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Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is a dish everyone will be excited about at Thanksgiving dinner. Surprisingly easy to make, It’s fresh, sweet and tart – the perfect flavor for homemade cranberry sauce. This easy cranberry sauce will be your go-to staple for all your holiday meals!

 

Why buy the boring canned Cranberry Sauce this holiday season when you can make your own Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce at home?! This homemade cranberry sauce has so much more flavor and a wayyyy better texture than the canned version you buy at the store.

As a holiday classic recipe, Thanksgiving always comes to mind, but it would also be the perfect dish to add to this Christmas Charcuterie Board.

And while you’re grabbing cranberries at the store, grab some extra to serve up this amazing Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Orange Punch.

Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Spice up your holiday meal with some delicious Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce! Did you know you can skip the canned stuff and make your own fresh cranberry sauce in your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker in no time?

• This recipe is truly the easy way to make a delicious cranberry sauce.
• Pressure cooking is much faster, were talking fresh cranberry sauce in 8 minutes! That’s significantly quicker than stovetop cranberry sauce.
• Using fresh ingredients gives this sauce a fantastic flavor.
• You only need 4 simple ingredients – just like these air fryer sweet potatoes!
• Plus, making Cranberry Sauce in the Instant Pot frees up your stovetop for other easy recipes you may be cooking.

Making sides and recipes in the Instant Pot is becoming addicting. I love how you can make just about anything and it’s so much easier! The Instant Pot is quickly becoming my favorite thing to make quick meals with.

For a hearty instant pot dinner, go for this comforting Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili.

 

Ways to Serve Cranberry Sauce

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce isn’t just for Thanksgiving dinner! Cranberry sauce is a delicious side dish that is great for enjoying with turkey sandwiches, ham, and other holiday recipes. Try it with your biscuits for breakfast, you can use it just like a jam or jelly.

But, it’s also amazing as a glaze on meats, used on desserts such as a topping on a cheesecake and even stuffed inside hand pies.

Want to moisten desserts? It’s the perfect sauce to include in batters for cakes, cupcakes, quick sweet breads, and more.

A little bit of this sauce sure can go a long way!

More Instant Pot Recipes

Love easy meals or appetizers? Here are a few Instant Pot recipes to try:

Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi

Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Recipe Ingredients

Get more info on these simple ingredients in the recipe card below.

FRESH CRANBERRIES: I really think using whole fresh cranberries makes this sauce a show stopper. But, I know cranberry season is very short lived. If you can’t find a bag of fresh cranberries in your grocery stores, you can use frozen cranberries.

CINNAMON STICKS: I suggest using the whole cinnamon stick for maximum flavor.

SUGAR: Granulated white sugar is what we use, but you can swap this out for another sweetener if preferred. See below for alternative or additional sweeteners I recommend.

ORANGE JUICE AND ORANGE SLICES: This adds a sweetness and a little tangy flavor to the flavor profile of this easy dish.

ROSEMARY (optional): This is a complimentary garnish that you can omit or add it. It’s up to you!

 

How to Make Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Here are the easy step-by-step directions:

STEP 1: Combine cranberries, sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 orange slice, and your orange juice in the Instant Pot insert.

 

STEP 2: Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to the sealing position.

STEP 3: Cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes before allowing the steam to release naturally. This could take up to 10-12 minutes. DO NOT perform a quick release of pressure. The natural release will allow the cranberries to continue cooking for a little longer, making them the perfect texture.

STEP 4: Remove the instant pot lid. Next, remove the cinnamon stick and orange slice. Use a masher to mash the cranberries to the consistency you prefer. Then give it all a good stir.

 

STEP 5: Pour the sauce into your serving dish and garnish with rosemary, more orange slices, and cinnamon sticks before serving.

Note: If you prefer chilled cranberry sauce, place in the refrigerator (covered) for 30 minutes to an hour.

 

How do you get the Bitterness out of Cranberry Sauce?

This is a common question! No one wants a bitter cranberry sauce, right? So, to make the your best cranberry sauce, simply increase or decrease the amount of sugar or other sweeteners until it’s perfect for your taste buds.

As you know, raw cranberries are quite bitter, but in our recipe, we use granulated white sugar and fresh orange juice to add a little sweetness and cut the bitterness.

Are You Looking for Alternative Sweeteners?

Or want an even sweeter sauce? You can also add in:

• apple juice
• brown sugar
• maple syrup

All of these will add delicious sweet flavors to the fresh cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Sauce – Instant Pot Version Tips

• If you want a sweeter homemade cranberry sauce, you can add in a little maple syrup or a bit more orange juice.
• The recipe cook time does not include the time it takes the cooker to come to pressure or to release the pressure.
• For even more orange flavor, add some orange zest from an orange peel to the sauce.
• Your sauce will thicken as it cools. Wait until it is cooler to decide if it’s too thick for you. If it is, you can thin it with more water or orange juice and give it a good stir.
• Be very careful when opening the Instant Pot. Make sure any remaining pressure that will release doesn’t burn you.

 

How to Store Leftover Cranberry Sauce

Leftover cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container or in a jar. Keep it in the refrigerator for a week and a half to 2 weeks. If you want the sauce to last longer, you can freeze it for 1-2 months.

How to Reheat Homemade Cranberry Sauce

It’s really simple to reheat your cranberry sauce to enjoy later. Toss it in a saucepan and heat it up on low to medium heat on the stovetop for a few minutes. Make sure to stir it as you reheat it so it doesn’t stick.

 

Once you see how easy it is to make this Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, you’ll be volunteering to make it and your other favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!

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