Instant Pot Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Forget the Can: Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is your new holiday hero!

It's a Thanksgiving staple, sure, but does anyone really get excited about it? This year, ditch the can and elevate your holiday table with this easy "no orange juice" homemade recipe.

Let me show you another easy recipe for thanksgiving made with only a three ingredients.

Making cranberry sauce in your Instant Pot is incredibly fast and convenient, freeing you up to tackle other dishes while it cooks. Simply add the ingredients, set the timer, and let your Instant Pot work its magic.

This hands-off approach allows you to multitask in the kitchen without sacrificing flavor or quality. Plus, you can make this cranberry sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, checking one more task off your holiday to-do list.

Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with loved ones this holiday season!

Looking for more Thanksgiving Side Dishes? Try my Company's Coming Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe or my Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe.

Table of Contents

• No Orange Juice Cranberry Sauce
• Other Ways to Use Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• 🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
• Main Ingredients Needed
• Recipe Substitutions and Variations
• Step-by-Step Directions
• Before You Begin!
• Serving Tips
• Storing Tips
• Can you Freeze Cranberry Sauce?
• More Thanksgiving Recipes to LOVE
• Indulge in Flavor, Not Ads - Get Your Ad-Free Digital Cookbook Today!
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments

No Orange Juice Cranberry Sauce

This Instant Pot cranberry sauce skips the orange juice, letting the pure cranberry flavor shine through! My Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce recipe uses orange juice, so it really comes down to your personal preference.

If your family loves that bright, citrusy tang, feel free to swap the water in this recipe with an equal amount of orange juice. But if you're looking for a cranberry sauce that tastes like cranberries, you've come to the right place!

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Other Ways to Use Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of those dishes people think you can only enjoy around the holidays for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Aside from being the perfect side dish to turkey, cranberry sauce adds flavor and texture to all kinds of dishes.  Here are a few other easy ways to use this recipe besides the obvious: 

• As a spread like jam - Homemade Cranberry Sauce tastes amazing on top of turkey slider sandwiches. 
• Use it as a topping for savory recipes - this sauce tastes great on top of pancakes or waffles. I love it stirred into vanilla yogurt for breakfast. 
• You can use it as a dessert topping - try a spoonful on top of vanilla ice cream. How about a spoonful on top of homemade cheesecake? 
• Barbecue Sauce - the next time you're making homemade barbecue sauce, try stirring in some leftover cranberry sauce as a way to enrich the flavor. 
• Baking - try adding a spoonful or two to homemade pie dough to create a turnover. 

🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools

Instant Pot Official MasherInstant Pot Ultra 8 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt MakerInstant Pot Magnetic Cheat SheetStainless Steel Citrus Zester

 

Main Ingredients Needed

Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Place cranberries, sugar, and water in the Instant Pot. Secure the lid, ensuring the valve is in the "sealing" position. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 8 minutes.

Step 2: Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. Carefully open the Instant Pot and stir the cranberry sauce. It will thicken as it cools.

Serving Tips

You can serve this recipe at room temperature or warmed up slightly. Warming up the sauce is easy to do in a small saucepan over a low heat. 

If you do decide to make this recipe ahead of time, you may notice that the cranberry sauce may be a little thick when you take it out of the refrigerator to serve. 

All you need to do is stir in a little extra water or even orange juice until it thins out enough to what you enjoy. 

Cranberries are a very tart fruit and you do need a generous amount of sugar when preparing the sauce. Please taste the cranberry sauce after releasing the pressure to see if you need to add more sugar.

Storing Tips

• Allow the cranberry sauce to cool to room temperature before storing it. This prevents condensation from forming in the container, which can lead to spoilage.
• Transfer the cranberry sauce to an airtight container. This can be a plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
• Place the container of cranberry sauce in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 10 to 14 days.

Can you Freeze Cranberry Sauce?

Homemade cranberry sauce freezes beautifully! Follow these easy steps so you can serve any leftovers at a later date: 

• Place the leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container. 
• You can even freeze it in a freezer-safe plastic bag in order to save room in the freezer. 
• Cranberry sauce can be frozen for up to two months. 
• For best results, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. 

More Thanksgiving Recipes to LOVE

📖 Recipe Card