Dandelion Shortbread Cookies – Made Using Dandelion Petals

Turn what some people call “weeds” into a delicious sweet treat by making these dandelion shortbread cookies! They are filled with honey and vanilla flavors, but are made using dandelion petals!

Most people might consider dandelions to be a menace in their yards. They pop up out of nowhere, and before you know it, your beautiful green lawn is filled with yellow dandelion blooms.

However, I don’t consider dandelions to be a weed. Would our yard look better without them here and there? Sure. But do I mind them growing? Not one bit!

Not only are dandelions one of the first flowers that bees and other pollinators can use for food sources in early spring, but all parts of a dandelion plant are actually edible. This includes the leaves, flowers, and even roots of the plant.

While I’m not one to walk up to a dandelion and pop the thing in my mouth, I do enjoy the subtly honey-like flavor that the yellow petals provide. It’s a fun and delicious way to share these sunny blooms with the pollinators and enjoy a sweet treat for yourself at the same time!

How To Make Dandelion Shortbread Cookies

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Dandelion cookies aren’t the only recipe you can make from dandelion petals. I’ve also made an amazingly delicious dandelion jelly that tastes just like honey with a slight hint of lemon. (For the recipe, check out my article, “How To Make Homemade Dandelion Jelly – Tastes Just Like Honey!”)

It’s a recipe I have made many times, and everyone who tries it loves it – even those who might be a little skeptical of the idea of eating something with the name “dandelion” in it!

Dandelions actually have a look of health benefits. The greens can help to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation. In addition, they are a great source of antioxidants.

Ingredients

• Dandelion Petals – You want to collect fresh dandelion blooms from a location that you know hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals. Also, maybe pick a location that your outside pet doesn’t frequent! You will end up removing the green from the blooms and only keeping the yellow petals.
• Butter – Shortbread cookies are known for their high butter content, and this recipe is no different. We use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you like.
• Granulated Sugar – The sugar helps to sweeten and flavor the cookies.
• Honey – You could make the cookies without the extra honey since dandelion petals do have a hint of honey flavor on their own. However, the addition of the honey just makes the flavor profile a bit more pronounced.
• Egg – This recipe calls for a small egg. We have backyard chickens that sometimes lay smaller eggs, especially our Easter Eggers. However, if you only have large eggs, you can still do the recipe. Just break the egg into a small bowl and whisk it up. Then use about half of the egg in the recipe. (Make a mini fried egg with the rest!)
• Salt – If you are using salted butter in the recipe, use slightly less than the amount in the recipe. You need the help of the salt, though to help cut down on the sugar.
• Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract or your own homemade extract. You can also substitute this for almond extract for a slightly different flavor profile. (We aren’t big almond flavor fans around here, so vanilla is our go-to.)
• All-Purpose Flour – Any type of all-purpose flour works well.

Instructions For Dandelion Shortbread Cookies

First, you need to go dandelion hunting! Thankfully, this is much easier than regular hunting or hunting for morel mushrooms.

Before you pick your dandelion blooms, wait until the middle of the day. This allows the dandelion blooms to be nice and wide open. It also gives them a chance to dry out from any morning dew that might be hanging around.

Choose the largest blooms that you can find. The larger the blooms, the less you will have to pick and the less you will need to cut up and separate for just the petals. If you only have small blooms, the recipe still works fine, it will just take a bit longer to separate out the yellow petals later.

Be sure that you are only getting dandelions in a location that you know is free of any pesticides or other chemicals. (You might also want to make sure you are foraging from a location where your dog doesn’t frequent, if you know what I mean!)

Don’t worry about taking too many dandelions and there not being enough blooms for the bees and butterflies. To make one batch of cookies, I only used about 22 blooms.

Trust me, it didn’t even make a tiny dent in the amount of dandelions we have in our yard! (Add that to our wild violets and Creeping Charlie blooms, and our pollinators have it made!)

Removing The Dandelion Petals

Now you want to remove the petals from the dandelion blooms. The trick is to only get the yellow petals and leave all of the green parts behind. The greens can have a very bitter flavor, and you don’t want that in your cookies if you can help it. A few greens here and there won’t do a lot of harm, but try to remove as much as possible.

To do this easily, I figured out a simple hack. Take a sharp knife and cut off just a bit from the bottom of the bloom (the green part where it meets the stem). You should be able to “unroll” the rest of the bloom and easily separate the petals from the outer green ring.

Place the petals in a measuring cup. Don’t compress the petals down. You just want them to measure one cup while light and fluffy.

Once you have enough, gently wash the petals under running water. (I used my large strainer for this process.) Place them on a paper towel to dry off a little while you prepare the rest of the recipe. (Product Link: OXO Good Grips 6-in Double Rod Strainer)

Creating The Dough – Dandelion Shortbread Cookies

Next, you need to cream together the butter, sugar, egg, and honey using a stand mixer or by hand. If you only have a large egg, break it separately in a small bowl. Whisk it well using a fork, then use half in the mixture.

Once that mixture is light and fluffy, add the salt and vanilla. Mix until combined.

Now add in the dandelion petals. They don’t have to be completely dry from when you rinsed them off by any means. You just don’t want them dripping wet.

Finally, add the flour, only mixing until it is just combined. You want to avoid overmixing the dough at this point. To make that a bit easier, I usually do this step by hand instead of using my mixer.

Chill & Bake

While you can go ahead and bake straight away, it’s better if you allow the dough to chill for a few hours first. Due to the high butter content of the dandelion shortbread cookies, they have a tendency to spread out when baking if the dough isn’t chilled first.

To get the dough chilled, place it onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Shape it into a log that is about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough tightly with the rest of the plastic wrap and place it in your refrigerator for a few hours or until the dough is stiff. You can also leave it overnight.

When you are ready for baking, preheat the oven to 350º. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and cut into slices that are between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick.

The amount of cookies you get will vary depending on how thick you make your slices as well as the width of the dough log. We like ours on the thinner side, so they are usually cut around ⅛ inch thick, and I can get 36 cookies.

Place the cookie slices spaced about two inches apart on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. If the dough is properly chilled, it shouldn’t spread too much, but you still want to give the cookies a little room.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. (The browning edges are more important than the time since the baking time depends on the size of the cookies.)

Allow the cookies to cool before removing them from the parchment paper. Store any leftovers in a sealed container. Enjoy!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

*This post may contain affiliate links. These are products I have used personally and highly recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you purchase items through my links. These links and the ads on this page help to support my family and our semi homestead, so Thank You!