Easiest Honey Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a special dessert that has a unique flavor. A mixture of sweet and tart flavors, even the dense consistency makes it notable. If you love cheesecake but are not a master chef (like me) this way of making one make be just right for you. There are many ways to make cheesecake at home and some of them can get rather detailed. But, this easy recipe for cheesecake made with honey is created right in your Instant Pot.
Being a beekeeper, I usually have several jars of honey on hand. One thing I love to do is find ways to use honey in simple recipes. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a beekeeper to appreciate this natural sugar made by bees.
Easy Honey Cheesecake in Instant Pot
One of the most endearing things about cheesecake is it’s versatility. You can enjoy it plain – it’s delicious alone. Got a few berries on hand? Any variety of berry will work well as a topping and some recipes include them in the batter.
Take a basic cheesecake recipe and use your favorite fruits, nuts etc to create a masterpiece that is perfect for your family.
The favorites today are a bit different than the traditional versions of cheesecake made with ricotta cheese. But, we really do love these sweet creamy desserts. If you have an instant pot and have experienced “cheesecake failures”, give this one a try.
Ingredients
One of the most beautiful aspects of this recipe is the simple ingredient list. In addition to a few pantry staples, you only need a couple of key ingredients.
Cream Cheese
Yummy delicious cream cheese makes everything taste better. You can use any brand that you prefer but for this recipe go for the full-fat version.
Your honey cheese cake needs the fat content for the best flavor and texture. If you are concerned about fat and calories – don’t eat the whole thing in one setting (easy to say – I know ).
Sour Cream
Sour cream is one of those ingredients that I think of as the great balancer. When combined with sweet ingredients, the tartness of the sour cream enhances both flavors.
As with the cream cheese – opt for the full fat version. However, if you want to try the reduced fat variety that will work too.
Honey
You may be surprised to learn that there are actually many different varieties of honey. Which is best for your cheesecake recipe?
In most situations, regular wildflower honey with a mild flavor is good for honey sweetened cheesecake. You do not want the honey taste to overwhelmed the other flavors.
Rather, it adds a bit of sweetness and moisture to the cake texture. Stay away from very dark colored honey that tastes strong.
Equipment
These directions are designed to work with an Instant Pot. I was a doubter for a while but this piece of kitchen equipment has been so wonderful for me.
The other thing you need is a pan. Cheesecake is often cooked in smaller pans due to it’s dense consistency. Serving slices are smaller than those for a light cake – such as my honey bee cake.
Springform pans are made of two pieces that are held together with a clamp. The cake bakes in the pan and stays in it until ready to serve.
If you are using your instant pot, it is important to choose a pan that fits down inside the appliance.
I am using a 7.5 inch Springform pan (that is the measurement including the wider ring at the bottom).
It fits – snuggly in my 6 quart Instant Pot. Otherwise, I would have chosen a larger pan and made bigger honey cheesecake 🙂
Putting It All Together
Very little cooking is involved in this recipe. It is rather a matter of melting and assembling things in the proper order. Here is a brief overview.
1. Mix the melted butter with sugar and Graham Cracker crumbs in a small bowl. If you want to make your own crumbs – you will probably need about one sleeve of Graham crackers and a blender or food processor. You want a fine mix of crumbles.
2. The springform pan should be assembled – the bottom wrapped tightly with aluminum foil (to catch any possible leaks) and the inside sprayed with cooking spray. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the room temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the sour cream, flour, honey and vanilla and stir until blended.
Now, add the eggs one at a time. Mixing well on low speed after each egg and use a spatula to push any batter that accumulates on the side of the bowl back down.
4. Remove crust pan from freezer and pour the honey cheesecake batter into the pan. Cover the top with a single sheet of aluminum foil. This keeps water from dripping down on your cake.
Cook for the required time and check to see if the top is set and golden brown. Release pressure and cool according to directions in the recipe card.
Expert Tips:
Instant Pots come with a trivet that will hold a pan up out of the water. The handles would also allow you to lift the pan in and out – but I find that they prevent my pan from sitting flat.
Therefore, I recommend placing the trivet in the Instant Pot – upside down.
Then use 2 long double sheets of aluminum foil to make a foil sling. Sit your covered springform pan on this sling and use it to lower the cakepan in and out of your appliance.
Caution – Instant Pot Seal
My IP is one of the favorite tools in my kitchen. However, it does not take long to learn that those silicone seals absorb odor!!
Most cooks keep several seals – some are used for savory dishes such as stews and others only for sweets.
It is a great idea to have a seal designated for dishes that do not have a lot of aroma. And then be sure to change back after you have finished – otherwise your cheesecake may end up smelling a bit like chicken soup!!
Serve and Store
After cooling in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours, gently remove the walls of the springform pan. If you have a little sticking, use a blunt knife around the edges to help.
Serve plain, or with a fruit topping – don’t forget the whipped cream if you want to get fancy. This homemade blueberry syrup topping is also delicious. And, a simple honey drizzle is never out of place.
Store your honey cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, you can wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze it for a month.
More You Will Enjoy
Now wasn’t that easy – try more recipes that incorporate delicious honey. For Thanksgiving (or anytime you need pie) this recipe for Easy Honey Pumpkin Pie is sure to please a crowd.
Likewise, these cranberry cookies made with honey are a special treat for the holidays. And if you really want to impress them – homemade honey turtle candy with chocolate – need I say more?
Yes, I will – how about a hot honey bee latte to go with that homemade honey cheesecake- okay it would go well with pie or cookies too! 😉
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a 5 star (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) rating in the recipe card below. And, don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.
Easy Honey Cheesecake
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Read my disclosure.Equipment
- 1 Springform Pan (7")
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Honey Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese – Full fat (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)
- 5 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
Instructions
- Assemble the spring form pan. Wrap the outside bottom half of the pan tightly with aluminum foil – to catch any possible leaks. Spray the inside of the pan with no stick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter and combine in a small bowl with cracker crumbs and sugar until the mixture is crumbly.
- Pour crust mixture into the pan. Use your fingers and/or the bottom of a cup to firmly press the crumbs and form a crust across the bottom of the pan and up the sides a short way.
- Place pan with crust in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Add cream cheese to a medium sized mixing bowl and mix until creamy. Add sour cream, honey, vanilla extract and flour to the cream cheese and mix until well blended.
- Add the eggs – one at a time and mix between each one. Be sure to use a spatula to push down any batter that accumulates on the sides of the bowl between adding the eggs.
- Remove crust pan from freezer and pour in the honey cheesecake batter. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the springform pan.
- Put a trivet in the bottom of Instant Pot container and add 2 cups of water. The trivet (placed upside down) should hold the cakepan just above the water surface.Create an aluminum sling with 2 double sheets of aluminum foil – this aids in getting the pan in and out of the Instant Pot.
- Seal pot and set cooker for 40 minutes on manual – high. At the end of the cook time, turn off the Instant Pot. Completely off – do not leave the keep warm setting on. Let it continue to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Then, do a quick release for the rest of the pressure.
- Use foil sling to remove cheesecake pan from Instant Pot and set it on a cooling rack. Unwrap the top foil cover to see the top of the cheesecake, it should look firm – not too jiggly.If it is still rather jiggly, wrap it back up and cook in the instant pot for another 5 minutes.
- Once the cake is done. Unwrap the foil and place the pan on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 6 hours). Do not remove it from the springform pan until the next day when you are ready to serve.