The Kitchen Everything

19+ Best Instant Pot Desserts

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by

CeCe Jones
in , , , , ,

Your Instant Pot earns its keep well beyond soups and weeknight chicken. Swap the trivet and lid for dessert duty, and it turns into a steady little oven that never scorches a cheesecake or dries out a cake. The Instant Pot works best for home cooks who want bakery-style desserts without babysitting an oven, thanks to the moist, even heat of pressure steaming.

Cheesecakes come out silky with zero cracks. Cakes stay dense and moist because the sealed pot traps steam instead of letting it escape. Custards set gently without the risk of scrambled eggs. If you’ve ever pulled a dry, overbaked bread pudding from the oven, you’ll notice the difference right away.

This list runs through 19 desserts the Instant Pot handles with ease, from classic New York cheesecake to steamed gingerbread cake, plus the pans, times, and small tricks that make each one turn out right.

Quick picks:

  • Best overall: New York-Style Cheesecake, for its creamy texture and crack-free top
  • Best for chocolate lovers: Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes, with a gooey center every time
  • Best make-ahead: Creamy Rice Pudding, which thickens as it chills
  • Best for fall: Pumpkin Pie Custard, smooth and lightly spiced

1. New York-Style Cheesecake

A water bath inside a pressure cooker is the easiest way to get a crack-free, dense cheesecake. The steam keeps the top smooth while the sealed environment cooks the filling evenly from edge to center.

Yields: 1 (7-inch) cheesecake, 8 slices
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes, plus 4 hours chilling

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Steps:

  1. Mix crumbs and butter; press into a greased 7-inch springform pan.
  2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and sour cream.
  3. Pour over crust. Cover with foil.
  4. Add 1 cup water and trivet to the pot. Lower pan in on a sling.
  5. Pressure cook on High for 35 minutes. Natural release 15 minutes.
  6. Chill 4 hours before slicing. See more ideas in our best cheesecake topping ideas.

2. Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

These individual cakes bake in ramekins and come out with a soft, flowing center every time. Pressure steaming cooks the edges firm while keeping the middle underbaked just enough.

Yields: 4 cakes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup flour

Steps:

  1. Melt butter and chocolate together. Whisk in sugar.
  2. Beat in eggs, yolks, and vanilla, then fold in flour.
  3. Divide among 4 greased ramekins.
  4. Place on trivet with 1 cup water in pot. Pressure cook High, 9 minutes.
  5. Quick release. Rest 1 minute, then invert and serve. More recipes like this sit in our best chocolate dessert recipes.

3. Creamy Rice Pudding

This pudding turns out thick, sweet, and lightly spiced with almost no stirring required. The pot’s even heat keeps the rice tender without scorching the bottom, a common stovetop problem.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup cream

Steps:

  1. Combine rice, milk, sugar, and cinnamon in the pot.
  2. Pressure cook High, 10 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk yolks and cream; temper with hot pudding, then stir back in.
  4. Cool slightly before serving warm or chilled.

4. Chocolate Brownies

Steaming brownies in the Instant Pot gives them a dense, fudgy center you rarely get from an oven. No crisp edges here, just rich, moist squares throughout.

Yields: 8 brownies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  1. Whisk butter and sugar, then eggs.
  2. Fold in cocoa, flour, and salt.
  3. Pour into a greased 6-inch pan, cover with foil.
  4. Steam on trivet with 1 cup water, High pressure, 35 minutes.
  5. Cool before slicing. For more chocolate ideas, check our best chocolate dessert recipes or the decadent heart shaped brownies with rich ganache recipe.

5. Vanilla Bean Flan

Flan sets up smooth and jiggly with a deep caramel layer, and the pressure cooker cuts the usual bake time in half. No water bath fuss, just a quick steam.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup sugar (for caramel)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Steps:

  1. Melt sugar until amber; pour into a 7-inch pan, tilting to coat.
  2. Blend eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Pour over caramel.
  3. Cover with foil. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 25 minutes.
  4. Natural release 10 minutes. Chill 4 hours, then invert to serve.

6. Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding

Cubed bread turns custardy and soft, with tender apples and warm cinnamon running through every bite. Pressure steaming keeps it moist in a way the oven rarely matches.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups cubed stale bread
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps:

  1. Toss bread and apple in a greased 7-inch pan.
  2. Whisk eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon; pour over bread. Press down gently.
  3. Cover with foil. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 20 minutes.
  4. Rest 10 minutes before serving warm.

7. Chocolate Fudge Cake

This cake bakes dense and rich, closer to fudge than a fluffy layer cake. The sealed pot locks in moisture so the crumb never dries out.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 egg

Steps:

  1. Whisk dry ingredients, then stir in milk, oil, and egg.
  2. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  3. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 40 minutes.
  4. Cool 10 minutes before unmolding. Browse our best cake recipes for more baking inspiration.

8. Crème Brûlée

Classic crème brûlée sets perfectly smooth in the pressure cooker, with none of the cracked-egg texture that comes from an overheated oven. A kitchen torch still handles the crisp sugar top.

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 teaspoons sugar, for topping

Steps:

  1. Whisk yolks and sugar, then stir in warmed cream and vanilla.
  2. Strain into 4 ramekins, cover each with foil.
  3. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 9 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes.
  4. Chill 2 hours, sprinkle with sugar, and torch before serving.

9. Sticky Toffee Pudding

This steamed cake stays moist and tender, soaked in a buttery toffee sauce that pools around every slice. Dates give it natural sweetness and a deep caramel color.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup chopped dates
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Steps:

  1. Soak dates in water with baking soda, 10 minutes.
  2. Mix flour, sugar, eggs, and butter; stir in date mixture.
  3. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  4. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 30 minutes.
  5. Serve warm with toffee sauce.

