Instant Pot Christmas Potpourri

Easy Instant Pot Christmas Potpourri

One of my favorite things about the holiday season are the smells!

Fresh-cut Christmas trees.

Cookies baking in the oven.

Fragrant Orange Pomanders.

Usually I burn candles, but with a candle, those fragrances are usually concentrated in one small area. Candles smell nice in the jar, but they’re always a little disappointing in real life! Plus, you’ve got the smoke they make!

That’s why I’m so excited about this Instant Pot Christmas Potpourri recipe! It's super fragrant and will fill almost your whole house with all the sweet smells of Christmas!

While you can easily make this in your Instant Pot, you’ll find directions for making it on the stovetop and in the slow cooker, too! There’s no reason why your house shouldn’t smell like Christmas in no time at all.

This Christmas Potpourri makes an excellent homemade holiday gift too!

How Does it Work?

The beauty of Instant Pot Potpourri is how easy it is to make and use!

First, you’ll fill your mason jars with the ingredients. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use (it should last for 1-2 weeks in the fridge).

Once you’re ready to use, simply add the contents of the jar to your Instant Pot and simmer with the lid off.

As the liquid heats, fragrance will be slowly released throughout the room. The longer you simmer, the more the holiday scents will travel from the kitchen to other rooms of the house!

Christmas Potpourri Ingredients:

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1. orange
2. lemon
3. whole cloves
4. ground ginger
5. ground nutmeg
6. cinnamon
7. bay leaves
8. cranberries
9. sprigs rosemary
10. water
11. vanilla

How To Make Holiday Potpourri

A free printable copy of the full recipe is below the prep tips.

Slice the lemons and oranges into 1/4-inch slices.

Pack your jar with fruit slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and spices. You can use either pint-sized or quart-sized jars, depending on what you have on hand.

While I do provide suggested amounts above, you don’t have to worry too much about getting things exact. You can add a bit more or less of any ingredient you like — you can’t really mess up this recipe!

Here are my suggestions for how much of each item to put in your jars:

Quart Mason Jar

1. 1 orange, sliced
2. 1 lemon, sliced
3. 5 cinnamon sticks
4. 2-3 springs fresh rosemary
5. 2TB whole cloves
6. 2TB ground ginger
7. 1TB ground nutmeg
8. 2-3 bay leaves
9. 4TB vanilla
10. Fill the rest of the jar with water

Pint Mason Jar

If using pint-sized jars, you can halve the above recipe.

Instant Pot Directions

Add contents of one mason jar into the Instant Pot. You can also add the fruits and spices directly to your Instant Pot and then add the water separately. If measuring the water separately, you'll want to add about 4 cups of water.

Set Instant Pot to sauté until the liquid begins to boil.

Once boiling, switch the Instant Pot to warm and leave the lid off. Add more water as needed.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Add the contents of one jar to your slow cooker and set to high heat, with the lid off. If the liquid begins to boil, switch to the warm setting. Add more water as needed to ensure that the bottom of the slow cooker stays covered in liquid.

Stovetop Directions

Add contents of jar to a medium saucepan (without a lid) on the stove and bring to a boil. When the liquid starts to boil, reduce to a simmer. Add more water as the old water evaporates.

Safety Note: Never leave your potpourri unattended. If you need to leave the house for any reason, be sure to turn off your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove.

How Long Does the Fragrance Last?

The holiday scents will last as long as you’re actively warming the potpourri. When you turn off your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop, the scent will gradually fade.

One jar of potpourri can last all day, as long as you check periodically and add water when needed. You never want the Instant Pot to run dry, or you’ll scorch the fruit and spices (and that won’t smell nice!