Home » Homemade Wassail | Instant Pot recipe
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Instant Pot Wassail is a warm, lightly sweetened drink perfect for holiday parties made with apple cider, fresh oranges, cinnamon, and cloves. This non-alcoholic version is a family favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Wassail is a classic wintertime drink that will warm you right up. It’s naturally sweetened and spiced with seasonal flavors that will instantly put you in the holiday mood.
We always serve this spiced and sweet wassail for the holidays, and we’ve updated this recipe with new tips and photos to make your Christmas celebration that much warmer.
Wassail is always on our holiday menu, along with other Instant Pot favorites, such as Instant Pot Cranberry Baked Brie, Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin, and Instant Pot Cornbread.
Wassail is an old English drink that’s mentioned in several Christmas carols (according to this news story, it was also a favorite sip of Charles Dickens). There are countless ways to make it, but all of them seem to be served hot and start with an apple base and warm, Christmas-y spices.
However, some family recipes call for less citrus (or different types of citrus), some have cranberries or cranberry juice, and others use allspice, juniper berries, or other classic holiday spices.
This recipe is our family’s favorite, but feel free to make it your own with the flavors and ingredients you love this time of year. Cheers!
Wassail Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make sweet and gently spiced wassail in your Instant Pot:
- Apple cider. You want regular cider, not juice, and not alcoholic hard cider.
- Orange juice. You can use freshly squeezed or your favorite bottled brand of OJ.
- Spices. Use whole cinnamon sticks and cloves, plus a bit of ground nutmeg.Originally we used fresh ginger, but we’ve updated the recipe a bit.
- Citrus. You’ll want the zest and juice of several lemons and oranges.
- Vanilla. Look for whole vanilla beans or high-quality vanilla bean paste.
- Sweetener. You can sweeten your wassail with brown sugar or simple syrup to your taste preference.
How to Make Wassail in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
To make this warming winter drink in a pressure cooker, start by making a small spice sachet. Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, lemon and orange zest, ginger, and vanilla bean in a cheesecloth bag or mesh steamer basket.
Next, add the apple cider and orange juice to the pressure cooking pot, along with your spice mixture. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
Finish with a quick pressure release and remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Remove the cheesecloth or steamer basket and discard the spices.
Your wassail is ready to serve, straight from the pressure cooking pot.
After pressure cooking, you can strain your wassail through a fine-mesh strainer if you like. This will remove any cloudiness in the drink, but it’s totally optional.
Important Tips for Making Wassail
- We’ve found that making wassail with sliced or whole citrus fruits can leave a bitter flavor from the white pith. Instead, we like to use thin slices or spirals of citrus zest as a garnish after pressure cooking.
- We also like to garnish a bowl of wassail with fresh cinnamon sticks, fresh cranberries, and apple slices.
- We think the strained version looks better, as it’s much less cloudy. But it’s up to you if you’d rather skip that step.
- We like to use a cheesecloth packet, which keeps the spices off the bottom of the pressure cooking pot. However, you can also easily place them in a metal or silicone steamer basket in the pressure cooker, especially if you intend to strain it.
- If you’re using fresh vanilla beans, there’s no need to split them.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wassail
How should I serve wassail?
We always serve this drink straight from the Instant Pot, which keeps it warm. You can add your favorite garnishes, such as citrus peel, apple slices, and cinnamon sticks.
Is wassail alcoholic?
Our version of wassail is non-alcoholic. But if you’d like to make an adult version of the holiday punch, you can add bourbon or dark rum to each glass.
Can I use dried ginger instead of fresh?
It should work well to substitute 1 teaspoon of ground ginger for the fresh ginger in this recipe.
Can I halve the recipe?
Yes, you can cut this recipe in half with no changes to the cooking time or instructions.
Can I make wassail ahead of time?
You can prepare this wassail in your Instant Pot up to two days ahead. Then reheat it using the Saute function on the pressure cooker until it’s warmed through.
MORE Holiday Instant Pot Recipes
Try these other festive recipes in your Instant Pot / pressure cooker:
- Old-Fashioned Pot Roast is a hearty, meaty meal that’s delicious with mashed potatoes.
- The Best Rice Pudding Recipe is rich, creamy, and so easy to make with one pot.
- Homemade Cranberry Jelly is a stunning centerpiece-worthy side dish made in a bundt pan.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Electric Pressure Cooker Wassail
Yield: 12 cups
Instant Pot Wassail is a warming alcohol-free holiday drink made with apple cider, fresh oranges and lemons, and plenty of cinnamon. It's perfect for holiday parties!
Ingredients
- 8 cups apple cider
- 2 cups orange juice (fresh or your favorite bottled brand)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled (optional)
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- Zest and juice of 2 oranges, plus more oranges for garnish if desired
- 2 vanilla beans, split (or 1 teaspoon high-quality vanilla paste)
- Brown sugar or simple syrup, optional, to sweeten to taste
- Garnish with additional orange wedges, apple wedges, curled orange zest, fresh cranberries, as desired
Instructions
- Pour apple cider and orange juice into the pressure cooking pot. If desired, use a cheesecloth bag or a mesh steamer basket to hold the spices. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, zest and juice of lemons, ginger (if using), and vanilla beans to the basket. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 10 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a natural release.
- Remove the cheesecloth bag and discard its contents. If desired, strain the wassail through a fine mesh strainer to remove any cloudiness from the zest.
- Turn the pressure cooker to Keep Warm and serve the wassail hot from the pot. (Use the low slow cook setting if you need it hot.)
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hatrigo Steamer Basket for Pressure Cooker, compatible with 6-quart Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Silicone Handle
OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Fine Mesh Strainer
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract for Baking and Cooking, 4 Ounce Bottle
Nielsen-Massey Gourmet Vanilla Beans for Baking and Cooking, 2-Bean Vial with Gift Box
Cooking Twine, Made of Heavy-Weight Natural Cotton, 500 ft
Natural Cotton Cheesecloth, Ultra Fine
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 212Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 3gSugar: 43gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
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