Instant Pot Caramel Apple Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake: Get Your Autumn On!
A cheesecake can’t be baked in an Instant Pot you say? “Au contraire;” read on!
The Mountaintop Kitchen’s no-bake crust version of this cheesecake offers a smooth, spiced pumpkin filling with a rich caramel apple pecan topping, all prepared in the Instant Pot.
Does the smell of pumpkin pie, spices, and baking apples bring back fond memories of your grandma’s kitchen? It does for us! Introducing the Mountaintop Kitchen’s take on the smells from grandma’s kitchen, Caramel Apple Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake, a dessert that truly captures the spirit of fall. Picture this: a buttery spiced cookie crust, topped with creamy pumpkin cheesecake that’s perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg. But that’s just the beginning. On top, you’ve got tender, caramelized Granny Smith apples, crunchy pecans, and a drizzle of rich homemade caramel sauce. It’s sweet, it’s tangy, it’s got warmth, and a perfect contrast of textures. This cheesecake brings together the best of autumn flavors—apples, pumpkin, pecans—and delivers a dessert experience that’s both familiar and unforgettable. Whether for a special occasion or a cozy night in, this cheesecake is a showstopper you’ll crave again and again. Oh, and you’ll make a lot of new friends and keep old ones!
Oh, and guess what? The pumpkin cheesecake is baked in your Instant Pot. That’s right Dorothy! Let’s bake!
On Measuring Ingredients: My preferred method of measuring is weight by grams. Baking by volume rather than weight can lead to varied and unexpected results. Flour is especially problematic when measured by volume (sifted, not sifted, spooned, not spooned, fluffed or not … you get the point). Grams are always the same; they are your friend as a baker. King Arthur Baking Company’s Ingredients Weight Chart is helpful for converting recipe weights.
On Altitude Adjustments: Before measuring ingredients, preheating your oven, or setting your timer; it’s important to consider any necessary adjustments for baking at higher altitudes, which is generally considered to be 3,500ft and above. Most recipes are written for sea level up to 3,500ft. Take at look at our baking at High-Altitude Baking Adjustments page for guidance.
Note: Since this cheesecake is baked by high-pressure steam in an enclosed Instant Pot, elevation will not play a significant role that requires adjusting the recipe.
Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients with typical descriptions to help you choose the best options for this cheesecake.
Crust
Cookies: Speculoos biscuits (This recipe used Biscoff Lotus cookies), Digestives, or Graham Crackers, finely ground. Speculoos or Biscoff cookies offer a warm, spiced flavor. Graham crackers or Digestive biscuits provide a slightly different texture, with honey or wheat undertones.
Unsalted butter, melted: Unsalted butter adds richness without additional salt. European-style butter can provide an extra creamy flavor.
Coarse or sea salt: Sea salt or kosher salt brings out the sweetness in the crust and adds a subtle contrast.
Brown sugar (azúcar mascabado): Light brown sugar adds a gentle sweetness along with a hint of molasses, helping the crust bind together.
Cheesecake Batter
Cream cheese, room temperature: Full-fat cream cheese ensures a rich and creamy texture for the cheesecake.
Large eggs, room temperature: Room-temperature eggs mix more easily into the batter, creating a smooth texture.
White sugar (granulated or caster): White sugar sweetens the cheesecake while maintaining a smooth texture.
Sour cream, room temperature: Full-fat sour cream adds creaminess and a slight tang, balancing the richness of the cream cheese.
Pumpkin puree, room temperature: Pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) adds moisture and a mild pumpkin flavor.
Pumpkin spice: A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, pumpkin spice provides warm autumnal flavors to the cheesecake.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch stabilizes the cheesecake and helps create a smooth, firm texture.
Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract enhances the flavor with a subtle sweetness and aromatic depth.
Sea salt: A small amount of salt balances the sweetness and intensifies the flavor of the cheesecake.
Apple Topping
Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped: Granny Smith apples are tart and firm, making them ideal for cooking as they hold their shape well.
Lemon juice: Lemon juice prevents the apples from browning and adds a touch of acidity to balance the sweetness.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the apple mixture, giving the topping a glossy finish.
Unsalted butter: Butter adds richness to the apple topping, helping to sauté and soften the apples.
Chopped pecans (optional but recommended): Pecans add a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the topping. We toasted our before chopping (optional).
Light brown sugar (azúcar mascabado): Light brown sugar sweetens the apples and contributes a caramel-like depth due to its molasses content.
White sugar (granulated or caster): White sugar adds extra sweetness to balance the tartness of the apples.
Ground cinnamon: Ground cinnamon provides a warm, spicy note that complements the apples.
Ground ginger, clove, nutmeg, and sea salt: Ginger, clove, and nutmeg add additional warmth and spice, while salt enhances the overall flavor of the topping.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the sweetness and rounds out the flavors in the apple topping.
Caramel Sauce
White sugar (granulated or caster): White sugar is used to create the caramel base, providing sweetness and a rich golden color once caramelized.
