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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.
Table of Contents
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce Over Canned Cranberry Sauce
- Why Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce In An Instant Pot
- Why Make This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- What Do I need To Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- Ingredients
- How Do I Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- Ingredients To Add BEFORE Pressure Cooking
- How Long To Pressure Cook Cranberry Sauce
- Steps To Take AFTER Pressure Cooking The Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Every Time
- Can I Make Cranberry Sauce Ahead of Time?
- How To Store Leftover Cranberry Sauce
- Can I Freeze Cranberry Sauce
- What To Serve With Cranberry Sauce?
- More Ways To Use Cranberries
- Recipe
- Reviews
Homemade Cranberry Sauce Over Canned Cranberry Sauce
This Pressure Cooker 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 stuff.
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 it is a real show stopper, and you won’t regret it.
Why Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce In An Instant Pot
Homemade cranberry sauce is an essential side dish for a holiday meal for Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving dinner.
In previous years, I made my Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe, which was a stovetop cranberry sauce, and it was delicious.
However, during the holiday season, and especially on Thanksgiving, the stove would get very crowded with all the other Thanksgiving dishes that had to be made on the stovetop. Therefore, I switched to the instant pot version of this delicious cranberry sauce.
This year, I’ll be making my fresh 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 Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe is so easy and delicious that it is almost as easy as canned cranberry sauce but tastes infinitely better.
- Quick – This recipe requires only 2 minutes of pressure cooking and a natural release! It is super quick to make and is a great recipe.
- Easy Recipe – 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.
- Photos – 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.
- Recipe Tips – This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe also include tips to help your cranberry sauce turn out perfectly every time.
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.
Ingredients
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 – You’ll need a bag of fresh cranberries.
- Orange Juice – I like to use fresh orange juice, but you could make yours from canned orange juice, or use store-bought orange juice.
- Sugar – I used white sugar, but brown sugar or maple syrup would work, too.
- 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
- Pour orange juice into the bottom of the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Add fresh cranberries on top of the orange juice.
- Add 1/2 of the sugar, as well as orange zest and a cinnamon stick.
How Long To Pressure Cook Cranberry Sauce
- 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.
Steps To Take AFTER Pressure Cooking The Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- AFTER the Instant Pot has finished pressure cooking for 2 minutes and has completed the natural pressure release (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.
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.
- Don’t do a quick release until you have done a natural release for at least 7 minutes because the sauce can foam and spurt.
- 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 can more easy adjust the amount of sugar by adding more or less sugar based on your family’s preference.
Can I Make Cranberry Sauce Ahead of Time?
- Yes, you can make this cranberry ahead of time, such as a day ahead, or even hours ahead of time.
How To Store Leftover Cranberry Sauce
- Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can I Freeze Cranberry Sauce
- Yes, you can freeze cranberry sauce in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Cranberry Sauce?
- Turkey! I love to serve it at Thanksgiving or Christmas with Thanksgiving turkey, like 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.
- Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip – A tart, sweet, and spicy dip with creamy cream cheese that makes a perfect holiday appetizer!
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Recipe
Ingredients
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 the remaining 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.
Missy says
Made these tonight to test for Thanksgiving- delicious!!! Thank you for sharing!
Michele says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Amy says
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was great! If I do a double batch, should I increase the time?
Michele says
Hi Amy, if you double the recipe, you should not need to double the time.