Candied Citron substitute

Best substitute

Candied orange peel

Use the same amount by weight as the candied citron you are replacing

Best for panettone and pandoro

Close match

Use a half-and-half mix of candied orange peel and candied lemon peel, 1:1 by weight, which is the closest match you can buy easily. Straight candied orange peel on its own also works and is the usual substitute in panettone and Christmas baking. If you only have dried fruit, use golden raisins or chopped dried apricots 1:1 plus the finely grated zest of half a lemon and half an orange per 100 g. What the citron is doing is supplying sweetness, concentrated citrus perfume, and little jewels of chewy moisture that keep a rich dough interesting; it brings almost no acidity, because candying removes it.

Other candied citron substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Half candied orange peel, half candied lemon peel
Close match
Use the same amount by weight of the blend
The closest realistic match.
What changes
The lemon supplies the sharp perfumed top note and the pale colour that citron has, and the orange supplies the sweetness and body, so together they land very near where citron sits. The blend still lacks the specific floral, almost resinous quality of true cedro, and it is a touch more assertive.
Best for
panettone, cassata, traditional Italian Christmas baking, cannoli filling, sfogliatelle
Chop them to the same size so they distribute evenly. If your candied lemon peel is very sharp, tip the blend towards orange, about two parts to one.
3Homemade candied peel
Close match
Use the same amount by weight
Genuinely the closest thing, and worth an afternoon if the recipe is important to you.
What changes
Use thick-skinned oranges or grapefruit with plenty of pith attached, cut into strips, boil in fresh water three times to remove the bitterness, then simmer in an equal weight of sugar and water for 45 to 60 minutes until translucent. Homemade peel is fresher, more aromatic and less sugary-sweet than commercial peel.
Best for
panettone, any recipe where candied fruit is the star, cassata and cannoli, fruitcake, gift baking
Grapefruit pith is the thickest widely available and comes closest to citron's texture. Dry the finished peel on a rack for a few hours before dicing so it is not sticky.
4Golden raisins or chopped dried apricots plus citrus zest
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by weight, plus the finely grated zest of half a lemon and half an orange per 100 g
The most practical pantry substitute, since nearly everyone has dried fruit.
What changes
The zest does the aromatic work, and it does it very well because it is fresh; what changes is the texture and register, since dried fruit is softer, denser and fruity-sweet rather than translucent and perfumed. The little chewy jewels are still there, they just taste of grape or apricot.
Best for
fruitcake and Christmas cake, panettone-style breads, cookies and biscotti, stollen
Add the zest to the sugar or butter early so its oils spread through the batter. Soak the dried fruit in a tablespoon of rum, marsala or orange juice for 20 minutes so it does not draw moisture out of the dough.
5Candied ginger, finely chopped
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
It gets the texture exactly right, since it is the same kind of translucent sugar-preserved chew, and it brings the same burst of sweetness.
What changes
What it does not bring is citrus; instead it adds a warm peppery heat, so a fruitcake made with it tastes spiced and lively while a cassata or cannoli filling tastes plainly wrong.
Best for
fruitcake, spiced Christmas cookies, panforte and dense honey cakes
Use about two thirds the amount if your candied ginger is fiery, and add citrus zest alongside it if the recipe needs to stay recognisably citrusy.
6Chopped dried pineapple or dried mango
Different taste
Use the same amount by weight
Visually and texturally a good match, with the same translucent chew and sweet-tart concentration, and they are easy to buy.
What changes
The flavour goes tropical, which is fine in a modern fruitcake and out of place in panettone or cassata, where it reads as a substitution rather than a variation.
Best for
fruitcake, sweet breads, cookies, granola-style baking
Choose unsweetened dried fruit if you can find it, since the sugared kind pushes the total sweetness up. Rinse off any sugar coating and pat dry before chopping.
7Leave it out and add citrus zest instead
Taste and texture differ
Use The finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange for every 100 g of candied citron omitted
The honest option, and a lot of people prefer it.
What changes
You lose the chewy jewels entirely, so the crumb is uniform rather than studded, and the bread or cake is slightly less sweet. What you gain is a clean, bright, unmistakably citrus aroma with none of the sticky, sometimes bitter quality of poor commercial candied peel.
Best for
panettone for people who dislike candied fruit, sweet breads, cakes, cookies
Add a tablespoon of chopped toasted nuts or extra raisins per 100 g if you want to keep some texture in the crumb without using candied fruit.

