Follow along with step-by-step photos to make this easy candied orange peel recipe! It's a great way to prevent food waste by turning the scraps of an orange into homemade candy. Use this candied peel in your favorite baked goods, dip the peel in chocolate for a sweet, zesty treat, or give it as homemade gift for the holidays!
What is candied orange peel?
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 simple 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 good on their own (especially dipped in chocolate!).
If you've made my candied lemon peel, you'll notice that the process for making candied orange peel is nearly identical. It takes a bit of time, but it's actually an easy, largely hands-off project. And you'll only need the most simple ingredients: oranges, water, and granulated sugar.
So, are you ready to do this? Let's dive in!
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How to make Candied Orange Peel
To begin, rinse three oranges. I'm using navel oranges here, but any variety will work! (You can also use more than three, 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 orange zest and pith - the white part), and cut into ¼" wide strips. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use.
Place the orange peel strips 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 blanching process removes the bitterness that orange peel naturally has. If you're concerned about your candied peel being bitter, you may want to blanch the peels anywhere from 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 of granulated sugar and 1 ⅛ cups of 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. It should reach a temperature of about 230°F-235°F if measured with a kitchen thermometer, which is considered the "thread stage" of candy-making.
Note: I've made this candied orange peel recipe many times without using any sort of candy thermometer, so if you don't have one, don't fret!
Add the orange peel and cook just until the whites (pith) are fairly translucent, adjusting the 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 since every stove and pan is different, 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 (or remove the peel from the syrup with a slotted spoon) setting the excess syrup aside for another use if desired. Toss the candied peels in a bowl of sugar to coat (optional), and then spread out in a single layer on a drying rack to dry. This can take anywhere from 3-5 hours, depending on your environment. Once dry, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
For even more of a special treat, you can also dip them in melted dark chocolate once they're dry to make chocolate-covered orange peels!
How to use candied orange peel
Candied citrus peels of any sort are great for using in baked goods like sweet breads, scones, cakes, and cookies. They're often added to Italian florentine cookies and pannetone, German stollen, and fruitcake. They'd be a fantastic addition to these raisin cinnamon rolls!
You can also use this candied peel as a garnish on cakes and cupcakes, salads, and cocktails (like the classic Old Fashioned).
And of course, you can simple enjoy these on their own as a sweet treat! They're especially great for snacking when they're dipped in chocolate, and make a great gift during the holidays.
Common questions about this recipe
When stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, this candied peel should stay fresh for several months. Refrigeration isn't required.
The pith of all citrus peel is naturally quite bitter, which is why it's important to blanch your peel before candying it. If you find that your candied peel is too bitter for your tastebuds, try blanching it more next time.
Once the peel has been candied and briefly cooled, twist each piece around a toothpick or straw to curl it. Let it dry this way, and then store as usual.
Ready to make more candied treats?
Try one of these recipes next!
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Candied Orange Peel
An simple 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 ½ - 2 cups candied orange peel
- Category: candy
- Method: stovetop
Ingredients
- 3 oranges, preferably organic
- 2 ¼ cups (447 grams) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 ⅛ cups (255 grams) 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 thin 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 over medium-low heat. Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to make sure it doesn't boil. If you own a kitchen thermometer, the syrup should reach about 230°F-235°F, which is considered the "thread stage" of candy-making.
- 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 wire rack to dry (usually about 3-5 hours). 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
Monica
Well, the candied peels came out great, but I tried to save the syrup and now I have a jar of solid hard candy. No idea if I'll be able to get it out of there or if I should just toss it. Haha. Oh well. The peels were the important part. :) I couldn't remember how much sugar to water and your blog popped up first on the list! Thanks!
alexandra
Glad the peels worked out! Could be the syrup cooked to long/got to hot and that's why it hardened.
Jennifer Logan
All that work and they "simmered" almost dry and burned. I followed the recipe step by step and everything looked beautiful. After about 30 minutes however the syrup was almost gone and had started to turn brown. It was a mild steady simmer on a low heat, so if I had lowered the temp any more there would have been no simmer at all. I resisted the urge to stir them during the simmering process. When they went "bad" they went bad fast. One minute just they were just picture perfect, the next a burned mess.
alexandra
So sorry to hear that! Assuming you used the correct amount of peels, sugar, and water, is it possible the peels were already done before 30 minutes?
