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!
Recipe Card
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 1x
- 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
diane
I have a question. I made candied peels at Christmas time and saved the syrup in a jar. I am going to make another batch and wondered if I can reuse the syrup. I would make some fresh and mix them together so there would be enough to cover the peels but it would be a way to use the leftover syrup which for the first time in all the years I have made these, didn't crystalize in the jar.
alexandra
Someone asked me this recently, and my initial thought was that it wouldn't work, but after considering it some more, it might be possible - especially if you're combining it with fresh syrup. I would add the prior syrup to the fresh syrup just before you add the peel. Let me know if it works!
Jean
I have done this several times and it works great.
Brittany
This was delicious. I halved the recipe since I only had two good size oranges and it was just enough to cover them while cooking. The leftover syrup (about 4 oz) is also delicious :)
alexandra
I'm so happy to hear that the recipe worked well for you! Thanks for the review!
Rose
Can I reuse the syrup for more candied orange peels?
alexandra
Hi Rose,
I apologize for the late reply; somehow this slipped through the cracks! I wouldn't recommend reusing the syrup for more peels - it wouldn't work correctly - but you can use it as a simple syrup for other purposes!
Alex
Rose
Okay cool! We used it some homemade boba tea and sweet tea :)
Chris
Came out tasting great! A bit more detail with the recipe would be helpful. What am a I looking for with the initial sugar syrup before adding the orange peel? I boil the mix for 8-9 minutes looking for what? And how long do the finished peels take to dry? Thanks!
alexandra
Thanks for your feedback Chris! I went ahead and added a few more details to the post and recipe to answer these questions.
Cheryl Helm
This was super easy and worked out great. Thank you.
Vicki L Holgate
I would've given a 5 star but nothings perfect. You're the closet one to it. TY, vicki
Kat
Because I’m still bitter (hah) about a previous failure to candy orange slices, I blanched my peels five times when I made these candied peels. I have no idea if I would have been okay with blanching fewer times, and it took a LOT of time, but there is very little bitterness in the resulting peels! Thanks for this well thought out recipe!
alexandra
That's awesome! So glad they turned out well for you. :)
Sylvia
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
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and let me know. :)
Moti
What can I do with the leftover sugar syrup?
Thank you for the great recipe.
alexandra
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
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
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
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
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
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
Thank you, I'll make sure to keep that in mind next time I make them!
Sweetcheeks
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
So glad you liked the recipe! Candied chili peppers sound VERY intriguing. :)
Sweetcheeks
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
Wow you are so creative! These desserts sound delicious.
Stephen Levin.
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
Thanks so much! Happy to hear the recipe worked well for you.
Nancy
Excellent recipe. No changes needed. Agreed that it takes a day to dry out.
Thank you for such a great recipe.
alexandra
So happy to hear that!
Wen
I just made these and I could literally feel my Grandma looking over my shoulder. I felt 7 again. Wonderful! Thank you!
alexandra
I love this so much. Thank you for sharing!
Suzanne Pearson
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
Haha I love this! So happy to hear you've enjoyed the recipe. :)