Ingredients
For Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 Tablespoons butter melted
For Filling
- 3 8 oz. packages cream cheese Room temperature- I recommend using a name brand such as Philadelphia
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 eggs
For Topping:
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 bananas sliced
- ⅓ cup dark rum
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees/F.
- Add graham crackers to a food processor until you get about 1 ½ cups of crumbs. Add in the cinnamon and melted butter and pulse until combined.
- Pour into the bottom of a greased 7″ springform pan and use your hand or the back of a spoon to press and form a crust bringing the crumbs up about 1 inch on the sides.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) with a paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 3-4 minutes or until completely smooth and there are no lumps.
- Slowly pour in the sugar and flour and mix until just combined.
- Add vanilla and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until combined. Slowly increase the speed to high for about 1 minute,
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure there are no lumps. Give one final mix before adding the eggs.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix just until the yolk disappears into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust and gently tap the bottom of the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Cover the pan completely with aluminum foil. Add one cup of water into the inner pot of your Instant Pot and add in the trivet,
- Place the cheesecake on top of the trivet and set your pot to high pressure for 40 minutes and allow to naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Once you can open the pot, remove the cheesecake and allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
- Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to set for at least 6 hours but overnight is recommended.
- Once the cheesecake is set, start the topping by adding the butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a large skillet and heat over med-high heat until the butter and sugar is melted and smooth.
- Add the bananas in and use a rubber spatula to carefully mix them around and coat in the sauce. Reduce the heat to med-low and allow the bananas to simmer 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the rum and mix well to combine. Take your kitchen torch and CAREFULLY touch the flame to the sauce. Carefully swirl the sauce until the flame dies out, about 1 minute.
- Allow the sauce to cool slightly then pour over top of the cheesecake and serve.
- Place any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips for the Best Bananas Foster Cheesecake
- Room temperature cream cheese is mandatory: Pull it from the fridge at least 2 hours before you start. In a cold kitchen, go 3 hours. This single step is the difference between a silky filling and a lumpy one. You cannot fix cold cream cheese lumps by mixing longer — you just incorporate more air and end up with a puffy, cracked cheesecake.
- Don't overmix after adding the eggs: Mix only until the yolk disappears into the batter. Stop immediately. Overmixed eggs create air bubbles that make the cheesecake puff in the pressure cooker, then crack and sink as it cools. Ten to fifteen seconds per egg, maximum.
- The jiggle test is real: When you open the Instant Pot, the center of the cheesecake should jiggle like set Jell-O — not slosh like liquid, not stand firm. That jiggly center is exactly right and means the cheesecake is perfectly cooked. It will set completely in the fridge.
- Chill overnight, not just 6 hours: Six hours is the minimum. Overnight is what makes the texture go from "good cheesecake" to "remarkable cheesecake." The filling continues to firm and the flavor deepens with the extra chill time.
- Make the topping fresh, right before serving: The bananas will continue to soften and the caramel will thicken as it sits. Make it, pour it, serve it. Don't make it an hour ahead and let it congeal on the cheesecake.
- Use ripe but firm bananas: Yellow with a few brown spots is ideal. Too green and they won't soften or absorb the caramel. Too brown and they'll fall apart completely in the sauce and turn mushy.