HOW TO MAKE CANDIED LEMON SLICES: Candied Lemon Slices are SO EASY to make! They make beautiful edible garnishes for baked goods and can be enjoyed as a treat, as well. Such a great way to use up lemons!
Did you know that lemons in their entirety, peels and all, are edible? With a little bit of cooking magic, you can learn how to make candied lemon slices. This process turns them (or any citrus fruit) into candy! And beautiful decorations for baked goods!
It’s a magical secret unknown to most. This trick applies to any citrus fruit. Oranges, grapefruit and limes transform into delicious candied citrus fruits, as well!
Start out with 3 large lemons because, unless you are very adept at using a mandoline or if you are an expert at cutting consistently uniform slices with a knife, you will want to leave room for error. I used my mandoline to slice my lemons and I had a culling rate of approximately 30-35%.
These beauties adorn baked goods so beautifully! I have put them onto cakes, cupcakes and cookies and they make people swoon every single time.
HOW TO MAKE CANDIED LEMON SLICES
STEP 1
Grab 2 to 3 fresh lemons. Using a mondoline or sharp knife, cut lemons into thin slices (approximately 1/8-inch thickness).
In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer over medium-low heat and add the lemon slices in a single layer when the sugar is dissolved.
STEP 2
Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, gently flipping once or twice during the cooking process. When the lemons are slightly translucent, they are finished cooking.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you love lemons and have a lot of them on your hands, make an extra big batch of candied lemons and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Use 1 cup of simple syrup in place of the water and sugar in the recipe, if desired.
- Let the candied lemons sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours before storing in an air-tight container.
USES FOR CANDIED LEMON SLICES
- Snack on them! Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. The lemon peel is edible, so eat up!
- Add them to the tops of Raspberry Lemonade Cookies from Cookie Remix.
- Garnish your next Lemon Blueberry Cake with them!
- Throw them onto your next batch of Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes.
IS LEMON A FRUIT
Because they have seeds, lemons are considered fruit.
CAN DOGS EAT LEMONS
NO! They probably would prefer not to eat them because of their sourness, but lemons are toxic to dogs and should not be consumed.
BEST LEMON DESSERT RECIPES
Don’t limit yourself to candied lemon slices! If you or anyone in your life loves lemon desserts as much as I do, consider making one or more of these delicious sugary concoctions:
Lemon Curd is a fresh, light and lemony filling or topping that goes great on cakes, cookies, cupcakes or any baked treat!
Lemon Ice Box Pie – The perfect compliment to the zest of lemon is the graham cracker crust. A citrus flavored cream pie is delightful and so delicious. A small slice goes a long way in flavor, it’s the perfect summer treat!
If you have a lemon lover in your life, you are going to want to add these Lemon Bars to your baking list pronto! A lemon curd filling tops a perfectly baked shortbread crust, making the most delicious lemony dessert you will ever taste!
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars – Simplify cheesecake and pack it full of two delicious types of fruit!
How To Make Candied Lemon Slices
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 lemons sliced to 1/8-inch thickness
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer (med-low) and add lemon slices in a single layer.
- Simmer over medium-low (uncovered) for 15 minutes, gently flipping once or twice during the cooking process.
- Transfer the lemon slices to a wire cooling rack or waxed paper and let cool.
Notes
- If you love lemons and have a lot of them on your hands, make an extra big batch of candied lemons and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Use 1 cup of simple syrup in place of the water and sugar in the recipe, if desired.
- You can stir the sugar in the water occasionally as it simmers.
- Let the candied lemons sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours before storing in an air-tight container.
- Candied lemons will be sugary and tacky even after drying.
- They freeze well and can be frozen up to 2 months.
yummy and easy to make!
I made these to put on cakes for my thirteenth birthday party and they’re delicious! I actually also just realized, the leftover syrup from them can be used as just a lemon syrup to put on pancakes, crepes and other things!
Love hearing that! Great use of your leftover syrup!
I’m making them right now. I can’t wait to see my finished product. I plan on using it with lemonade. Just for fun. I love lemons. I wonder how it would taste with limes?
I bet limes would be just as tasty actually! Thank you!
Thank you. I was looking for a ez way to get what I want and you had it. Thanks again.
