Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
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What’s your go-to dish for Thanksgiving dinner?
Well, Instant Pot cranberry sauce might be the unexpected new addition to all of those delicious flavors!
This sweet sauce is made with natural fruit rather than sweeteners, full of tangy, ruby-red flavor thanks to fresh cranberries.
This rich and gorgeous cranberry treat can be used in several ways. As the perfect pairing with Thanksgiving and Christmas cornbread dressing or chicken and dressing. As a spread for your morning toast or as an irresistible topping for desserts. Plus, try it as the best glaze ever for roasted turkey and ham!
What does cranberry sauce taste like?
The perfect cranberry sauce should be tart with a balance between sweet and spicy flavors. The most recognizable characteristic of this sauce is its tartness, which can be attributed directly to the beautiful cranberries.
How do you make Instant Pot cranberry sauce?
All you need to make homemade cranberry sauce are fresh cranberries, sugar, water, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 5 minutes of pressure cooking in the Instant Pot!
And boom – done!
These ingredients give the sauce a unique flavor that perfectly serves alongside meaty entrées during holiday feasts. You can get creative by enhancing any turkey or chicken dish with this Instant Pot cranberry sauce that took just about no time at all to make!
Instant Pot cranberry sauce
When the holidays start to roll around, cranberry sauce is one of the most common sauces on many family tables.
You no longer have to settle for canned cranberry sauce, or that thing called jellied cranberry sauce in a can (it jiggles!)
Luckily, making cranberry sauce in an Instant Pot is super easy and saves the day!
How long do you cook Instant Pot cranberry sauce?
This recipe will take about 10 minutes total with just 5 minutes of cooking time. The shorter cooking time is why the Instant Pot pressure cooker seems to be the most popular option among home cooks. So it’s perfect if you’re looking for a last-minute side dish idea.
Kitchen equipment for Instant Pot cranberry sauce
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
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Instant Pot Duo Nova | The Pioneer Woman Instant Pot | Amazon similar serving dish | Amazon large serving spoon | MacKenzie Childs similar dish towel |
Ingredients for Instant Pot cranberry sauce
- 3 cups of cranberries (two 12-oz. bags), fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
- ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions for Instant Pot cranberry sauce
- Rinse the cranberries and place them in a colander to drain.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and pour in the cranberries, water, sugar, and nutmeg.
- Gently stir the ingredients to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Transfer the cranberry sauce to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon on top.
- Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary.
- You can eat cranberry sauce warm, room temperature, or cold. If preferred, chill this Instant Pot cranberry sauce in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or serve right away warm, and enjoy!
Why make cranberry sauce in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
Instant pot electric pressure cookers are a great way to avoid the hassle of canning and preserving food. They also help you make your favorite jams, jellies, or sauces in mere minutes, like this pressure cooker cranberry sauce!
The high heat also helps extract more pectin from the berries, which means less sugar is required for this sauce than other cooking methods.
Can you use frozen cranberries to make Instant Pot cranberry sauce?
Instant Pot recipes are for anyone seeking a good home-cooked meal with minimal effort. So frozen cranberries are just as good in this dish as fresh ones!
Do you have any favorite add-ons for cranberry sauce?
Another spice you may want to add to your Instant Pot cranberry sauce recipe besides nutmeg and cinnamon is clove.
Whole or ground cloves are a spice commonly found in sweet as well as savory dishes. People also include orange peel in their cranberry sauce recipe to add a zesty flavor for Thanksgiving dinner!
Or, for a more intense flavor, you can use fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of water. You can also add an entire chopped-up orange to steep with your cranberries for even more dimension. Or just a tablespoon of orange juice or the zest of the orange peel.
What are other ways you can flavor your cranberries?
Even if you try this recipe as a cranberry-orange sauce – don’t forget to top with cinnamon (or cinnamon sticks)! Fresh ginger and vanilla extract are viable flavorings, too!
More Instant Pot cranberry sauce FAQs
Can you use Stevia or Splenda instead of sugar?
While I’ve not tried it yet, sugar substitutes like Splenda, Truvia, or even monk fruit sweetener would be excellent options for making sugar-free cranberry sauce.
Maybe even tablespoons of honey or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar.
What can you make with leftover cranberry sauce?
Thanksgiving and Christmas come and go so quickly! So it’s a good idea to think about what you’ll do with leftovers like cranberry sauce.
Whether too much or not enough, your favorite condiment can always be made into something delicious!
How long can you store your fresh cranberry sauce in the fridge? And how do you store it?
Cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What can you do with cranberry sauce?
Cranberry sauce is often served at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but did you know it also makes a great ingredient in other recipes?
There are countless ways to use cranberry sauce in your recipes.
Here are a few delicious fresh cranberry recipes for either a new bag of whole cranberries or for a meal plan to use up leftover cranberry sauce:
- Cranberry turkey sandwiches
- Cranberry sauce muffins
- Cranberry sauce cornbread
- Cranberry brie bites
- Cranberry dessert pizza
- Cranberry apple cider hot toddy
- Leftover pulled turkey with cranberry sauce
- Black folks cranberry sauce
How to select fresh cranberries?
Only fresh cranberries are highly recommended for this recipe, either thawed or frozen.
Plump, juicy cranberries are a delicious addition and the perfect choice for both savory and sweet dishes. If you want the most flavor for your homemade cranberry sauce, try choosing the ones with deep red hues and are firm to the touch.
How big is that bag of cranberries?
A typical pre-packaged bag of fresh cranberries tends to weigh in at about 12 ounces (1 ½ cups).
How do you adjust the thickness of the pressure cooker cranberry sauce?
This Instant Pot cranberry sauce recipe is tried and true. First, check to make sure you’ve only added 1 cup of water or liquid to avoid your sauce needing to be thickened.
Would this taste good if made the day before and chilled?
How far ahead can you make fresh cranberry sauce?
You can make this Black folks cranberry sauce recipe up to a day in advance. Chilling overnight also helps the ingredients marinate so you can enjoy a spicier taste with every bite the next day!
Can you freeze Instant Pot cranberry sauce?
Yes, you can extend the life of your cranberry sauce by freezing it in an airtight container for up to a couple of months.
What did you think about this recipe?
After pairing my Southern Thanksgiving turkey recipe with Instant Pot cranberry sauce this holiday season – like me, you won’t be able to resist giving this recipe a 5-Star rating!
And if you like this recipe, you’ll love these best Instant Pot Southern recipes for beginners HERE.
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3 cups cranberries two 12-oz. bags, fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 cups sugar granulated
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries and place them in a colander to drain.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and pour in the cranberries, water, sugar, and nutmeg.
- Gently stir the ingredients to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Transfer the cranberry sauce to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon on top.
- Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary.
- You can eat cranberry sauce warm, room temperature, or cold. If preferred, chill this Instant Pot cranberry sauce in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or serve right away warm, and enjoy!