Fresh Cranberry Sauce Instant Pot Recipe (2024)

A fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe is one of those traditional dishes that goes on your Thanksgiving dinner table every year. It's tart and sweet all at once and there will be forever a debate on which is better, Cranberry Jelly or with Whole Berries!

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While you could open a can of jellied cranberry sauce, and place it in a bowl (as many people do) fresh cranberry sauce can be a real gamer changer this holiday season! Made with fresh or frozen cranberries, it's absolutely delicious as a side dish on your holiday table.

Making cranberry sauce is super easy to do, and once you realize how fast you can have it on the table you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with canned in the first place. With a cook time of 1 minute, you will be shocked how simple Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce truly is.

This recipe uses cinnamon and oranges to give it a additional flavor and bring in that fresh-factor you want at the table.

Another amazing benefit of creating the best recipe in your own home is that you can look forward to the leftovers or you can hear your dinner guests ask where did you get it because it's delicious!

Assuming that you even have any of this fresh cranberry sauce leftover after dinner, you can use it in my cranberry brie bites to create an amazing appetizer.

What's in Fresh Cranberry Sauce?

• Fresh Cranberries
• Water
• Orange Juice
• Honey
• Sugar
• Orange Zest
• Cinnamon Stick

How to make Fresh Cranberry Sauce?

• Wash the cranberries and place them in the pressure cooker.
• Add Sugar and stir.
• Pour Orange Juice, Water, Honey, and Orange Zest and give a quick stir
• Place Cinnamon Stick on top
• Set the pressure cooker to manual high pressure and cook for 1 minute with a 5 minute Natural Release.
• Release Pressure and Open lid. Remove cinnamon stick and throw it away.
• Stir Cranberries using a wooden spoon or spatula
• As you stir, break up the larger cranberries, leaving some whole.
• To thicken your cranberry sauce, set the pressure cooker to saute mode to reduce the liquid.

Can I freeze Cranberry Sauce?

Homemade cranberry sauce freezes really well! So take that leftover batch from Thanksgiving and freeze it for making appetizers on Christmas and reduce some of that hectic holiday stress.

How long is Cranberry Sauce good for?

If you store your cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.

It can last even longer in the freezer, but either way, you have plenty of time for finding ways of incorporating this cranberry sauce in your meal plans.

Can I make Cranberry Sauce on the Stove?

Yes! If you don’t have a pressure cooker or don’t want to use it for this recipe, you can make this cranberry sauce in a pot on the stove.

Simply set the burner to medium-high heat and let it come up to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until thickened.

How to serve Cranberry Sauce?

On a plate, in a bowl, hot or cold, the options are all yours to make. There is no wrong way to serve it up, but you may wish to garnish with a few orange peel curls if you’re looking for that fancy appearance.

Can I make Cranberry Sauce a day ahead?

Yes,you can make it a day in advance, it does really well for this and gives the flavors even more time to develop.

Just remember to either have it in your serving dish if you’re eating it cold or to warm it up if you plan on eating it that way.

How do you Thicken Cranberry Sauce?

It's easy to thicken cranberry sauce. If cooking in a Pressure Cooker press Saute and cook out the extra liquid.

If cooking on the stove top, simmer over a medium heat while stirring to reduce liquid and thicken.

What to Serve with Cranberry Sauce

There are so many options really, serve with Mashed Potatoes, on a Sandwich, as an appetizer with cheese and crackers. In a jello salad.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce will really give your recipes an amazing pop of flavor.

Holiday Recipes you might enjoy!

• Candied Carrots
• Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf
• Bacon Green Beans and Potatoes
• Cranberry Pecan Stuffing Recipe
• Turkey Tetrazzini
• Stuffed Pork Loin
• Marsalla Grilled Tri Tip
• Cranberry Brie Bites
• Easy Cinnamon Roll ~ Cinnamon Ring
• Breakfast French Toast

Welcome to Cranberry Week!

This week we are celebrating all things cranberry! We have delicious recipes from across the country to celebrate all things cranberry!

#CranberryWeek is an annual blogging event that is hosted by Ashley fromCheese Curd In Paradise

• Cranberry Moscow Mule from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Vegan Cranberry Biriyanifrom Magical Ingredients
• Cranberry Jalapeno Dip with Cream Cheese from Our Good Life
• Cranberry Christmas Cake from The Fresh Cooky
• Cranberry Sauce Recipe from Devour Dinner
• Christmas Morning Punch from Jen Around the World
• Cranberry Chutney from The Freshman Cook
• Chocolate Brownie Cranberry Muffins from Daily Dish Recipes
• Cranberry Fluff from Life Love and Good Food
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast from Kate's Recipe Box