How to Make Instant Pot Candied Orange Peel

Turn orange citrus peels into delicious sweet-tart candied orange peels using the Instant Pot. Candied Orange Peel is perfect for all your baking recipes and takes less than half the time of stove top Candied Orange Peel recipes.

This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you creative projects. Read more in Policies & Disclosures.

I was making cranberry bliss cookies for the holidays and discovered that I did not have a key ingredient –> Candied Orange Peel.

It's an ingredient commonly used for holiday baking so I checked for a bag at my local grocery store. Four store later I could not find candied orange peel! I was tempted to order some online but it came in large quantities and I was unsure of the quality.

Homemade Candied Orange Peel

I decided to try making homemade candied orange peel instead of waiting days for a delivery and began searching for recipes.

That’s when disappointment set in!

I had never made candied orange peel and did not know that it can takes DAYS!  Basically you prepare the orange peels, cook them in boiling water, and then simmer them in sugar syrup for several HOURS to achieve the sweet candied flavor.

Yes, you read that correctly. It usually takes 2-3 hours of stirring to “candy” the orange peels…. and then the peel needs to dry overnight (or for several days) in the refrigerator.

I did not have that kind of time… I wanted cranberry bliss cookies!

The Instant Pot Experiment

What's an impatient cook to do?

I ditched the stove and made the candied orange peel in my Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) then used the oven to speed the drying time. The results were amazing!

In less than 2 hours I had a lovely batch of candied orange peel read to bake into my favorite cookies. And, BONUS, most of the cooking time was hands off… no need to babysit a boiling pan on the stove top for hours and hours!

Candied Orange Peel Tips

This quick Instant Pot method makes smaller, thin pieces of candied orange peel that are perfect for cookies, baked goods, and other recipes.

• If you want thick, perfect orange peels to serve rolled in sugar or dipped in chocolate you may want to use the old fashioned stove top recipe.
• A special thanks to Hip Pressure Cooking who tested this method using lemon peels.

How to Make Candied Orange Peel in an Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker)

Making candied orange peel in the pressure cooker is EASY if you follow these simple steps:

1. Peel the Oranges – Use a vegetable peeler to peel the orange from end to end.

2. Remove the Pith – Use a spoon, paring knife or other metal tool to scrape off as much pith as possible. (The pith is the inner white part of the orange peel, it is bitter so most of it should be removed.)

3. Slice the Peels – Slice the peels into long strips about ¼ inch wide.

4. Boil the Peels – Add 4 cups of water and the prepared peels to the Instant Pot. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes then use quick release.

5. Drain Peels – Drain the boiled peels in a small colander and rinse with cool fresh water. Discard the boiling water and rinse out the Instant Pot inner pan.

6. Make the Sugar Syrup – Add 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of fresh water to the clean pressure cooker pan. Stir in peels. Set to “sauté” and stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. The syrup should be nearly clear and easy to see through.

7. Cook the Peels in Sugar Syrup – Place lid on pressure cooker. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Wait 20 minutes then quick release.

8. Drain the Peels – Strain peels though small colander, saving the orange syrup for cocktails or recipes. Separate the peels into a single flat layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

9. Quick Dry the Peels – Bake peels in a 200 degrees Fahrenheit oven until they are no longer wet and sticky but are still pliable. The peel should not be brittle. This takes approximately 30-40 minutes (check after the first 20 minutes then every 10 minutes to prevent burning or over drying.)

10. Store the Peels – Cool peels completely on the parchment paper. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe Notes

• This recipe was made in a 6qt/6l Instant Pot
• Since you'll be eating the orange peel, I recommend using organic oranges and scrubbing them well.
• The cooking time in this recipe is active cooking time. This does not include the time needed to bring the pot to pressure or the time needed for the pressure to drop (this adds approximately 20 minutes to the overall time).
• Use a clean instant pot seal or a seal specifically for sweet recipes to prevent flavor transfer.

4.5 from 2 votes

Print

Instant Pot Candied Orange Peel

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

Turn orange citrus peels into delicious sweet-tart candy using the Instant Pot. Easy recipe takes less than half the time of stove top Candied Orange Peel recipes. 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 ounces

Calories: 110 kcal

Author: Bren

Ingredients

• 4 Oranges (organic)
• 2 cups White sugar
• 5 cups Water (divided)

Instructions

1. Peel the oranges - Use a vegetable peeler to peel the orange from end to end.

   
   

2. Remove the pith - Use a spoon, paring knife or other metal tool to scrape off as much pith as possible. (The pith is the inner white part of the orange peel, it is bitter so most of it should be removed.)

3. Slice the peels - Slice the peels into long strips about ¼ inch wide.

4. Boil the peels – Add 4 cups of water and the prepared peels to the pressure cooker. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes then use quick release.

5. Drain peels - Drain the boiled peels in a small colander and rinse with cool fresh water. Discard the boiling water and rinse out the Instant Pot inner pan.

6. Make sugar syrup - Add 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of fresh water to the clean pressure cooker pan. Stir in peels. Set to “sauté” and stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. The syrup should be nearly clear and easy to see through.

7. Cook the peels – Place lid on pressure cooker. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Wait 20 minutes then quick release.

8. Drain the peels - Strain peels though small colander, saving the orange syrup for cocktails or recipes. Separate the peels into a single flat layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

9. Quick dry the peels - Bake peels in a 200 degrees Fahrenheit oven until they are no longer wet and sticky but are still pliable. The peel should not be brittle. This takes approximately 30-40 minutes (check after the first 20 minutes then every 10 minutes to prevent burning or over drying.)

10. Store the peels – Cool peels completely on the parchment paper. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe Notes

• This recipe was made in a 6qt/6l Instant Pot.
• Since you'll be eating the orange peel, I recommend using organic oranges.
• The cooking time in this recipe is active cooking time. This does not include the time needed to bring the pot to pressure or the time needed for the pressure to drop (this adds approximately 20 minutes to the overall time).
• Use a clean instant pot seal or a seal specifically for sweet recipes to prevent flavor transfer.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Candied Orange Peel

Amount Per Serving (1 ounce)

Calories 110

% Daily Value*

Sugars 21g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.