Double cream: Double cream, heavy cream, or whipping cream adds richness to the caramel, creating a smooth and luxurious texture.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds a fragrant sweetness that complements the caramel’s deep flavor.
Water: Water helps dissolve the sugar for a smooth caramelization process.
For Serving
Whipped cream or ice cream (optional): Fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream adds a light, creamy contrast to the rich and spiced cheesecake.
This ingredient list includes typical product descriptions to ensure a flavorful and perfectly textured cheesecake.
Crust
120g speculoos biscuits (Lotus Biscoff), Digestives, or Graham Crackers, finely ground
3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted
2 pinches coarse or sea salt
3 tsp to 1 tablespoon (13g - 19g) brown sugar (adjust for desired sweetness)
Cheesecake Batter
16 ounces (454g) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs (100g-110g), room temperature
⅔ cup (133g) white sugar
½ cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree, room temperature
½ teaspoon pumpkin spice (blend of cinnamon, clove, ginger, & nutmeg)
2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
2 pinches sea salt
Apple Topping
3 Granny Smith apples (about 21 ounces), peeled, cored, and chopped into ⅓” thick pieces
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or salted, omit additional salt)
⅓ cup chopped pecans (optional but recommended)
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp EACH ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For Serving
⅓ cup caramel sauce (see below for recipe)
Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)
Caramel Sauce
175g sugar
175g double cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
75g water
To Prepare the Crust: Mix the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the 120g of finely ground biscuits, melted butter, salt, and brown sugar. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Press and freeze: Press the mixture into the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set while preparing the cheesecake batter. When using an Instant Pot to bake a cheesecake, 7 inches is the largest pan size that will fit.
To Prepare the Cheesecake Batter: Beat the cream cheese: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add sugar and cornstarch: Gradually mix in the sugar and cornstarch, and beat until combined.
Add eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
Incorporate pumpkin and spices: Mix in the sour cream, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, and sea salt until the batter is smooth.
Pour into the pan: Pour the batter over the chilled crust, smoothing the top.
To Cook the Cheesecake in the Instant Pot: Prepare the Instant Pot: Add 1 cup (240ml) of water to the Instant Pot. Place the cheesecake on a trivet with handles, and carefully lower it into the pot.
Pressure cook: Close the lid, seal the vent, and cook on high pressure for 33 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
Chill the cheesecake: Remove the cheesecake from the pot, and let it cool to room temperature before transferring it to the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
To Prepare the Apple Topping: Cook the apples: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped apples, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cook until the apples are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Thicken the topping: Stir in the cornstarch and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract and chopped pecans (if using).
Cool: Let the topping cool slightly before adding it to the cheesecake.
To Prepare the Caramel Sauce: Heat the sugar and water: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat without stirring until the sugar turns a deep amber color.
Add the cream and vanilla: Carefully whisk in the double cream and vanilla extract (the mixture will bubble vigorously). Continue to cook until smooth, then remove from heat.
Cool: Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.
To Assemble and Serve: Top the cheesecake: Spoon the apple topping over the chilled cheesecake.
Drizzle with caramel sauce: Drizzle with caramel sauce just before serving, or offer it on the side.
Serve: Slice and serve with whipped cream or ice cream for an extra indulgent treat.
Enjoy your Caramel Apple Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake, an easy and delicious fall dessert!
Equipment (Disclosure: Items below include affiliate links with Amazon USA. You pay the regular price, and I get a small commission.) I only recommend products that I own myself and know to be excellent quality. I often get asked on social media sites about my kitchen tools, so here are most of them used to make this recipe.
Instant Pot (Everyone needs an Instant Pot: cheesecakes. stews, yoghurt, rice, meats, soups, and the list goes on.
Cuisinart food processor (You can also just smash the cookies for the crust in a ziplock bag, but a food processor does the work for you.)
Wooden cake pedestal (You can find many great kitchen goodies at Bed, Bath and Beyond.)
7” springform pan (This is a great pan for smaller cakes and cheesecakes. You can also use a 9-inch springform pan, but the pie will not be as tall.)
Mixing bowls (I like this oven-proof glass set of 10 for mixing and portioning out ingredients.)
Stand mixer (An electric hand mixer can also be used.)
Cordless electric hand mixer (This is a handy mixer for these smaller bakes.)
Kitchen scale (Ingredients should be weighed rather than relying on volume.)
Silicon oven mitts (I’ve burned my hands too many times with cloth mitts.)
Whisk (This is a standard for combining dry ingredients.)
Silicone spatula set (These are great for loading your piping bag with frosting and other tasks.)
Wire cooling rack (Every kitchen needs at least two.)
Thanks for stopping by the Mountaintop Kitchen today! — Frank (The Mountaintop Baker)
I want that apple and caramel sauce over perfectly plain graham crackers, porfa. Okay, so perfectly plain graham crackers appear to be scare, so I'll just settle for eating the apple and caramel sauce straight up.