For most of us, the idea of eating from the garden might conjure up images of tomatoes, courgettes, lettuces, and herbs picked straight from the soil. But it isn’t just vegetables that can provide seasonal flavour and colour.
Edible flowers have been added to food and drink for centuries, and although they may look stunning, they also pack a serious punch in terms of taste and health. Rich in antioxidants, edible flowers add a hint of floral depth to recipes, and make sure your dishes look truly eye-catching – although, hopefully, not too good to eat!
While many of us might have tried edible flowers in fancy cocktails or pretty cakes, they’re more versatile than you might think. There are many ways to include these blossoms in your cooking, whether that’s adding courgette flowers to your pasta or making rosewater-infused cakes.
Common varieties of edible flowers include pansies, roses, jasmine, geranium, violets, honeysuckle, elderflower, lilac, nasturtiums, marigolds, primrose, and carnations. However, if you have other flowers growing in your garden (or on your windowsill), check out the RHS website to see if they’re suitable for eating – and, if you’re not sure, you can even contact them to ask.
With that said, if you’re interested in adding brightness to your table, here are 14 floral recipes that’ll bring the garden to your plate.
Note: While many flowers are edible and make tasty additions to various recipes, some are poisonous. Therefore, it’s important not to eat a flower unless you can clearly identify it and feel 100% sure it isn’t toxic. Flowers sprayed with or grown near pesticides should also not be eaten or used in cooking.
1. Vietnamese summer rolls with edible flowers
Light, refreshing, zingy, and delicious, Vietnamese summer rolls are the ideal side dish or starter for a summer dinner party. They also pack up well, so they’re perfect for picnics! And adding some edible flowers into the mix gives this dish an instant wow-factor.
You can use any edible flowers, although nasturtiums work especially well. They have a subtle sweet and peppery flavour, which complements the other ingredients, like mild vermicelli noodles, fresh cucumber, and crunchy carrots. Served with a flavourful dipping sauce, they’re seriously moreish.
Vietnamese rolls are really versatile, so you can adapt them to your taste preferences. This edible flower spring roll recipe by My Tiny Laguna Kitchen is packed with fresh veggies, and served with a sunflower sesame dipping sauce. Or why not try Saveur’s veggie summer rolls with pretty pansies and fresh herbs?
2. Air fried stuffed courgette flowers
If you grow your own courgettes, you may have a glut of them in the garden at this time of year! While the courgettes are delicious, their flowers are too – yet these are often underutilised, which is a real shame. Deep-fried courgette flowers are a popular dish in Italy, but why not make a healthier version, and cook them in an air-fryer?
This recipe from Sweet Savory and Steph uses ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh herbs to stuff the flowers, which are cooked in an air fryer. Just be careful when stuffing the flowers, as they’re very delicate! If you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or just want to make a healthier version, why not try these lemon, cashew, and basil stuffed courgette flowers from Koko’s Kitchen?
3. Green salad with edible flowers
Want to make a beautiful, tasty looking salad, but only have a pack of leaves in the fridge? Adding some pretty flowers – and whipping up a delicious dressing – is a quick and easy way to turn an ordinary salad into something spectacular.
You can use whole flowers for a more eye-catching look, or just sprinkle some petals over for a more subtle appearance. Nasturtiums, marigolds, and geraniums come in gorgeous colours that look stunning against fresh green.
This green salad with edible flowers recipe from Martha Stewart uses a traditional mustard, vinegar, and olive oil salad dressing, which gives the dish plenty of flavour. However, it isn’t so overpowering that the delicate flavours of the flowers can’t come through.
4. Hibiscus margarita
These days, many cocktails are decorated with edible flowers – but why not go one better and actually use flowers as part of the flavouring?
If you’re a fan of the classic margarita, you might want to have a go at making a hibiscus version. The hibiscus adds a vibrant (and totally natural) pink hue to the cocktail while giving it a lovely tart, fruity flavour. The hibiscus syrup is easy to make when using dried hibiscus flowers, which can be bought at tea shops or online.
