How To Make Dried Orange Slices (Oven + Dehydrator)

Learn how to make dried orange slices for simmering potpourri, Christmas garlands, crafts, & for beverage garnishes. Festive and beautiful, these dried orange slices can be made in the oven, or a dehydrator.

It’s easy to fill your home with the lovely and fresh scent of citrus, cinnamon, and other natural elements by making your own custom simmering scented potpourri. Any combination of items can be used, but a must-have ingredient is dried oranges. Making DIY dried orange slices to use in simmering potpourri, or to add to a beautiful Christmas garland, is an easy project. The end result is perfect for the holiday season, and totally worth the time!

Oven vs. Dehydrator

This is my first year drying oranges with a food dehydrator. I’ve been wanting to try dehydrating fruit for snacks, and this felt like the perfect time to dive in. I picked this dehydrator because it’s budget-friendly, small enough to sit on my kitchen counter, and easy to tuck away when I’m not using it. Along the way, I noticed a couple of differences between oven-dried and dehydrated orange slices.

1.) Using a dehydrator definitely takes some time. It took about 9 hours for my oranges to dry, compared to just a few hours in the oven. But honestly, I didn’t mind at all. I got them going in the morning, and by the time dinner rolled around, they were ready.

2.) Dehydrated orange slices are a brighter and lighter shade of orange. Oranges dried in the oven tend to turn dark, and I really love that the dehydrator allows the oranges to keep their vibrant color. A bonus is that the slices keep their round shape, and don’t curl. 

How To Make

The Dehydrator Method

• Soak the whole fresh oranges for 5 minutes in a bath of warm water and apple cider vinegar.
• Dry well.
• With a sharp knife, cut each orange into thin slices that measure 1/4 inch thick. (You can also use a mandoline slicer.)
• Place the orange slices on paper towel, and cover with more paper towel.
• Press on the top layer of paper towel to remove excess moisture. 
• Place the orange slices on the trays of your dehydrator.
• Set the timer for 8 hours, and the temperature to 135-140 degrees F.
• At the 4 hour mark, rotate the trays, and turn the orange slices.
• Oranges are done when they are translucent and no longer sticky.
• Place on a baking sheet to dry completely.
• All dehydrators are different. It’s possible that the orange slices could take up to 12 hours to dry completely.

The Oven Method

• Follow the first 5 steps above.
• Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F.
• Place the blotted orange slices on large wire racks in a single layer.
• Place the wire racks directly on the grates of your oven.
• Bake for 2 to 3 hours, turning the slices every 30 minutes. (If you don’t turn them, they will most likely stick to the wire rack.)
• The slices are done when they darken in color and become translucent.
• Cool completely.
• Place on parchment paper or a cookie sheet and keep at room temperature until you are ready to use them.

Helpful Tips

• In the past, I placed orange slices directly on my oven racks, but it was a hassle to bend over and flip them every 30 minutes. Using cooling racks makes it so much easier—you can pull the whole rack out of the oven and turn the slices easily. Just make sure not to use a pan or baking sheet, as the slices need airflow from both the top and bottom.
• I have a gas convection oven, and at 225°F, the drying process takes about 2 hours.
• After drying, let the slices sit out for a few days to ensure they’re fully dried.
• Slice thickness matters—thicker slices take longer to dry. It’s best to keep the thickness of the slices as uniform as possible for even drying.
• This method works for other citrus fruits like lemons, limes, or grapefruit.
• The best oranges for drying are navel oranges, Cara Cara, or blood oranges. Choose firm, seedless oranges for the best results.