Homemade Oven-Dried Pumpkin Candied Fruit
Natural and bright sweets - a healthy tea-time snack! Homemade oven pumpkin candied fruit isn’t just a treat, it’s a real vitamin boost! They keep vitamins, fiber, and beta-carotene. Very tasty and aromatic, like the best Eastern European grandma-style goodies.
Updated : 18 February, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
1.5 kilograms
Pumpkin
750 grams
Sugar
1 teaspoon
Citric acid
to taste
Nutmeg
to taste
Cinnamon
1 tablespoon
Powdered sugar
1 tablespoon
Cornstarch
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Candied fruit can be made from any pumpkin, but it’s best to choose varieties with denser flesh - there’s less moisture and they’re easier to dry. These pumpkins usually ripen the latest. Use spices to taste.
Step 2
Wash the pumpkin well, peel it, and remove the seeds. Don’t throw the seeds away - you can dry them and eat them; they’re very nutritious. Cut the flesh into cubes about 1×1 cm and transfer to a pot. This size won’t take too long to cook and is convenient to eat.
Step 3
Add sugar to the pumpkin and mix so the sugar coats the pieces evenly. Cover and leave for 6–10 hours. If you’re short on time, stir the pumpkin every hour - this helps the sugar dissolve faster and the pumpkin release juice. I left it overnight. By then the sugar will dissolve and combine with the pumpkin juice. Add citric acid and spices and mix.
Step 4
Put the pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook just until the pumpkin becomes tender. Since pumpkins, cookware, and stoves vary, the exact time is hard to specify - check the pumpkin. It must not cook through completely, otherwise it will turn into jam. It took me 3 minutes. Let the pumpkin cool completely in the syrup.
Step 5
Transfer the pumpkin to a colander set over a large bowl and drain all the syrup. Pour the syrup back into the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce for 5-7 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the pumpkin so it is fully covered, then let it cool. Repeat this step one more time.
Step 6
Move the pumpkin pieces to a colander and leave for 1.5-2 hours so the syrup drains completely.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 100°C / 212°F. Arrange the pumpkin pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart so they don’t stick together.
Step 8
Dry the pumpkin in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 2-3 hours. The exact time depends on the size of the pieces and your oven. The candied fruit should shrink and become slightly translucent. Be careful not to over-dry - they should not become dry and hard. The surface may remain slightly sticky.
Step 9
Transfer the candied fruit to a flat plate or tray and leave at room temperature (choose a well-ventilated, dry room) for about a day to finish drying.
Step 10
Mix powdered sugar with starch and sift this mixture over the candied fruit. Mix thoroughly. If any pieces are stuck together, separate them so they get coated on all sides. Store in sealed containers in a cool, dry place. Enjoy!
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