So glad you found me and enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t know what I did wrong, but these came out wet. What do you think I did wrong? Followed the recipe to a tee.
I’m sorry, that’s so frustrating when you’re working on a recipe you’re excited for. Every pan and stove heats so differently. They don’t dry out at all, but cooking them a bit longer could help get them to a more sticky finish, so maybe letting more water burn off is my recommendation. Thanks for asking!
When I make these, can you eat the whole thing, even the rine?
They are edible!
Thanks!
Made a load to decorate cakes for a fundraiser. People raving over them rather than my cake!! Froze them, and they were fine after 2 months.
So glad they were enjoyed and enjoyed at the fundraiser! What was it for? Freezing them is a great way to make up a batch or two for another time.
I am a cancer survivor so raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief each year. So far, £1150 in 2 years!
When you do this, do they dry solid? I need then to be kind of crisp? To add as topping to cupcakes?
They do dry but they might remain a little tacky depending on how long they cooked but they are not wet and look great as decoration on a cake/cupcake toppers if you want it. Thanks for asking!
I dry mine out in the oven, as I like to dip half into white chocolate, so need them to be nice and dry. Just pop in the oven at the lowest letting and they will dry swell.
Do these come out chewy, or more crystallized like a traditional candied lemon peel?
The candied lemon slices are tacky and sugary so depending on how long you cooked them, they will be a little of both, if that makes sense.
Hiii,
Thank you for this recipe. When bringing the sugar water to a boil should you stir it or just leave it alone?
Great question! Yes, you should so it dissolves and doesn’t burn.
Once candied can I cut the lemon slices in half for decoration? Or is it best to do so beforehand? Thanks!
Great question! You can do it either way. Depends how sharp your knife is or how pretty you want them to be mainly. Enjoy!
I actually don’t do well with sugar can I use stevia instead?
Hi Brianne – that’s a great question. I haven’t used it in this specific recipe so I can’t speak to how the stevia would stick to the lemons and create the same effect. Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
Hello, I love the look of these can I just ask are the calories on there per slice or is that for all 16 🙂
Each serving has 52 calories – there are 16 servings in this recipe.
What is the best way to store the candied lemons?
I would keep them in a cool, air tight container for about two weeks. You can freeze them for a month or two.
Any suggestions on what can you do with the leftover syrup in the pan?
Thanks.
Great question! I think there’s a lot you can do with it. Add it as a drizzle to a cake/cupcakes, maybe between layers on or top. You can add it as a sweetner to a tea, drizzle over ice cream. Pancakes would be good with it on. Add to a salad.
Use leftover simple syrup to flavor ice tea, make ice cubes with it.
Yes, those are great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
Add in cocktails or to soak cakes, or pancakes is delicous
I used the leftover syrup to make lemonade. Let it cool then you can add sparkling water to it for a lovely homemade lemonade.
Love that idea! Sounds delicious – thank you for sharing that!
JUST TRIED THESE . OH MY THEY ARE WONDERFUL, SWEET BUT SOUR.
You summed that up well! I’m glad you tried them. Thank you for sharing!
Did I understand that after cooking, they are only good for up to two weeks? I have so many Meyer’s
Lemons and I am trying preserve them the best I can. I have frozen ice cubes galore, dehydrated slices, and I only just heard about cooking them into candy slices. Is there any way I can make them store longer?
They freeze great!
This sounds awesome.Thank you so much for sharing this best recipe.
Great receipe. Can the candied lemons be frozen?
That’s a good question. They can be frozen. I would recommend placing them between parchment paper slices and then getting as much air out from the ziploc bag as possible. They’ll be good for 2-3 months.
It tastes amazing! However, I would suggest 1) cooking both sides a tad longer, and 2) sprinkling a little bit of sugar on them when they are finished. Also, I suggest making extra sure that the rinds (mostly the white part, as it is the sourest) are mostly translucent as well. Thank you so much for this incredible recipe! It did not take long at all, and I learned that you can do it with any amount of lemons. I am pretty sure that you can reuse the lemon-water that they boiled in. It is also very easy for kids to make, I would assume. Just one problem: they taste too great! Hide them from children, (or your husband) or else they won’t last a second.
Bounasera!
‘You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.’ -Paul Prudhomme
I’m glad you tried it and thank you for those tips – other people will appreciate your feedback.