Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is absolutely necessary for your holiday table! There is just no comparison between homemade cranberry sauce and a cylindrical canned cranberry log (you know what I’m talking about.)

INSTANT POT CRANBERRY SAUCE 

Have you ever considered making cranberry sauce from scratch? Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is SO EASY and quick! It hardly takes more effort than opening a can of cranberry sauce.

For real though, your mother-in-law will be IMPRESSED. You’re welcome.

FRESH CRANBERRY SAUCE VS. CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE

Cranberry sauce is sold in a can, but takes minutes to make from scratch. Homemade pressure-cooker cranberry sauce is easy and tastes a million times better!

More than once, I have left my fresh cranberry sauce for barely a moment. It boils over, burning sticky, sugary sauce all over the stovetop. 

Avoid the mess with Instant Pot cranberry sauce, which frees up your hands and attention. There’s no stirring or babysitting for this recipe!

I love serving homemade cranberry sauce with my One Pot Pork Tenderloin and Mashed Potato recipe!

HOW TO MAKE EASY INSTANT POT CRANBERRY SAUCE

This is really difficult so listen up! 😉 

Pour, mix, and wait. Carefully release the pressure, mix, and serve.

• Combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid, turn the knob to Sealing, and cook on Manual High pressure for 5 minutes.
• Allow a full Natural Pressure Release (NPR). If you don’t have time for a NPR, very carefully release the steam in short bursts. Cranberry sauce will froth and spew out through the sealing knob if released too quickly.
• If the consistency is too thin for your liking, simmer on low sauté for a couple minutes to reduce. Let cool slightly, then store in a glass container in the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken as it cools down.

It’s that easy! If you want to go the extra mile, pour the cranberry sauce into a pretty white bowl with a cute spoon for your Thanksgiving table.

INSTANT POT CRANBERRY SAUCE TIPS

• If you prefer, use all apple or all orange juice.
• Add more or less sugar, depending on your preference.
• Ginger is optional, but I love that it adds some complexity to the flavor. Tip: Store a whole knob of ginger in a plastic bag in the freezer. When a recipe calls for it, use a spoon to peel the skin on the portion needed. Then grate the frozen ginger with a microplane grater!
• Do NOT perform a quick release on your Instant Pot for this recipe. The hot, sticky cranberry sauce will spew out of the sealing knob. This can be very dangerous.

INSTANT POT CRANBERRY SAUCE WITHOUT ORANGE JUICE

My homemade cranberry sauce recipe uses orange juice. However, you can easily adjust the recipe to make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce without orange juice. Simply substitute the orange juice with an equal amount of apple juice, pineapple juice, or water.

If you don’t have juice on hand, this recipe also works by adding water with a few slices of fresh orange. Another option is to use water with orange or apple juice frozen concentrate.

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE NO SUGAR 

I find that Instant Pot cranberries are very tart without sweetener. However, you can adjust the amount of sugar in this pressure-cooker cranberry sauce according to your preference!

Use half the amount of sugar listed and replace with sugar substitute. If you need additional sweetener, add the desired amount after pressure-cooking. 

Keep in mind that the cranberry sauce might not jell the same. If necessary, thicken it with a cornstarch slurry.

You can also make naturally sweetened homemade cranberry sauce by using ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup. The flavor will be different, but you can easily adjust it to your taste.

HOW LONG DOES INSTANT POT CRANBERRY SAUCE LAST 

Fresh cranberry sauce lasts for 2-3 weeks in the fridge! That means you can have it for Thanksgiving dinner and then use the leftovers for holiday recipes throughout December. I like serving this easy side dish with any meat and potatoes type dish. It compliments savory gravy really nicely.

I usually have leftover cranberry sauce. I love using the leftovers on turkey cranberry sandwiches! My son loves it as jam on toast or mixed into Instant Pot Rice Pudding.

Another festive idea is to swirl the beautiful red sauce into white, vanilla ice cream. 

How about mixing it with ginger ale as a mocktail? The possibilities are endless!

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE

There are two easy ways to make Instant Pot Cranberry Applesauce:

1. Simply add ¼ cup of fresh cranberries to my homemade Instant Pot Applesauce recipe to make a cranberry applesauce in the Instant Pot.
2. Add a spoonful of prepared Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce to my prepared homemade Instant Pot applesauce, or any applesauce.

Apples and cranberries are an awesome combination. My favorite is my friend Si’s Cranberry Apple Pie. I make it every year! 

JALAPENO LIME CRANBERRY SAUCE

If you love this recipe, try my Jalapeño Lime Cranberry Sauce as a delicious appetizer! I actually like halving a bag of cranberries to make a batch of each!

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Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Real, homemade, perfectly sweet and tart cranberry sauce. This easy Instant Pot recipe takes hardly more effort than opening a can of cranberry sauce, but tastes a million times better!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Inactive Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Lisa Childs

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces cranberries washed
• ¼ cup apple juice*
• ¼ cup orange juice*
• 3/4 cup sugar
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid, turn the knob to sealing, and cook on Manual High pressure for 5 minutes. 
• Allow a full natural pressure release (NPR) (about 30 minutes.) If you don’t have time for a NPR, very carefully release the steam in short bursts. Cranberry sauce will froth and spew out through the sealing knob if released too quickly. 
• If the consistency is too thin for your liking, simmer on low sauté for a couple minutes to reduce. Let cool slightly, then store in a glass container in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to cool and set. The sauce will thicken as it cools down. Instant Pot cranberry sauce lasts in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Sterilizer, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, and Warmer, 3 Quart, 11 One-Touch Programs
• MY COOKBOOK! The “I Love My Instant Pot®” Cooking for One Recipe Book
• Mini Spatula/Spoonula Set

NOTES

• *You can use all apple or all orange juice, if you prefer. For Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce without orange juice, simply substitute the orange juice with an equal amount of apple juice, pineapple juice, or water.
• If you don’t have juice on hand, this recipe also works by adding water with a few slices of fresh orange. Another option is to use water with orange or apple juice frozen concentrate.
• I find that Instant Pot cranberries are very tart without sweetener. However, you can adjust the amount of sugar in this pressure-cooker cranberry sauce. Add more or less sugar, depending on your preference.
• For less sugar, use half the amount of sugar listed and replace with sugar substitute. If you need additional sweetener, add the desired amount after pressure-cooking. Keep in mind that the cranberry sauce might not jell the same. If necessary, thicken it with a cornstarch slurry.
• For naturally sweetened homemade cranberry sauce, use ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup. The flavor will be different, but you can easily adjust it to your taste.

NUTRITION

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g

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