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Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana Instant Pot Cheesecake | Easy Idea to Use Up Halloween Candy | Jeffrey Eisner
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Blogger Jeffrey Eisner of "Pressure Luck Cooking" shares a version of his Instant Pot Cheesecake here, which he created for his new book, The Simple Comforts Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook, out in April 2022. It's perfect for Halloween since you can use your favorite trick-or-treat candies!
Pro Tips from Jeffrey: It's important that the cream cheese is at room temperature, so let it sit on the counter for at least 3 hours. The eggs must also be at room temp. The baked cake needs to cool for at least 6 to 8 hours (overnight is ideal) before finishing the recipe, so plan accordingly.
For more Instant Pot recipes from Jeffrey, check out his Instant Pot "Roasted Garlic" and Instant Pot Meatloaf + Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
- Two 8-ounce bricks cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- One 3.4-ounce package banana instant pudding mix
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 Reese’s peanut butter cups, halved
- ½ cup chocolate candies of your choice (about the size of M&Ms, or various candy bars crushed or sliced into bite-sized chunks), plus more for topping
- Chocolate spread or chocolate-hazelnut spread of your choice
Yield
Serves: Makes one 7-inch cheesecake
Preparation
Grease a 7 x 3-inch springform pan very well with butter. Line with a 7-inch parchment round and butter the top of the parchment paper as well.
Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, crushed peanuts and melted butter and transfer to the greased pan. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten the crumbs so they make an even crust on the bottom that climbs halfway up the sides of the pan. Pop in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a strong hand mixer, make the batter by mixing together the cream cheese and peanut butter on low speed until no lumps remain. While the mixer is running, add in this order: the sugar, flour, pudding mix, vanilla and eggs (one at a time). Keep mixing on low speed until no lumps remain and it’s a very thick, yet smooth frosting-like consistency, about 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the freezer. Use a silicone spatula to place enough batter into it so the bottom crust is totally covered and it comes to about halfway up the pan. Add 6 of the peanut butter cup halves, arranging them in random spots and filling the gaps with the candy bits of your choice. Place the remaining batter on top (it’s okay if you have some leftover) and smooth with a spatula. Cover the pan with aluminum foil (making sure it doesn't touch the batter) and place on the Instant Pot trivet.
Add 2 cups water to the Instant Pot. Carefully lower the trivet with the pan resting on it into the pot. Secure the lid and move the valve to the sealing position. Hit Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 60 minutes. When done, allow a full natural release, which will take about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the pan from the Instant Pot and remove the foil (the cake should be slightly jiggly when it comes out). Let rest on the counter to cool for 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours, or ideally, overnight, to firm up. (Do NOT skip this step.)
Once cooled and ready to serve, take a sharp knife and glide it in between the inside of the pan and the edge of the cheesecake, then slowly open the latch of the springform pan to release it.
Gently frost the entire top of the cheesecake with the spread. Place the remaining peanut butter cup halves on top (flat-side down) for decoration, along with any additional candies you wish. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to slightly soften before serving. Keep any leftovers refrigerated.