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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Candied Orange Peels and other Candied Citrus Peel Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Candied Orange Peels (or any candied citrus peel!) is an easy and delicious way to use up your citrus scraps! Dip them in chocolate or leave them plain- either way you can’t go wrong with this candied citrus peel recipe!

    Summer may be winding down but you can make candied citrus peels year round! Just pick whatever citrus is in season and use that!

    candied orange peel dipped in chocolate
    These make such a tasty snack!
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Check out my other favorite Citrus Recipes:

    • lemon bars from scratch stacked
      Lemon Bars
    • lots of muffins flatlay
      Orange Cranberry Muffins
    • slice of lemon meringue pie with lemons and pie in the background
      Lemon Meringue Pie
    • Easy Cupcakes
      Grapefruit Cupcakes

    In the summer I love to use leftover lemon peels from making my homemade lemon squares, but in the winter I love making candied orange peels.

    If you dip the candied orange peels in chocolate, they taste just like those chocolate oranges you can buy during Christmastime. My favorite!

    • limes in a row
    • lemons in a row
    • oranges in a row
    • grapefruit in a row

    You may remember when I made candied cranberries and these are actually very similar in how to make them!

    I love easy dessert recipes and this is one that checks that box.

    • sliced lime peels
    • sliced lemon peels
    • sliced orange peels
    • sliced grapefruit peels

    How to make candied citrus peels?

    • Rinse orange or other citrus fruit and peel. Slice into thin strips.
    • Boil in water for 10 minutes then strain and set aside.
    • Mix together the sugar and water and get it boiling.
    • Add in the orange peels and boil another 10 minutes.
    • Remover from sugar water and all to air dry/get sticky for a few hours or overnight.
    • Roll peels in sugar and then dip in melted chocolate.
    • Enjoy!
    • scraping orange peel clean
    • slicing orange peels
    • boiling orange peels
    • peels after first boil
    • adding water to sugar in saucepan
    • boiling orange peels in sugar water
    • orange peels on cooling rack drying
    • tossing candied grafefruit peel in sugar
    • candied orange being dipped in chocolate

    How to make candied citrus peels with any citrus:

    Just use the same steps in this recipe, however, depending on the type of citrus you may get more or less peel. For example, one lemon will make far less candied citrus peels compared to a grapefruit.

    Why do you boil the peels twice?

    The first boil is to soften the peel and to reduce any bitterness from the pith. The second boil is to infuse the peel with the simple syrup and make them sweet.

    candied lemon peels in bowl
    I love lemon peels without chocolate but orange peels with chocolate!

    Do I need to take the pith off? What about extra fruit stuck to the peel?

    You can leave the pith on- it will actually give a little bit of heft to the peel which makes it more enjoyable to eat. I do recommend scraping off any excess fruit because it will turn mushy if you leave it on.

    Are Candied Citrus Peels supposed to be hard or soft?

    When I’ve had them, they are usually soft just due to the amount of liquid in them. They will stay sticky.  If you carefully lay them out to dry so they aren’t touching any other pieces they will dry better.

    What do you mean by “let them dry”?

    I mean let them drain completely and become tacky/sticky. That way the sugar will stick nicely when you roll them in it.

    Don’t forget to save the sugar water that you used and make some delicious lemonade or sweet tea with it!

    How long does candied citrus peel last?

    Up to a month when stored in and airtight container in a cool, dry place.

    What is my favorite citrus peel?

    Orange is my favorite especially dipped in chocolate. Lemon was second and I liked that better without chocolate.

    Now it’s your turn- What is YOUR favorite citrus peel?

    If you like this recipe make sure to check out these other tasty treats:

    • Orange Julius
    • Mint Julep (non Alcoholic)
    • Orange Marmalade Cupcakes
    • Orange Buttermilk Scones
    candied citrus peel pinterest pin
    Don't forget to pin this recipe!

    Don't miss my most recent recipes:

    • Cowboy Candy
    • Toll House Pie
    • Red White and Blue Cake
    • 4th of July Cake
    • Red White and Blue Cheesecake Salad

    Watch how to make this recipe!

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    candied orange peel dipped in chocolate featured image

    Candied Citrus Peel Recipe

    Author: Lisa
    Candied Citrus Peel Recipe, an easy and delicious way to use up your citrus peels! Whether it’s oranges, grapefruits, lemons, or limes- these candied citrus peels are amazing!
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Drying Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 cup (varies)

    Ingredients
      

    • Citrus Peel of choice
    • 4 grapefruit peels
    • 4 orange peels
    • 6 lemon peels
    • 6 lime peels
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 cups sugar for dipping
    • 1 Cup Chocolate Chips optional

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse fruit and peel. Scrape away any extra fruit that is still attached to the peel. Leaving the pith (the white part on the peel) is okay.
      scraping orange peel clean
    • Slice peels into thin strips.
      slicing orange peels
    • Fill a medium sauce pan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place sliced peel strips into boiling water a boil for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
      boiling orange peels
    • Using a slotted spoon remove peels from water and place on a cooling rack.
      taking candied orange peels out of simple syrup
    • Dump the water from the sauce pan out and add 1 cup of fresh water and 1 cup of sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and the water is boiling.
      adding water to sugar in saucepan
    • Add the boiled citrus peels to the sugar water, stir and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
      boiling orange peels in sugar water
    • Using a slotted spoon remove peels from the sugar water and place on a cooling rack. You can save the sugar water (aka simple syrup) and use it to make lemonade, or even my mint juleps!
      orange peels on cooling rack drying
    • Allow to dry for 2 hours or overnight. Try to separate the pieces to allow maximum air flow.
    • Toss candied citrus peels in sugar and enjoy!
      tossing candied grafefruit peel in sugar
    • If you want to dip these in chocolate (which I highly recommend), simply melt chocolate chips in microwave, dip each peel piece and place on a piece of parchment paper (or wax paper). Allow chocolate to harden and enjoy!
      candied orange being dipped in chocolate

    Notes

    Tips and Tricks
    • Store any candied citrus in an airtight container in a cool, dry, place for up to a month!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 30g
    Keyword candied citrus, candied orange peels
    Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram at @atablefullofjoy

    Post updated on 6/5/21

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