Instant Pot Lime Cheesecake

Instant pot lime cheesecake is tangy, creamy and light. Piled high with a toasted meringue topping, this is the ultimate dessert.

I honestly don’t use my instant pot that often, but recently I’ve discovered how well they bake cheesecakes. Cheesecake from the instant pot comes out super creamy. It doesn’t get the heavy, mealy texture that sometimes happens in the oven.

While I do enjoy a good chocolate cheesecake, I actually prefer desserts that are a bit lighter and on the tangy side of things. And this lime cheesecake ticks both of those boxes.

The fluffy, toasted meringue on this lime cheesecake helps to balance the flavours, (and makes the cake super pretty!) and the graham cookie crust adds a bit of crunch. If you don’t like meringue, you can leave it off, or even substitute with whipped cream.

How to make Instant Pot Lime Cheesecake

This cheesecake comes together with just a few simple steps.

• Mix the graham cookie crumbs and butter. Press the crust into a 7-inch springform pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
• Place crust in the freezer while making the filling
• Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy
• Add the sugar and mix to combine
• Add eggs, and egg yolk one at a time, mixing between each. Blend just until mixed!
• Stir in the lime juice and zest
• Add the cornstarch and mix just until combined
• Gently pour the filling into the springform pan
• Add 1.5 Cups water to the instant pot
• Cover the entire cake with aluminum foil
• Place cake on the trivet and lower into the pot
• Set the pot to high pressure for 53 minutes. Once timer is complete, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes then turn the valve to release remaining pressure.

After the pressure has finished releasing, lift the cake from the pot and remove the foil. Set on a cooling rack for half an hour, then place in the refrigerator to finish setting. Allow to set a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight.

How to make meringue

To make the meringue, whip the egg whites and cream of tarter until peaks begin to form, then add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks.

You can place the meringue on the cake and swirl with a knife, or use a piping bag to pipe the meringue onto the cake.

With a baker’s torch, lightly toast the meringue being careful not to burn it.

Do I need to cook meringue?

You may be wondering about the safety of eating meringue that isn’t fully cooked. While you may be concerned about the raw egg whites, if you are in Canada or the United States, eggs that you buy from a supermarket are cleaned and pasteurized.

Nowadays, it isn’t all that common to get sick from consuming raw eggs, so long as you are buying them from a grocery store.

However, if you are concerned, you can use pasteurized egg whites from a carton (which are pasteurized at a higher temperature than whole eggs). Alternatively, you can place all of the ingredients in a double boiler and heat while whisking until it reached 160 degrees, then transfer to a bowl or stand mixer and beat until it holds stiff peaks.

Things to know & helpful tips:

• Do I need to refrigerate cheesecake? Yes. Cheesecake should be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese filling.
• Can I freeze cheesecake? Yes, you can! Cheesecake will hold up well in the freezer for several months if wrapped tightly. If you want to freeze this lime cheesecake, you will want to freeze it without the meringue and add the meringue before serving.
• Can I use lemons instead of limes? Absolutely! This would be great with lemons.
• Is cheesecake gluten free? The filling for this cheesecake is gluten free. You could easily make this fully gluten free by using gluten free graham cracker crumbs.
• Can I substitute something for the graham crackers? Sure. Great options would be crushed pretzels, chocolate cookie crumbs, or crushed vanilla cookies.
• Why did my cheesecake puff up so much? Cheesecakes that puff up are usually a result from over mixing the filling. When you over mix the cream cheese and egg mixture you introduce air into the batter which expands while cooking. This results in a soufflé like texture, rather the creamy cheesecake texture you are after.

Other recipes you might like

Instant pot peanut butter cup cheesecake

Old fashioned lemon squares

Coconut lemon tarts

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