When you need a dessert that whispers elegance but is ridiculously easy to pull off, you simply must try these! We’re talking about combining that sweet, slightly chewy texture of candied orange with the deep, beautiful bitterness of excellent dark chocolate. Honestly, dipping the slices just halfway is the trick; it creates such a dramatic, sophisticated look that I always come back to it when I want something truly special. If you’re looking for the ultimate treat to impress guests, my recipe for Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices is your new go-to. I’m Clara Bennett, and as Lead Plate Designer here at Recipes by Betty, I can tell you that presentation matters just as much as taste. You can find more fantastic ideas in our main Dessert section. Trust me, these simple beauties elevate any platter and they’re so quick to make!
Why You Will Make Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices Often
Seriously, these treats aren’t just pretty; they’re genuinely foolproof. If you thought gourmet candy meant hours of fuss, think again! These Orange Desserts Easy to make, and I promise they look like they came straight from a fancy chocolatier’s window. You’ll love them because:
- The flavor contrast is spot-on: that bright, sunny orange hits the deep, slightly bitter dark chocolate in such a satisfying way.
- They are incredibly forgiving! Since we aren’t making the candied slices from scratch here, the dipping process is very straightforward.
- The presentation is restaurant-quality with minimal effort. That half-dip makes them look so intentional and elegant.
- They store beautifully, meaning you can whip up a batch ahead of time for potlucks or holidays.
- They offer a fantastic texture—chewy underneath the crisp snap of the dark chocolate shell.
- It’s such a wonderful way to use up those extra oranges you might have lying around! Even if you buy pre-candied ones, it feels responsible, somehow.
Essential Equipment for Perfect Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
You don’t need a ton of fancy tools for this job, which I love! We really just require two main things to get that perfect, non-seized chocolate coating. Keep your ingredients dry, and your tools clean, especially when dealing with chocolate.
- One sturdy double boiler setup—or a bowl set snugly over simmering water if you’re improvising!
- A sheet of parchment paper to let your gorgeous orange slices firm up without sticking.
Here’s my expert whisper: When using your double boiler, make absolutely sure no steam or even a single drop of water hits that melting chocolate. Water is the enemy; it makes your gorgeous dark chocolate seize up instantly and become gritty. Low and slow heat is the only way!
Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
Getting this right is all about quality here. Since we aren’t doing the long candying process, the quality of what you *do* use really shines through! We need two simple groups of ingredients, and I highly recommend good quality chocolate—I just love the deep flavor you get from a good Lindt bar, for example. If you’re wondering about salt types for other applications, I wrote a whole piece on kosher salt versus sea salt, but here, we just want pure citrus and chocolate goodness!
For the Chocolate Coating
This part is crucial because it’s what holds everything together and gives us that beautiful dark color contrast.
- 200 g Dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao), melted smooth
For the Slices
Make sure these have completely cooled and dried out before they even get near that lovely melted chocolate. Soggy slices are a recipe for a melted mess!
- As needed Candied orange slices, fully dried
Step-by-Step Instructions for Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
Okay, this is the fun part! Once your candied orange slices are perfectly dry—and I mean totally dry—we move onto the glorious chocolate work. Since we are using fantastic dark chocolate, we have to treat it gently so it stays velvety smooth. If you want that gorgeous, glossy finish you see in bakeries, just pay close attention during the melting step. If you want to see how I handle chocolate when making my famous Chocolate Fudge Cookies, take a peek!
Melting the Chocolate Base
We have to melt our 200g of dark chocolate slowly. Grab your double boiler—or rig one up safely over simmering water. You want low, gentle heat. Stir it constantly until it’s completely liquid and glossy, like liquid velvet. My biggest piece of advice here, and I can’t stress this enough: keep water out! Even condensation dripping into the chocolate will cause it to seize up and turn grainy. If you’re using a really high-quality chocolate, like something from Ghirardelli, you definitely don’t want to ruin that smoothness with a splash of water.
Dipping and Draining the Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
Now, the artistic bit! Pick up one dried candied slice at a time. Dip it gently into that melted chocolate, making sure you only go about *halfway* up the slice. We want that beautiful visual contrast we talked about! Once dipped, pull it out slowly and hold it over the bowl for a second or two. Let all that excess chocolate drip right back in. This prevents a thick, messy puddle from forming when they set.
Setting the Chocolate Coating
Once drained, carefully lay your dipped orange slices onto that sheet of prepared parchment paper. You can leave them out on the counter to set naturally at room temperature, which usually takes about an hour. If you’re impatient like I am, pop them in the fridge—but only briefly! They just need about 30 minutes of chilling time until that dark chocolate shell is totally firm and gives a nice little snap when you tap it.
Tips for Perfect Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
Even though this is mostly dipping, a few little tricks stand between a professional-looking piece and a gooey mess. Since you might be wondering what to do with orange peels if you are getting into candying them yourself, these tips apply whether you made them or bought them!
Tip one is non-negotiable: Use perfectly tempered or stabilized chocolate. If you are melting chocolate straight from a bar in the microwave, it can easily bloom (turn dull and streaky) as it cools. When melting in the double boiler, stir frequently, and make sure the bottom bowl isn’t touching the water. This gentle heat prevents breakdown.
Next, and this is vital for that clean dip line: Make sure your slices are bone dry. If there is any moisture left on the candied orange, the chocolate will immediately repel it or seize up locally. Pat them down gently with a paper towel before you even grab them to dip. They should feel slightly tacky, not wet.
