This Sweet Citrus Snack Will Satisfy Your Sugar Cravings and Boost Your Immunity

We all know amping up our vitamin C intake is a great way to boost immunity during cold and flu season (plus, the ongoing pandemic). Personally, I can’t think of a better way to do that than with a delicious snack — which is why I was so excited to stumble upon Martha Stewart’s “citrus chips” recipe.

The name might sound a little odd, but the fruity treat is a fun twist on just peeling citrus and eating it the regular way. All you need is your favorite type of oranges (or any other citrus you prefer) and your oven. Stewart’s website promises that after roasting these “low and slow,” you’ll be left with refreshing nibbles that “taste like sunshine.” Spoiler alert: They are basically like healthy candy you don’t have to feel any guilt about indulging in!

I always have some oranges and grapefruit on hand during winter, so I decided to give it a try with one of each. The recipe says to cut the fruit into 1/8 slices and bake them for 4 to 6 hours at just 175 degrees Fahrenheit. It also recommends putting a wire rack over your baking sheet, but I don’t have one of those. Instead, I just lined my citrus up on the baking sheet with a silicone mat (Buy on Amazon, $12.98) and hoped for the best.

The recipe recommends turning the baking sheet around every two hours while they cook. I did that and also used the time to flip my citrus over on the sheet so they could heat evenly on each side.

I suggest planning ways to occupy your time in between all that flipping around — it takes quite a while for the fruit to fully dry out. I was able to finish the book I was reading and knock out a few chapters of another while waiting the five and a half hours mine took to finish cooking.

Once they were out of the oven, I let the citrus sit for another 30 minutes to cool completely. As the recipe mentions, they also crisped up a bit more while they rested. 

Here’s how mine turned out:

Even without the wire rack, I was really happy with the results. The dried out pulp is a bit chewy, but it goes nicely with the crispy texture of the rind (which is totally edible — and super tasty!). They also certainly have that bright “sunshine” flavor that Stewart promises! The sweetness is really on the same level as candy, but with natural sugar instead of a lot of added sweetener.

There’s still some tartness to even things out, but they really are the perfect snack choice for anyone who wants to feel good about satisfying their sweet tooth with healthier options.

According to Stewart’s website, you can make big batches and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month — if you can stop yourself from eating them all at once.

Even though it might take a lot longer than simply peeling an orange and eating it, this is a great way to mix things up while trying to get more vitamin C!