This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce recipe is made with three simple ingredients. It’s a delicious and wholesome side dish. Make this easy recipe for your holiday table.

bowl of instant pot cranberry sauce.

You aren’t going to believe how easy it is to make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce. It’s faster than using the stove top, plus it gives you more cooking space.

While cranberries are traditionally eaten just around the holidays, but they can be enjoyed throughout the year. I personally love to buy frozen bagged whole cranberries from the grocery store and make homemade cranberry sauce during any season.

Cranberries are pretty amazing little berries! They have lots of antioxidants and they’re known for helping to prevent urinary tract infections.

Contents hide
1 Why You Need This Recipe
2 Key Ingredients
3 Recipe Steps
4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions
5 Recipe FAQs
6 More Instant Pot Holiday Recipes You Might Like
7 Don’t Miss These Instant Pot Resources
8 Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce (3-Ingredients)

Why You Need This Recipe

  • Cranberry sauce is not just for Thanksgiving dinner, it can be served with any lean protein as a side dish or topping.
  • Whether you want to save space on your stovetop or you just want a hands-off method while you prepare your holiday meal, I think you’re going to love this easy recipe.
  • Skip the cups of refined sugar and use this recipe with pure maple syrup instead. it’s perfect for your healthy Thanksgiving table.

Key Ingredients

With just three ingredients, it doesn’t get much easier than this recipe for easy Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce.

labeled photo for instant pot cranberry sauce.

Frozen cranberries are ideal for this Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce recipe (as opposed to whole fresh cranberries) because they will prevent foaming while they cook.

Orange juice adds natural sweetness and a tangy orange flavor that is perfect for this classic recipe. Feel free to save some orange peel or orange zest for serving.

Maple syrup cuts the tartness from the cranberries and makes this a delightful side dish that goes great with Thanksgiving turkey.

Recipe Steps

Step One

Combine the cranberries, orange juice, and maple syrup in the base of a 6-quart electric pressure cooker.

If you want to be extra, you can also zest the orange before you juice it. Add the orange zest to the pot as well.

ingredients for instant pot cranberry sauce in an instant pot.

Step Two

Set the cooking time to 4 minutes on high pressure and then let the pressure come down naturally (natural release) for 10 minutes.

Carefully use the quick release pressure release to get rid of any remaining pressure, and then remove the lid.

cooked cranberry relish in an instant pot pressure cooker.

Step Three

Transfer the cooked cranberry sauce to a serving dish, and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce recipe is perfect for your holiday menu. I hope your family enjoys this cranberry recipe as much as mine does!

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • If you don’t have orange juice, you can also use apple juice.
  • You can make this recipe in a slow cooker as well. Cook the ingredients on high for 4-6 hours.
  • If you want a smoother texture, you can use a potato masher or an immersion blender to reach the desired consistency.
  • Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The leftover cranberry sauce will thicken a little bit as it cools.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of frozen?

Yes, I have tried it both ways. But, you are less likely to get foam when you use frozen cranberries.

Will the relish thicken as it cools?

Yes, it does! I like to make mine the day before I want to use it, and let it cool and thicken overnight in the fridge.

I thought you weren’t supposed to cook cranberries in the Instant Pot because of foam?

In my experimentation, there is a lot less foam when you use frozen cranberries. I did have foam and sputtering when I tested this using fresh cranberries, so my recommendation is to use frozen cranberries.

Can I use white sugar or brown sugar in this recipe?

I recommend using maple syrup because the liquid sweetener helps add to the minimum amount of liquid you will need to get the pot to pressure. Plus, maple syrup is less refined than brown or white sugar so it’s considered more of a natural sweetener.

bowl of cranberry sauce on holiday table.

More Instant Pot Holiday Recipes You Might Like

If you like this Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, you might like these other Instant Pot recipes.

Don’t Miss These Instant Pot Resources

20+ Healthy Instant Pot Side Dishes

Best Healthy Instant Pot Cookbooks for 2022

Instant Pot Meal Prep Gift Guide (Plus Recipes)

How to Use the Instant Pot Duo (For Beginners)

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce (3-Ingredients)

★★★★★

4.9 from 13 reviews
Print Recipe

This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce recipe is made with three simple ingredients. It’s a delicious and wholesome side dish. Make this easy recipe for your holiday table.

  • Total Time: 29 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 10–ounce bag frozen cranberries
  • 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Combine the cranberries, orange juice, and maple syrup in the base of a 6-quart pressure cooker.
  2. Set the time to high pressure for 4 minutes.
  3. Then, when the cooking time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes and then use the quick-release to release any remaining pressure.
  4. Carefully remove the lid and transfer the sauce to a serving bowl.

Equipment

Notes

  1. If you want a stronger orange flavor, zest the orange before you use it and add the zest to the pot with the other ingredients.
  2. If you don’t have orange juice, you can also use apple juice.
  3. You can make this recipe in a slow cooker as well. Cook the ingredients on high for 4-6 hours.
  4. If you want a smoother texture, you can use a potato masher or an immersion blender to reach the desired consistency.
  5. Serve hot or cold. The cranberry sauce will thicken in the refrigerator.
  6. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to a week.

Keywords: thanksgiving cranberry relish in the instant pot pressure cooker, instant pot cranberries, cranberry relish

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