These sweet and chewy candied lemon slices are such an easy treat that can be used in baking, desserts, or as a tasty snack! All you need is 4 simple ingredients and a little time to make these fabulous candied lemons. Just slice, simmer, and dry, that's all there is to it!
Easy Candied Lemon Slices
Add a fun lemony twist to your favorite baked goods, treats, and desserts with these incredibly easy candied lemon slices. They make a fabulous edible garnish- if you don't eat them all before you get to decorating!
If baking isn't your thing, don't worry, they can be enjoyed as a sweet treat on their own. It's also a great way to use up any extra lemons you may have hanging around!
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🥘 Ingredients
You don't need much to make these candied lemon slices. If you have lemons on hand you probably have everything else in your kitchen already!
- Water - 4 cups.
- Lemons - 4 lemons.
- Sugar - 3 cups, plus more for the optional coating at the end.
- Vanilla Extract - ½ a teaspoon (up to 1 teaspoon for extra vanilla flavor).
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 How To Make Candied Lemon Slices
These candied lemons take 24 hours to fully dry, but it's worth the wait! All you need is a knife and cutting board, saucepan, a baking sheet, and a wire cooling rack.
This recipe will make about 40 slices of candied lemons (depending on the size of your lemons and the size of your slices). How many you eat is up to you!
Slice & Simmer Lemons In Syrup
- Slice. Trim the end off 4 lemons then slice them evenly into rounds.
- Boil. Set a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat and add 4 cups of water with 3 cups of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until all the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to low and add your sliced lemons. Let them simmer until the skin becomes slightly translucent, about 45-60 minutes. Give them a gentle stir every 10-15 minutes or so to make sure that all parts of the lemons get exposed to the sugar water.
Dry, Then Coat With Sugar
- Dry. Place a wire cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Remove the saucepan from heat and add ½-1 teaspoon of vanilla (depending on how much vanilla flavor you like). Let the lemons sit in the vanilla sugar water for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors, then transfer them to the wire cooling rack to dry. This can take up to 24 hours.
- Coat with sugar (optional). After the lemons have dried, dip them in the optional granulated sugar. Enjoy them right away or store them for later use.
If you aren't snacking on your candied lemon slices right away, they make a fantastic garnish for cocktails! Try them on a pink vodka lemonade, or if you'd prefer a virgin drink they would be wonderful with some fresh strawberry pineapple lemonade. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- These are going to be eaten, so make sure to clean your oranges thoroughly using a vegetable brush. Gently scrub to ensure that your fruit is as clean and free of residue as possible.
- Enjoy your candied lemon slices just how they are, or you can use them in a number of fun ways! They make a fabulous cocktail garnish (extra yummy on a lemon drop martini), as well as a beautiful topping for cakes, frosted cookies, or cupcakes. You can even dice them up and bake them in your favorite muffins!
- Once the lemons are transferred to the rack to dry, you are left with a big pot of deliciously sweet lemon syrup! Don't throw it out, the syrup can be saved and used in cocktails or desserts!
- To store: Keep candied lemon slices in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 1 month.
❓ Can You Eat Candied Lemon Peel?
You can eat the candied lemons peel and all! The peel loses a lot of its toughness and bitterness after it is candied. In fact, you can even purchase or make candied lemon peel without the rest of the lemon.
❓ Can You Bake With Candied Lemon Slices?
Yes! Candied lemons are so fun to bake with because they add an extra special twist to baked goods. Try dicing some up and adding it to the batter for things like pound cakes, muffins, or scones!
Or bake a whole candied lemon slice right into the top of a cookie, cupcake, muffins, and more!
❓ What Do Candied Lemons Taste Like?
Simmering lemons in sugar water gets rid of some of the tartness from both the flesh of the lemon and the peel. It makes them sweet and slightly chewy while maintaining that delicious citrus lemon flavor you would expect from lemon candy!
🍋 More Tasty Lemon Recipes!
- Microwave Lemon Curd
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Lemoncello
- Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade Bars
- Lemon Butter Baked Cod
- Lemon Asparagus Orzo
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📖 Recipe Card
Candied Lemon Slices
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 4 lemons
- 3 cups granulated sugar (plus more for the optional coating)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (up to 1 teaspoon for extra vanilla flavor)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Trim one end off of each of the lemons, then cut them into even slices.
- Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Stir every once in a while until all of the sugar has dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the prepared lemons. Let them simmer for 45-60 minutes (until the skin of the lemon becomes slightly translucent). Every 10-15 minutes, gently stir them to ensure that all pieces are exposed to the sugar water.
- Place a wire cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes to absorb the flavor, then transfer your lemon slices to the cooling rack to dry. This can take up to 24 hours.
- Once dry, dip your candied lemons in granulated sugar, if desired, and enjoy right away or store for later.
Notes
- These are going to be eaten, so make sure to clean your oranges thoroughly using a vegetable brush. Gently scrub to ensure that your fruit is as clean and free of residue as possible.
- Enjoy your candied lemon slices just how they are, or you can use them in a number of fun ways! They make a fabulous cocktail garnish (extra yummy on a lemon drop martini), as well as a beautiful topping for cakes, frosted cookies, or cupcakes. You can even dice them up and bake them in your favorite muffins!
- Once the lemons are transferred to the rack to dry, you are left with a big pot of deliciously sweet lemon syrup! Don't throw it out, the syrup can be saved and used in cocktails or desserts!
- To store: Keep candied lemon slices in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 1 month.
Ingela Johansson says
"This worked exactly as written, thanks!"
Erica Conradson says
This is a recipe my husband would love..but he has had a stroke, and has a hard time with chewy things. If I were to cut the slices really thin, would I need to change how I make them? Would they hold up while boiling them?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
They may not hold up to boiling if sliced super thin. I would try chopping them once done and adding a bit of moisture to soften before serving. Hope that helps!
Anonymous says
Super opskrift kan anbefales🤩 (Super recipe can be recommended)
Stephanie White says
Simple and easy!
Sofie says
Tror du, at man kan lægge disse citron-skive som pynt UNDER geleen på en cheesecake?
"Do you think you can put these lemon slices as a decoration UNDER the jelly on a cheesecake?"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hvis du lavede et gelatinelag over den bagte cheesecake, ville jeg bruge disse kandiserede citronskiver. De ville miste noget af sukkerbelægningen, men ville stadig have deres vidunderlige smag.
"If you were doing a gelatine layer over the baked cheesecake, I would use these candied lemon slices. They would lose some of the sugar coating but would still have their wonderful flavor."
Ash says
Can these be put into the dehydrator to speed up drying time?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, they most certainly can be sped along in a dehydrator. Set at 135F and dehydrate for 6-8 hours. Enjoy!