This Instant Pot German Chocolate Cheesecake just might be the most heavenly dessert to ever grace your pressure cooker! Creamy smooth chocolate cheesecake, topped with a sweet coconut pecan frosting, and drizzled with dark chocolate ganache.
Dear mama, I know you weren't much of a dessert fan when I was a kid. I never saw you hiding in the pantry with chocolate chips, or swooning over extravagant layered cakes, or even eating a nightly bowl of ice cream (wait a sec, where DID I learn that?).
But one thing I know for sure, “Mom's birthday” meant “German Chocolate Cake” every single time.
Despite my youthful dislike of pecans and coconut, we enjoyed it year after year. As I got older and discovered that you could actually make a cake without using a box, I would spoil you with double – sometimes triple – layered versions of this magnificent cake.
Most of the time they were dry, sloppy, collapsing, etc, but the site of a German Chocolate Cake meant it was a very special day indeed.
Well mama, I've outdone myself yet again, because moms like you deserve the very best and the very best is not dry, crooked, or bland. Oh no, it's creamy, smooth, decadent, and tear-worthy. Dear mother, this German Chocolate Cheesecake is for you.
WHY YOU AND MY MOM WILL LOVE THIS GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
- Crunchy, buttery oreo crust, rich chocolate cheesecake, homemade silky coconut pecan frosting, dark chocolate ganache drizzle, and, what the heck, a shower of chocolate shavings to make it look pro.
- This cheesecake puts the German Chocolate Cake to shame. This is a whole new level of this cake and you will never eat a dry slice of that other cake again without being terribly disappointed.
- Life is always better with chocolate on top of chocolate, and then topped with chocolate, and more chocolate with some heart-healthy coconut flakes to make us strong
HOW TO MAKE GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE IN THE INSTANT POT
Note: This movie is longer than most because I wanted to show in greater detail the process of making a cheesecake in the pressure cooker, plus a good demo of how to make the frosting and a standard ganache.
- Prepare the crust and place it in the freezer
- Cream sugar and cream cheese together until smooth
- Add salt, vanilla, and cocoa powder
- Stir in the eggs – gently
- Stir in melted chocolate
- Pour over the oreo crust and cook until the center jiggles very slightly
- Cool, then chill in the refrigerator
- Prepare the Coconut Pecan Frosting
- Top the cheesecake
- Prepare the ganache, chill slightly, then drizzle over the cake
- Top with chocolate shavings
- Serve!
Oh, my friends. This cheesecake is truly magical. The oohs and ahhs could be heard for miles as I shared this with my neighbors.
Well, technically the “oohs and ahhs” were my phone blowing up with text messages saying things like,
- “You are the Master of Chocolate”
- “My diet hates you, my mouth loves you”
- “I just got my Instant Pot out of the box. I need this recipe now!”
I think we all owe my mom a big thanks for this baby.
Thank you mama for being a solo parent that showed your 6 kids what hard work and a perfectionist's eye could create. Thank you for being our rock even when it was tiring, for expecting more of us, and always, always being there to listen, guide, and direct us down the best paths. Life hasn't been easy for you, but you've created a legacy that will praise your name for many, many years.
Oh, and thanks for insisting on German Chocolate Cake for your birthday every single year even though the majority of us gagged over the frosting. The world wouldn’t know this German Chocolate Cheesecake without you.
Enjoy this cake everyone! Make it for someone you love and tell them it was inspired by a warrior.
EXTRA TIDBITS
WHAT IS GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE? IS IT ACTUALLY GERMAN?
All my research says that's a big “NO.” This cake did not originate in Germany. The short version of the story is that an English-American named Samuel German created a dark baking chocolate for the Baker's Chocolate Company. Later, a recipe for German's Chocolate Cake (notice the possessive form of German's) appeared in The Dallas Morning News in 1957 and made “German's Chocolate” very popular.
The cake is now known as German Chocolate Cake, making it appear that it may have some German origin. If you'd like the full details, you can read more about it here.
COCONUT PECAN FROSTING – THE BEST RECIPE!
I never thought there was one thing wrong with the tub of Betty Crocker Coconut Pecan Frosting until I made the homemade version. Oh my goodness, use that canned stuff to hang wallpaper and make the good stuff RIGHT NOW!
My wonderful mother in law is an incredible cook and I've learned some amazing recipes from eating at her dinner table. The frosting recipe below comes straight from her kitchen and you are going to be shocked at how simple and amazing it is. Don't skimp here!
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
A ganache is an easy way to take a dessert to a higher level and it's literally 2 ingredients: chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and heavy cream. That's it!
Put your chocolate in a bowl, heat the cream in the microwave or on the stovetop, pour it over the chocolate, wait a few minutes, then whisk until shiny and smooth.