10. Carrot Cake

Shredded carrots keep this cake moist, and the pressure cooker locks in that moisture better than most ovens manage. Warm spices and a cream cheese frosting round it out.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 cup shredded carrots

Steps:

  1. Whisk dry ingredients, then stir in eggs, oil, and carrots.
  2. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  3. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 35 minutes.
  4. Cool, then frost. Pair this with ideas from our best cream cheese desserts.

11. Pumpkin Pie Custard

Skip the crust and get all the pumpkin pie flavor in a smooth, spoonable custard. It sets gently under pressure without ever curdling.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup evaporated milk

Steps:

  1. Whisk all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  3. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 20 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes.
  4. Chill before serving. Find more fall flavors in our best pumpkin desserts.

12. Banana Bread

Steamed banana bread comes out dense and moist, almost like a pudding cake, with deep banana flavor in every slice. It never dries out the way an oven-baked loaf can.

Yields: 1 loaf, 8 slices
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Steps:

  1. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, and eggs.
  2. Fold in flour and baking soda.
  3. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  4. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 40 minutes.
  5. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

13. Lemon Pudding Cake

This dessert separates into two layers as it cooks: a light sponge on top and a tangy lemon curd underneath. Pressure steaming is what makes that split happen so cleanly.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup milk

Steps:

  1. Beat yolks, sugar, flour, lemon juice, zest, and milk.
  2. Whip egg whites to soft peaks; fold into batter.
  3. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  4. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 25 minutes. Serve warm.

14. Tapioca Pudding

Small pearl tapioca turns soft and translucent in under 10 minutes of pressure cooking, no soaking required. The texture lands somewhere between pudding and rice pudding, silky and lightly chewy.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup small pearl tapioca
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps:

  1. Combine tapioca, milk, and sugar in the pot.
  2. Pressure cook High, 8 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk in yolks and vanilla, stirring until thickened.
  4. Chill or serve warm.

15. Poached Pears in Spiced Syrup

Whole pears turn tender and deeply flavored in a fraction of the time stovetop poaching takes. Cinnamon, star anise, and red wine (or juice) soak into every bite.

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 firm pears, peeled
  • 2 cups red wine or grape juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise

Steps:

  1. Place pears upright in the pot. Pour liquid over them.
  2. Add sugar, cinnamon, and star anise.
  3. Pressure cook High, 6 minutes. Quick release.
  4. Simmer the liquid uncovered on sauté until syrupy; spoon over pears.

16. Chocolate Pots de Crème

These small chocolate custards come out rich and velvety, closer to pudding than cake. Pressure steaming keeps them smooth without the grainy texture that oven baking sometimes causes.

Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Steps:

  1. Heat cream and milk; pour over chocolate and stir until melted.
  2. Whisk yolks and sugar, then temper with chocolate mixture.
  3. Strain into 4 ramekins, cover with foil.
  4. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 9 minutes. Chill before serving.

17. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Caramelized pineapple rings and a buttery cake come together in one pan, and the moist steam heat keeps the fruit from drying at the edges. It inverts cleanly every time.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 pineapple rings
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup milk

Steps:

  1. Melt butter and brown sugar in a 7-inch pan; arrange pineapple on top.
  2. Mix flour, sugar, eggs, and milk; pour over fruit.
  3. Cover with foil. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 35 minutes.
  4. Cool 10 minutes, then invert.

18. Blueberry Cobbler

Juicy blueberries bubble under a soft, biscuit-like topping, and the sealed pot keeps the fruit from drying out the way an oven sometimes does. It is a looser, saucier cobbler than the baked version.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups blueberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

Steps:

  1. Toss blueberries with sugar in a greased 7-inch pan.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, milk, and butter; dollop over berries.
  3. Cover with foil. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 20 minutes.
  4. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

19. Steamed Gingerbread Cake

This cake comes out dark, moist, and deeply spiced, closer to a pudding cake than a dry oven-baked gingerbread. Molasses gives it that classic sticky-sweet edge.

Yields: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Steps:

  1. Whisk molasses, sugar, oil, and egg. Stir in flour, spices, and baking soda.
  2. Pour into a greased 7-inch pan, cover with foil.
  3. Steam on trivet, High pressure, 35 minutes.
  4. Cool slightly before serving.

Instant Pot Dessert Tips for Better Results

A few habits separate a soggy cheesecake from a silky one. Keep these in mind across every recipe above.

Always use a sling. Two long strips of foil crossed under the pan make it easy to lower and lift hot dishes without burning your fingers.

Cover with foil, not plastic wrap. Foil keeps condensation from pooling on top of custards and cakes, so you avoid a watery layer.

Don’t skip the natural release when a recipe calls for it. Custards and cheesecakes need that gradual cooling to finish setting without cracking.

Grease the pan well. Steamed cakes stick more than baked ones, so butter the pan and the foil cover generously.

Use a 7-inch pan unless noted. It fits most 6-quart Instant Pots with room for steam to circulate. For more pressure cooker basics, our best instant pot recipes and our best instant pot desserts collections cover a wider range of pans and techniques.

Pressure-Cooking Time vs. Total Time

Pressure-cooking time only covers part of the clock. The Instant Pot needs several extra minutes to build pressure before the timer starts, and most dessert recipes call for a natural or partial release afterward.

A 9-minute lava cake, for example, might take 10 minutes to come to pressure and another minute to release, landing closer to 20 minutes start to finish. A cheesecake listed at 35 minutes of pressure cooking often needs 4 hours of chilling after that before it is ready to slice.

Plan around total time, not just the number in the recipe step. When a dessert needs to be ready for a dinner party, start it with the chilling or resting time in mind, not just the active cook time.

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