Instant Pot Amaretto Cheesecake

Who doesn't love chocolate and amaretto? Add in a luscious cheesecake, and you have a dessert straight out of heaven. This Instant Pot Amaretto Cheesecake is so simple and delicious, you just might be making cheesecake every day. 

Amaretto in my Cheesecake?

If you've ever had beer-batter onion rings or fondue made with a wine or beer base, you know that just a little bit of alcohol can take a recipe to a whole new level.

Don't worry. Like most dishes that use alcohol as an ingredient, the alcohol will mostly evaporate during the cooking process, leaving just the delicious flavor behind.

You won't be getting drunk off this amaretto cheesecake!

What is Amaretto?

Amaretto is an Italian liqueur, originating from Saronno, Italy. It is traditionally made from bitter almonds, giving it a sweet and slightly bitter flavor.

Amaretto can be consumed on its own, or added to recipes and cocktails. It's quite popular as a flavorful addition to a cup of hot coffee!

I find the slightly bitter flavor to be a perfect match for the creamy cheesecake and rich chocolate in this Instant Pot Amaretto Cheesecake.

Making an Instant Pot Cheesecake

Although this cheesecake is made in an Instant Pot, it sadly won't be done in an instant.

Because it will come out of the Instant Pot at a high temperature, the cheesecake still needs to be cooled in the fridge overnight.

But I promise the wait is worth it!

Let's make Amaretto Cheesecake!

First, start with the right equipment. You're going to need a large bowl for mixing, but you'll also need a 7-inch springform pan. We'll get to that in a second.

Start by processing the wafer cookies in a food processor (or a blender if you don't have a food processor).

If you do have a food processor, after the wafer cookies are processed, add the remaining crust ingredients to the food processor and process.

If you used a blender, you can add the crust ingredients to a big bowl and mix the ingredients.

Then get out your nonstick cooking spray and spray your springform pan before you put any of the crust in.

Next, you're going to add your crust mixture to the springform pan and pat it down into the bottom of the pan.

And now it's time to prepare the filling. In your big bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until its smooth.

Once it's that silky texture, add the eggs and whipping cream, and beat it for three minutes on medium speed. I suggest using a hand-held mixer.

Then finally, it's time for the rest of your ingredients. Add the amaretto, cocoa, flour, and vanilla, and beat it smooth for one minute. Then you can stir in the semi-sweet chocolate morsels.

By the time you add the time you add the chocolate chips, your cheesecake base should be a beautiful caramel chocolate color.

If you want to get a little more creative (maybe the second time you make this amaretto cheesecake?), you can add cranberries or toffee.

Stir in the chocolate morsels well, and then pour the mixture into the 7-inch spring-form pan, and then set the pan aside.

Now it's time to use that Instant Pot!

Pour one cup of water into the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Then make a sling out of aluminum foil, and use it to lower the cheesecake (in the 7-inch springform pan) into the Instant Pot.

Then you'll have to be a little creative and find a way to tuck in the sides of the aluminum foil sling so that they're lower or even with the springform pan.

Now seal the Instant Pot lid. Set it for 28 minutes on high pressure. When it's done, do a natural pressure release, which should take around 15 minutes.

At this point, carefully remove the cheesecake from the pressure cooker using the sling. I'd suggest using tongs to get ahold of the sides of the sling, and then using pot holders to help.

Then set your amaretto cheesecake to cool on a cooling rack for an hour. Once it's cooled, you can put it in the refrigerator to cool overnight.

And the next day, you better be prepared for an explosion of delicious flavors!