Candied Orange Peel
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Dec 19, 2024 
A foolproof and wonderfully EASY Candied Orange Peel recipe that makes sweet and bright orange peel candy – perfect for the holidays!
Candied Orange Peels
The holidays call for a bit of flourish, don’t they?
Candied Orange Peels are a terrifically vibrant and delicious way to add festive pizazz to Christmas cocktails 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 are soft and perky, with just the right hint of chewiness and light, sugary crunch.
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, like Holiday Wine Punch Cocktails (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 recipe to make candied grapefruit, lemon peel, or lime peels! Orange you glad to know? *wink*
Get the Full Ingredients List with Proportions and Detailed Instructions in the Recipe Card Below.
How to Candy Orange Peel
Instructions…
This effortless recipe is a great relaxing weekend or weekday evening project. Just follow these few basic steps for making cheery, citrusy-good orange peel candy from 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 to carefully peel the oranges from top to bottom, into 2-4 inch long segments. It helps to press the peeler very firmly against the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel, omitting as much white pith as possible.
Once you’ve peeled all the oranges into wide strips, cut the slices into thinner ¼ inch strips.
Next, place the orange peel segments into 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 are just soft, but still have their lovely vibrant color. (Using medium to medium-high heat will burn your peels quickly.)
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 and let the peels rest in the sugar syrup for several minutes.
Then use tongs (or a slotted spoon) to move the orange peels to the cooling wire rack. Allow the orange peels to rest for at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. (This allows the excess syrup to drain off the slices.)
Toss the cooled peels in the sugar to coat.
Let the peels dry completely at room temperature. This should take another 30 minutes or so.
Store the Candied Orange Peels in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy it as a snack or as a decoration for cake or cupcakes.
Get the Full (Printable) Easy Candied Orange Peel Recipe + Video Below!
How Can I Enjoy Caramelised Orange Peel?
You can eat these homemade candies right out of the container as a special treat or serve Caramelised Orange Peels as a garnish on desserts and drinks.
Add a few to Homemade Chocolate Pudding for a delicious chocolate and orange dish, or top this Yogurt Cheesecake with Orange Shortbread Crust to add an extra burst of citrus flavor.
Use pieces of orange peels to finish festive cocktails, like an Aperol Spritz or in a Spiced Manhattan Cocktail.
However, you choose to include, these homemade candies will surely add some joy to your holiday celebrations!
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
- Candy Grapes
- Candied Pecans
- Snowball Party Mix
- Ginger Candy
- Mexican Chamoy Candy (Dulces Enchilados)
- Potato Peanut Butter Candy
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.
Easy Candied Orange Peel Recipe + Video
Video
Ingredients
- 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.
Splendid recipe and so easy! The orange slices are perfect to pop into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon; they look delicious and inviting and make excellent DIY gifts.
Okay, here’s something a little extra about this recipe. I saved the orange-vanilla simple syrup that this recipe creates, and I froze it in little containers (about 1/4 cup each). Tonight my husband and I were drinking some champagne, kind of a middle of the road champagne, nothing fancy or earth-shattering. So here was my bright idea: get that frozen simple syrup out of the freezer and drop not quite a Tablespoon full in the bottom of each champagne flute before pouring. Oh my gosh, it was so delicious! Now I’m going to start drinking more champagne, just so I can add this stuff to it!
What a great idea! I will try that. I was thinking about using the sugar syrup in mixed berry sauce to freeze. I can add that to yogurt or skyr for a dessert. I can freeze the syrup in ice cube trays, pop the cubes out and store in vacuum bags until more ideas come to mind, too. I hate to waste something so tasty!
Will these go bad right away if not refrigerated? I am hoping to gift them, and I am not sure people will remember to put them in the fridge if not eaten right away. Thanks!
I wonder if these candied peels can be freeze-dried or flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
I made this and the taste is sooooo good!!!! And it was so easy!!! Do they work fine if you freeze them??
Hi Jonni,
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 6 months, stored in an airtight container. Just thaw at room temperature when ready to serve. :)
I made these today because I have a fruitcake recipe that calls for candied orange peels, and I couldn’t find them anywhere! So this will come in handy, PLUS I will be making some Aperol Spritzers, too :-)
But now my big question is this: Can the strained orange-vanilla-simple syrup be used for something, too? It seems like a waste to just put it down the drain!
Hi Cindy,
Sure, you could definitely use it in holiday cocktails in place of simple syrup. Great idea! :)
If you like an Old Fashioned……there you go! Used it with my brown butter bourbon. Soooo good!
My grandmother had an awful time finding candied citrus peels for her holiday recipes. She made her own, but they were so much work. This is the best method I have found. The Man of the House loves oranges, and it hurt my heart to throw away the peels. Now I don’t have to! I also make my own vanilla extract with the used bean pods and…ahem…vodka…in Mason jars. Waste not, want not!
This was an easy and fun recipe to make! I did scrape all the white pith possible off the back of the peels so they wouldn’t taste bitter. How long does it take them to dry out completely? Hoping to use them to make some hot cross buns in a couple days :) Thanks for sharing! Hoppy Spring!
it is a great recipe but just wanted to warn others not to peel too deep, because if you go into the white layer it will be very bitter(personal experience ) but i could tell it was a great recipe even with the bitterness.
You made so much easier than all of the other recipes. Thank you!!
I save the sugar water to use as simple syrup in cocktails. Yum!
I just made these, very easy to do. I have made them before but always simmered them in plain water, drained, simmered and drained them again before simmering in the sugar water, this makes it take a bit more effort, but lightly less bitter.
an uncommon and amazing candy idea!
Thank you for this recipe, I have always wondered how to do this! So easy! Now I can enjoy these without having to buy them.
Love this recipe. Perfect for my holiday stollen. Thank you for the simplicity.