How to Make Apple Juice in the Instant Pot

Buy a big bag of apples and turn them into fresh apple juice in minutes!

No juicer or long cooking required. In under ten minutes you can have bright, fresh apple juice made from whole apples. It’s simple, flavorful, and a great zero-waste way to use surplus fruit. Ready to learn how to make Instant Pot apple juice? Let’s get started.

Fresh Apple Juice In An Instant

You don’t need store-bought concentrate or an expensive juicer to enjoy fresh apple juice. With just a pressure cooker (or a stovetop pot if you prefer), fresh apples are all you need. Peel and core them, then use gentle pressure cooking to extract flavorful, slightly tart-and-sweet juice in a fraction of the time it would take on the stove.

Do I Need An Instant Pot To Make Apple Juice?

No — an Instant Pot speeds things up, but you can also make apple juice on the stovetop. The difference is time: stove-top cooking requires a longer simmer to break the apples down, often 30 minutes or more. A pressure cooker reduces that dramatically, producing soft, juicier apples in five minutes under pressure.

If you have a juicer, that’s another route, but using a pressure cooker is a simple, low-tech method that doesn’t require extra equipment and still yields great flavor.

The Best Apples For Apple Juice

You can use many different apple varieties to make juice. Some apples are sweeter, others more tart — mixing types can give balanced flavor. Good choices include:

• Golden Delicious
• Honeycrisp
• Jonagold
• Pink Lady
• Gala
• Fuji
• Rome

These apples hold up well during cooking and release a lot of liquid. Buy fresh fruit from the market, grocery store, or your tree, and use them soon after purchase for the best-tasting juice.

What You Need For This Recipe

Keep these basic ingredients on hand to make Instant Pot apple juice:

• Fresh apples (about 3 lbs for a family batch)
• Lemon juice (to brighten flavor and preserve color)
• Cinnamon (optional, for warmth)
• Water
• Sparkling water (optional, to lighten and serve)
• Brown sugar (optional, if you like it sweeter)

The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below so you can scale the batch as needed.

How To Make Instant Pot Apple Juice

1. Wash, peel, and core the apples, then cut them in halves or quarters.
2. Place the prepared apples in the Instant Pot. Add ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional).
3. For extra depth, add a pinch of salt.
4. Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on Pressure Cook or Manual for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release when the time is up.
5. Open the lid, stir the softened apples, and pour the mixture through a mesh strainer into a large bowl. Let the solids drain for at least one hour to collect maximum juice.
6. Press or stir the solids gently to release any remaining liquid, then discard or reserve the cooked apples for applesauce.
7. Pour the strained apple juice into a clean glass bottle or jar. Dilute with still or sparkling water to taste and chill before serving.

How To Store Instant Pot Apple Juice

Fresh apple juice is best consumed the same day, but you can store it safely:

• Refrigerator – Keep juice in a sterilized glass bottle for up to 48 hours. After that it may begin fermenting.
• Freezer – Pour juice into an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Avoid leaving freshly made juice at room temperature for extended periods to maintain quality and safety.

Why I Love Instant Pot Apple Juice

This method is flexible and forgiving. You can choose the apple varieties you prefer, add or omit sugar, and spice it with cinnamon or leave it plain. The Instant Pot produces a rich, naturally flavored juice quickly and with minimal waste — the cooked apples make great applesauce or baking filling.

The result is a clean, homemade juice that’s bright, fresh, and customizable to your taste.

More Apple Recipes You’ll Like

If you enjoy apples, consider trying these recipes for more ways to use your fruit:

• Apple cake
• Instant Pot chunky applesauce
• Apple turnovers
• Air fryer apple pie
• Apple French toast casserole
• Rustic French apple galette

Have fun making this homemade apple juice — it’s fast, economical, and delicious.

If you try the recipe, tag @fastfoodbistro on social media (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook) to share your results.

Instant Pot Apple Juice

Yield:
4

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
5 minutes

Total Time:
10 minutes

Quick and easy homemade Instant Pot apple juice — slightly tart, gently sweet, and a great zero-waste recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs apples
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 750 ml water or sparkling water (to dilute)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash, peel, and core the apples; cut into halves or quarters.
2. Place apples in the pot with ½ cup water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and brown sugar if using.
3. Optional: add a pinch of salt for depth of flavor.
4. Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Quick release when done.
5. Stir the apples and pour the cooked mixture through a mesh strainer into a large bowl. Let drain for at least one hour.
6. Press the solids lightly to extract more juice; reserve solids for applesauce or baking.
7. Transfer the strained juice to a clean bottle and dilute with water or sparkling water to taste.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 181
Total Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fiber: 8g
Sugar: 36g
Protein: 1g

Please note: Nutrition information is provided for reference only and may not be exact.