Instant Pot Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

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Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake, “baked” with Meyer lemon and a tender shortbread cookie crust, makes a refreshing New Year’s Eve celebration or a sweet Valentine’s Day treat. 

slice of lemon cheesecake with lemon curd

Meyer lemons are a special favorite of ours, especially in desserts, where it acts as a perfect sweet-tart counterpoint. 

Meyer lemons come in season in November or December, and I break out this cheesecake as soon as I see them.

This creamy Instant Pot cheesecake with Meyer lemon is the ideal balance of tart and sweet in one dish. It’s our go-to cheesecake for couples—perfect for both New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day!

Update: I’ve updated this post with new photos and instructions for how to make perfect Instant pot cheesecake with a juicy lemon twist. Enjoy!

Pinterest image promoting Instant Pot meyer lemon cheesecake, with a photo of a slice of cheesecake with a drip of lemon curd down the slide and a lemon wedge on top

Making Meyer Lemon Cheesecake in an Instant Pot

Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL

If you haven’t started using your electric pressure cooker for desserts yet, you’re in for a treat! The moist cooking environment is ideal for perfectly cooked cheesecakes, bread pudding, and rice pudding!

Note: I recommend starting with my Instant Pot Cheesecake tutorial post if this is your first pressure cooker cheesecake recipe.

This guide covers everything you need to know about how to make perfect cheesecakes, from how to prepare a simple cookie crust to what size pan to use and how to operate a sling. 

Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake Topping Ideas

My absolute favorite way to top and serve this cheesecake is with a dollop of homemade lemon curd. The flavor is unbelievable!

I like to buy a few extra Meyer lemons when I’m making this cheesecake. Then, I use my lemon curd recipe on Barbara Bakes and simply swap the regular lemon with Meyer. 

Of course, if you’d rather buy your lemon curd, that’s a great option as well. 

If you want a little less lemon zip, there are dozens of delicious ways to top your homemade cheesecake:

lemon cheesecake with slices removed on a blue bakcground

Meyer Lemon vs. Regular Lemon

Wondering what is a meyer lemon? It looks similar to a regular lemon, but it’s darker yellow, a little smaller, rounder, and shinier. 

The biggest difference is in the flavor! 

🍋 While most lemons that you cook with are puckeringly tart and acidic, Meyer lemons are much sweeter. They still have a generous amount of tang, but you’d be much more comfortable eating a slice of raw Meyer lemon than regular lemon. 

And while regular lemons are on supermarket shelves all year long, Meyer lemons are most available from December to April. So take advantage of the season while you can!

whole instant pot meyer lemon cheesecake with lemon curd on top

Why Make Cheesecake in an Instant Pot?

I first started making pressure cooker cheesecakes because it was fun. But there are plenty of reasons to make your cheesecakes in an Instant Pot rather than a regular oven:

  • It’s faster (this cheesecake has a 15-minute cook time!)
  • The moisture inside the pressure cooker makes a super creamy cheesecake that cooks very evenly
  • The cheesecake is much less likely to crack
  • You don’t have to worry about water from a water bath leaking into your crust during baking
instant pot with a slice of lemon cheesecake in front on a plate

Best Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipes

Now that you know how easy and tasty it is to make pressure cooker cheesecake, try these other favorite recipes next:


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slices of instant pot lemon cheesecake with lemon curd on top

Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake

Yield: 1 7-inch Cheesecake
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Tangy Instant Pot Lemon Cheesecake with meyer lemons, a shortbread cookie crust and cream cheese filling is a light, fluffy and tart pressure cooker dessert to love. 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces shortbread cookies (about 10 large shortbread cookies)*
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice**
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest**
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

    1. Prepare a foil sling for lifting the pan out of the pressure cooker by taking an 18” strip of foil and folding it twice lengthwise. Set aside.
    2. Crush the cookies in a Ziploc bag into fine crumbs. Add the butter and toss until well combined. Use your fingers or the bottom of a drinking glass and press crumbs evenly/firmly into the bottom and half way up the sides of a 7-inch springform pan. Put the pan in the freezer until ready to use.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add sour cream, Meyer lemon juice, Meyer lemon zest, and vanilla and blend until combined. Add in eggs one at a time and mix just until combined. Do not overwork the batter.
    4. Pour batter into the springform pan on top of the crust.
    5. Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot and place the trivet in the bottom. Carefully center the filled pan on your foil sling and lower the pan onto the trivet. Fold the foil strips down so that they do not interfere with closing the lid.
    6. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure a 15 minute cook time for a soft and creamy cheesecake or a 25 minute cook time for a more firm, dense cheesecake. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
    7. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool. If there is a little water on top, blot it gently with a paper towel. When the cheesecake is completely cooled, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Notes

Substitute 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5 crackers), 3 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, and 1 tablespoon sugar for a traditional graham cracker crust.

*If you prefer a traditional cheesecake, you can omit the lemon juice and zest and increase the vanilla to 1 teaspoon.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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