Plus, while it looks impressive, the recipe is simple: just tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, or grand marnier (this lends a sweet citrus depth to balance the drink’s tartness), and hibiscus syrup, which is made from dried hibiscus flowers, sugar, and water. Then, just use coarse salt to rim the glass for the perfect sip! This hibiscus margarita recipe from Sugar and Charm is delicious.
5. Rose Turkish delight
If you’re a fan of Turkish delight, why not make your own? These traditional treats are ideal when you’re craving something sweet and make lovely personalised gifts…if you can bear to part with them!
Rosewater is the flavour of choice for authentic Turkish delight, and if you’re a fan of this perfumed scent and taste, these succulent sweets will be wonderfully moreish. Making your own Turkish delight is also simpler than you might think: all you need is water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, red food colouring, rosewater, and a gelling agent.
This rosewater Turkish delight recipe by Tasting Table uses gelatine to set the sweets. Or, to make a veggie option, try this recipe from Only Crumbs Remain, which uses cream of tartar instead.
6. Cream cheese and edible flower open sandwiches
One of the quickest and simplest flower recipes is also one of the most visually impressive. If you want to impress last-minute guests but are short on ingredients, why not make cream cheese and edible flower open sandwiches?
The simpleness of the sandwiches, and the plain white cream cheese background, allows the colours and delicate beauty of the flowers to shine. Although cream cheese on bread is a basic recipe, adding flowers can elevate it to professional high tea standards!
This cream cheese and chive edible flower sandwich recipe from Buttered Side Up is quick and delicious – and the chives gives the cream cheese a lovely depth of flavour.
7. Persian rose cake
If you’re not a big fan of the perfumed taste of rosewater, then rose-flavoured Turkish delight may not be for you… but that doesn’t mean you should avoid all rosewater recipes.
Persian rose cake might be flavoured with rosewater, but the taste is delicate and subtle. And, when paired with freshly ground cardamom, lemon zest, and vanilla, it’s the perfect mix of sweetness, spice, and citrus. Just don’t add extra rosewater if you don’t want the taste to become overpowering!
Another reason this cake is so moreish is its texture. Using almond flour means the cake stays wonderfully rich and moist, and the chopped pistachios add a satisfying crunch. Plus, the rose petals on top mean it looks just as beautiful as it tastes. It’s a real showstopper of a cake!
To make Persian rose cake, try this recipe from Broma Bakery.
8. Edible flower shortbread
More partial to biscuits than cakes? Why not make some edible flower cookies? Adding striking flowers means you don’t need to faff around with icing or sprinkles to make these cookies stand out. Bright coloured, fresh flowers pressed into sweet, naturally-flavoured cookies is the perfect pick-me-up – especially when paired with a cup of tea or coffee.
This edible flower shortbread recipe from Two Cups Flour is one of the best flower biscuit recipes around. Shortbread is the ideal vehicle for displaying edible flowers, as the pale, buttery dough perfectly holds its shape and acts as a frame for the pretty petals, which also taste absolutely delicious.
You can press whatever flowers you like into these shortbread cookies, but pansies, lavender, rose petals, and violets work best with these small biscuits. The cookies are flavoured with vanilla, fresh mint, and orange and lime zest, so it’s an excellent example of natural flavouring too.
9. Floral ice lolly
Summer is upon us, and an easy way to cool down on a hot day is to treat yourself to a refreshing ice lolly. Homemade ice lollies are incredibly easy to make – you just need juice or cordial and moulds – so why not take yours to the next level and make them floral?
The beauty of making your own ice lollies is that you can use whatever colours and flavours you like. To allow the beauty of the flowers to shine, you might want to consider using a clear liquid like elderflower or coconut water – but coloured beverages like orange juice work too!
Why not use a mixture of flowers to make beautiful multi-colour ice lollies? You can even make grown-up ice lollies using champagne or prosecco! To make simple elderflower, nasturtiums, and honeysuckle ice lollies, try this recipe by Gluten Free Fi.
10. Courgette flower pasta
If you’ve got lots of courgettes in the garden but you don’t fancy stuffing and frying the flowers, why not make a courgette flower pasta? The delicate taste of courgette flowers works well with the subtle flavour and texture of pasta, and the vibrant colour turns the dish a beautiful shade of gold.