What is Candied Citron?

Candied Citron is Candied citron, cedro candito, is the thick white pith of the citron, a large knobbly citrus that is almost all rind, simmered in sugar syrup until it turns translucent, chewy and intensely perfumed.

Cooking tips

Rinse and dry supermarket mixed peel before using it. It is usually packed in a heavy syrup that tastes flatly sweet and slightly bitter, and a quick rinse in warm water followed by a pat dry improves the flavour of the whole bake noticeably.
Toss chopped candied fruit in a spoonful of the recipe's flour before folding it in. Sticky pieces clump together and sink to the bottom of a cake, and the flour coating is what keeps them suspended.
Soften rock-hard candied peel by soaking it for 20 minutes in a tablespoon of rum, marsala, brandy or orange juice, then draining. Dry candied fruit pulls moisture out of a dough as it bakes, which is one cause of a tight, dry panettone crumb.
Buy citron and candied peel in whole slabs rather than pre-diced tubs. The slabs are made from thick rind, taste properly of citrus, and let you cut the size the recipe wants; diced mixed peel is usually made from thin, cheap rind.
Chop it small for fillings and larger for breads. In cassata or cannoli cream you want fine dice that disappears into the ricotta, while in panettone the pieces should be big enough to find, roughly the size of a raisin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between candied citron and candied orange peel?

Citron is a different fruit, not an orange. It is a huge bumpy citrus that is almost entirely thick white pith with very little flesh or juice, and that pith is what gets candied, which is why citron pieces are pale, meaty and chewy. Candied orange peel is thinner, more orange in colour, and brighter and sweeter in flavour. Citron is more perfumed and faintly bitter. Orange peel is the accepted substitute, and a blend with candied lemon peel is closer still.

Can I use mixed peel instead of candied citron?

Yes, and it is what most home bakers do. Mixed peel is usually candied orange and lemon rind, sometimes with citron in the blend. Quality varies enormously, so rinse off the syrup, taste a piece, and if it is unpleasantly bitter or tastes only of sugar, buy candied peel in slabs from an Italian grocer instead. Use it 1:1.

Can I leave candied citron out of panettone?

Yes. Plenty of people actively prefer panettone without candied fruit, and the plain and chocolate-chip versions sold in Italy prove the point. If you omit it, add the finely grated zest of a lemon and an orange to keep the aroma, and consider adding extra raisins or chopped nuts so the crumb still has something to bite. The bread will be a little less sweet.

Is citron the same as lemon?

No, although the confusion is understandable, because citron in French means lemon. The citron of Italian baking is Citrus medica, an ancient citrus with a huge knobbly rind and hardly any juice; the Diamante variety from Calabria is the one prized for candying. It is also the etrog used in Sukkot. Lemon is a much smaller, juicier fruit, and candied lemon peel is sharper and thinner than candied citron.

How do I make candied citron at home?

You need thick citrus rind, and since whole citron is hard to find, grapefruit or thick-skinned oranges are the practical stand-in. Cut the rind into strips with the white pith left on, boil in fresh water three separate times to draw out the bitterness, then simmer gently in an equal weight of sugar dissolved in water for 45 to 60 minutes until the pieces turn translucent. Cool in the syrup, drain, and dry on a rack. It keeps for months in a jar.

Related substitutes

More fruits substitutes

Candied Citron substitute

Other candied citron substitutes

2Half candied orange peel, half candied lemon peel

3Homemade candied peel

4Golden raisins or chopped dried apricots plus citrus zest

5Candied ginger, finely chopped

6Chopped dried pineapple or dried mango

7Leave it out and add citrus zest instead