Chocolate Covered Orange Peels (Printable)

Candied citrus strips enrobed in dark chocolate — a classic European confection for gifting and indulging.

# What You'll Need:

→ Orange Peels

01 - 3 large navel oranges

→ Sugar Syrup

02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup water

→ Chocolate Coating

04 - 7 oz high-quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

→ Optional Garnish

05 - 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Wash the oranges thoroughly under running water. Using a sharp knife, score each peel from top to bottom into quarters. Gently remove the peel in sections, keeping a thin layer of white pith attached to preserve texture.
02 - Slice the peels into uniform strips approximately 1/4 inch wide for even candying and a polished presentation.
03 - Place the strips in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Drain completely, then repeat this blanching process two more times to draw out excess bitterness.
04 - Combine the sugar and water in a clean saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves and the liquid runs clear.
05 - Add the blanched peels to the simmering syrup. Maintain a gentle simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and tender throughout.
06 - Using tongs, transfer each peel strip to a wire rack set over parchment paper. Allow them to air-dry for at least 1 hour until the surface is tacky but no longer dripping.
07 - Set up a double boiler with a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water. Add the chopped dark chocolate and stir slowly until completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each interval.
08 - Dip each candied peel strip halfway into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Lay each piece flat on parchment-lined baking sheets.
09 - Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if desired. Leave at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes until the chocolate coating is fully set and firm to the touch.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • The bitter sweet orange strips dipped in dark chocolate taste like something from a fancy Parisian shop but cost almost nothing to make.
  • They keep for two weeks in an airtight container, which means you can stash them away and pretend you did not eat half the batch.
02 -
  • Skip the blanching steps and your peels will taste like eating raw aspirin, which I learned the hard way on my first attempt.
  • Let the candied peels dry long enough before dipping or the chocolate will seize and turn grainy from leftover moisture.
03 -
  • Temper your chocolate if you want that professional snap and glossy finish, but honestly a simple melt works fine for home batches.
  • Save the leftover orange scented sugar syrup from the pot and stir it into cocktails or drizzle it over yogurt the next morning.

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