Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Name: Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 5.5 Ounces Vanilla Wafers; ¼ Cup Sugar (White); ¼ Sugar (Brown); 6 Tablespoons Butter (Salted-Melted); Pinch Salt; 24 Ounces Cream Cheese (Room Temperature); ¾ Cup Sugar (White); 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest (Zest of one lemon); 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or Extract); 3 Eggs; 8 Egg Yolks; 2 Lemons (Juice and Zest); 4 Tablespoons Butter (Salted); ½ Cup Sugar (White); 4 Egg Whites; ½ Cup Sugar (White); ½ Teaspoon Corn Starch; ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or Extract)

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Check out my recipe for making Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake!

My all-time favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie and thought…hmmmm can I make that in the Instant Pot? And out came this recipe for Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake! My grandma used to make it for every single holiday. She used to use a recipe that came on the back of a corn starch container from probably 50 years ago (at least!). It was always such a treat to have lemon meringue pie and boy did I look forward to it. I made my first lemon meringue pie probably 15 years ago.

This recipe was made using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker 11 in 1, 8 Qt with Air Fryer, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate and More

Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake

I searched and searched for a recipe on the back of a cornstarch container and could not find one! Luckily, I came across one that was very similar to my grandma's version. There's something so wonderfully refreshing about the combination of the tart lemony goodness mixed with the creamy meringue topping. It's so good!

A couple of years ago I went to one of my favorite cheesecake restaurants and was pleasantly surprised to find that they started making cheesecake with lemon and meringue topping. The meringue was even browned on the top! OMG! Could this be true? Could there be a pairing of two of the best desserts? Say it isn't so!! It was true and let me tell you, I was hooked after the first bite.

I thought I would give it a shot and I'm so glad to say that it came out just as good as I had imagined it would! The creaminess of the cheesecake mixed with the tartness of the lemon curd topping was everything that I had dreamt it would be!

Fun fact for you....When I was a kid I went to Baker's Square with my dad and the guy next to us ordered a lemon MERINQUE pie. The person at the counter wasn't sure what that was so the man just kept saying MERINQUE, MERINQUE. To this day, that memory still makes me laugh.

Tips for making Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Do the ingredients need to be at a specific temperature when making cheesecake?

Yes! When making cheesecake, it is essential to have the ingredients, especially the cream cheese, at room temperature. If you make a cheesecake with cold ingredients, it will not mix well and will be very lumpy.

What can be used instead of lemon juice in cheesecake?

You can use lime juice or orange juice instead of lemon juice in a cheesecake. However, the flavor will change. Instead of having a lemon meringue cheesecake, you would have something closer to a key lime cheesecake or a creamsicle cheesecake. Which doesn't sound so bad!

What gives cheesecake its flavor?

Cheesecake gets its flavor from cream cheese. Cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and usually vanilla are the main base ingredients in cheesecake. While the cheesecake is sweet, the cream cheese balances out the sweetness and provides a mild, creamy, and sometimes tangy flavor.

How do you use an Instant Pot springform pan?

When using a springform pan in an Instant Pot, make sure the springform is closed, fill the pan with your ingredients, cover the entire pan with foil, place a trivet or roasting rack in the bottom of the pressure cooking pot, use a sling to lift the springform in and out of the pot, and depending on the recipe, you'll likely need to add a cup or two of water.

How do you get a springform pan out of an Instant Pot?

The best way to get a springform pan in and out of an Instant Pot is to use a silicone sling. If you don't have a silicone sling, you can make one out of foil by folding two 18-inch strips of foil in thirds lengthwise. You'll have 2 18-inch long by about 3-inch wide strips of foil. Cradle the springform pan with the foil straps and use that to lower and raise the springform into and out of the Instant Pot. Leave the sling in the Instant Pot while your dish is cooking.

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Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake:

The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Vanilla Wafers- Any vanilla or lemon flavored cookies can be used instead of vanilla wafers. You can even use graham cracker crumbs instead. But, the vanilla crust adds a nice flavor.

Sugar (White)

Sugar (Brown)

Butter- You will need melted butter for teh crust and room temperature or cold butter for the lemon curd.

Salt

Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)

Vanilla Bean Paste- I prefer to use vanilla bean paste whenever I need vanilla because it adds richness, a little bit of texture, and color. But if you prefer, you can use vanilla extract instead.

Eggs- When you are separating the eggs for the lemon curd or meringue, make sure that you save and set aside the rest of the eggs. You will need both the whites and the yolks for different parts of this recipe.

Lemons- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. You will be using the juice and zest of the lemons, so fresh is best.

Corn Starch

Directions for Instant Pot Lemon Meringue Cheesecake:

Make the crust:
1. Combine all crust ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture becomes the consistency of damp sand.

2. Pour the crust ingredients into a 7-inch springform pan. Be sure to pat down the crust using a spatula or spoonula. The crust should cover the entire bottom of the pan and about an inch of the side of the pan.

Make the cheesecake filling:
1. Clean out your blender. You're going to use it again. 🙂

2. Combine all of the cheesecake filling ingredients in a blender and blend just until fully combined. Do not over-mix. The more you mix the cheesecake filling, the more air that will get added. The more air, the fluffier the cheesecake will be. I was looking for a denser cheesecake so I made sure to only blend until combined. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan and cover the top, bottom, and sides with foil. If you have added too much air to the cheesecake, tap the filled pan on the counter to eliminate some of the extra air.

Bake the cheesecake:
1. Place the trivet into the Instant Pot along with 2 cups of water.

2. Place the springform pan into your pressure cooker sling. If you don't have a sling, you can make a foil-sling by folding strips of foil and cradling your pan in and out of the Instant Pot.

3. Gently place the sling into the Instant Pot and on top of the trivet/roasting rack. You want the pan to sit above the water.

4. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.

5. Once the timer beeps, let the pressure natural release for 25 minutes.

6. Release remaining steam and open lid.

7. Gently remove the sling and cheesecake from the Instant Pot.

8. Using a knife, gently release the cheesecake from the edge of the pan. You just want to make sure that it doesn't stick once it's cooled.

9. Cool on the counter for about an hour and then place in the refrigerator. Cool cheesecake for at least 2 hours.

Make lemon curd:
1. While you can do the lemon and meringue step in the Instant Pot, I found that it's quicker and easier to just do it on the stove while the cheesecake is cooking and cooling.

2. Combine all of the lemon curd ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Be sure to set aside the egg whites as you will use them for the meringue.

3. Stir continuously until the lemon curd thickens to a pudding like consistency- abut 170 degrees if measured by a thermometer. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a whisk constantly. The lemon curd should take about 10 minutes to thicken. Once thickened to the proper consistency, remove from the heat.

4. Place lemon curd in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Make the meringue topping:
1. Combine the meringue ingredients in a stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk ingredients together on high until stiff peaks form. This should take about 5 minutes.

Assemble Lemon Meringue Cheesecake:
1. Pour the lemon curd on top of the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan.

3. Using a piping bag and tip, pipe meringue liberally on top of lemon curd topping. If you don't have a piping bag, you can spread meringue on top with a spatula or a knife.

4. Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch or in your oven's broiler. If you broil, be sure to watch it. It should only take a couple of minutes. You want the peaks to turn a golden brown.

5. It's time to enjoy your wonderful, beautiful, lemon meringue cheesecake!!