An easy recipe for candied orange peel, with step-by-step photos. Use them in your favorite recipe, dip them in chocolate for a sweet treat, or give them as homemade gifts!
Quick Note: This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared on Bright-Eyed Baker in 2012. Updates include new text and photos, as well as some details added to the instructions for clarity.
The Holidays are here!
I honestly can't believe how quickly this year has flown by, especially in these last few months. I have a couple more (brand new) recipes to share with you all before the year is over, but since this is *the season* to make and gift alllll the candied orange peel, I wanted to re-share this recipe first.
In case you've never heard of Candied Orange Peels before, they're exactly what they sound like: strips of orange peel that have been cooked in a sugar syrup til they're soft and chewable, and then (optionally) rolled in sugar for an extra sweet finish. They have a strong orange flavor that really shines in baked goods like bread and scones, but taste equally as good on their own (especially dipped in chocolate!).
These take a bit of time to make, but the process is simple, and a lot of the time is hands-off. They also make a great homemade, edible gift for the holidays, as so many of you have told me you've used them for over the years!
So, are you ready to do this? Let's dive in!
How to make Candied Orange Peel, step-by-step (with photos):
To begin, rinse 3 navel or valencia oranges. (You can use more, like I did for these photos, but you'll want to increase the other ingredients accordingly.)
Cut the top and bottom off each orange and score the skin into quarters.
Remove the skin (both the peel and pith - the white part), and cut into strips about ¼" wide. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use.
Place the strips of peel in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water.
Blanch the peels: Set the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drain the water from the peels. Cover with fresh water and repeat this process at least twice more.
This removes the bitterness that orange peel naturally has; you may want to blanch the peels 4-5 times to ensure no bitterness remains. Once done, drain the water for the last time and transfer the peels to a bowl while prepping the sugar syrup.
In the same (now empty) saucepan, whisk together 2 ¼ cups sugar and 1 ⅛ cups water.
Return the saucepan to the stove and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to make sure it doesn't boil.
Add the orange peel and cook just until the whites (pith) are fairly translucent, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a simmer and prevent boiling. For me this takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour on medium-low heat, but every stove and pan is different so it's a good idea to check on them every 10-15 minutes. If necessary, swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that all of the peels get covered with syrup. Avoid stirring, as this will cause crystallation.
(Note: In the below photo, the syrup was just on the edge of getting too hot and starting to boil. You'll want to keep the simmer slightly lower.)
Drain remaining syrup from the peels, setting aside for another use if desired. Toss the peels in a bowl of sugar to coat (optional), and then transfer to a drying rack to dry. Once dry, store in an airtight container.
If desired, you can also dip them in chocolate for an extra treat!
Ready to make more candied treats? Here are a few other favorites:
Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts - just 5 minutes and 3 ingredients to make this sweet, crunchy treat.
Candied Pecans - Another easy, candied nut recipe that's also perfect for holiday gift-giving!
Candied Kumquats - The sweet-tart combo of sugar and kumquats is so good, and these only take about 20 minutes to make!
PrintCandied Orange Peel {gluten-free}
An easy recipe for candying orange peel, with step-by-step photos. Use them in your favorite recipe, dip them in chocolate for a sweet treat, or give them as homemade gifts!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hr 39 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 cups peel 1x
- Category: candy
- Method: stovetop
Ingredients
- 3 navel or valencia oranges
- 2 ¼ cups (15 ¾ ounces) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 ⅛ cups (9 ounces) water
Instructions
- Rinse the oranges. Cut the top and bottom off each and score the skin into quarters.
- Remove the skin (both the peel and pith – the white part), and cut the skin into strips about ¼″ wide. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use.
- Blanch the peels: Place the strips of peel in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drain the water from the peels. Cover with fresh water and repeat this process at least twice more. (This removes the bitterness that orange peel naturally has; you may want to blanch the peels 4-5 times to ensure no bitterness remains.) Once done, drain the water for the last time and transfer the peels to a bowl while prepping the sugar syrup.
- In the same (now empty) saucepan, whisk together the sugar and water. Return the saucepan to the stove and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to make sure it doesn’t boil.