For an easy dish, why not saute the courgette flowers with garlic and olive oil, toss through your favourite pasta, and season? Alternatively, you can add tomatoes, like in this recipe from Cooking With Nonna. Or why not try this simpler courgette flower pasta recipe from Allrecipes, which uses garlic, parsley, saffron threads, and parmesan cheese?
11. Homemade elderflower cordial
Elderflower is delicious, fragrant, and refreshing, and while it works well in ice lollies, as we’ve seen, it’s just as tasty enjoyed by itself on a warm summer’s day. You can mix it with sparkling water to create elderflower pressé, or add a splash to wine, prosecco, or champagne for something more sophisticated.
Elderflower season runs from late May until early July, and these plants are usually easy to find on a summer stroll in the countryside. So, if you fancy doing a spot of foraging in the sun, this is the perfect excuse. You can usually find elderflowers in hedgerows and on the outskirts of woodland.
Once you’ve got your elderflower, making cordial is easy. You just need lemons, sugar, and citric acid, which you can get from large supermarkets or online. Then, make a basic sugar syrup; add the lemons, elderflower, and citric acid; leave for 12-24 hours; and drain through muslin. We like this recipe from Hedgecombers.
12. Lilac flower doughnuts
If you’re looking for a recipe that’ll impress loved ones with a sweet tooth – or you’re the one with a sweet tooth and fancy a treat – why not make edible flower doughnuts? Adding pretty flowers is a great way to elevate simple glazed doughnuts, but you can add them to just about any doughnut recipe.
We love this healthy edible flower doughnut recipe from A Fabulous Fete. Because the doughnuts are cooked in an air fryer, they contain less fat than traditional deep fried doughnuts. Dipping just the top of the doughnuts in the glaze rather than submerging them means less sugar too. Or, if you’re a fan of the taste and smell of lilacs, why not make these lilac flower doughnuts from Adamant Kitchen?
13. Creamy lemon cheesecake with edible flowers
There are few people who don’t love cheesecake. And, these days, there are so many different recipes to choose from that everyone can enjoy a slice, whether they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, or even sugar-free.
While it might seem like a heavier dessert for summer, this delicious lemon cheesecake is cooling, zesty, refreshing, and light as a feather. The bright citrus flavour pairs perfectly with the vanilla wafer crust, and the edible flowers taste great while injecting a bright, summery vibe.
To make this creamy lemon cheesecake with edible flowers, try this recipe by Boulder Locavore. Want to make a dairy-free, gluten-free alternative? This vegan lemon cheesecake recipe by Lazy Cat Kitchen is ideal – just add your favourite flowers after.
14. Chives blossom avocado toast
Avocado toast is still one of the trendiest brunch dishes around – not to mention healthiest and most delicious. There are many ways to elevate this classic dish, whether that’s topping the avocado with poached eggs, grilled halloumi, smoked salmon, or crispy bacon.
But the prettiest way is to top your avocado toast with gorgeous edible flowers. It’s a quick and easy way to impress guests who might be staying with you – but can also make your own weekend brunch feel more fancy.
We love this chives blossoms avocado toast recipe from The Feed Feed, which uses chives and their flowers to add that pungent, onion-like taste. Add a few spoonfuls of your favourite dip, like hummus or baba ganoush, for even more flavour.
Final thoughts…
Edible flowers can be used for far more than decoration. They add flavour, texture, and colour – and most come with a health dose of antioxidants too.
If you’ve never used edible flowers in your cooking, you could start by snipping some pretty petals into a salad, or adding them to cakes or biscuits.
Or why not be more daring, and serve some floral dishes at a summer dinner party that are all but guaranteed to impress your guests? From stuffed courgette flowers to Vietnamese rolls with edible flowers, these recipes taste as good as they look.
And when it comes to drinks, edible flowers can elevate the simplests of beverages. Whether making edible flower ice cubes to jazz up a glass of water, knocking up homemade elderflower cordial, or serving some tangy, hot pink margaritas, adding flowers instantly makes drinks feel more special.
Do you enjoy cooking with flowers, or experimenting with floral recipes? We’d love to hear about your culinary experiences in the comments below.