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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?
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
Equipment
- Round Cookie Cutter or your favorite shape
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, unsalted, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 to 1 cup dandelion petals, yellow parts only
- 2 1/2 cups White Flour, All Purpose
- 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!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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
Wonderful. I added some lemon zest and more than a pinch of salt. Topped with some Demerara sugar before baking.
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.🌼
Wonderful, glad you enjoyed them!
This also works nicely with elderflowers!
Ooo! That sounds amazing!
I tried this today and it says for 20 to 25 minutes and mine were burnt black. Definitely half the time!
What alternative flour would work for those on a grain free diet?
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.
For those of us who are dairy-free, what do you recommend instead of butter?
I haven’t tried it myself, but coconut oil should work.
Earth Balance margarine is a fabulous substitute for butter!
I made them with vegan butter – sticks of earth balance.
Could you please tell me how thick the cookie dough should be when you roll it out?
A quarter-inch, more or less.
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.
Wonderful! I’m so glad you liked them, Patty!