Candied Orange Peels

A delicious and easy way to make homemade candied orange peels. Perfect for snacking, using as a gorgeous garnish, or using in other recipes!

Have you ever eaten a candied orange peel? They are delicious! You can find them in most grocery stores, or you can make them at home. They are really easy to make at home, and I’m going to show you how.

This easy recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and the results are sure to impress. Candied orange peels have so many uses and are a great way to make the most out of your fresh produce.

These sweet and tangy treats are perfect for snacking on or using as a topping for cakes and other desserts.

Here’s everything you need to know to make perfect candied orange peels.

Tips for Making the BEST Candied Citrus Peels

• Store the reserved orange syrup in the refrigerator to add flavor to your favorite beverages and cocktails, such as iced tea, club soda, or mixed drinks.
• For best results, leave some of the white pith on each orange peel. If the pith is too thick, carefully remove some of the excess with a sharp knife prior to boiling.
• Don’t skip the first boil. It is necessary to remove some of the bitterness from the pith.
• Make sure you rinse the peels well after the first boil.
• Do not try to toss the peels in sugar while still hot. Wait until they are set, at least 8 hours, but 24 hours is ideal.

How to Use Candied Orange Peels

Serve the candied peels immediately as a snack, or use as a delicious garnish for ice cream, cupcakes, cakes, or cocktails. They also make a wonderful addition to homemade cannoli filling.

They are perfect for making homemade Eccles cakes too. Yum!

If desired, you can also dip them in chocolate for an extra treat!

How Long Can You Store Candied Orange Peels?

You can store your homemade candied orange peels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Alternately, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

About the Ingredients for Making Candied Orange Peels

Citrus – This recipe calls for navel oranges but you could use any citrus fruit peels. Lemon peels, grapefruit peels, and lime peels all work well!

Sugar – Granulated sugar will give you the best results but you can use any sugar you like here.

You could use raw turbinado sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, monk fruit, stevia etc… Just keep in mind that not all sugars will give the same results. For example, using honey will result in softer peels that don’t firm up as much.

Looking for More Tasty Citrus Recipes?

This Cranberry Orange Scone recipe is a Starbucks copycat that features dried cranberries and orange zest, drizzled with orange icing.

This easy lemon poppy seed bundt cake is the perfect dessert to make for a crowd. It’s sweet and tangy and sure to be a hit!

Greek Lemon Potatoes are cooked in a flavourful lemon garlic broth and then are roasted to golden perfection.

How to Make Candied Orange Peels

Yields: 4-6 Servings | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 large navel oranges
6 cups water, divided
2½ cups white granulated sugar, divided

Directions:

Thoroughly wash and dry the oranges, then cut off the tops and bottoms of each. Score the orange peel from top to bottom with a sharp knife to create 4 or 5 large sections.

Carefully remove each section with some of the pith and cut into ¼-inch sections. Set aside.

Bring five cups water to a rapid boil in a large saucepan. Add the orange peels and return to a boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the peels thoroughly before shaking out the excess liquid. Set aside.

Add one cup water and two cups sugar to the same saucepan and set the heat to medium. Stir the mixture occasionally until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.

Add the boiled orange peels and increase heat to medium-high to boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain, reserving both the orange-flavored syrup and the orange peels. Transfer the peels to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside to dry for 12 hours to overnight.

Once the peels are mostly dry, but still a bit tacky, add the remaining sugar to a large Ziploc storage bag and add the peels a few at a time. Seal and shake the bag carefully until the peels are uniformly coated in sugar. Repeat this process with the remaining peels until all are uniformly coated in sugar.