Food & Cooking 20 Edible Flower Recipes That Are Colorful and Delicious Petite blooms lend flavor and texture to everything from donuts to cocktails. By Blythe Copeland Blythe Copeland Blythe Copeland is a contributing writer with more than a decade of experience as a freelance lifestyle writer. Editorial Guidelines Published on June 16, 2023 Close Photo: Mike Krautter For most home cooks, the idea of eating from your garden conjures up images of peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, herbs, and other vegetables picked straight from a backyard bed. But it's not just your vegetable plot that can provide seasonal flavor to your favorite recipes: Edible flowers also add a hint of floral depth to cocktails, fish, salads, and desserts. Garnish entrées, sweets, and drinks with nasturtium, pansies, roses, and other petite and pretty blooms to add an unexpected flavor complement—and create a truly eye-catching presentation. A Visual Guide to Edible Flowers—and How to Use Them 01 of 20 Pansy Pancakes Paola + Murray Perk up traditional buttermilk pancakes by setting pansies into the batter before you flip each flapjack. Consider it a one-of-a-kind way to serve a bouquet of flowers alongside breakfast in bed. View Recipe 02 of 20 Goat Cheese with Edible Flowers and Arugula NGOC MINH NGO Give plain goat cheese a colorful makeover by mixing in edible blossoms, like nasturtium, borage, and pansy, and placing whole flowers on top. Add the colorful rounds to arugula salads or display with baguettes at brunch. View Recipe 03 of 20 Daffodil Cake Nico Schinco The two layers of this cake mimic the spring daffodils that inspired it: One is a light and airy white angel food cake layer, the other a richer orange and lemon cake. Copy the daffodil color palette by topping the glazed cake with orange, yellow, and white pansies just before serving. View Recipe 04 of 20 Lillet Rosé Spring Cocktail This fruity and refreshing three-ingredient cocktail calls for Lillet Rosé, a wine-based apertif, gin, and ruby red grapefruit juice. Strain into coupe glasses and top with edible flowers (pink varieties are best to complement the color of the drink). View Recipe 05 of 20 Steamed Artichoke and Asparagus Salad Romulo Yanes For a particularly pretty salad, start by selecting colorful in-season produce—artichokes, asparagus, purple potatoes, mixed greens, and radishes—then add a vibrant Dijon vinaigrette. Finish with edible pansies to create a plated bouquet of color, texture, and flavor. View Recipe 06 of 20 Sugared-Flowered Doughnuts Ryan Liebe Donuts dipped in orange blossom glaze and finished with candied flowers are a sweet addition to a brunch menu or bridal shower. Sugaring the flowers lends them both a crunchy coating and dewy look; it also preserves the color and shape of the blooms, letting you prepare this treat ahead of time. View Recipe 07 of 20 Green Salad with Edible Flowers John Kernick A simple salad of baby greens, tossed with a homemade Dijon mustard and red wine vinaigrette, is brightened with a topping of pastel-colored edible violas. View Recipe 08 of 20 Brownie Cupcakes with Sugared Pansies Mike Krautter Decadent brownie cupcakes are embellished with white chocolate ganache and sugared edible flowers. Use gel-paste food coloring to adjust the shade of ganache to coordinate or complement the blooms you choose. View Recipe 09 of 20 Flower Sugar Enhance the depth and flavor of your favorite shortbread, pound cake, or other baked goods by using white sugar ground with fennel or hyssop flowers—or use it to lightly sweeten a cup of herbal tea. View Recipe 10 of 20 Embellished Wreath Cookies Mike Krautter Wreath cookies aren't just for the holidays: These classic crisp sugar cookie rings are spring- and summer-ready when topped with a pastel palette of candied flowers, crystallized ginger, and chopped pistachios. View Recipe 11 of 20 Rose Petal Syrup This three-ingredient syrup is easy to make: Bring rose petals, water, and sugar to a boil, let steep, and strain. Use it in a festive rose petal gin fizz, mix into sparkling water for a floral mocktail, or add to whipped cream for topping cakes and fruit. View Recipe 12 of 20 Gently Steamed Fish with Cucumber, Borage, and Tahini Sauce Richard Banks Marinate fresh halibut with lemon and dill, and, after steaming, top with from-scratch tahini sauce, sautéed cucumber and borage stalks, and a handful of vibrant purple borage flowers. View Recipe 13 of 20 Pickled Rose Petals Richard Banks Plump rugosa rose petals, pickled with white wine vinegar, salt, and honey, are flavorful, aromatic, and perfectly pink. Pickled Rose Petals 14 of 20 Mini Pistachio Bundt Cake Marcus Nilsson These mini cakes aren't your classic bundts: Ground pistachios, pistachio extract, and orange-flower water give them a rich, complex flavor. Top with nuts and rose petals, two traditional toppings for Persian love cakes. View Recipe 15 of 20 Herbal Stress Release Yunhee Kim Soothe yourself after a stressful day with this herbal tea, made with dried chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, rose petals, and chrysanthemum. View Recipe 16 of 20 Chocolate Truffle Cakes with Fresh Pansies Raymond Hom Make a big impact with a small cake by topping these 4-inch chocolate confections with rich chocolate ganache and jewel-toned edible pansies. View Recipe 17 of 20 Watermelon Punch Victor Schrager Top icy watermelon cocktails—made in the blender from seedless watermelon chunks, superfine sugar, and white vermouth—with a colorful pansy garnish for a fresh, fruity summer drink. View Recipe 18 of 20 Edible-Flower Cupcakes Con Poulos Even the simplest cupcake looks professional when topped with a few carefully placed edible blooms. Top vanilla cupcakes with basic buttercream and edible flowers of your choice to create custom desserts for your next celebration. View Recipe 19 of 20 Pansy Tartlets Victor Schrager Tiny lemon curd tartlets are tea-party ready when topped with colorful pansies (and a generous spread of melted apricot jam). View Recipe 20 of 20 Rose and Ginger Cupcakes Johnny Miller Rose-flavored glaze and candied ginger add sweetness and spice to these mini ginger cakes. Sugared rose petals—brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with superfine sugar—sit on top. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit