula towards the end to avoid over-beating of the batter
Divide evenly between the mason jars around 4-5 tbsp in each one. LOOSELY cover with the lid. Give a gentle tap at the bottom of the jar to remove air bubbles if any.
Add 2 cups of water to the base of the instant pot. Place the trivet and line the jars. I could easily fit all the 5 jars in my Instant Pot.
Close the lid. Vent to sealing. Using the manual or pressure cook button set the timer to 5 mins. (It would take around 10-12 mins to build the pressure within and then the timer would start).
Allow the pot depressurize naturally. Once the pin drops take the lid off and remove the jars onto a wire rack.
Caution: The jars would be super hot so I would recommend using a tea towel or oven mitten to take them out.
Let it cool to room temperature around 20 mins and then let it chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set completely.
Serve with toppings of your choice. I have made berry topping today.
Berry Topping for Cheesecake
In a saucepan combine together raspberries, sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the raspberries have become soft and almost dissolved.
Do a taste here, if you find it too sweet add some lemon juice and if it is sour add more sugar and adjust the taste accordingly.
Next in goes the halved strawberries followed by the cornstarch slurry (2tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water). Cook it for a minute.
Transfer to a wide mouth container. Cover with a cling wrap so that it touches the sauce and refrigerate till cool completely.
Note: The mixture would thicken once you add the cornstarch slurry. You can adjust the consistency by adding more water if need be. Remember the sauce will thicken further upon cooling too.
Once the cheesecakes sets, serve it with as much or as little of the topping as you like. Also, feel free to add a dollop of whipped cream and a mint leaf on top if you prefer.
Video
Notes
I have used plain old digestive biscuits as my base. You can use graham crackers or a cookie crust too.
Do not press the biscuits too hard or else you will have difficulty while scooping it out.
Never overbeat the cheesecake batter. The air incorporated in the batter is the culprit for cracker cheesecakes and cheesecakes sinking in the centre.
Do not close the lid of the jar TIGHTLY. You do not want to build pressure in them. If you want you can also prefer to close the lids with aluminium foil.
Each batch of berries is different. Some may be sweet some sour. So while making the berry topping please do a taste test and adjust before adding sugar. Like if it is too sweet add some more lemon juice and if sour add sugar and adjust accordingly.
In place of raspberry, strawberries, blueberries or a combination of berries can be used to make the sauce. Or you can also choose to top the cheesecakes with store bought cherry pie filling. Few other topping ideas has been given in the post above the recipe card.
Ever since I had posted my Instant Pot Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Jars I have been constantly asked about the mason jars. So the one I use is from the brand Quattro Stagioni - 5 oz. You can use any jar of 4-5 oz for this recipe.
The recipe can be easily doubled.
Do check the post for ideas on different toppings for cheesecake, tips to get crackfree cheesecake alongwith links to the required things to make the cheesecake.
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