Aaaahhh… the Instant Pot…
Maybe you’ve heard of it? 😉
Whether you’ve seen Instant Pot recipes on Pinterest, or your friends rave about it on Facebook, or you’ve saved it to your Amazon wishlist, I’m sure you know that the Instant Pot is THE kitchen gadget of the year!
It’s no wonder that the Instant Pot is one of my favorite appliances. This thing has changed my life and the efficiency of my kitchen!
Pressure cooking isn’t just a way to make mouth-watering, tender, amazing roasts and stews. Oh, no. There are people out there right now making absolutely gorgeous custards, breads, and cheesecakes in their pressure cookers! How cool is that?
Perhaps even more surprising are the non-food things the Instant Pot can make…
It sautés, it warms, it slow cooks, it bakes, it melts… it does all the things. 🙂
Our TCS team of writers and I have come up with some pretty surprising things to make in the Instant Pot. I am blown away by the creativity in these recipes!
From natural remedies and body products to dessert and even dog food, here are 11 surprising things you can make in the Instant Pot!
#1 — Jam
No pectin and just 2 ingredients?? Yes, that’s how easy Instant Pot jam is!
My daughter created Instant Pot Blueberry Jam while she was packing up her apartment to move — that’s how simple this is!
You can use strawberries or blackberries, too!
Get the recipe here –> Easy Instant Pot Blueberry Jam {just 2 ingredients!}
#2 — Hard Lotion Bars
Homemade lotions and lotion bars usually require melting things (like beeswax and cacao butter) over a double broiler. But that’s a pain…
With the Instant Pot, its handy “Keep Warm” feature eliminates the need for a double boiler (and the possible mess that creates!).
Quickly and easily melt chocolate, fat, and even cacao butter and beeswax for hard lotion bars.
Here’s how –> Instant Pot Hard Lotion Bars
#3 — Rice Pudding
Rice is comfort food, whether made into pudding or not. Not only is it filling and inexpensive, it’s delicious either plain or with toppings.
No more stirring, sticking, or standing over a simmering pan. The Instant Pot makes rice pudding hands-off and oh-so convenient!
With one touch — a single button — the basic ingredients transform into a creamy Instant Pot rice pudding.
Get the recipe here –> Instant Pot Rice Pudding
#4 — Herbal Salves
The Instant Pot is the perfect tool for making a handmade salve. The process is even mostly hands-free — giving you more time for all of your other projects.
The recipe requires 2 simple steps. First, you make an herb-infused oil. Second, you make an herbal salve. That’s really it!
Learn how to make any herbal salve in your Instant Pot –> How To Make An Herbal Salve In The Instant Pot.
#5 — Yogurt
Nowadays, my family couldn’t live without our homemade yogurt. They miss it so much if we’re out. It tastes and feels waaayyyyy better than store-bought — and it’s waaayyyy healthier and cheaper, too.
Turns out, you can get raw milk yogurt that’s just as thick and creamy as my other method for raw milk yogurt in a dehydrator.
You need less than 5 minutes to get it going, and then the Instant Pot does all the work! It’s really amazing and easy and it will change your life! It has mine.
See how easy it is here –> Raw Milk Yogurt {Instant Pot}.
#6 — Muffins
Moist muffins became moister when they were baked in the Instant Pot! My daughter adapted a zucchini bread recipe to create these cute Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Bites in her Instant Pot.
The best part? She baked muffins in the middle of summer without turning on her oven!
#7 — Cough Syrup
While plain ol’ raw honey works wonders on a cough, sometimes herbs can bring relief and healing a bit more quickly.
Infusing healing herbs into cough syrup no longer means babysitting a pot and adjusting the burner’s temperature. Using the Instant Pot‘s Sauté feature, it’s simple to simmer herbs in water at a constant temperature. Since we’re all about fighting illness with food, this is just one way we can put our kitchen appliances to work on home remedies!
Make cough syrup in your Instant Pot with this recipe –> Instant Pot Cough Syrup {with fresh thyme, ginger, & lemon}
#8 — Leftovers
Get rid of your microwave for good! It is possible to reheat your leftovers in the Instant Pot!
You can use several of the Instant Pot’s features — Sauté, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, or my favorite, Steam — to quickly and easily reheat all sorts of foods.
Learn how to reheat foods in the Instant Pot here –> Can I Reheat Food In The Instant Pot?
#9 — Cheesecake
My daughter Haniya combined some of her favorite things — cheesecake, chocolate, essential oils, and her Instant Pot — to create this amazing Orange & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake In The Instant Pot! (Her recipe actually works in any pressure cooker.)
You can adapt the crust and flavor to your liking… the sky’s the limit! I think it’s pretty amazing that the Instant Pot will even make cheesecake!
Here’s her mouth-watering recipe –> Orange & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake In The Instant Pot
#10 — Sourdough Cornbread
When I looked around for traditionally prepared grain recipes that were also pressure cooked, I didn’t find much. So I decided to change that…
Yes, it is possible to bake your soaked, sprouted, or soured grains in your Instant Pot! And this sourdough cornbread is proof of that!
