You're going to love these Lavender Biscuits! Homemade buttermilk biscuits are amazing, but add a little sweetness and the floral flavor of lavender and you've got something truly special!
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These Lavender Biscuits combine the comforting nostalgia of classic buttermilk biscuits with the enchanting flavor of lavender! Tender, flaky, and just a little sweet, you'll savor each bite!
If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Homemade Lavender Sugar, Honey Lavender Latte Cookies, and Strawberry Biscuits!
How to Choose Lavender
You can buy lavender online, at farmer's markets, or you can grow it yourself! Here are a few things to consider when choosing lavender:
Not all lavender is created equal! Here's some science for ya: lavender is any plant of the genus Lavandula, which includes 47 species of flowers. Not all of these species should be used in baking or cooking. What you want to look for is English lavender, which is most commonly used in food. English lavender isn't as strong as other lavenders, which means it's less likely to overwhelm the other flavors in your food or make it taste soapy.
You want culinary lavender! The next step in choosing lavender is to make sure that it's safe to eat. Culinary lavender will not only lend appropriate flavor, but it is meant to be eaten, meaning that it won't have been sprayed with any harmful chemicals.
Pay attention to the color and scent. The more vivid the color and the more pleasant the smell of the lavender, the better it will taste. If the flowers are drab in color or don't smell lovely (with either too much or too little aroma), move on!
Ingredients
This recipe has a short and straightforward list of ingredients! You probably have most of them in your fridge and pantry right now. Measurements for each of the ingredients are included in the recipe card, below.
- Sugar - For sweetness and keeping the biscuits soft and moist.
- Dried Lavender- For flavor.
- Flour - Provides structure for the biscuits. I used all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda - Provide leavening for the biscuits.
- Salt - To balance and enhance the flavors of the biscuits.
- Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness. Unsalted so that you control the amount of salt in the recipe. You want your butter to be diced and cold.
- Buttermilk - For flavor, richness, and moisture. Biscuits made with buttermilk will always be sooo soft and fluffy! (Check out the Substitutions section below for a quick substitution if you don't have any on-hand!) You want your buttermilk to be cold.
- Coarse Sugar (optional) - For sweetness and a lovely crunch on top!
Hint: No buttermilk? Check out the Substitution section below or the recipe notes for a quick substitution!
Instructions
These babies are super easy to make! More detailed instructions are included in the recipe card, below.
Pour a small amount of sugar and all the lavender into a coffee grinder or food processor. Process until lavender is ground finely.
Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Add lavender sugar and remaining sugar and stir to combine.
Add cold, diced butter and cut into the dry ingredients until the largest pieces are about the size of a pea.
Add buttermilk and mix until just combined. Pat the dough out into a circle and cut biscuits.
Place the biscuits on a lined pan. If desired, brush the top of each biscuit with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake until golden, then enjoy!
Tip: You want to keep your ingredients as cold as possible as you work! The cold butter will steam and give the biscuits better height when baked.
Substitutions
Here are a few quick substitutions that you can make with this recipe:
- Instead of Buttermilk: No buttermilk on-hand? Pour 1 teaspoon vinegar OR lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk (I find that 2% milkfat or greater works best) to come up to the 1 cup line. Let sit for 5 minutes, then it's ready for use!
- Instead of Dried Lavender: If you can't find dried lavender or prefer not to use it, you can instead add lavender flavor with 1 teaspoon of lavender paste.
How to Serve Lavender Biscuits
Here are a few serving suggestions for these biscuits:
- Serve with jam or preserves. The lavender will pair particular well with berries.
- Spread with honey butter. To make your own, just combine 4 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter with 4 teaspoons of honey and a pinch of salt.
- Slather with Strawberry Butter. Click the link for a recipe for make your own!
- Serve with lemon curd. For a lemon-lavender flavor, you could even add some lemon zest to the dough if you'd like.
- Top with fresh fruit. Berries and oranges are good choices!
- Sprinkle with Lavender Sugar. We ate ours with a bit of salted butter sprinkled with Lavender Sugar and they were phenomenal!
