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Home » Creative Recipes » Holiday » Thanksgiving » Thanksgiving Sides » Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce in white bowl garnished with orange slices rosemary and orange zest.

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

BY: Michele
PUBLISHED: Nov 23, 2019
UPDATED: Dec 20, 2019
5 Reviews / 4.8 Average
Featured Comment
Made these tonight to test for Thanksgiving- delicious!!! Thank you for sharing!
Missy
3 More Comments
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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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Long Pin for Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce by Flavor Mosaic

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is a homemade cranberry sauce with orange juice, made with fresh cranberries, but pressure cooked in an Instant Pot instead of cooked on top of the stove. It is so delicious that you’ll never eat canned cranberry sauce again.

Cranberry sauce in white bowl garnished with orange slices rosemary and orange zest.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Over Canned Cranberry Sauce

This Homemade Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, as well as homemade cranberry sauce made on the stove, is so easy and so delicious and tastes way better, infinitely better than the canned cranberry sauce. If you haven’t made the transition yet from canned cranberry sauce to fresh homemade cranberry sauce, do so, whether you make it on the stove or in the Instant Pot. Go for fresh, homemade cranberry sauce because you won’t regret it.

Why Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce In An Instant Pot

In previous years I made my Homemade Cranberry Sauce on top of the stove and it was delicious. However, on Thanksgiving, the stove would get very crowded with all the other Thanksgiving dishes that had to be made on the stovetop.

This year I’ll be making my cranberry sauce in the Instant Pot because it frees up valuable real estate on top of the stove so that can be used for other Thanksgiving recipes, and secondly, because it is super easy! 

It takes only 2 minutes to pressure cook! Yes, you read that right. Just set it for 2 minutes. Yes, it will take a few extra minutes for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure and then release pressure, but you don’t have to do anything during that time. The Instant Pot does all the work for you!

Why Make This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe is so easy and delicious that it is almost as easy as canned cranberry sauce but tastes infinitely better.

  • This recipe requires only 2 minutes of pressure cooking and a natural release! It is super quick to make.
  • Only 3 ingredients are required – Cranberries, orange juice, and sugar, but gives the option of adding orange zest and a cinnamon stick to take the flavor over the top.
  • This recipe includes photos of ingredients as well as photos of each step of how to make the recipe to make it as easy to follow as possible.
  • This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe also include tips to help your cranberry sauce turn out perfectly every time.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce with green bowl of fresh cranberries next to Instant pot next to white plate with sliced orange, cinnamon stings, and twigs of rosemary.

What Do I need To Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

You only need 3 ingredients, and you can add you 2 additional ingredients if you like, and an Instant Pot pressure cooker. I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo60. (affiliate link) If you don’t have an Instant Pot, then try my Homemade Cranberry Sauce made on the stove top.

Below is a list of ingredients. For the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post for the printable recipe card.

  • Fresh Cranberries
  • Orange Juice
  • Sugar
  • Orange zest (optional)
  • Cinnamon Stick (optional)

How Do I Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

It is super easy to make cranberry sauce in the Instant Pot. I’m going to give a high level overview of how to make it and include photos of each step in the process. 

However, if you are looking for more detailed instructions with specific ingredient amounts, scroll down to the bottom of this blog post to the printable recipe card.

Ingredients To Add BEFORE Pressure Cooking

  1. Pour orange juice into the bottom of the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot.
  2. Add fresh cranberries on top of the orange juice.
  3. Add 1/2 of the sugar, as well as orange zest and a cinnamon stick.

Step by Step Photo Collage of How To Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce by Flavor Mosaic

How Long To Pressure Cook Cranberry Sauce

  1. 2 Minutes! That’s right. Set your Instant Pot to cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 2 minutes. (See the printable recipe card below for the specific steps on how to do that.) NOTE: It takes a several minutes more for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before it starts pressure cooking and a few minutes for it to depressurize after it has finished pressure cooking.

Front panel of Instant Pot showing 2 minutes time

Steps To Take AFTER Pressure Cooking The Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

  1. AFTER the Instant Pot has finished pressure cooking for 2 minutes and has release pressure naturally (during this time you do NOTHING!), then carefully open the lid and REMOVE the cinnamon stick and the orange peels.
  2. ADD the remaining sugar and stir.
  3. Press the SAUTE button to heat the cranberry sauce and stir continuously until it has the desired thickness and consistency. It may only take 2 or 3 minutes.
  4. Press CANCEL and unplug the Instant Pot.
  5. Spoon the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl.
  6. If you like, garnish it with orange slices, orange zest, or a sprig of rosemary.

Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Every Time

  • Be sure to rinse the fresh cranberries first and pick out any mushy, or otherwise bad cranberries.
  • Use a good quality orange juice, or even freshly squeezed orange juice. 
  • ADD LIQUID FIRST. The order of ingredients is important when using an Instant Pot pressure cooker. The liquid needs to be AT THE BOTTOM. Therefore, the first ingredient you add into an Instant Pot should be liquid, in this case, orange juice. ADD THE ORANGE JUICE FIRST before the cranberries or any of the other ingredients.
  • DO NOT STIR the ingredients.
  • Check the sweetness after pressure cooking. Add only half the sugar before pressure cooking. The reason I do this is 1) everyone’s preference for level of sweetness is different. So, if you prefer the cranberry sauce to be less sweet, then you may not need to add any more sugar. 

Cranberry Sauce in white bowl garnished with 2 orange slices, a sprig of rosemary and orange zest with a green napkin beside the bowl.