I pulled this TCS members-only recipe out of the Pressure Cooking eCourse to share with you –> Sourdough Cornbread
#11 — Dog Food
You take pains to feed your family the best, unprocessed food that you can, right? Why not do the same for your furry family members, too?
Processed food has the same impacts in our pets as it does in our human bodies. It leads to inflammation, autoimmune disease, weight gain, diabetes, and more.
TCS writer Lindsey’s dog was shedding, had bad breath, loose teeth, and even fleas! And she was feeding her dog a reputable “healthy” brand of dry dog food.
With the support of her vet, she made the switch to homemade dog food — and her dog’s health was radically improved! Then Lindsey figured out how to make dog food in her Instant Pot, and now it’s quick and easy to provide nourishing food for her pets.
Learn how here –> Homemade Dog Food In The Instant Pot.
More Helpful Instant Pot Articles:
- How to Use Your Instant Pot (+ Easy Instant Pot Instructions)
- Which Instant Pot Should I Buy? Which Size And Model Is Best For My Family? #AskWardee 048
- Is The 8 Quart Instant Pot Ever Too Big? #AskWardee 126
- How To Convert Slow Cooker Recipes To Pressure Cooker
- How To Clean Your Instant Pot — Naturally & Easily! #AskWardee 087
- How Do I Reheat Food In The Instant Pot? #AskWardee 047
- How To Reheat Frozen Food In The Instant Pot {Instant Pot Freezer Meals} #AskWardee 079
What surprising things have you created in your Instant Pot? Which of these will you try first?
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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Your presentation regarding size of cookers was great. As a single man, I have to consider if I have enough room in my fridge for what I cook.. Hope I can find receipies for single cooking.
Thanks again and am odering same from England this week.
I would also like to see recipes for singles.
This sounds great!!! I will add this to my wish list
Do you have a homemade cat food recipe?
You can make your own vanilla extract as well.
Would like to know how to make your own vanilla extract.
Thanks
Hi, Bob.
We have a recipe here: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/homemade-bourbon-vanilla-extract/
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
I am interested in getting a pressure cooker and the Instant Pot has great appeal. But can one use it as a pressure canner as well?
Hi Diane,
The Instant Pot website FAQs address this question: http://instantpot.com/faq/faq-before-you-buy-your-instant-pot/
Here’s what they say:
“Can I do canning with Instant Pot?
There are two types of canning: boiling-water canning at 100°C/212°F (for acid fruits, tomatoes, pickles and jellied products) and pressure canning at 115~121°C/240~250°F (for low acid vegetables, meat and poultry). Please refer to “USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning” for more details.
Instant Pot can be used for boiling-water canning. However, Instant Pot has not been tested for food safety in pressure canning by USDA. Due to the fact that programs in Instant Pot IP-CSG, IP-LUX and IP-DUO series are regulated by a pressure sensor instead of a thermometer, the elevation of your location may affect the actual cooking temperature. For now, we wouldn’t recommend using Instant Pot for pressure canning purpose. Please note this correction to our early inaccurate information.”
Millie
Traditional Cooking School Support
When I ordered my Instant Pot I planned on using it for canning but when I got it, the directions said you could only use for canning at a lower altitude than what I live at. Sad Face!
Do you have recipes for Parrot food
Hi Sandra,
We do not have a parrot food recipe.
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
Hello;
I’m interested in making/fermenting black garlic & am wondering if you would recommend the instant pot for this project or if I’ll need to spend $90 on a black garlic fermentation machine specifically. Concerned with controlling humidity & time settings. May require time to be set for 192 hrs +/- depending on size of garlic to achieve desired results. What do you suggest?
Thanks for the instant pot dog food recipe ideas!
Hi, PJ,
I am sorry but we are not familiar in making black garlic in the Instant Pot. I would recommend contacting Instant Pot direclty. Let us know how it turns out if you do try it. 🙂
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
That was really helpful. Thank you so much. Have just put a batch of Goulash in my instant pot and converted it from 5 hours on high to 30 minutes.
Can you tell me please if l can pressure cook using a pudding steamer in the instant pot? I have made things using a tinfoil covered bowl but, hate creating litter and would love to use my steamer. What I’m unsure of is whether there would be a difference in pressure between the steamer and the instant pot and whether that would matter. It’s stainless steel with a clip on lid, like this one. https://www.briscoes.co.nz/product/1036484/dline-pudding-steamer-1.75-ltr-stainless-steel/?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjwqcKFBhAhEiwAfEr7zUkBiEdpwuqbet9tb2r23ILq0_d5WjIXa52Z-Zmv5jxtdknDDPCcDhoCl8sQAvD_BwE
Hi, Niki.
Although we haven’t tried it if it is oven safe and it fits you can give it a try.
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
I know this is an older article but I’m slightly concerned about the cheesecake recipe. Did you mean to say extracts instead of essential oils? In my experience essential oils , even fully natural brands are not intended for consumption.
Hi, Lauren: The recipe was developed with high-quality essential oils in mind, but we know that it’s a personal preference whether to ingest them. You can certainly use extracts instead if you prefer. —Sonya, TCS Customer Success Team