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Have you ever tried orange water? It may sound simple (because it is), but adding sliced oranges and a hint of vanilla to a big pitcher of water makes staying hydrated even easier. It’s perfect for a summer party when you don’t want added sugar.
You’ll also love my lychee eyeball punch for Halloween, or my Basil Lemonade or Easy Mocktail for even more drink ideas.
“I LOVE these flavored waters. I drink way more water now. I take off the rind of the fruit so it doesn’t taste bitter then put it in over night then strain out all the fruit and put it back into my fridge. I find that if I leave the fruit in for a long period of time it just gets too bitter for me.”
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Orange-Infused Water
- It’s low-effort. You just need an orange and vanilla extract to get started. My sister-in-law made this for my baby shower over 14 years ago, and it was such a hit that I knew I needed to share it.
- It has no added sugar. This isn’t a sweet drink! It just offers a hint of orange essence, upgrading a pitcher of water at a party.
- It’s easy to customize. You can scale this recipe up or down, and you can add other fruit for color. Try adding a sliced lime, lemon, or cucumber for more depth of flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh Orange. I use one large navel orange per 2 liters of water. If you have smaller oranges, like clementines or mandarin oranges, you may want to use two.
- Vanilla Extract. A little goes a long way in adding an unexpected flavor.
Other than that, you’ll only need water! I also like to serve this with a few fresh herbs for garnish, when possible. Fresh basil or mint is perfect with this.
How to Make Orange Water (Step by Step)
- Start by washing the orange then slice it. I like to keep the pieces about 1/4-inch thick, and then you may need to slice it in half depending on the mouth size of your water pitcher. (You want it to easily fit in and out of the jar for cleaning later.)
- Add the orange slices to a 2-quart pitcher, then add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and fill the pitcher with filtered water.
- Transfer the pitcher to the fridge and let it chill for 2 to 4 hours, so the orange flavor can infuse into the water.
- Once the water is chilled, it’s ready to serve. I like to have extra orange slices on hand to add to serving glasses. Pour the water over ice and enjoy right away.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
You can make orange-infused water up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. I don’t recommend storing it for more than 36 hours, as the water may become too bitter from the orange peels.
More Drinks To Try
If you try this orange water recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐ star rating below to let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting!
Orange Infused Water
Ingredients
- 8 cups filtered water (2 liters)
- 1 orange , sliced
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a pitcher with 8 cups of water and slice the orange into pieces roughly a 1/4-inch thick. Cut them in half, or in quarters, depending on how large the mouth of your pitcher is. (You want them to be easily removed later for cleaning!)
- Add the vanilla and orange slices to the water, stir well, and let the flavors meld together for 2 to 4 hours in the fridge before serving. Serve chilled, and store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I really liked this Orange Infused Water a lot. It’s so refreshing and the addition of vanilla extract gave it a real nice flavor. Something I would love to see in your website is a recipe for making a refreshing BLENDER LIMEADE. I love limeade, especially when it’s made in a blender with the whole unpeeled lime; but it’s usually made with sugar, and I haven’t been able to figure out how to make it with a natural sweetener that won’t overpower the taste of the limes. But I’m sure you would be able to find a way to do it. 😉 Thanks, Megan, for all your great recipes! I love your website and own all of your recipe books.
For the orange and vanilla infused water: I only tasted the vanilla and water with this. I squirted a bit of lime juice into the water and now I get that citrus taste. Just a tip for anyone having the same setback as me
hi could you kindly advise what could be done to give infused water a longer shelf life if i do not refrigerate
thank you
Pour the water into a thermos with ice.
This is oh so good! It makes water taste almost creamy….like an orange creamsicle!
I love infused water, but didn’t like placing slices from the fruit in my drinks. That is, until I learned how to clean them properly. Combine 1/2 part apple cider vinegar and 1/2 part water in a spray container. Spray your veggies & fruit thoroughly. Wait 5-10 minutes, then rub the skin with your hands to remove any vinegar residue. Rinse w/cold water, rub again, pat dry then eat! The vinegar kills the bacteria that lives in the crevices of veggies and fruits (greens, apples, tomatoes, grapes, lemons, oranges, limes, etc.
I just started to do these flavored (infused) waters and it has been a Godsend cause I usually struggle to get hydrated daily. I normally do organic oranges, lemons or lime juice (I noticed my water turns bitter with lime skins), a sprig of mint or basil. I also like just ginger root, mint and cinnamon sticks.
Oh this is gorgeous, can’t wait to try!
Orange and thyme sprigs are a different variation. I love the sound of this one though:)
Thanks for the tips!! Just bought a several pound bag of orange and was looking for some ideas on how to infuse it. Tried orange and ginger which was ok but not as good as the apple cinnamon one that I had tried before. Just happen to have a thyme plant and a vanilla bean so I will have to give these a shot! Thanks again!
This sounds so good, I have another to add to my list.
this sounds just wonderful and refreshing will be making it