Dandelion shortbread cookies add a bright, sunny spring twist to an old school classic. Shortbread is rather plain on its own, but it’s also adaptable, and adding edible flowers is a lovely way to add a bit of excitement. Dandelion cookies anyone?
Dandelion Shortbread Cookies ~ A wild foraged twist on an old school classic
Up here in Vermont, we wait a long time for the spring dandelions. Usually, they show up around mid-May, just in time for mother’s day. I know, they’ve been up for months everywhere else, and all my foraging friends have been posting their creative dandelion recipes online, meaning I’ve got plenty of creative inspiration.
Still, what do I make first? Simple dandelion cookies.
Dandelion petals add a lot more than color to cookies. They taste a bit like honey, and a simple dandelion jelly made with their flower petals is often referred to as “dandelion honey jelly” even when it doesn’t have any honey in the recipe. Vegans even make a honey substitute by making a dandelion simple syrup.
But it’s a bit tricky to make honey shortbread. All the moisture in the honey changes the consistency of the dough. Adding dandelions is a simple workaround that gives you a colorful dandelion cookie, along with a hint of honey flavor.
Bonus points, when you tell the kids you’re going to make them cookies, they’ll be really motivated to go out and collect a whole basket full of dandelions…and give you 5 minutes peace. No need to tell them that it only takes a few flowers to make dandelion cookies and the rest of those blossoms can go right into homemade dandelion wine. See, everyone wins!
Of course, always remember to leave plenty of dandelions for the bees. In our unsprayed yard though, that’s not a problem. They get at least 1,000 blossoms for every one we harvest, and we cook up a lot of dandelions…
Pro Tip ~ Make sure you pull out the dandelion petals and discard the green parts. The petals have a wonderful floral taste, but the green sepals are bitter and can spoil dandelion cookies. A few in there won’t hurt anything, but just do your best. I separated the dandelion petals for these cookies with my 4-year-old, so there’s plenty of stray green bits. Just enough to add color & character, but not enough to spoil the batch.
Dandelion Shortbread Cookies
These simple dandelion shortbread cookies are a bright sunny twist on an old school classic.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 to 1 cup dandelion petals (yellow parts only)
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add dandelion petals and beat to incorporate.
- Gradually add flour and salt, beating to incorporate fully. Dough will be crumbly at first, but it will start to come together.
- Once all the flour is added, beat on low another minute or so. Then knead gently with your hands until the dough comes together.
- Roll cookies out and cut out with your favorite cookie cutters.
- Bake cookies at 325 for about 20 to 25 minutes, until they begin to brown on the bottoms and are fully cooked on the top.
- Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Enjoy!
More Dandelion Recipes
Looking for more tasty dandelion recipes? Here’s a bit of inspiration…
- Paleo Dandelion Cookies ~ The Homestead Lady
- Dandelion Peanut Butter Cookies ~ Homespun Seasonal Living
- Healthy Dandelion Cookies with Honey & Whole Wheat ~ Spirea Herbs
- Dandelion Gummy Bears ~ Adamant Kitchen
- Dandelion & Honey Marshmallows ~ Adamant Kitchen
pearcrescent
Lovely blog entry.
Amanda
Hi! Is this all purpose or self rising flour?
Ashley Adamant
All purpose.
Susan
Made these today and they are delicious!
I don’t think the dandelions add too much extra flavor though. Very subtle. But they are so pretty with the visible petals and a few pieces of green that got mixed in. Would make again. Just have to wait for new batch to grow! Thanks for great recipe!! Susan
Kari
You talk about the honey… no honey in the recipe?!
Admin
You’re correct, there’s no honey in the recipe. I mentioned that dandelion petals taste like honey.
Jamie
When I pluck out the petals the white fuzzy stuff comes with it. Am I supposed to snip the petals to the petals off to avoid this?
Admin
Yes, you want just the petals. It’s a lot of work, but they taste wonderful!
Susu
I would love to try these with the dandelions but at the moment my nasturtiums are in full bloom. Wondering if anyone has tried making thiese with nasturtiums.
Admin
I haven’t, but I think they could be good! Nasturtiums are spicy though, so may need another flavor to balance it out.
Kerry Dipasquale
Just made these cookies. They are wonderful I l. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Admin
You’re welcome! So glad you liked it!
ARDIS SCHNEIDER
Am i doing something wrong or is this a lot of work to remove the petals.
Admin
Removing the petals is definitely work, but you’ll be rewarded once you try the finished product!
Kelsea J Button
Can’t wait to try!
When do we ad the pinch of salt?
Admin
Sorry, I forgot to add that step! You can add the salt in with the flour. Enjoy!
Patty
Tried this recipe last week. Just because I like lemon I added a little bit of real lemon juice. The cookies are delicious and I made them again yesterday.
Admin
Wonderful! I’m so glad you liked them, Patty!
Cayla
Could you please tell me how thick the cookie dough should be when you roll it out?
Admin
A quarter-inch, more or less.
MESHA
For those of us who are dairy-free, what do you recommend instead of butter?
Admin
I haven’t tried it myself, but coconut oil should work.
Sarah
Earth Balance margarine is a fabulous substitute for butter!
Aidan
I made them with vegan butter – sticks of earth balance.
Jennifer McLeod
What alternative flour would work for those on a grain free diet?
Admin
Hi Jennifer. Unfortunately this recipe can’t be made grain-free, however, you can add dandelion petals to a grain-free shortbread cookie recipe and get a similar finished product.
Aisham
I tried this today and it says for 20 to 25 minutes and mine were burnt black. Definitely half the time!
Jessica
This also works nicely with elderflowers!
Ashley Adamant
Ooo! That sounds amazing!
Amy S
I made these today! Very good! I love the slight honey – ish flavor. I used mini cookie cutters thinking they would pare perfectly with a cup of hot tea. I’ll definitely make these again.🌼
Ashley Adamant
Wonderful, glad you enjoyed them!