All-natural, edible, and jewel-toned garnishes are never far from reach once you learn How to Make Dried Orange Slices in the Oven! Whether you make them for garnishing your drinks, decorating cakes, or wrapping presents, these simple and beautiful citrus slices add a pop of color to everything they touch.
Jump to:
About This Recipe
Making beautiful, Instagrammable food and drink doesn’t have to be a crazy chore. In fact, I often find that it is the best, most rewarding part of my day! One of the easiest ways to ensure that your creations are always photo-ready is having a strong garnish game.
These beautiful and edible dried orange slices are one of my favorite garnishing hacks - all you need is about 5 minutes of active time and an oven to make them! Simply choose your fruits, wash them thoroughly, slice thinly, and bake low and slow. It is literally that simple!
When you’re done, you’ll have a trayful of dehydrated citrus that remind me of stained glass windows to use in all kinds of applications. Use them for garnishing drinks (like my Blood Orange Pisco Sour or my Cranberry Chai Hot Toddy), decorating cakes, brightening up cookie plates, wrapping presents, making potpourri, or making an all-natural garland for your Christmas tree.
Not only is dehydrating oranges in the oven simple to do, it also results in an inexpensive and eco-friendly form of decoration. I call that a win-win-win!
So are you ready to learn how to make dried oranges in the oven? Read on below!
Ingredients
To make dehydrated orange slices, all you’ll need is… CITRUS! I love the look of dried orange and blood orange slices, but this tutorial will work for just about any kind of citrus fruit you can think of. Try with:
- Limes
- Lemons or Meyer Lemons
- Grapefruit
- Pomelo
- Fresh Oranges or Navel Oranges
- Blood Oranges
- Kumquats
Equipment
One of the best parts about making dried orange slices is that you don’t need any special equipment to do it when using the oven method. In fact, I’d bet you already have most of what you need in your kitchen. Here’s what you should grab:
- Long, Serrated Paring or Bread Knife - While a chef’s knife will do the trick, I find that a serrated edge of a bread knife can tackle the thick rind and delicate flesh of most citrus the best. Since you want to make the absolute *thinnest* slices you can, the added grip the serration brings to the table is quite welcome.
- ~OR~ A Very Sharp Mandolin - Mandolins are the gold standard when it comes to making perfectly even slices of fruits and veggies. Be cautious, though - it’s quite easy to lose a bit of skin if you aren’t paying attention. I actually recommend pairing your mandolin with a kevlar glove for the safest outcome.
- Sheet Pans - These are an essential piece of any baker’s kitchen. Depending on how many dried orange slices you want to make, you may need a few! Another option is to use a baking rack or cooling rack.
- Parchment Paper - Parchment is a kitchen hero that will keep your dried orange slices from sticking and tearing, not to mention help make clean-up a snap. PRO TIP: If your parchment paper isn’t cooperating, crumple it up into a tight ball and then open it back up into a sheet; line baking sheets with these pieces of parchment - the crumples will help keep it from rolling up!
How to Dehydrate Orange Slices
This ultimate guide for making dried orange slices using the oven-drying method couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do is:
Prep: Preheat the oven to 225F. Wash your citrus well with water, then dry them with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
Cut thinly: Slice oranges with a sharp knife as thinly and consistently as you can (¼ inch slices), then place them on your parchment-lined baking tray.
Bake: Arrange the citrus wheels in a single layer on a baking sheet or wire rack and bake low and slow at 225F for 2 hours before turning them over and letting them bake for another 1.5-2 hours. After a total of 3-4 hours voila - dehydrated oranges slices ready to enjoy as a healthy snack, used as Christmas decorations, orange garland / Christmas garland or on Christmas presents!
Expert Tips
Dehydrating citrus slices is a very straightforward procedure, but I can’t help but offer a few extra tips!
- Remove the seeds for a prettier look. After you slice your oranges, use a toothpick to help you remove any errant seeds.
- Choose a variety of colors. If at all possible, get a few different types of citrus to dehydrate. Naval oranges, cara cara oranges, and blood oranges will give you a lovely range of hues that you can use to make ombre decorations.
