Homemade Candied Orange Slices

Making Candied Orange Slices has never been easier or more delicious! After many, many, so-so results when making candied citrus slices, I have finally found the easiest way EVER to make them and they taste amazing!

You can impress your friends and family with these beautiful candied oranges by using them as cocktail garnishes, toppings for cupcakes or cakes, or serve them as they are.

You only need 2 ingredients to make these beauties and you can use a variety of citrus fruits. 

This recipe is different from candied orange peels because we use the entire orange slice, but you can certainly apply the same technique and use only the orange peels if you prefer. 

I also fast track the process by using a pressure cooker and a dehydrator, but you can certainly make them without either appliance and I will go over that process as well.

Suggested Kitchen Tools for Candied Orange Slices

• Electric Pressure Cooker (optional)
• Dehydrator (optional)
• Wire Rack
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients & Substitutions

Oranges

The kind of orange you use is completely up to you. I have tested this recipe with navel oranges and mandarin oranges and both worked great. My preference is a navel orange because the skin is firmer and the orange slices hold up better. Some other options are blood oranges or Cara Cara oranges. 

If you want a sweeter orange slice, go with a mandarin orange or Cara Cara. For a chewier orange, the navel orange is best in my opinion. 

The most important thing when choosing your oranges is to pick ones that are on the firmer side and free of any soft spots or signs that they are overripe. This will help with slicing the orange and the slices will hold their shape during the candying process. 

You can also use any kind of citrus like lemon slices, lime slices, or grapefruit slices and the process is exactly the same. 

Sugar

I use granulated sugar in this recipe and I have not tried it using honey, but I think it would work just fine. You can also try using a sugar substitute in place of some or all of the sugar. I have not tested the recipe this way so I am not sure of the outcome, please let me know if you try it! 

If you choose to use honey, I would use ½ cup of water mixed with 6 Tablespoons of honey to make sure your mixture is thin enough to go under pressure. Honey is also sweeter than sugar by 25% so the orange slices should be plenty sweet. 

Follow the directions for the sugar substitute you are using to determine how much you need. I recommend using Swerve which is a 1:1 substitution ratio for sugar.

I also use some granulated sugar to sprinkle over the oranges after the drying process which adds texture and makes them easier to handle. 

How to Make Candied Orange Slices

Typically the cooking process consists of boiling orange slices in water, discarding the water and then simmering orange slices in a sugar water for 30-45 minutes. Not only is this process time consuming, it is also very much a hands-on process. When I'm cooking in the kitchen, I like as much to be hands off as possible and that is why I use a completely different cooking process and technique for making candied oranges. 

Once you try this cooking method, I know you will agree that it is the BEST way to make candied orange slices! 

Prep the Oranges

Wash the oranges and make sure they are free from any soft spots. If you do see any soft spots, you can still slice the orange, but remove the slices that are soft. 

Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off of the orange. 

For whole orange slices, make slices that are about ¼" thick. Thin slices, less than ¼" tend to fall apart during the cooking process and thick slices don't soften enough. 

For half orange slices which is what I recommend, cut the orange in half from stem end to the opposite end. Slice in ¼" slices. 

You can use a mandoline instead of a knife if you prefer.

Pressure Cooking

Combine the ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water, whisk together and pour into the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Lay the orange slices in a single layer in the liquid. 

Put the pressure lid on and turn the valve to seal. 

Set the pressure cooker to high pressure and the time to ZERO minutes. *If your pressure cooker won't allow you to set it for zero minutes, set it for 1 minute, but as soon as it starts the 1 minute PC, turn the appliance off and release the steam. 

Remove the orange slices with a slotted spoon or slotted spatula and arrange on a wire rack. You do not need to line the rack with parchment paper. 

Stovetop Cooking

If you do not have a pressure cooker, don't worry; you can still make these candied orange slices by using a pot on the stove.

Add the orange peels in a single layer into the bottom of a large skillet and add the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the orange slices soften and become pliable and then remove them and continue on with the recipe.

Drying Process

I like to speed things up by using a dehydrator which is a great way to dry out the orange slices perfectly without having to worry about the humidity that may be present in your house.

However, if you don't have a dehydrator or an appliance that is capable of dehydrating, you can leave the orange slices to dry at room temperature overnight. 

Another option is putting them in the oven with the light on. 

In the dehydrator I set the temperature to 120℉/50℃ and the time for 2 hours. I have found that this timing dries out the oranges just enough that they are slightly tacky to touch, but still pliable and soft to eat.

You do not want to dry them so much that they become hard or they won't have the right consistency. You want them slightly chewy like a gummy candy. 

Final Sugar Coating

Once the orange slices have dried so they are just slightly tacky to touch, toss them in granulated sugar and return them to the wire rack or cooling rack.

The sugar coating is an optional step, but if you omit it, your orange slices will stay tacky to the touch and can be harder for people to eat. 

It really depends on how you are using the candied orange slices and whether you want that crystal shimmer the sugar gives the candied oranges. 

If you aren't using the candied orange slices right away, please make sure to read the storage instructions so you don't end up with super wet and sticky oranges! 

Storage Instructions

How to Store Candied Orange Slices

Room Temperature

You can store the orange slices at room temperature on a cooling rack for 1-2 days as long as your house is not humid.

If your house is humid, the oranges will absorb the moisture from the air and can become wet and sticky if left too long. If this happens, you can pop them in the dehydrator for a short time to dry them again.

You also don't want to store them in a container of sugar at room temperature because the juices from the orange will moisten the sugar and create a wet, sugary mess. If this happens, you can rinse them off and dry them again and then coat with sugar.

Refrigeration

If you are going to use the orange slices within 3 days, you can store them uncovered in a single layer in the refrigerator. For longer storage, I would store them in layers with parchment between the layers in an airtight container or zip lock bag.

They will last at least a week in the fridge when stored properly.

Freezer

I have not tried freezing them, but if you want to store them longer you can layer them with parchment in between the layers and freeze them in a freezer bag.

I recommend moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw.

Uses for Candied Orange Slices

Candied orange slices are delicious as a snack all by themselves, but they make beautiful garnishes and decorations!

You can even incorporate them into sweet bread recipes instead of raisins or other fruit.

Here are some recipes that are perfect for using your candied orange slices with!