Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
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Perfect homemade 4 min cranberry sauce made from scratch! Use frozen or fresh cranberries. Quick and so easy!
Remember the Friends episode where everyone is late to Thanksgiving? Monica is tricked into cooking the entire Thanksgiving meal (a Thanksgiving she didn’t want to host) and Chandler just wants to help out in the sweetest way possible.
Chandler: I’m serious, let me do something, just not the turkey or the stuffing, nothing “high profile”.
Monica: Ok, let’s see… Oh, the cranberry sauce, it is easy to make and no-one really cares about it.
That’s basically all I think about when it comes to cranberry sauce.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries. Fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries can be used here. When using fresh, use plump cranberries that are bright red in color and firm to the touch. Avoid using dried cranberries.
- Make ahead of time. Cranberry sauce is one of those holiday side dishes you can make ahead of time and store in the fridge up to 1 week in advance.
- Serve hot or cold. This really depends on personal preference, but cranberry sauce can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.
- Use natural release. A quick release is not recommended here as cranberries foam quite a bit.
- Remove the orange zest and cinnamon stick. Don’t forget to remove the strips of orange zest and cinnamon stick prior to serving.
- Save the leftovers. Leftover cranberry sauce can be frozen up to 3 months. You can also use the leftovers for breakfast (topping off pancakes, waffles or french toast), sandwiches and desserts (cheesecakes, coffee cakes, banana bread or streusel bars).
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®.
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
Some like it hot, some like it cold, but we personally find that cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Adding vanilla extract after cooking helps preserve the vanilla flavor, allowing the flavor to shine though. If vanilla is cooked in high heat, the main ingredient of vanilla extract (alcohol) will evaporate quickly along with all the vanilla flavor.
Yes! Cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Cranberry sauce can be frozen up to 3 months. Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can easily make cranberry sauce on the stovetop.
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 (12-ounce) packages fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 3-inch strips orange zest
- 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place cranberries, sugars, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and cloves into a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Stir until well combined.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 4 minutes. When finished cooking, naturally release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions, about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove orange zest and cinnamon. Using a wooden spoon, mash cranberry mixture until desired consistency is reached; stir in vanilla.
- Let cool completely.
Video
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