Florida Oranges are Great for Holiday Desserts

Most people think of chocolate when they think of making decadent holiday desserts, but Florida oranges can be used to create some naturally sweet and gorgeous looking desserts that will delight your friends and family. It’s always a smart idea to have a few desserts that have natural sweetness instead of processed sugar in case some of your guests can’t have processed sugar or choose not to eat overly processed food. Orange desserts are the perfect way to give your guests a delicious and beautiful dessert option. You don’t have to put in a lot of work or be a great chef to create stunning orange holiday desserts. Just using oranges instead of other common ingredients or adding a little citrus splash to your favorite recipes is all you need to do to create exciting new desserts like:

Candied Orange Cheesecake – This citrus twist on a traditional holiday dessert is beautiful to look at and delicious to taste. Make a traditional cheesecake but instead of topping it with fruit sauce or candy topping top it with candied orange circles. Take one large Florida orange, or use a sweet Clementine or Honeybell if you prefer, and slice it in thin, round slices. Boil some orange juice, lemon juice and sugar together in a pan. Add the orange slices and let the mixture simmer until the orange juice is absorbed. That will candy the orange slices. Arrange them artistically on the top of the cheesecake and chill until serving. The bright orange color and sweet taste of the candied orange will play beautifully off the cool, creamy cheesecake. You can make a sugar free cheesecake if you are using this dessert as an alternative for guests who can’t or don’t want to eat sugar. Just leave the sugar out of the sauce.

Holiday Orange Trifle – Trifle is a traditional British holiday dessert that is popular in many parts of the country that have a strong British history. Spice up a traditional trifle recipe by replacing the usual fruit portion of the trifle with a mixture of cranberry and orange. Boil cranberries and orange segments together with orange juice and sugar until the mixture is the right consistency for the trifle. Use a mixture of orange and grapefruit juice if you want a slightly less sweet taste. Fold into the trifle and top with candied orange peel, cranberries, or orange segments. Chill until serving. Your family and friends will love the taste of the cranberry orange mixture and you may end up starting a new holiday tradition.

Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.

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