I like to chill mine a bit for this German Chocolate Cheesecake so it doesn't run everywhere, but for other cakes, that smooth layer of ganache over the top and dripping down the sides is the exact effect you're going for. In that case, you want it a bit more runny.
MORE INSTANT POT CHEESECAKES TO ENJOY
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Funfetti Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake
- Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
- Blue Cheese Cheesecake (Savory!)
TOOLS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
- Instant Pot
- Hand Mixer
- 7 inch Springform Pan
Instant Pot German Chocolate Cheesecake
Sweet chocolate cheesecake topped with coconut pecan frosting and drizzled with a dark chocolate ganache, this Instant Pot German Chocolate Cheesecake is a shining star in the cheesecake world!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 oz German or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled until just slightly warm
For the Coconut Pecan Frosting
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅔ cup flaked coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Spray a 7 inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Optional: Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal of the cake once it’s done.
- Stir cookie crumbs and melted butter together and press evenly across the bottom and one third of the way up the sides of the pan. Place in the freezer to set while you make the cheesecake filling.
- To make cheesecake filling: Cream the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on low speed until very smooth, scrape the bowl and mix again.
- Add sugar, salt, vanilla, and cocoa powder; mix until smooth, scraping the sides at least once to make sure everything is well incorporated.
- Add eggs, use hand mixer to barely combine, about 5 seconds, then stir in the rest of the way with a spatula.
- Finally, add the melted and cooled chocolate and use a spatula to mix just until incorporated.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and fill with the chocolate mixture.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pressure cooker pot and place trivet inside.
- Carefully lower the prepared pan onto the trivet. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.
- When pressure cooking is complete, use a 10-minute natural release and then release any remaining pressure.
- Remove pan from pressure cooker and let cool to room temperature.
- Slowly remove the springform ring, being careful not to break the crust (I remove the ring because it allows the crust to dry out and be more crisp instead of soft. You can leave it on while it chills if you prefer)
- Place cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to chill all the way through.
- Once the cheesecake is cooled, prepare the Coconut Pecan Frosting by combining egg yolks, sugar, milk, butter and vanilla in a small saucepan. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add coconut and pecans, stir vigorously until well incorporated and silky.
- Top cheesecake with Coconut Pecan Frosting. Return cheesecake to fridge.
- To make Chocolate Ganache, place chocolate chips in a small, heat safe bowl and set aside.
- Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a light simmer. Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips and cover.
- After 3 minutes, uncover and whisk the chocolate mixture vigorously until smooth and shiny.
- Let cool to thicken slightly, then drizzle over the Coconut Pecan Frosting. Can be served immediately or chilled a bit longer to set the ganache. This cake is also delicious made one day in advance.
- For best flavor and texture let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Notes
- Cheesecake always tastes better the second day, plan ahead if possible
- This cake tastes best after sitting at room temperature for at least an hour so the frosting and ganache can soften a bit
- Always use room temperature eggs and cream cheese for a smooth cream cheese filling
- It's important not to incorporate a lot of air into the batter when you stir in the eggs. Overbeaten eggs cause the batter to overflow while cooking
- There will be plenty of ganache, use extra to dip strawberries
Keywords: instant pot cheesecake, german chocolate cheesecake, coconut pecan frosting
Excellent! My entire family loves this recipe! I’ve made it twice. Perfect each time!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for a great recipe!!! My husband and I absolutely loved every mouthful. We made it exactly as written. My IP has become my favorite kitchen appliance. Again thank you.
Eleanor, This cheesecake has my entire family head over heels for cheesecake. It’s my mom’s favorite flavor of cake so it was a hit right away. I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
Your instructions were to remove the springform ring after 10 minutes cooling. It fell apart! As I am reading your reviews you say your preference is to cool 30 minutes then chill in fridge for an hour before removing ring. Please change this on your recipe to give the correct instructions. I am disappointed and I should have left the ring on until completely chilled.
★★★★
Karen, oh no, that’s so disappointing! I’ve never had this happen before but I don’t want it to happen to anyone else so I adjusted the cooking directions. Thanks for your feedback and for saving anyone the same experience.
I just made this cheesecake for my adult son’s birthday. It turned out well, and would like to offer a suggestion. I didn’t want to have ganache left over, so I cut those ingredients in half. Then I thought, “Why can’t I just use the leftover evaporated milk and German chocolate to make the ganache?” So I googled it, and it worked great! I used a scant 1/4 cup of evaporated milk, instead of the heavy cream. I used the leftover 1/2 bar of German sweet chocolate, instead of the chocolate chips. I followed the recipe’s preparation directions. It’s just better for me if I don’t have ingredients like chocolate chips left over; “waist” not, want not! Love this recipe!
Susan, you’re a genius, thank you for thinking of that! I will try this next time.