- Make into Blueberry Shortcake. Topped with blueberries and vanilla bean whipped cream, these biscuits make a fantastic dessert!
Equipment
While not all of this equipment is strictly necessary, here are some things that I used to make this recipe:
- Coffee Grinder - A coffee ginder is my preferred equipment for grinding the lavender for this recipe, as the bowl is quite small. I bought one with a removable, dishwasher-safe bowl so that it's easy to clean between uses!
- Food Processor - If you don't have a coffee grinder, a food processor is your next best bet. A small/mini food processor will work best. If you have a larger food processor, definitely use the smallest bowl insert that you have.
- Pastry Blender - While a pastry blender isn't necessary to cut in the butter (a fork will also work), it does make the job faster and easier.
- Bowl Scraper - I like using a bowl scraper to work the dough because its flexible shape makes the job much easier, and keeps your hands warming the butter as it comes together. They're easy to store and easy on the wallet!
- Biscuit Cutter - I used a 2.5" fluted cutter for my biscuits.
- Parchment Paper - I like using nonstick parchment on my pans to ensure no sticking and for easier cleanup.
Storage
Once completely cool, you can store these biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days on your counter. That said, they're definitely best right after they're baked.
If you'd like to store them longer, they freeze beautifully and will keep for up to three months in an airtight container in the freezer!
You can also freeze unbaked biscuits and bake them off as you need them. Just place the biscuits on a tray and freeze for about an hour. Then you can place the frozen biscuits into an airtight container, and they'll keep up to three months. No need to thaw them--you can just add a few extra minutes to the bake time and bake them up from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
You want to use culinary lavender, as it is meant for cooking/baking and is free of any potentially harmful chemicals. If you're shopping at a farmer's market or growing lavender yourself, English Lavender is the variety most commonly used in food.
Other Recipes You May Like
Lavender Biscuits
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender (see note)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold (see note)
- coarse sugar, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉. Line a sheet pan with parchment (see note). Set aside.
- Pour a few tablespoons sugar and all the lavender into a coffee grinder. (If using a food processor, you may have to use ¼ cup sugar to get the lavender to process finely, as it has a larger bowl.)
- Process the sugar and lavender until the lavender is ground finely. This process nearly "powders" the sugar, which is why you don't want to process all the sugar with the lavender. Set lavender sugar aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Stir to combine.
- Add the lavender sugar and remaining sugar to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the cold diced butter. Using a pastry blender (see note) or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until no large pieces remain (the largest should be about the size of a pea).
- Add buttermilk (see note) and stir until the dough comes together. I find that a bowl scraper (see note) helps to bring the dough together without warming the butter.
- On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough out to about 1” thickness. Cut into biscuits. I used a 2.5” fluted cutter (see note). Be sure not to twist the cutter as you cut the biscuits, and this could impede them from rising. You may collect and pat out the dough scraps to cut additional biscuits.
- Place biscuits on the prepared pan and place in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
- Once chilled, sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with coarse sugar, if desired. To help ensure that the sugar sticks and to promote browning, you can brush the tops of the biscuits with milk prior to sprinkling with the sugar if you'd like. Bake the biscuits 12-15 minutes, or until risen and golden.
- Once completely cool, you can store these biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days on your counter. That said, they're definitely best right after they're baked.If you'd like to store them longer, they freeze beautifully and will keep for up to three months in an airtight container in the freezer!You can also freeze unbaked biscuits and bake them off as you need them. Just place the biscuits on a tray and freeze for about an hour. Then you can place the frozen biscuits into an airtight container, and they'll keep up to three months. No need to thaw them--you can just add a few extra minutes to the bake time and bake them up from frozen.Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
Patsy
Do you have a recipe yousing rose favor.? I had cake &candy from Greece. Loved the taste. P
Jamie
Really loved these! We had them with a drizzle of honey. The lavender is such a nice touch!
Peaches
I tried this recipe and this is the best biscuits that I’ve ever made. They are flaky and the taste is excellent. I did have to add a little bit more flour to it when I turned it out on the counter to press my biscuits out to go on a baking tray. Other than that, it was excellent. Thank you.
Amee
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for your review!