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!
Jump to:
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
Nicola Shirlaw
Made these with oranges and lemons for our first Christmas pudding in Norway as we couldn't buy the ready made stuff. Boyfriend said they tasted "pretty good" in a very surprised tone of voice haha. I picked them out with a spoon but they started to crystallise pretty quick. How would you recommend draining the syrup? With a sieve?
alexandra
Yep, a large sieve or colander. :) Glad you liked them!
Bakesty
This is a very clear-cut recipe. Unfortunately, I had the same issue as many other people with burning the orange peels. I worked so hard on preparing them, too. The 45 mins - 1 hour is way too long to cook these. I wish I had read the reviews first. I was going to take them out sooner but I was trying to follow the instructions perfectly. For the sugar, I used raw sugar (not sure if that makes a difference). I think after 30 minutes these would've been done, maybe even sooner. Whatever you do, don't walk away from the pan! Maybe even set a timer for 25 minutes to remind yourself. Now, does anyone know where I can buy prepared candied orange peel??? I tried all of the supermarkets but no one has it. Anyone?
Bakesty
I just want to add that rather than score and peel into quarters, you can use a vegetable peeler to skin the orange and there is no pith to deal with. Also, equal parts of water and sugar do just fine.
alexandra
I'm sorry the directions mislead you! I went ahead and adjusted them to read that you should only cook the peels until translucent, even if this takes less than 45 minutes.
Judy
These were fantastic.made mine at christmas time so I used 5 clementines..oh also it's just adults so I added 2 tablespoons. of scotch!!!
alexandra
Yum!
Lauren
Thanks for this recipe. It worked for me and simmering in the syrup was about 45 min - 1 hour before they went translucent so your timings worked on my oven. I used some in some lebkuchen biscuits and now I need to make some more as the biscuits were a hit. I saved the sugar syrup and will try re-using it for another batch of peel. Will report back if that's a success or a disaster.
alexandra
So glad the recipe worked well for you! :)
Ashley
Have you tried using the reserved liquid? I saved some from oranges that I candied and was going to use it for lemons that I'm doing for a loaf of Dresdner Stollen, but wasn't sure how'd that would work out.
Lauren
Yes it worked out fine because I did it fairly soon afterwards. But then after using the syrup twice I still didn't throw it away and within a few days it had crystallised into a big lump. So if you are going to reuse it do it quickly. Now I have more peel than I know what to do with.
Rose
Appears majority of sold oranges are treated with IMAZALIL, thiarfndazole and pyrimethanil and WAX. So how can this be removed in order to safely use the skin for candied orange peel?
alexandra
Hi Rose,
I really don't know much about this so I couldn't say. I have always been lucky enough to have home-grown oranges on hand when I've made these, but I would think organic oranges would be safe to use?
Bakesty
Yes, organic oranges would work. Or, to clean the oranges, you could rinse them in hydrogen peroxide. I believe they also sell vegetable/fruit wash. Of course, if the fruit is porous, there is no telling how much of the pesticides may have absorbed. When in doubt, go organic.
Jen
How long will these last in an air tight container and does it need to be refrigerated? My husband and I are going to be on a 2-3 year trek across Africa and we love to have an Old Fashioned, but fresh oranges will not always be an option and I was thinking that this might be a great substitution.
alexandra
Wow - sounds like an awesome adventure! I would think they'd last a good six months if kept at room temp. If they're kept in hot/outdoor temps, the shelf life would be shorter. I don't refrigerate them myself!
Jen
Very helpful! Thank you!
Kasia
Candied peel......dipped in dark melted chocolate and dried on cooking paper is most delicious as a finger food delicious.
Leann
These are awesome, I've made them twice and my 11 yr old son LOVES them. I don't use them in recipes, just eat as a snack. A nice twist on this is to add some ground ginger to the sugar mixture.
alexandra
Awesome idea! :)
Isabella
Thank you for this delicious and simple to follow recipe. It has been my go to for the last year. At the end when it's almost done, I add some grated fresh ginger. To make candied ginger orange peels. So good and perfect for any type of nausea. Thanks again
alexandra
Yum!
Nathali
Made it. It turned out great. But its a little bit bitter. But it doesn't bother me much. Thanks again.
alexandra
You could try blanching the peels once more (in the future) to get rid of the bitterness. :)
Elijah
My dad walked in my room and I said "GIVE ME THOSE I WANT CANDY ORANGE PEEL THINGYS!".
He gave me the oranges in his hands and 6 hours later I feasted on them as I watched Hunger Games Mockingjay: Part 2
Jessica
I have 40 lbs or oranges. Can I quintuple the recipe and cook them all in the same pan, or should I do this in batches?
alexandra
I'm not sure how many pounds the recipe uses to begin with so I don't know how many times you'd need to multiply it to use 40 oranges. That being said, I'm sure you could scale up the recipe as long as your pan is big enough.
Linda
Jessica,
What did you end up doing? I am curious about cooking oranges in a large batch, too! I have about 20 oranges that I want to experiment with...please let us know how things turned out. Thanks so much!
Rafau
Can I store peel along with syrup in a jar and avoid drying it?
alexandra
I haven't tried it but I would think it would work! Your end product will be a bit different, but still tasty I'm sure!
Novella Kinner
Love these have made them for years for my family and friends also do it with lemon peels
Sam
This is truly delicious and adds a wonderful zesty citrus taste to the pastiera I make (an Italian cheesecake). I have my own Myer lemon tree, the peel of which I also add to the cheesecake. The cake is unbelievably good with homemade candied peel.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Cheers
alexandra
Oooh, that sounds awesome!