Candied Oranges Dipped in Chocolate
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Candied oranges dipped in chocolate are an easy and tasty sweet treat perfect for the Holidays. Omit the chocolate and use the slices for decorating cakes, cupcakes or quick breads!
Why you should try this candied oranges recipe?
- Only 5 ingredients – basically you only need 3 as 1 is water and the other is salt which is optional.
- Easy recipe.
- Tasty Christmas gift.
- Better than shop-bought!
How to make candied oranges dipped in chocolate
Wash the oranges. You can either cut them into circles or semicircles. This is totally up to you.
Now get a large wide-bottomed pot. I use either a 10-inch or 8-inch (25 cm or 21 cm) pot. Add in water and sugar. Turn on the heat to low and stir until the sugar has dissolved. This will not take long. Maybe 2 minutes.
Once the sugar has melted, place the orange slices in, making sure they are all submerged in the syrup. If you add way too many, the top ones might not be able to absorb as much sugar as the ones at the bottom.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain off the excess syrup and let them cool off and dry before dipping in chocolate.
How do you dry candied orange slices?
You have several options. This is how I dry candied oranges: I transfer them onto a wire rack and pat them dry with paper kitchen towels. The paper will soak in all the excess sugar. It is important to do because if you don’t the chocolate won’t stick well onto the oranges.
You can also let them sit on a kitchen counter overnight or dry them in the oven for about an hour. However, when using the oven, make sure to dry them at low temperature (no more than 200°F/100°C) and check them several times. If the temperature is too high, the sugar coating may burn or caramelize.
To cool them off I usually throw them in the fridge for about 10 minutes and then in the freezer for 5 minutes before dipping them in chocolate. If you are drying them overnight, you can omit this step.
Candied oranges can be used as a garnish for cakes or quick breads. They look good on orange bread. I also used candied lemons to garnish lemon lavender loaf so if you are looking for ideas on where to use candied oranges, here are some for you) or just enjoy them as a sweet treat with an afternoon cuppa.
How do you store candied orange slices?
I store them in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Useful tips for making candied oranges dipped in chocolate
- Some oranges have very thick skins. I don’t recommend buying these. If you are not sure which ones have thin skin, try to look for juice oranges.
- Use a wide-bottomed pot to simmer the orange slices in. You want each one of the slices to have their own space and not to be overlapping.
- I used dark chocolate (70% cocoa content) but you can use semi-sweet chocolate as well.
- Salt flakes are completely optional. A great substitution is dried lavender or maybe even cake sprinkles.
- If you want to gift candied oranges dipped in chocolate then I recommend separating each one of them with a piece of baking parchment to avoid them sticking together.
- Instead of dipping candied oranges in melted chocolate you can dip them in granulated sugar or superfine sugar (caster sugar).
- Boiling the oranges instead of simmering will turn your simple syrup into a caramel which we don’t want!
- Guys, if you like citrus flavored treats or snacks why not try chocolate covered orange peels? They are so easy to make that you can make them with kids!
Good to know
Try using organic oranges for this recipe, if possible. They are not only better for you but you are avoiding consuming pesticides that are in the peel of most of the ordinary non-organic oranges.
Also to remove any wax residue, I recommend placing them in a bowl of boiling water and letting them sit for 5 minutes. Then scrub them thoroughly with a food brush under running water.
Candied Oranges Dipped in Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 orange , large, organic (8 slices)
- 1 cup water (250 milliliters)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate , 70% cocoa content (100 grams)
- Optional: coarse salt
Instructions
- Wash the orange thoroughly under running water and cut it into thin slices (no more than ¼ inch/0.5 cm).
- In a large wide-bottomed pot heat the water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the orange slices and spread them around making sure they don’t cover each other completely, if possible (they will shrink slightly during simmering so don’t worry if they are overlapping a bit).
- Simmer on low heat for 40 minutes, turning them occasionally. When ready, transfer the slices onto a wire rack and let them cool completely. To speed up the cooling process you can place them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (or 10 mins fridge + 5 mins freezer).
- To cover the slices in chocolate: Melt the chocolate over a pot of simmering water. Dip half of each slice in chocolate and place them onto a tray/chopping board lined with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Optional: Sprinkle with salt.
- Transfer them to the fridge or leave in a cool place until they harden completely. This will take about an hour.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use 1 large or 2 small oranges.
- Use a wide-bottomed pot to simmer the orange slices in. I use either a 10-inch or 8-inch pan (25 cm or 21 cm).
