Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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A totally foolproof, wonderfully easyCandied Orange Peel recipethat makes sweet and brightorangepeel candy – perfect for theholidays!

Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (1)

Candied Orange Peels

The holidays call for a bit offlourish, don’t they?

Candied Orange Peelsare a terrificallyvibrant and deliciousway to add festive pizazz to Christmas co*cktails and desserts. Bright golden slivers of sugar-coated orange peels taste as wonderful as they look, and bring some impressive flair to nearly any drink or dish.

Most recipes for making candied orange peels from scratch seem trickier than necessary. They often use candy thermometers, and include watching (and watching… And more watching) for crystallization. No, thank you.

This easy recipe makes the BEST, sweetest orange peel candy, without all the fuss. The pieces aresoft and perky, with just the right hint of chewiness and light, sugary crunch.

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What Ingredients You Need

Our uncomplicated recipe for tangy Citrus Peel Candy includes only 5 simple ingredients:

Navel Oranges–just the peels so feel free to use the juice of the orange to make other holiday recipes, likeHoliday Wine Punch co*cktails(You can also use Valencia or Cara Cara oranges.)
Water–for simmering the peels
Granulated sugar–to create perfectly sweet candied orange peels
Vanilla– adds a deep earthy flavor to balance out the sweetness
Salt–essential for the candying process

You can also use this same recipe for making candied grapefruit,lemon peel, or limepeels! Orange you glad to know? *wink*

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How to Make the Easiest Candied Orange Peels

Instructions…

This effortless recipe is great to make as a relaxing weekend or weekday evening project. Just follow these few basic steps for making cheery, citrusy-good orange peel candyfrom scratch at home in less than an hour!

First, prep the oranges by trimming off the tops and bottoms with a paring knife. Then use a vegetable peeler tocarefully peel the orangesfrom top to bottom, into 2-4 inch long segments. It helps to press the peelervery firmlyagainst the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel, omitting as much white pith as possible.

Once you’ve peeled all of the oranges into wide strips, cut the slices into thinner ¼ inch strips.

Next, place theorange peel segmentsinto a medium saucepan and turn the heat on to medium or medium-low. Add water, sugar, and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, set a timer for 20 minutes. You want to cook the peels until they arejust soft, but still have their lovely vibrant color. (Using medium to medium-high heat will burn your peels quickly.)

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Meanwhile, prepare for the next steps: Add the remaining ½ cup sugar to a bowl and set aside, and set out a drying rack with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under it.

Once the orange peels have simmered for 20 minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat andlet the peels rest in the sugar syrupfor several minutes.

How Can I Enjoy Candied Orange Peel?

Eat these homemade candies right out of the container as a special treat, or serve Candied Orange Peels as agarnish on desserts and drinks.

Add a few toHomemade Chocolate Puddingfor a delicious chocolate and orange dish, or top thisYogurt Cheesecake with Orange Shortbread Crustto add an extra burst of citrus flavor.

Use pieces of orange peels to finish festive co*cktails, like anAperol Spritzor in aSpiced Manhattan co*cktail.

However, you choose to include, these homemade candies are sure to add some joy to your holiday celebrations!

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Looking for More Easy Candy Recipes?

Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries
Bourbon Salted Caramel Candy Recipe
The Tastiest Turkish Delight Recipe (Lokum)
Bourbon Candied Bacon Bites
Chocolate Toffee Christmas Crack Recipe

Check this candy’s printable recipe card below for the prep time, total time, and nutrition information including calories, protein, sodium, potassium, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.

Print Recipe

4.78 stars (35 reviews)

The Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

A totally foolproof, wonderfully easy Candied Orange Peel recipe that makes sweet and bright orange peel candy – perfect for the holidays!

Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

4 large navel oranges or 5 small
2 cups water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Trim the tops and bottoms of the oranges. Then use a vegetables peeler to peel the oranges from top to bottom, into 2-4 inch segments. Press the peeler firmly against the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel. Be careful to trim off just the peel, not the white bitter pith. Then cut the wide strips into ¼ inch thin strips.
Place the orange peel segments into a medium saucepot. Set over medium to medium-low heat. Add the water, 1 cup of sugar, and the salt. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, set the timer and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until the peels look soft, but still retain their vibrant color. (You don’t want them to turn brown, so set the stove just hot enough to hold the simmer.)
Meanwhile, place the remaining ½ cup sugar in a bowl and set aside. Set out a drying rack and place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under it.
Once the orange peels have simmered 20 minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat and let the peels rest in the sugar syrup for another 5-10 minutes.
Use tongs to move the orange peels to the cooling rack. Allow the orange peels to rest at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. Then toss them in the sugar to coat. Let the peels dry completely at room temperature. Then store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

You can candy lemon and lime peels as well!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 71kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 59mg, Potassium: 47mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Candy, Dessert, Drinks, Snack

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

How do you make candied orange peels less bitter? ›

The process of blanching the peels might seem like overkill, but it's necessary to diminish the bitterness of the pith—the white, spongy portion under the peel—and to give the final product an appealingly soft and chewy texture.

How do you make candied orange peel Martha Stewart? ›

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel and boil until it turns translucent and syrup thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer peel to wire rack, separating the pieces as needed. Let peel dry 1 hour.

Why are my candied orange slices bitter? ›

A: You may not have boiled your orange slices long enough in plain water to pull out the bitterness from the peel. To make it less bitter next time, boil a few minutes longer and maybe a couple additional cycles (boil-rinse).