My third bit of advice addresses the coating thickness. Don’t dunk the entire slice in one go. Give it a quick dip, pull it out halfway, and then gently use a small offset spatula or the back of a butter knife to move the chocolate up just a tiny bit more if you missed a spot. This allows you to control that line perfectly, keeping the dip neat and clean.
Finally, do not rush the setting! Resist the urge to cram them all into the freezer. Quick temperature shocks can cause the chocolate to contract too fast, sometimes cracking the delicate candied layer underneath. A few hours on the counter or a quick 20-minute chill is plenty of time for a gorgeous, glossy finish.
Storage and Handling of Your Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
These elegant little jewels truly shine when stored correctly, which keeps that dark chocolate shell crisp and the orange chewy!
The absolute best place for them is in a cool, dry spot away from strong odors. I love keeping them in a nice tin. Don’t stack them up high, either, or you risk cracking that gorgeous chocolate layer!
Now, if you do toss them into the refrigerator—maybe your kitchen got a little too warm—just remember this one thing: you have to let them warm up before serving. If you bite into a refrigerated chocolate-dipped delight, the chocolate can feel hard and waxy. Pull them out about 15 minutes before anyone eats them so the chocolate softens up just enough to melt beautifully in your mouth again!
Creative Variations for Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peels
You know that once you nail the basic technique for these Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices, you’re going to want to start experimenting, right? That’s just how I am! Since we are already experts at coating fruit, we can easily pivot into all sorts of fun, related treats. If you happen to have extra peels from your candied baking session, or if you just love the flavor of citrus and chocolate together, try these little twists!
For those of you who picked up extra candied fruit, don’t stop at the standard look. I think exploring different chocolates makes all the difference. If you love milk chocolate, go for it! However, I’d suggest tempering it very carefully, as milk chocolate is softer and prone to smudging. Or, if you want a real kick, try dipping them into white chocolate and then immediately dusting them with a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. It’s unexpected, but wow, it really pops!
If you happen to be working with Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peels instead of the wider slices, you can get even more decorative. After dipping just one end, before the chocolate sets, sprinkle it with flaky sea salt. The salt cuts through the sweetness of the peel and the richness of the chocolate so beautifully. It’s a little spa treatment for your candy, frankly.
Also, never forget that crushed nuts or toasted coconut make fantastic toppers. For something really festive, try using finely chopped pistachios or pecans. If you enjoyed my recipe for Cranberry Orange Muffins, you know how well orange plays with warm spices and crunch! You can use the same idea here. Just dip, sprinkle while wet, and let set. It’s a simple way to get more complex flavor profiles into your Recipes Using Oranges collection. For premium toppings, sometimes I splurge on fancy toasted almonds from places like Godiva when I’m making them for a holiday platter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
I get so many questions once people see how easy these are to make! It’s funny how something that looks so fancy becomes a staple in your rotation once you know the secrets. If you’ve been browsing through my latest posts in the Chocolate Lovers Desserts category, you probably have a few ideas swirling around already.
Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate for this recipe?
Oh, you absolutely can! But I have to give you my honest baker’s opinion: they won’t taste the same. Dark chocolate (especially 70% or higher) provides that necessary bitter edge that cuts through the heavy sweetness of the candied orange. Milk chocolate is much sweeter and has more dairy solids, so the final product can taste overly sugary and you lose that sophisticated flavor balance we are going for. If you use milk chocolate, maybe skip any extra sprinkles or sugar garnish!
What is the best way to use up leftover orange peels if I don’t want to make candied slices?
That’s a great question, especially if you’re getting into using everything you can from your fruit! If you don’t want to go through the whole candying process, the best Orange Peels Uses are often culinary infusions. You can dry your fresh peels completely and then store them in a jar with vodka or cheap white rum for about two weeks—shake it every day! You end up with an amazing orange liqueur perfect for cocktails. Alternatively, just toss the dried peels right into your sugar canister; it gives your regular baking sugar a lovely, subtle citrus lift!
How long do these chocolate-dipped treats last?
Because the orange slice itself is already preserved through candying, these last quite well, usually a week or two, provided you store them right. The biggest enemy here is humidity, which loves to make chocolate bloom and turn dull. Keep them in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight, in a cool pantry. If your house is really warm, a quick 30 minutes in the fridge is fine, but remember to let them warm up a bit before you serve them so that rich dark chocolate snaps instead of crumbles!
Estimated Nutritional Data for Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
Now, I’m not a nutritionist—I’m just a cook who loves making things taste wonderful—but I always like to give you a ballpark idea of what you’re enjoying here. Since these treats rely heavily on sugar from the candying process and the fat from the rich dark chocolate, the numbers definitely reflect that indulgence!
These values are estimates based on using standard 70% cacao dark chocolate and typical commercially prepared candied orange slices. If you make your own candied oranges, your totals will shift based on how much sugar you used in that initial process, so keep that in mind!
Here’s the breakdown, per single, beautiful slice:
- Calories: 250
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 20 g
See? Lots of sugar in there, but hey, that’s why it tastes like a treat! We’ve got good fiber from the orange itself, and a respectable amount of fat which really helps carry all that glorious chocolate flavor. Enjoy them responsibly!
Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Slices
Equipment
- Double boiler
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Coating
- 200 g Dark chocolate (70% cacao) Melted
For the Slices
- As needed Candied orange slices Fully dried
Instructions
- Melt the dark chocolate gently using a double boiler.
- Dip each candied orange slice halfway into the melted chocolate.
- Allow excess chocolate to drip off the slice.
- Place the dipped slices on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Let the chocolate set at room temperature or place the slices in the refrigerator briefly until the chocolate is firm.