Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake – Low(ish)-Carb and Lactose-Free
TL;DR – trying to make a cheesecake with lower carbs and no lactose so my wife can enjoy it without destroying her health goals. I think I succeeded. It was creamy and delicious.
Nutrition info courtesy of the Samsung Food app. Hopefully it’s close!
Low-carb Lactose-Free Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
An experiment to take the cheesecakes we love, reduce the carb count, speed up cooking in the Instant Pot, AND still have a truly delicious result. It worked out better than I had ever expected on the first try!
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 525kcal
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls 1 small, 1 medium
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 Springform pan As large as will fit inside your Instant Pot, which may vary
- 1 Food processor
- Measuring cups various sizes, at least one with a flat bottom to press crust
- Measuring spoons various sizes
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Instant Pot (I use an 8qt model)
- 1 Can opener
- 1 fine grater or micro-plane for the nutmeg
- aluminum foil to make a sling
- Parchment paper to line bottom of pan (optional)
Ingredients
Pecan Crust
- ⅓ cup salted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup pecans ground to a medium-fine meal
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar blend
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz softened lactose-free cream cheese two blocks
- ½ cup Splenda Monk Fruit sugar substitute
- ¼ cup Splenda Brown Sugar blend
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup lactose-free sour cream
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 ½ cup 100% pure pumpkin purée NOT pie filling!
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
For the Instant Pot
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
Create the pecan crust
- Pulse pecans in food processor to create a medium-fine meal. Some small chunks are fine for texture.1 ¼ cup pecans
- Line the bottom of your springform pan with a circle of parchment paper to ease removal. Use a touch of cooking spray to help it stick, if you want, but it isn’t necessary.
- Combine ground pecans, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and almond flour in a bowl. Mix well.1 cup almond flour, 2 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar blend, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Add melted butter slowly, until the ingredients form the consistency of wet sand and will hold together in a clump if you squeeze it together with your fingers.⅓ cup salted butter
- Pour mixture into springform pan, pressing evenly into the bottom with a glass or flat-bottomed measuring cup.
- Set aside in freezer until ready to add cheesecake mixture.
Create the cheesecake filling
- Unwrap cream cheese. If still firm, microwave for 60-90 seconds to soften.16 oz softened lactose-free cream cheese
- Add Monk Fruit sweetener and Splenda brown sugar to cream cheese and mix with electric hand mixer on low speeds until well combined.½ cup Splenda Monk Fruit sugar substitute, ¼ cup Splenda Brown Sugar blend
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add vanilla, sour cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and xanthan gum and mix to combine on low speed.2 tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup lactose-free sour cream, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp xanthan gum
- Add pumpkin puree and mix on low speed.1 ½ cup 100% pure pumpkin purée
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed just long enough to combine each egg.3 large eggs
- Get the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into the pan.
Prepare the Instant Pot
- Put about 2 cups of cold water in the Instant Pot and place trivet in the bottom to set springform pan on. (To keep it off the bottom and out of the water.)2 cups cold water
- Create a foil sling to go under the springform pan by taking about 2 feet of foil and folding it over lengthwise into a thick 3” (ish) wide strip.
- Put the springform on the sling and CAREFULLY set it down into the Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to 50 minutes, high pressure, NO keep warm.
- When cycle ends, make sure keep warm is off and let pressure naturally release for 20 minutes.
- Release any remaining pressure manually.
- When the pin drops, open the IP and CAREFULLY lift the cheesecake out using your foil sling.
- Check for doneness. A bit of the centre should jiggle slightly. If underdone, give it another 10 minutes, same release cycle as before.
- Use a paper towel to blot up any water droplets that may be on top of your cheesecake.
- Let cool for an hour or so, then refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.
- Remove from pan and serve.
Notes
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 524.5 kcal (26%)
Total Fat: 48.5 g (69%)
Carbs: 33.6 g (13%)
Sugars: 14.6 g (16%)
Protein: 9 g (18%)
Glycemic Index – 18 (Low)
Glycemic Load – 6 (Low)
I found my crust to be on the thicker side of what I normally do with graham cracker crumbs, but still really good. For a slightly thinner crust, maybe a little less butter with 1 cup of pecans, and ¾ cup of almond flour would work. I’ll try that next time.
Also, you can obviously top this any way you want. A spray of whipped cream and some extra freshly grated nutmeg is fantastic.
And yes, always get actual nutmeg and grate it yourself. The “ground nutmeg” you find in little jars isn’t remotely the same in flavour!