Ok, let’s say I am using an 8 qt instant pot and have an 8 inch springform pan. Any suggestions on how to adjust the recipe accordingly? Also, at our house, we prefer the ghirardelli 60% chips (as opposed to semi-sweet)… can I make the ganache using those instead of semi sweet chips?
Jen, Your cake will be shorter, which will be fine (it’s a tall one). You could probably one and a half the recipe if you want to. I’ve never tried it, but I think you could knock 10 minutes off the cook time in a bigger pan and pot. And yes, you can definitely use the Ghirardelli chips!
Marci, 1.5ing the recipe worked like a dream (except for the ganache, I kept that the same). Needed to cook it fo 45 minutes to only have the center jiggly. My 13 y.o. requested this for his birthday cake this year. I’d never made it before and he was on the fence as to whether or not he even likes cheesecake. Needless to say, this recipe won him over. I used an 8″ push pan in my 8qt pressure cooker…added 2 cups of water . The hubs said, “This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.” I said, “Even better than Aggie Chocolate Factory?” He didn’t even pause. “Even better.” High praise indeed. Definitely a “make again”. Next time I may try it with some chocolove 88% bars (we like dark chocolate here). Thanks for the recipe!!
★★★★★
Jen, oh I love hearing that! It’s a fan favorite around here as well. Thanks for the details on the bigger pan!
I have a 6in springform pan. What adjustments would I need to make?
Amanda, I suspect it will fit, but you might need to add an extra 5 minutes of cook time.
For the chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, how many Oreos would this be, and is the filling removed from them?
Rachel, I just throw an entire package in a blender and turn the whole thing into crumbs, then measure out 1 cup. I Freeze the leftover for another day. I googled it though and it looks like 1 cup of crushed oreos is about 13 oreos which sounds about right to me. And no, I never bother scraping out the filling, but oftentimes I buy the thin Oreos that have less cream in the center. I just barely made this today!
I would love to make this..however I don’t have an insta pot. 🙁 how would I bake this in a regular oven? What temp would I use?
Jennifer, I’m not 100% sure, I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would back in the oven just fine. Do a search for oven baked ones and mimic the cooking time. Let me know if you try!
I have always dreaded October when my husband instead of saying he wants a blueberry pie for his birthday, instead says he wants German chocolate cake. I’ve always hated coconut and the last time I made a German Chocolate Cake, I wrote across the recipe “Don’t do this to yourself again!!!” It’s so fussy and time consuming. I love making cheesecakes, though. So this year when he said the dreaded German chocolate words, I found your recipe. He loved it, I loved it, his whole family loved it. I still find it more time consuming than I like :o).
★★★★★
Linda, At least it was delicious enough to justify the time!!! What a great comment, I love that the cheesecake could bring everyone together, haha!
I made this cheesecake for Father’s Day, and the guests were literally licking their plates clean. German chocolate has always been one of my favorite cakes, and now it is probably my favorite cheesecake. It was chocolatey, super creamy and rich, and the coconut frosting (always my favorite part of this cake) was easy and so very delicious. IP cheesecakes are the best, and for me, this was the best of the best. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Ken, I love hearing that so much! It really is a crowd pleaser around here too. And you are absolutely correct, the coconut frosting is what makes German Chocolate cakes.
Should I not leave the springform ring on while cooling the cheesecake in the fridge? Is 10 minutes of cooling at room temp enough for it not to lose its shape? My first cheesecake in the instant pot was an epic fail because I followed instructions on when to remove the ring and my cheesecake immediately lost its shape.
Shannon, I’ve seen a lot of people recommend leaving it in the fridge with the ring on to help preserve the shape and prevent cracking, so it’s not a bad idea. My personal preference is to let it cool at room temp for about 30 minutes, refrigerate an hour, then take the ring off and let chill completely. I feel like this keeps the crust from being soggy.
This cheesecake is FABULOUS! I made it for my birthday and it is perfect. Rich and creamy texture and easy to make. This is my first attempt at a cheesecake in the Instant Pot but it won’t be my last! Thanks for the great recipes you provide on your blog. I love your blog and your recipes.
Miriam, Thank you so much, what a nice comment! I’m so glad you loved the cheesecake. It is a hot item around here!
Well, I no longer have a mama to bake for, but I have a wonderful daughter-in-law that lives just 10 minutes from my door and I think she is getting this for Mother’s Day! This is over-the-top wonderful and if I make it for Mr. Picky and me, well, you can see where this is going–he likely won’t get any! Really really well done, Marci! Thank your lovely mom for me! Happy Mother’s Day to you!
Karen, The perfect Mother’s Day gift 🙂 I’m going to do the same thing for a couple moms in my neighborhood. Nothing says “You’re the best!” like 3 inches of chocolate! Happy Mother’s Day Karen!