Instant Pot Apple Cider
This homemade Instant Pot apple cider recipe is the coziest fall or winter beverage! Made with fresh apples, oranges, cranberries, and warming spices, it’s super simple to make and ready to sip in under an hour.
Instant Pot Apple Cider
Get ready to bring on the ultimate coziness. This apple cider is richly flavored with apple pie-like spices and perfect for sipping by the fire or packing in a thermos on your outdoor adventures.
Bring out your Instant Pot to make a big batch of this cider in under an hour. Then reheat the leftovers whenever you need a deliciously cozy break.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Apple Cider
Apples: use whatever variety you like! We used a combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples.
Orange: we’ll be adding a whole, unpeeled orange to the cider, so make sure to buy unwaxed.
Cranberries: fresh cranberries add a delicious tartness to the sweet cider. Unfortunately, dried cranberries will not work for this instant pot apple cider recipe.
Cinnamon sticks: These can also be replaced by a couple of teaspoons of ground cinnamon if you are unable to find whole sticks.
Star anise: this beautiful star-shaped spice gives the apple cider a warm, cozy taste. If you are unable to find star anise, it’s ok to omit it completely.
Nutmeg, cloves & allspice: just a few more spices inspired by the flavors in apple pie!
Maple syrup: We used maple syrup as a sweetener, but brown sugar, cane sugar, honey, or even a few pitted dates also work well. Depending on what variety of apples you use, the cider on its own will be quite tart. If you’re ok with that, feel free to omit the sweetener completely.
How to make this Instant Pot apple cider recipe
Traditionally, apple cider is slow-cooked and can take several hours for the flavors to release. This Instant Pot apple cider recipe on the other hand is ready in just under an hour!
- Simply cut up the apples into large chunks and slice an orange. There's no need to peel! Place these ingredients in the inner pot (the removable part) of the Instant Pot along with the cranberries, spices, maple syrup and water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it so it clicks then set it to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Since there is a lot of liquid in the pot, it’s going to take a bit of time to come to pressure. Ours usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Once it comes to pressure, the timer will start and the cider will begin cooking. After the 15 minutes is up, turn off the Instant Pot and allow it to release pressure naturally. If you can’t wait, you can use the quick-release function after about 10 minutes.
- Remove the top and use a masher or slotted spoon to mix the softened fruit. Finally, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to separate the solids and liquid.
- This Instant Pot apple cider can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. We prefer ours heated in the microwave or over the stove and served in mugs for maximum coziness.
Full recipe in the recipe card below.
Tips for Making Instant Pot Apple Cider
- If you can’t find or don’t like one of the ingredients, feel free to omit anything (except the apples) as you choose. You can also play with ratios and swap in different flavors. Experiment with fresh ginger, different types of citrus, and other spices.
- After you strain the cider, you will be left with something resembling apple sauce. Use this flavorful mash as a topping for ice cream, oatmeal, yogurt, or add it to baked goods.
- Compared to the traditional method, this Instant Pot apple cider recipe is made in a fraction of the time. Just keep in mind the Instant Pot must come to pressure and release, so the whole process ends up taking about an hour.
- When the mood strikes, turn this into a cozy cocktail by adding a splash of bourbon or rum to your mug!
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Instant Pot Apple Cider
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 6 medium apples, sliced
- 1 large orange, sliced
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 2-inch cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise
- 10 whole cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the inner pot of the Instant Pot.6 medium apples, 1 large orange, ½ cup fresh cranberries, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 2-inch cinnamon sticks, 3 star anise, 10 whole cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 5 cups water
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the time is up, release naturally or use the quick release function after 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and use a potato masher or slotted spoon to mash the fruit.
- Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and add the mixture, using the back of a spoon to push the liquid through. Serve cider warm or cold and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
The maple syrup and cinnamon sticks add so much flavor to this apple cider! I love how it’s made in the instant pot too!
I love how versatile the Instant Pot is. Why didn’t I think of making this in it?? I am definitely making this again over the weekend, thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
This apple cider recipe is loaded with fall flavors and fragrance. I absolutely love it.
This is the perfect apple cider for the holidays. Delicious!
This is the perfect apple cider recipe to make after having a fun day out in the snow sledding or skiing. So cozy!