With just seven carbs per serving, this keto-friendly cheesecake has a gluten-free almond crust and cooks perfectly in an Instant Pot in just 30 minutes. You can also use the same recipe to make cupcake size servings in silicone muffin liners.
For more low-carb desserts, also see Vanilla-Vanilla Keto Ice Cream and Low-Carb Keto Waffles.
Easy Low-Carb Keto Cooking
This low-carb cheesecake recipe is easy to make and cooks perfectly in the Instant Pot. If you are curious about cooking with an Instant Pot, keep reading for my experience and what I chose.
With just seven carbs per servingโmainly from the crustโthis cheesecake is a delicious occasional treat not just for those of us who follow a keto food plan but anyone (like my husband) who loves a plain, beautiful slice of cheesecake. Or more.
To keep the carbs down, the recipe uses Erythritol. This is a sugar alternative made from fermented corn or cornstarch. I will leave it to you to research its impact on blood sugar and insulin levels since new studies are ongoing. Stevia and monkfruit are other popular options in the keto community.
You could bake this in the oven but the Instant Pot cooks it so perfectly every time that I have not tried any other way. Plus, I’m rather obsessed with this new cooking machine.
After making the recipe many times, I have also adapted it for individual servings using silicone baking cups for making muffins and an Instant Pot steamer basket. See the notes in the recipe below for details.
Getting Started With Instant Pot Cooking
When Instant Pots (Amazon) came on the market, I was not interested in getting one, always wary of new trends that come and go, leaving us with some silly gadget that ends up gathering dust on a thrift store shelf.
I try to keep my kitchen supplies quite minimal, sticking with long-lasting, good quality items we use every day and adapting rather than owning a gizmo for every occasion.
But, unlike the pressure cookers of my childhood which seemed rather intimidating, the Instant Pot kept growing its fan base and my skepticism started to fade.
What grabbed me was not just reliable cooking results but how multi-functional they are: Instant Pots are real multi-taskers.
Yes, you can pressure cook but there are countless other uses including a slow-cooker (crock pot), rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sautรฉ and searing pan, warming pot, and, of course, cheesecake maker.
That’s a whole lot of options from one gadget.
But I still held off getting one.
Meanwhile, air fryers started the flooding the market and I was intrigued.
As someone who follows a keto (low-carb) diet and avoids fried foods, it seemed too good to be true: enjoy the fried food experience without the negatives of fried foods (mainly the oils used). Hello, zucchini fries!
New appliance temptation started to creep in.
But what to get: an air fryer or an Instant Pot?
Then the Instant Pot brand came out with the all-in-one combination Instant Pot and Air Fryer and that was it. I had to try it. They had me at combo.
One appliance: a whole bunch of uses. And you can make appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
It’s been a few weeks now since I got it and I’ve used it every single day. It is just so versatile that I keep thinking of new food ideas to experiment with.
And, as we head into soup season, there are a whole bunch more recipes to explore.
So, if you’re on the fence about getting one, you know my vote. It’s fun, easy to use, does the work of several other kitchen appliances, and there are zillions of recipes out thereโmine are keto of course, but anything goes.
Instant Pot Accessories
If you do get an Instant Pot Duo Crisp, you may also want an accessory kit.
There are all sorts of them on the market.
I got one that included a springform pan in the right size to fit in the Instant Pot (7-inch diameter), as well as trivets which allow you to layer your cooking (cook two layers of food at once), vegetable steamer baskets, egg cookers, silicone pot holders, and a few other itemsโall for much less than they cost individually.
Want to get more use out of your Instant Pot?
This shows how to germinate seeds in an Instant Pot.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt โ
Easy Keto Cheesecake in the Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup Almond flour blanched
- 1/4 cup Coconut unsweetened, shredded
- 1 tablespoon Erythritol powdered not granular
- 1/4 cup Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon optional
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces Cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 2/3 cup Erythritol powdered not granular
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 large Eggs whisked
Instructions
Crust
- Spray pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.3/4 cup Almond flour, 1/4 cup Coconut, 1 tablespoon Erythritol, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- Stir melted butter into dry mixture until combined.1/4 cup Butter
- Pour mixture into springform pan and press into place.
- Chill in freezer until filling is ready.
Cheesecake Filling
- Mix room temperature cream cheese until lumps disappear.16 ounces Cream cheese
- Blend in Erythritol until combined.2/3 cup Erythritol
- Add lemon juice and vanilla extract.2 teaspoons Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Add whisked eggs until combined.2 large Eggs
- Pour cheesecake filling onto crust in springform pan and smooth out with spatula.
Cook in Instant Pot
- Add 1.5 cups water to Instant Pot inner pot.
- Place springform pan on a trivet in the inner pot.
- Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- At end of cook time, do not open Instant Pot: leave everything for 30 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally.
- Remove pan from Instant Pot and let cheesecake sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Cover springform pan and chill cheesecake in fridge for 8 hours.
- Serve.
- Store up to 5 days in fridge.
Notes
- Use silicone baking cups to create individual cheesecakes.
- I use medium-sized cups and the recipe makes approximately 12 servings.ย
- Press a heaping tablespoon of crust mixture into bottom of each baking cup.
- Fill with cheesecake mixture.
- Add 1.5 cups water to Instant Pot.ย
- Insert steam rack trivet. This will hold the steamer basket up above the water.
- Place filled baking cups into Instant Pot steamer basket. My steamer basket holds six baking cups. I cook the recipe in two batches.ย
- Place steamer basket on trivet in Instant Pot.ย ย
- Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes and leave on Lo for another 10 minutes before removing from Instant Pot.
- Allow to cool and then store in fridge.ย
- For firm, creamy texture, serve after refrigerating for a few hours or more.