This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce requires less hands-on time than making it on the stove and it turns out just as tasty.

Homemade cranberry sauce is really easy, but when you’re managing several different dishes for a Thanksgiving feast, those minutes you’d normally spend standing at the stove stirring become very precious. That’s why Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is a great side dish.
The Instant Pot does all the work and you only need to spend a few seconds mashing and transferring it to a serving bowl when it’s done. Speaking of mashing, if you want to save more space on your stove, you should make these Instant Pot mashed potatoes too.
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What are Some fun Facts About Cranberry Sauce?
It seems like people either really like cranberry sauce, or they really don’t like cranberry sauce — there’s rarely any in between. Well, in case your kids wonder why this has to even be served at your Thanksgiving table, here are some fun facts you can share with them that might even convince them to try a bit:
- Fresh cranberries are pretty special because they’re not available for long. You can only find them in the produce section of the store from October to December.
- Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America and are grown in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington.
- It takes about 200 cranberries to make a can of cranberry sauce. This recipe uses 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, so you could have the kids count that out and see if it’s more or less cranberries than needed to make a can.
- 6 out of 10 Americans have cranberry sauce as a side dish at Thanksgiving.
- Even though cranberries are almost 90% water, they still have a good amount of vitamins and minerals with several health benefits.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Aside from freeing up your stove, you’ll also appreciate these other things about making cranberry sauce in the Instant Pot:
- Cooks faster than on the stove: Making cranberry in the instant pot takes half the time it takes to cook it on the stove.
- Easy to make: All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients — you don’t have to stir it and keep an eye on it while it cooks, the instant pot does all the work.
- Fills the house with a delicious aroma: Unlike the cranberry sauce in a can, this homemade sauce smells so delicious with the scents from the cinnamon stick and orange peels.
If you want to try another Thanksgiving recipe made with real cranberries, try this Instant Pot stuffing.
🥘 Ingredients

For this cranberry recipe, you’ll need all of the same ingredients you’d use in a classic cranberry sauce recipe made on the stove:
- Fresh cranberries: When looking for fresh cranberries in the store, look for ones that are a deep, rich red or yellowish-red color, with a sheen. They also should be should be firm and plump.
- Cinnamon stick: This adds a warm, earthy spice that complements the tartness of the cranberries. It also brings a cozy, festive flavor that you expect of holiday dishes.
- Orange peel: It’s a citrusy zest that brightens the sauce, balances the sweetness of the sugar and adds a fresh, tangy flavor. The oils in the peel provide a more intense orange flavor than just the orange juice alone.
See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities
🔀 Substitutions
If you don’t have some of the above ingredients, you can try these instead:
Fresh cranberries: If fresh cranberries are unavailable, you can use frozen cranberries without adjusting the cook time.
Cinnamon stick: You can use ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon if you don’t have a cinnamon stick.
Orange peel: If you don’t have fresh peel, use 1-2 teaspoons of orange zest. You could also use dried orange peel.
🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
In case you want to add some different flavors to your cranberry sauce, here are some ideas:
- Alternative spices: You could use a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, or allspice for a different warm spice profile.
- Other citrus: Lemon or lime peel/zest can be used for a different but still bright, citrusy flavor.
- Alternative sweeteners: Honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar can be used instead of regular sugar. Each will provide its own unique flavor profile — honey adds floral notes, maple syrup adds a deeper sweetness, and brown sugar adds a molasses-like richness.
If you want to try something different with your leftover cranberry sauce, try using it to make these turkey cranberry sliders.
🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need a couple of things to make this recipe:
- Instant Pot: This is where you’ll cook and prepare almost everything needed for this recipe.
- Serving dish: Make your cranberry sauce even more appealing by displaying it in a pretty serving dish.
🔪 How to Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Making Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is even easier than the stovetop version. No need to stand at the stove to stir and prevent splatters.
Step 1: Combine the Ingredients
Simply add all the ingredients in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.

Step 2: Cook
Secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes.
Step 3: Release the Pressure
After the timer beeps indicating the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 6 minutes. Then, move the valve to venting.

Step 4: Mash and Serve
Mash the cranberries lightly and transfer to a serving dish.

❓ Recipe FAQs
You can double the recipe, but make sure it will still fit in your instant pot. Also, the cook time will stay the same, but it might take longer for it to come to pressure.
If the sauce is too thin after cooking, you can simmer it on the sauté setting for a few minutes to reduce the liquid. Also, cranberries naturally contain pectin, which helps thicken the sauce as it cools.
Homemade cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
🙏 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce:
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📋 Recipe

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Serving dish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3-4 tablespoons orange peel
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in inner pot off the Instant Pot.12 ounces fresh cranberries, 1 cinnamon stick, 3-4 tablespoons orange peel, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup orange juice
- Close the instant pot lid and turn pressure valve to seal. Cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes.
- Allow for a natural pressure for 6 minutes and then move the valve to venting.
- Mash the cranberries lightly before serving and then transfer the sauce to a serving dish.
HELLO CORINNE, THE INSTANT POT SOUNDS FAST AND GREAT TO DO THE CRANBERRIES IN.DO YOU THINK I COULD DOUBLE THE RECIPE TO MAKE A BIGGER BATCH? WOULD IT BE SAFE? WILL WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU.YOU HAVE GREAT RECIPES.
THANKS BETTY (WINNIPEG) MANITOBA CANADA
You can double the recipe, but make sure it will still fit in your instant pot. Also, the cook time will stay the same, but it might take longer for it to come to pressure.