Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peel Recipe

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This candied orange peel recipe is so easy to make and perfect for gifts. Sweet, caramelized pieces of orange peels dipped in creamy chocolate is just the sweet treat you need to make it through the holidays!

I sat down and ate a batch of these almost all in one sitting. I couldn't stop. These candied orange peels are so addictive and delicious.

Plus, just a couple ingredients, the perfect amount of down time to watch Netflix, and an easy cost-saving way to make a bunch of Christmas gifts, these chocolate covered orange peels are just AWESOME.

And an inexpensive way to make Christmas gifts this year is a must given everything that's happened! Plus, handmade gifts are so much more thoughtful than store bought (in my opinion).

So by making these candied orange peels (or these candied orange slices, candied lemon slices, candied cherries, or candied ginger), you can give people a delicious, thoughtful gift, without spending a fortune.

**This almond buttercrunch and pistachio baklava are also great gift ideas if you're willing to put in a little extra time and effort**

Ingredients

It's sugar, orange peels and chocolate (which is even optional). That's it.

For the chocolate, you can use kind of dark chocolate. The higher quality the chocolate, the better the orange peels will be.

What Sugar to Use for Candied Orange Peels

This recipe calls for white granulated sugar, but you can use any sugar. You can use honey, coconut sugar, raw sugar or maple syrup. If you're looking for a sugar free recipe, try these Sugar Free Candied Orange Peels.

Step By Step Instructions

Slice the orange peels into strips or bite sized pieces. Add them to a pot with boiling water and let them simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well. This helps to reduce the bitterness. To reduce it even more, you can repeat this step.

Next, add the orange peels and 1 ½ cups of the sugar to a saucepan and cover with water.

Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on low to medium-low heat for about an hour.

Thoroughly drain the peels. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to ensure all the water has drained off.

Spread the orange peels on a sheet of wax paper, large enough so all pieces can be laid flat. Cover all the peels with the remaining sugar and let sit for 24 hours.

**To cover the orange peels in sugar, you can either dip each one in sugar individually (this is what I end up doing), or you can pour the sugar on top and shake the pan to make sure they are all coated. The first way is a little less messy, but more time consuming.

Once the orange peels feel slightly firm to the touch, you can dip them in the chocolate. Or you can leave them as is.

How to Dip Orange Peels in Chocolate

Melt the chocolate in a bowl with the coconut oil in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until creamy and dippable. **Add more coconut oil if the chocolate is too thin.

Dip each orange peel in, leaving the top exposed.

Lay the chocolate dipped orange peels on the wax paper and let dry for 2-3 hours. Place them in the fridge to dry faster, or if you're in a warmer climate.

Candied orange peels will last for months. Keep them in an airtight container so they don't dry out, and you can typically keep them for up to 3 months.

How to Use Candied Orange Peels

• These are just perfect as gifts for foodies;
• Chops them up as use them in cakes, pies and cookies - try them on this Orange Cake.
• Use them to top cakes - try them with this Chocolate Mousse Pie;
• Use them to top these orange ricotta pancakes.

Expert Tips

1. Be sure to clean the orange peels very well. Use a brush to scrub the outside. If you can, buy organic oranges.
2. You can adjust the quantities in this recipe if you want a larger or smaller batch of candied orange peels. Keep the ratio of ingredients the same.
3. To cover the orange peels in sugar, you can either dip each one in sugar individually (this is what I end up doing), or you can pour the sugar on top and shake the pan to make sure they are all coated. The first way is a little less messy, but more time consuming.
4. The chocolate is optional - these orange peels are also great on their own with no chocolate.
5. Store the orange peels in in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a month (usually up to 3 months). If you dip them in chocolate, you may want to store them in the fridge to keep the chocolate from melting (depends on how warm a climate you live in).
6. Substitute lemon peels, grapefruit peels, tangerine peels or lime peels for the orange peels.

How to Freeze Candied Orange Peels

You can freeze the candied orange peels before you coat them in chocolate. I don't recommend freezing them after they are dipped in the chocolate. To freeze, place in an airtight container and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Tools Used

- 2 quart non-stick saucepan
- Large baking sheet
- Glass mixing bowl
- Small mason jars
- Wax paper

Did you make this recipe? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment below and let me know how it turned out 🙂

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