- I used dark chocolate (70% cocoa content) but you can use semi-sweet chocolate as well.
- Salt flakes are completely optional. A great substitution is dried lavender or cake sprinkles.
- In this recipe dry measuring cups were also used for measuring liquids.
- When simmering the oranges, leave the lid on. Do not boil them. Boiling will turn the syrup into caramel.
- This recipe can be easily doubled.
- Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- For tips and a more detailed explanation, I recommend reading the full post.
I made a martini that was a play on the “Terry’s Orange Chocolate Candy”. I used to eat those as a kid and was feeling a little nostalgic. I also infused some habanero bourbon to use as the liquor in there. These were THE PERFECT garnish. When melting the chocolate I also added a pinch of cayenne to pair with the slight spice of the cocktail.
I also love the orange & chocolate combo as so many others have mentioned. I was wondering if I halved the amount of sugar used how it would impact the recipe. I have chronic Lymphedema & I need to curb my sugar intake. Thanks in advance for your response to my concern.
Hi Kathleen. Simple syrup usually requires a 1 to 1 (sugar to water) ratio but if you are worried about the levels of sugar, I would try to reduce it. Reducing the sugar by half might be too much. Perhaps, try using 1/4 less. I haven’t tested it myself though. Also, keep in mind that you won’t be consuming all the sugar as there will still be some leftover syrup that you can discard. Hope this helps a bit.
Hi! This looks amazing! Do you know for how long are they good? I am planning to give them as a present for xmas!
I am sorry, Eirini. They usually disappear rather fast in our house so have not tested how long they last. I am guessing 1 to 2 weeks.
Thanks so much! Happy Holidays!
Hi! They look so beautiful. Do you know how long they’ll last in the fridge? How far ahead they can be made please? Thank you.
Hi Brenley. They should last for 2 weeks if no longer. I am not sure how long as they go down quite fast in our house. Hope this helps a bit.
I froze these for almost 2 years (not intentional) and tasted them before tossing and they were delicious.
I wished I had frozen more as these were leftovers that I forgot about.
:)
So easy and delicious! Great for holidays, but can be enjoyed any time of the year!
Thanks for your feedback, Cindy!
Thanks for the great recipe, made as a gift for some friends from work who loved it. If you wanted to make two batches should you repeat the whole process again or could the same syrup be used again?
I have never tried it myself so I am afraid I won’t be much of a help here. I would just double the recipe and use a larger pot. Hope this helps.
Really good. It’s my second time making candied oranges (first success) and they turned out great. I did not see this until halfway through the cooking time, but make sure to cover your pot. Also, I halved the amount of chocolate and this generously coated the oranges with some left over. When coating them, I took about an ounce at a time of chocolate and put it on a piece of parchment paper to dip the oranges in. I would recommend it because it made coating the oranges so easy and quick.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Elle! Our readers will definitely appreciate your tips and suggestion.
I can’t wait to make these beautiful candied oranges this week. However if i want the white part of the skin translucent, do i simmer them longer in the syrup?
Thank you😊
Hi Marie. You could simmer them longer, but I am not sure how translucent the white part gets. Also, when they are cooked way too long, the soft centre can overcook and holes might appear as the flesh will be too soft to hold its shape. Then you won’t be able to dip them in chocolate. Hope this helps.
Any ideas on ways to use the leftover syrup? I want to use it for cranberry orange muffins or something!
You can add it to cocktails, drizzle over waffles or pancakes, moisten cakes with it, poach fruits in it… Hope this gives you some ideas.
Delicious and so gorgeous, I love the super-closeup photo, so beautiful. Thanks for sharing, Julia! :)
Thanks so much, Nicole! :)
I love orange and chocolate together! Looks like the ultimate winter treat!
Oh I love these! My Dad always used to make them when I was a kid, but maybe this year it’s time I try it out myself. Thanks for reminding me!
You should! They are so easy to make!
These are so stunning and such a perfect gift for the holidays! I know what I’m bringing to my in-laws house now!
That’s great to hear :)
I always forget about these until I stumble across a recipe. I really love these orange slices, so thanks for the reminder and have a wonderful Christmas.
Sharing now!
Thanks. Merry Christmas!:)
These look so good! I love the combination of chocolate and orange and these sound delicious.
Thank you!
I love all things chocolate and orange! Such an amazing combo!
It’s a great flavor combo, isn’t it! :)