- Add the orange peel to the syrup mixture and cook just until the whites (pith) are fairly translucent, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a simmer and prevent boiling. For me this takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour on medium-low heat, but every stove and pan is different so it’s a good idea to check on them every 10-15 minutes. If necessary, swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that all of the peels get covered with syrup. Avoid stirring, as this will cause crystallation.
- Drain remaining syrup from the peels, setting aside for another use if desired. Toss the peels in a bowl of sugar to coat (optional), and then transfer to a drying rack to dry. Once dry, store in an airtight container. These keep well for at least a few months in a cool, dry place.
Notes
Method adapted from Food Network
Keywords: candied orange peel, candying orange peel, candy orange peel, food gifts
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Sylvia says
Have tried many other recipes but this is by far the best. It is relatively quick, very reliable and tastes delicious. (I also let them air dry for 24 hours). I have now been encouraged to try some of your other contributors tweaks and recipes.
Thank you so much.
★★★★★
alexandra says
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and let me know. :)
Moti says
What can I do with the leftover sugar syrup?
Thank you for the great recipe.
alexandra says
Hi there,
I'm glad you're enjoying the orange peel! You could try using the leftover syrup in a cocktail, tea, or other drink, or perhaps brush it over a baked cake. It's essentially an orange-flavored simple syrup, so you can use it in any way that you'd use simple syrup. Hope that helps!
Alex
Betty says
I made the candied orange peel for my Old fashion Rum Fruitcake
It's been about a week Added rum twice & did a taste test yesterday
It didn't have a good flavor I was wondering if I didn't get the bitterness out of the oranges I cooked them twice before adding sugar
alexandra says
Did you taste the peel by themselves or in the cake? If by themselves, and they were bitter, then you probably needed to blanch more. If in the cake, it could be an issue with the cake recipe- who knows!
Penny Ellis says
Try peeling just the outer orange part of the skin with a wide vegetable peeler and NOT the white pith. The pith is what makes it bitter.
Gina says
These tasted great! But mine ended up more like a hard orange candy than the normal texture of candied orange peel. Do you know what I could've done wrong? I'd like to make this recipe again but hopefully with better results! Thank you!
alexandra says
Hmm, my thought is that you may have cooked the sugar too long before adding the peels. If you have a candy thermometer, you can monitor the temperature. It should reach 230 to 235 degrees (thread stage). If you don't have a thermometer, you can google the thread stage for visual cues to look for. Hope that helps. :)
Gina says
Thank you, I'll make sure to keep that in mind next time I make them!
Sweetcheeks says
Tried these but blanched them 3 times before actually simmering them for an hour, delightfully sweet and tender. I’ve just done chillis the same way, oh wow, they were fantastic.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So glad you liked the recipe! Candied chili peppers sound VERY intriguing. :)
Sweetcheeks says
Never blanched the chillis, sliced and deseeded then poached the same as the orange peel, delicious, served them with a raspberry cheesecake that had a bar of chilli chocolate smashed up in it with Green & Blacks Raspberry Velvet pieces on top. Outrageously delicious. The orange peel btw was for a dark orange chocolate cheesecake, I chopped some up and put it in the cheesecake mix with a bar of Godiva blood orange chocolate, then half dipped the orange peel in the same chocolate for the topping.
alexandra says
Wow you are so creative! These desserts sound delicious.
Stephen Levin. says
The recipe is excellent. The only addition I would make is to let the candied orange peels air dry for a day or to harden a bit; otherwise they will be a bit too moist and soft.
alexandra says
Thanks so much! Happy to hear the recipe worked well for you.
Nancy says
Excellent recipe. No changes needed. Agreed that it takes a day to dry out.
Thank you for such a great recipe.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So happy to hear that!
Wen says
I just made these and I could literally feel my Grandma looking over my shoulder. I felt 7 again. Wonderful! Thank you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
I love this so much. Thank you for sharing!
Suzanne Pearson says
This is the third time I've made your Candied Orange Peels.. but today I made a lemon pie with freshly squeezed lemon juice. I didn't want to waste the lemon peels, so I made your recipe but substituted the oranges for lemon peels. It turned out wonderful, and just as addictive. My hubby and I hoard these peels every time we make them! One for Him, One for me. The only time I can sneak in an extra is while I'm making them! Thank you for posting and updating your wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Haha I love this! So happy to hear you've enjoyed the recipe. :)