Nora McDougall-Collins
My Mother always loved candied orange peels. Now, I chop them up and put them in shortbread cookies. The syrup is great with cream cheese as a fruit dip.
alexandra
Sounds so good!
Michelle Burgess
I made grapefruit peels. I boiled the 3 times with regular water prior to boiling in sugar. I then took them out and coated them in sugar. They are still finishing the drying process. However, they are still incredibly bitter. can I put them back ina syrup bath and cook them longer or will that now not work?
My oranges worked great!
alexandra
That probably won't work since the blanching is what removes the bitterness. Grapefruit may need to be blanched more than 3 times. Rolling them in sugar may help though if you haven't done that already!
Bernadette Heller
Going to make fig pinwheels that calls for both spiced rum and candied orange peels. I'm making both now, thanks to this recipe. Went to three stores and couldn't find the orange peels. this is perfect!!
alexandra
That sounds amazing!
Jacklyn Kline
Once dried, try dipping in chocolate. They are to die for!
alexandra
Still need to try this - I bet it's incredible!
Pumpkin
Perfect. I did cut down a tad on the sugar. Otherwise a fantastic outcome. Thanks
alexandra
So glad it turned out well!
Sarah
I'm going to be very healthy this winter using all this vitamin C rich fruit!!! Gotta do something with all the juice from the fruit left over from the candied peel
I'm going to make!!! Looks like a great recipe.
Rebecca
i add other holiday spices to 'spice' it up.
Keith
I know one of the reasons to boil in water ahead of time is an effort to remove any waxes or resins covering the outside. I am not at all concerned about any bitterness, in fact I love it. So, if I can remove any covering on the fruit, I don't believe any initial boilings are necessary. In the past I did try the boiling method once peeled and the waxes migrated into the pith. Trying it today without any initial boilings, as I like to think they are flavor wasters.
Keith
I got rid of most all the wax/resin and there was no bitterness without an initial twice boiling. Stop the insanity of double boiling to "clean" the peel once off the fruit, you'll always have the off tastes and wrong mouth feel from the added moisture-loss barrier that way.
Monika Liedl
So,
I strayed away from the directions a bit......
only boiled and drained once, cause I just didn't want to loose all the flavor.
I diced the fruit strips, and I did oranges, lemons, limes and ginger all together
didn't boil the sugar water first..... as I somehow read past that, not once but more than twice!
let it simmer till all liquid was gone, spread it out onto a baking sheet, and so far.... seems rally good.
Monika Liedl
I guess I should say the reason they were diced, is because my intent was to use them for a German "Christmas Stollen"
alexandra
Hope they turned out well! So many good uses for the syrup! :)
Patty
THE best I have tried to make and far better than any store bought! Thanks!
alexandra
Aw so happy to hear that!
Shari
I never comment on these things, but I made these and they are fantastic! Then, I dipped them into melted chocolate, which took them to the next level. Yum! Thank you!
alexandra
Thanks so much for letting me know! I love hearing it!
Margy
I am about to make candied citrus peels for the second time. The first was last summer when I made orange marmalade and found the grapefruit and lemon peels too bitter tasting for the jam even though they had been blanched. Rather than waste them I turned them into candied peels. They were just bitter enough to be tasty. Since then I've saved my orange and grapefruit peels when we have a fruit bowl for breakfast. I remove the remaining flesh and some of the white pith and do the blanching right away. Then I freeze blanched peels until I have enough to make a batch of candied peels. Since they are already cut in slices all I have to do is thaw and cook in the sugar syrup. Plus I cut down on the waste of good peels along the way. - Margy
alexandra
Such a great idea!
Pat
Had a need for candied orange peel and found your recipe. Worked out exactly as recipe directed, plus I saved the sugar syrup for another use.
Thank you so much!
alexandra
So happy to hear you liked them!