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Perfect for the holiday season, oven dried orange slices are a great way to easily dress up a cocktail, make a fun Christmas garland, and add to your holiday decor.

A jar of oven dried orange slices, surrounded by more dehydrated citrus slices.

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Ingredients
What Kind of Oranges Should I Use?
Can I use other citrus?
Tools for Drying Citrus
How to Make Oven Dried Orange Slices
Tips for Drying Orange Slices
Ways to Use Dried Orange Slices
How to store Dehydrated Orange Slices
How long do Dried Orange Slices last?
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How to Make Dried Orange Slices in the Oven

The oven-drying method in this dehydrated orange slices recipe is one of the easiest ways to dry oranges at home without a food dehydrator or air fryer.

Ingredients

Oranges - Navel oranges, cara cara oranges and blood oranges all have different colors on the inside and make for a nice color variety in your slices.
Any other citrus fruits you want! Limes, lemons, and grapefruit all work well.

What Kind of Oranges Should I Use?

You can use any kind of orange you prefer or have available, though your choice should depend on how you’re planning to use your dehydrated oranges.

If you’re going to eat the dried orange slices or use them in teas, then pick your favorite orange to eat.

If you’re going to use them as decoration, choose based on the internal color of the orange. Navel oranges will dry a lighter orange, cara cara oranges will turn a bold orange color and blood oranges will dry into a maroon color.

Types of oranges (navel, cara cara, blood) and other citrus (lime, lemon, grapefruit) that can be oven dried.

Can I use other citrus?

This process works great for drying any type of citrus fruits. I love adding lemons and limes to my orange slices and drying them all together so I have options for garnishing my cocktails and mocktails. Grapefruit can also be dried this way.

Note: Lemons, limes, and grapefruit all take a bit longer than oranges to dehydrate, so place those fruit on their own tray in the oven instead of mixing them in with the orange slices.

Slices of lemons and limes arranged on a sheet of parchment paper.

Tools for Drying Citrus

Mandoline Slicer - The absolute easiest way to get even, thin slices.
Cookie Sheet or Sheet Pan - Whether or not the pan has sides doesn't matter here.
Parchment Paper - I always use parchment to keep my slices from sticking or browning while they dry.
Wire Cooling Rack - This lets the hot oven air circulate all around the slices while they bake.

How to Make Oven Dried Orange Slices

Heat oven to 200 degrees f.

Using a mandoline slicer or very sharp knife, slice oranges into very thin slices - ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.

Place citrus slices on a paper towel and gently pat dry to remove any excess juice from the fruit.

A baking sheet with a wire rack and parchment paper.

Set a wire rack in a sheet pan. Cover the baking rack with parchment paper.

Lay orange slices in a single layer on the parchment paper.

Orange slices arranged on a sheet of parchment paper.

Place in the oven and bake for 3 hours, flipping slices every 30-60 minutes.

Once slices are dry to the touch (they should not feel wet, damp or sticky), remove from the oven.

A wire rack filled with dried orange slices.

Allow slices to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.

A glass jar filled with dried orange slices.

Dehydrated orange slices will stay edible for up to 1 year, and look good in decor for much longer than that.

Tips for Drying Orange Slices

Slices will continue to dry and crisp as they cool after you remove them from the oven.
Use fresh oranges. They should feel very firm and not at all squishy.
Test what slice thickness works best on your mandoline before slicing up an entire orange. You want the slices to be thin, but not falling apart or torn. For my mandoline, that’s the “medium slices” setting.
While the slices are in the oven, you can flip them anywhere from every 30 minutes to every 1 hour, but to get them to dry evenly you do need to flip them during the drying process. Don’t just toss them in the oven and walk away for 3 hours.
If your citrus slices aren’t dry after 3 hours in the oven, continue to bake them - checking and flipping every 30 minutes - until they’re done. Remove individual slices as they feel dry, and only continue baking the slices that are still moist.

Ways to Use Dried Orange Slices

Cocktail garnish and mocktail garnish. Float a slice of dehydrated citrus on the top of a cocktail or use a tiny clothespin to attach it to the outside of a glass.
In holiday and Christmas decorations. Tuck dried orange slices into your evergreen wreaths. Add thread and use them as ornaments or garland on your Christmas tree. Place into a bow for extra special holiday gift wrap.
Dip in melted chocolate for an easy dessert or snack.
Use as cake decorations or to top cupcakes.
Add to charcuterie boards.
Add slices to a mug of hot water with a couple cinnamon sticks for a delicious hot tea.

A piece of dried orange held on to the side of a cocktail glass with a tiny clothespin.

How to store Dehydrated Orange Slices

Once your citrus slices have cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container (like a glass jar or mason jars) or zip top bag in a cool, dry place like your pantry or cupboard. Do NOT store them in the freezer or refrigerator where they could rehydrate from the moisture and spoil quickly.

How long do Dried Orange Slices last?

Your dry orange slices will keep in an airtight container and be edible for up to 1 year. Discard them if they start to show mold or get soft. If you’re using them for decoration, they should remain good for years.

A jar filled with oven dried orange slices.

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How to Make Dried Orange Slices in the Oven

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5 from 1 review

Drying orange slices in the oven is an easy way to create garnishes for cocktails and mocktails. Dehydrated oranges make a healthy snack, and great for holiday decor and gift giving.