Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Make easy homemade cranberry sauce in just minutes using your pressure cooker. This easy Instant Pot cranberry sauce recipe is exactly what you need to add that finishing touch to your holiday table.

Cranberry sauce isn't just for your Thanksgiving turkey. Add this delicious cranberry sauce as a delicious side dish to pork, chicken, and game birds too.

The past few years I have been responsible for hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas for my family. I am ALL FOR simple, quick recipes.

The Instant Pot has been a lifesaver for me. It cooks in minutes but the food always turns out amazing. Dump it and forget it is my style, and this cranberry sauce is that easy.

There is always a great debate when it comes to cranberry sauce. I've won just about everyone over to my homemade cranberry sauce but there is always one last hold-out, so I still have to buy one can of jellied cranberry sauce.

My instant pot cranberry sauce has a wonderful texture. It cooks down but still leaves some whole berries. The balance of sweetness and tartness is rather spot on too, but don't take my word for it. Give it a try!

It only takes a few minutes, and you'll have a delicious, sweet, and tangy cranberry sauce that everyone loves.

This homemade cranberry sauce was inspired by my other cranberry recipe.

If you love saving time by cooking with your instant pot, be sure to check out instant pot asparagus and instant pot ham.

Homemade cranberry sauce pairs very well with cornbread and sausage stuffing and oven roasted turkey.

What You Will Love About This Recipe

• Just the right amount of sweet and tangy goodness.
• Only takes a few minutes to make!
• It tastes SO much better than the stuff that comes in a can.
• You can make it several days ahead!

Ingredients In Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

You will love how quick and simple this Instant Pot cranberry sauce recipe is! See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

• Cranberries
• Water
• Sugar
• Oranges
• Cinnamon

How To Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Here are the step-by-step photos and instructions for making this easy homemade cranberry sauce. For the complete instructions, check the recipe card further down on the page.

Slice your navel orange and measure out your other ingredients.

Combine the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Add ½ cup of water, cranberries, ½ cup of sugar, three or four orange slices, and the cinnamon stick to the pressure cooker and close the lid.

Pressure cook the mixture. Turn the valve and seal and set to high pressure for one minute. Allow the pot to naturally release for five minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.

When the pressure has been released, remove the lid, then remove the orange slices and cinnamon stick and set the Instant Pot to “Saute” mode. Add the remaining sugar and bring to a boil for about two minutes stirring consistently.

Hint: The natural release of pressure help the sauce continue to cook. Don't skip that step.

Substitutions

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand, or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this Instant Pot cranberry sauce.

• Orange Juice - If you don't have an orange, simply add a splash of orange juice, instead.
• Ground Cinnamon - If you don't have cinnamon sticks, use ground cinnamon in their place.

Variations

Want to personalize this easy Instant Pot cranberry sauce? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

• Jalapenos - Spice up this sauce by adding one to three seeded and diced jalapenos.
• Chilis - Add chilis to this sauce to kick up the flavor and the heat.
• Pie Spice - Add allspice, ginger, and cloves.
• Bourbon - Add ¼ cup of bourbon to the recipe for a flavor kick.
• Grand Marnier - Add ¼ cup of Grand Marnier for an extra kick of orange.
• More Cranberries - For a whole berry sauce, simply add an additional half cup of cranberries when you add the second portion of sugar.
• No Orange or Cinnamon - If you don't like the flavor or don't have them on hand, simply leave them out.
• Orange Zest - For an extra kick of orange flavor, add one or two teaspoons of orange zest at the end.

Easy ways to use leftover sauce

• You could just use it as a jam on your pancakes, bread and other pastries—and you may as well, it keeps for weeks and tastes great with peanut butter or cream cheese.
• You can also try heating it up and using it as a warm sauce on ice cream or cake. This is also delicious!
• Try adding your leftover cranberry sauce to barbeque sauce or whipped cream. Sounds a bit weird, I know, but trust me when I say, it works!

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this cranberry applesauce or our Easy Ham Sauce recipe.

Storage

• Refrigerator: You can store this cranberry sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
• Freezer: To freeze this cranberry sauce, allow it to chill completely in the refrigerator. Then, transfer it to an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to six months.
• Reheat: Thaw in refrigerator for several hours or overnight. To reheat this sauce, simply empty the contents into a saucepan and heat until bubbly on medium-low.

Tips

This is one easy recipe. It only takes a few ingredients and a few minutes to cook. That being said, there are a few things to remember to help make the best cranberry sauce possible.

• Don't skip the depressurization after cooking the cranberry sauce. That extra five minutes gives the perfect texture.
• Adjust how thick your cranberry sauce is by boiling it more or less at the end.

FAQ

Do you have questions about this easy Instant Pot cranberry sauce? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about easy Instant Pot cranberry sauce.

Can I double this recipe?
This recipe will feed 4 adults. You can easily double it if you are feeding a larger crowd.

What else can I do with this cranberry sauce?
You can do all kinds of things with it. Use it as a jam on bread or pancakes, top cake or ice cream with it, add it to tarts or pies, or use it as a glaze.

Easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce Video

More Instant Pot Recipes

If you are looking for more Instant Pot recipe, try Instant Pot Meatloaf, Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs, and Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli Rice.