Dehydrated Orange Slices are so easy to make yourself at home! Best of all they can be made in the oven without the need for a dehydrator.
Dried orange slices make the perfect garnish for things like hot or cold drinks or cakes, plus they are a great addition to a charcuterie/grazing board or tasty snack all on their own (orange peels and all!).
I also like to use dehydrated orange slices as a beautiful and elegant garnish for cocktails when I'm entertaining (or in my own gin and tonic, if we're being honest 😉 ), but they are so expensive to buy.
So I decided to have a crack at making my own - turns out it's really simple and it can be done in your normal oven.
We are going to use our home oven at a really low temperature, so it works like a dehydrator to dry out the sliced fruit rounds.
Table of Contents
- Why you will love this recipe
- What you need to make dehydrated orange slices
- What size of oranges to use
- How to dry orange slices
- Will they dry quicker if I put them on a rack?
- Top tips
- What are dehydrated oranges good for?
- Storing dried orange slices
- Frequently asked questions
- Other recipes you may enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Dehydrated Orange Slices
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy and inexpensive to make your own dried oranges at home.
- Can be used in multiple ways or make a gorgeous homemade gift.
- Made in the oven without needing a fruit dehydrator.
What you need to make dehydrated orange slices
*Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and detailed instructions
- oranges - look for ripe, firm oranges ideally without seeds - I used navel oranges
*Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and detailed instructions
What size of oranges to use
- Depending on your intended use for the orange slices once they are dried, usually ones on the smaller size are better - particularly if you are wanting to use them as a cocktail garnish (so they can fit in the glass) or to fit into a jar for gifting.
- Keep in mind they will shrink a little once they finish drying.
How to dry orange slices
- Pat orange slices dry between sheets of paper towel.
- Place oranges slices in a single layer on a lined baking sheet/tray and place in the oven to bake, flipping at the one-hour mark.
Will they dry quicker if I put them on a rack?
Yes - but the slices tend to stick to the rack so you risk ripping and tearing them when you try to remove them.
I tried this myself when testing the recipe and while it did shorten the cooking time by about an hour, I didn't like the fact that they stuck so my recommendation is for lining the tray with baking/parchment paper and laying the slices straight on that rather than putting them on a rack to bake.
Top tips
- Wash and dry the oranges as we will be eating the skin as well as the flesh.
- The orange slices need to be 2-3 mm thick and nice and even slices. I found the best way to do this was with a super-sharp knife, I tried a mandolin slicer but this tore the slices.
- If you have thinner spots on the edge of a slice they will tend to curl up more in those thinner parts, but they will still be fine.
- The thicker the slices, the longer they will take to dry.
- Some slices may take longer than others to dry out depending on their thickness.
- Place orange slices on a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
- Change up the colour and taste by using blood oranges.
What are dehydrated oranges good for?
- Snacking on as is (you can eat them whole - rind and all).
- Sprinkle with sugar or dip them in melted chocolate.
- Garnish for cocktails or hot tea.
- Decorating cakes.
- Add some to a grazing board or cheese platter.
- Place them in an airtight container or mason jar and give them as a gift.
- Make a gorgeous potpourri by adding some cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, or other whole spices.
- Use them for holiday decor such as dried citrus fruit garlands and wreaths or table decorations.
- Thread them with some twine or ribbon and hang them from the Christmas tree with your other ornaments.
Storing dried orange slices
As long as the slices are sufficiently dried and stored in an airtight container these dehydrated orange slices should have a shelf life of up to a year.
Throwing in a little silica pack/sachet (like from your latest bottle of vitamins) into the container is good insurance too.
Frequently asked questions
When you touch them they won't feel tacky/sticky.
3 hours in the oven at 70c.
Yes.
Yes.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Banana Bread - My 4 ingredient banana bread uses ripe bananas and pantry staples to make an easy homemade banana bread that you can customize to make your own!
Lemon Slice - this recipe is packed with the flavours of fresh lemons and coconut. A no-bake slice using sweetened condensed milk with a fluffy lemon frosting.
Lime Slice - with the zesty taste of limes, this easy no-bake slice is also topped with a pomegranate frosting.
📖 Recipe
Dehydrated Orange Slices
Ingredients
- 2 oranges (I used Navel oranges) washed and dried
Watch me make this recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 70c.
- Line a baking tray (or 2) with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice oranges into 2-3mm thick rounds as evenly as you can.2 oranges (I used Navel oranges)
- Blot the oranges slices dry on paper towels to absorb any excess juice.
- Place orange slices on the baking tray(s) in a single layer without overlapping.
- Bake for 1 hour, then turn the slices over and bake for a further 2 hours or until the slices are completely dry to the touch and not sticky or tacky.
- Once they are dry, remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
- When completely cool, store the slices in an airtight container.
Notes
- The slices need to be 2-3 mm thick and nice and even slices. I found the best way to do this was with a super-sharp (large) knife, I tried a mandolin slicer but this tore the slices.
- If your slices have thin spots on the edge of the rind they will tend to curl up in those spots, but they will still dry out ok.
- The thicker the slices, the longer they will take to dry.
- Some slices may take longer than others to dry out depending on their thickness. It's a good idea to check with 30 minutes to go and remove any slices that are done.
- Change up the colour and taste by using blood oranges.
Leave a Reply