Chocolate Covered Orange Peels

Chocolate covered orange peels are the perfect treat for any occasion! Great for gifting, snacking or as a healthier treat. This recipe is naturally gluten-free.

Chocolate covered orange peel is altogether with peanut butter stuffed chocolate covered dates my favorite treats this winter. Not only they taste delicious but they also look pretty and when packaged nicely, they are the perfect gifts for your friends or family.

There is no doubt that they would also disappear fast from your Holiday table. Now when it comes to Holidays we all love the dinner and cookies but we also need something that keeps us going until the dinner is served.

Appetizers always come to rescue and one of my favorites are bacon wrapped dates and roasted garlic jalapeno dip. Parmesan asparagus twists are also a popular appetizer in my family. What about yours? What is your favorite appetizer?

How to make chocolate covered orange peel

So how do you make candied orange peel easy you ask? The whole process is simple and easy. First you wash the oranges well. Second, you peel the orange. To do it, cut off the top and bottom.

Then run your knife from top to bottom (make about 4-5 incisions into the peel). This will help you remove the peel without any flesh.

Then all you have to do is slowly peel the orange. Cut each peel into thin strips. I like the strips thin so I get about 30 strips out of one orange.

The peel is pretty bitter which some people like but I don’t. That is why I boil them for 5 minutes, drain them, change the water and boil for a further 5 minutes. You can boil them longer, especially when the peels are very bitter.

Then place the drained orange peels in a pot where you have already prepared simple syrup. Simmer them for 45–60 minutes or until they are translucent.

Transfer them onto a wire rack so they can cool down and more importantly the excess syrup can drip off.

The last step to making chocolate-covered orange peels is dipping them in melted chocolate and placing them onto a sheet of baking parchment or aluminum foil. I place them in the fridge so the chocolate sets faster.

How can I store candied orange peel?

The cooled candied orange peel can be stored in a glass jar covered with a lid. Store it in the refrigerator and it will last up to 2-3 weeks.

Chocolate covered orange peel does not last that long in my house as I keep on “snacking” on it throughout the day once it’s been made. However, it will last for at least a week, if stored in the fridge in an air-tight container.

What you should know before making chocolate covered orange peels

• The most important thing for me here is to make sure that I buy organic oranges for this recipe so I am not using peels with possible pesticide residue on them. Now there are ways how to get rid of the chemicals from fruits and vegetables so if you follow them before you cut your fruits, I’d say you should be fine.
• I am using dark chocolate (70% cocoa content) which makes it a healthy snack as well.
• You can use candied orange peel in baking. It adds great flavor to quick breads or muffins.
• The chocolate will set in the fridge already after 15 minutes but to make sure it is set on the inside as well, leave it in for at least an hour.
• Do not skip the boiling. This will help reduce the bitterness that is “present” in the peels. It will not remove it completely though. Now some orange peels might be more bitter than others that is why I prefer dipping them fully in chocolate. The chocolate balances the bitterness.

More chocolate covered treats:

• Chocolate covered cranberries
• Chocolate dipped mandarin slices
• Frozen chocolate banana bites

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