Dandelion Honey Shortbread Cookies
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Dandelion shortbread cookies are buttery and sweet with hints of honey and bright, sunny pops of color from the dandelions.
I know we’ve all seen dandelions in our yards. The pretty yellow flowered weeds seem to grow everywhere.
What are dandelions?
Dandelions are flowering plants which is native to North America. They’re known for their bright yellow flowers that mature into spherical seed heads that consist of numerous tiny parachuted seeds that kids love to wish on. Some people consider them weeds due to their wide spread, dandelions actually have culinary and medicinal uses.
But did you know that you can eat dandelions? All parts of the dandelion are edible including the flower, leaves, and roots.
In the past I’ve made some other dishes from flowers and plants that most people either don’t know you can eat or they haven’t tried to eat. I’ve made Garlic Scapes Pesto with the tops of the garlic bulbs. Hibiscus Loaf Cake is a delicious way to use hibiscus flowers or powder. One of my favorite delicacies are Stuffed Squash Blossoms. I rarely get them but they are so good!
My son has been enjoying going outside and playing and yesterday we were looking at plants. I told him that he could actually eat dandelions and asked him if he wanted to try making cookies. He was so excited!
He grabbed a bowl and we gathered a big bowl of dandelion heads. It was fun having him help me gather them and it was a good science lesson as well.
The one thing I want to point out is that when you gather the flowers you need to wash them right away and it takes a while for them to dry so keep that in mind. I tried picking the yellow petals off when they were wet and it was a disaster. So give yourself some time.
Ingredients:
- butter (I used salted but you can use unsalted)
- granulated sugar
- honey
- dandelion petals (picked from the yard and washed)
- salt
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- coarse sugar (optional, for sprinkling on top)
To make this recipe the first thing you need to do is go out and pick some dandelions. Pick more than you think you will need because you are only using the yellow petals. We simply picked the heads off the stems to bring into the house.
Wash the dandelion heads thoroughly to make sure they are clean. Let dry on paper towels for 20-30 minutes. Pick the yellow petals from the green heads and place them in a measuring cup until you have half a cup.
Will it hurt if I get some of the green parts in the cookies?
No it won’t hurt as the green parts of the dandelion are edible as well. It may just add a bitter flavor to your cookies so try to just get the yellow petals.
In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and honey until it is light and fluffy. Add the dandelion petals and mix well.
Add in the salt and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until everything is just combined.
Pour the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it into a log that is 2 inches in diameter. It doesn’t have to be perfect and mine ended up being flat on the bottom which was fine. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Can I make Dandelion Cookie Dough in Advance?
You can make this dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to bake the cookies. If you are looking to freeze it simply place the plastic wrapped log in the freezer for 30 minutes then place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake remove from freezer and let thaw on the counter for 20 minutes before slicing and baking. You may need to add 1-2 minutes of time to your baking time.
When ready to bake line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or you can use two smaller sheets. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the log into 1/4 inch cookies. They will look small but they do rise a bit during baking and will turn out larger. Make sure to space them out an inch apart. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How do you store Dandelion Cookies?
Store you dandelion cookies in an air tight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies by allowing them to cool completely. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and place them all in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
These cookies were really delicious. They were buttery and had warm honey notes. You couldn’t really taste the dandelions except for a slight earthiness at the end. The pops of yellow in the cookies were gorgeous though and my son had a blast baking with flowers.
Dandelion Honey Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. salted butter softened
- 2/3 c. granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/2 c. loosely packed dandelion petals
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/3 c. all purpose flour
- coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Pick the dandelion heads and wash thoroughly. Set on a paper towel and dry for 20-30 minutes.
- Pick the yellow petals from the dandelion heads and measure in a half cup measuring cup.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and honey.
- Add in the dandelion petals and mix well to combine.
- Stir in the salt and vanilla.
- Add in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Pour the cookie dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log that is 2 inches in diameter.
- Wrap with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice the cookies into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