- Don’t be afraid to branch out. Oranges are not the only citrus fruits that can be dehydrated for garnish. Limes, lemons, grapefruits, and even pomelos can be used to give you a wider assortment of colors to choose from. Then use them as a cocktail garnish, cake decorations, a dried orange slice garland,
- Add a sprinkle of sugar if you want. If you intend on your dried citrus slices to be eaten, you can sweeten them up with a quick dusting of granulated sugar.
- Or dip them in chocolate. I happen to love the candied orange zest pieces that have been dipped in dark chocolate. If you do, too, try dipping the dried orange slices about halfway in melted chocolate (or chocolate melts, if you don’t want to temper), then let set on parchment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This method will also work for apples and pears.
Of course! You’ll just need to read the manufacturer’s instructions to learn what setting you’ll need to use. My food dehydrator simply lists temperatures, so I can set mine to 225F and forget about it for about 4 hours.
These pretty little jewels will last pretty well for upwards of a month or more! To store them, add them to a ziptop bag or airtight container and keep them in a cool, dark spot. Avoid placing them in the fridge or freezer - those environments are too humid and can cause the oranges to rehydrate and rot due to the excess moisture. If you happen to have an extra packet of silica (from a box of shoes or a bag of jerky) that's a great way to prevent moisture - toss it in there for best results.
Related “How To” Posts
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this dried orange slices recipe as garnishes or holiday decor, please leave a review below the recipe card or share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
How to Make Dried Orange Slices in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound Citrus Fruits, Oranges, Blood Oranges, Lemons etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225°F. Wash your citrus well with water, then dry them with a clean kitchen towel.1 pound Citrus Fruits
- Cut the citrus as thinly and consistently as you can, then place them on your parchment-lined baking tray.
- Allow the citrus slices to bake low and slow at 225°F for 2 hours before turning them over and letting them bake for another 1.5-2 hours! Throughout these final 2 hours, take care to continually flip over the citrus slices so that they dry out evenly and you are able to monitor the coloring. We want these lovely orange slices to preserve their color and not become burnt.
Video
Notes
- Remove the seeds for a prettier look. After you slice your oranges, use a toothpick to help you remove any errant seeds.
- Choose a variety of colors. If at all possible, get a few different types of citrus to dehydrate. Naval oranges, cara cara oranges, and blood oranges will give you a lovely range of hues that you can use to make ombre decorations.
- Don’t be afraid to branch out. Oranges are not the only citrus that can be dehydrated for garnish. Limes, lemons, grapefruits, and even pomelos can be used to give you a wider assortment of colors to choose from.
- Add a sprinkle of sugar if you want. If you intend on your dried citrus slices to be eaten, you can sweeten them up with a quick dusting of granulated sugar.
- Or dip them in chocolate. I happen to love the candied orange zest pieces that have been dipped in dark chocolate. If you do, too, try dipping the dried orange slices about halfway in melted chocolate (or chocolate melts, if you don’t want to temper), then let set on parchment.
- Can I dehydrate more than just citrus in the oven? Absolutely! This method will also work for apples and pears.
- Can I use my dehydrator if I don’t want to turn the oven on? Of course! You’ll just need to read the manufacturer’s instructions to learn what setting you’ll need to use. My dehydrator simply lists temperatures, so I can set mine to 225F and forget about it for about 4 hours.
- How long will dried citrus slices last? These pretty little jewels will last pretty well for upwards of a month or more! To store them, add them to a ziptop bag or airtight container and keep them in a cool, dark spot. Avoid placing them in the fridge or freezer - those environments are too humid and can cause the oranges to rehydrate and rot. If you happen to have an extra packet of silica (from a box of shoes or a bag of jerky), toss it in there for even better storage.
Magali
It is very well explain and I love the extra tips! Thank you so much!
And the photos helps a lot, with how the oranges will look like and all the creativity that comes from them!
Catherine Reeves
Di the dried citrus have a fragrance. I want to make sachets
Emily
They're lovely in sachets with more inclusions/additions, though I wouldn't say they're incredibly fragrant after drying unless you get quite close!