What To Serve With Cranberry Sauce?

  • Turkey! I love to serve it at Thanksgiving or Christmas with my Roasted Turkey recipe, and then add all the trimmings.
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
  • Homemade Green Bean Casserole 

More Ways To Use Cranberries

Use cranberry sauce in other recipes, like these.

  • Turkey Sliders With Cranberry Sriracha Sauce – a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.
  • Cranberry Pork – Pork sautéed in a sweet, tart, tangy, spicy sauce made with cranberries, red wine, and dijon mustard.
  • Cranberry Fluff – A Cranberry Salad, made with fresh cranberries, makes a sweet and delicious cranberry salad, side dish, or dessert for a Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday dinner.
  • Cranberry Bundt Cake – A Bundt Cake made with fresh cranberries with a sweet orange glaze that will be the hit of the party!
  • Banana Cranberry Bread – Banana Bread made with fresh cranberries.

If you like this recipe or make this recipe,  be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe, and follow us on:

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Cranberry sauce in white bowl garnished with orange slices rosemary and orange zest.
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4.80 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is a homemade cranberry sauce with orange juice, made with fresh cranberries, but pressure cooked in an Instant Pot instead of cooked on top of the stove. It is so delicious that you'll never eat canned cranberry sauce again.
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine American
Keyword Cranberry Sauce, Cranberry Sauce With Orange Juice, Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Pressurization 15 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 125kcal
Author Michele @ Flavor Mosaic

Equipment

  • 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo60 from Amazon.com (affiliate link)

Ingredients

Before Pressure Cooking

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries (1 bag)
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (or orange peel)
  • 1 cinnamon stick

After Pressure Cooking

  • 1/2 cup sugar (optional)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

BEFORE Pressure Cooking

  • Empty the bag of cranberries in a collander and run cold water over them to rinse them. Remove and discard any mushy or bad cranberries.
  • Pour 1/2 cup orange juice into the bottom of the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot.
  • Add the rinsed fresh cranberries into the inner liner pot on top of the orange juice.
  • Add 1/2 cup sugar on top of the cranberries.
  • If you like, add a little orange zest or orange peel, about a tablespoon, to the cranberries. This is optional.
  • If you like, throw in a cinnamon stick on top of the cranberries. DO NOT STIR.

Pressure Cook

  • Pressure cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 2 Minutes. To do this, press the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL button (depending on model) and then press the + or - sign to adjust the time to 2 minutes. (NOTE: The Instant Pot takes a few minutes to come up to pressure before it starts the 2-minute Pressure cooking. Then after it finishes pressure cooking, it takes a few minutes to naturally release pressure.)

AFTER Pressure Cooking

  • AFTER the Instant Pot has finished pressure cooking for 2 minutes and has released pressure naturally (during this time you do NOTHING!), then carefully open the lid and REMOVE the cinnamon stick and the orange peels.
  • ADD the remaining sugar and stir.
  • Press the SAUTE button to heat the cranberry sauce and stir continuously until it has the desired thickness and consistency. It may only take 2 or 3 minutes.
  • Press CANCEL and unplug the Instant Pot. Spoon the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl. If you like, garnish it with orange slices, orange zest, or a sprig of rosemary.

Video

Notes

Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Every Time.
  1. Don't skip the step to rinse the fresh cranberries first and pick out any mushy, or otherwise bad cranberries.
  2. Use a good quality orange juice, or even freshly squeezed orange juice. ADD LIQUID FIRST. The order of ingredients is important when using an Instant Pot pressure cooker. The liquid needs to be AT THE BOTTOM. Therefore, the first ingredient you add into an Instant Pot should be liquid, in this case, orange juice. ADD THE ORANGE JUICE FIRST before the cranberries or any of the other ingredients.
  3. DO NOT STIR.
  4. Check the sweetness after pressure cooking and before adding any more sugar. Add only half the sugar before pressure cooking. The reason I do this is 1) everyone's preference for level of sweetness is different. So, if you prefer the cranberry sauce to be less sweet, then you may not need to add any more sugar. 

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

Filed Under: Christmas, Cranberry, Fall Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Sides, Winter Recipes Tagged With: cranberries, cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries, Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, orange juice, orange zest

DISCLOSURE: Flavor Mosaic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Please note: This blog may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, to help with blog expenses when you make a purchase through an affiliate link. Thank you for your support!

Reader Interactions

Michele F - Owner / Founder / Creator / Blogger at Flavor Mosaic
Michele

Hi, I’m Michele Feuerborn, wife, and dog Mom, with 20+ years experience as a home cook. I’m the Founder of Flavor Mosaic, as well as the author, recipe developer, and photographer. I share fast, easy, flavorful recipes with bold flavors, featuring Instant Pot recipes and Southern and Mexican cuisines.

Comments

  1. Missy says

    November 25, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    Made these tonight to test for Thanksgiving- delicious!!! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      November 25, 2019 at 10:24 pm

      I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  2. Amy says

    December 21, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    Made this for Thanksgiving and it was great! If I do a double batch, should I increase the time?

    Reply
    • Michele says

      December 21, 2019 at 10:19 pm

      Hi Amy, if you double the recipe, you should not need to double the time.

      Reply

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About Me

Hi, I’m Michele, a home cook with 20+ years experience. I created Flavor Mosaic as a place to share our favorite fast, easy, and flavorful creative recipes with bold flavors, including Southern, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Instant Pot recipes. Read More…

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