Baking with Herbs Meet-Up

Baking with Herbs Meet-Up

August 17, 2026

What did we make?

• Lavender Pound Cake

• Basil Chocolate Chip Scone

• Rose Petal Shortbread

• Rose Petal Caramel Sauce

Practical Techniques for Adding Herbs and Flowers to Baking

Herbs and edible flowers can add wonderful flavor and aroma to baked goods, creams, chocolates, sugars, and even savory pastries. The key is understanding how to extract their flavor and how much to use.

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs

Both fresh and dried herbs can be used in baking, but they are not interchangeable in equal quantities. I start with about ⅓ of dried to fresh or about 1 tablespoon of dried to fresh.

Fresh herbs have a softer, more delicate flavor and generally require a larger quantity. I have also found that when using fresh herbs, you extra the oils as well. With sugars, you will notice a bit more moisture, but int terms of adding extra moisture to your recipes, it is too minimal to make a difference.

Dried herbs are considerably more concentrated, so use them sparingly at first, taste and gauge it for yourself. Too much lavender can taste “perfumy”.

Always Use Culinary-Grade Flowers

When baking with flowers/herbs  such as lavender or rose, make sure they are specifically labeled culinary grade or food grade.

Do not assume that lavender or rose products intended for fragrance, crafts, soaps, or decoration are appropriate for eating.

Four Easy Ways to Add Herbs to Baking

1. Infuse Cream or Other Liquids

Infusing a liquid is one of the easiest ways to capture an herb's flavor without leaving pieces of the plant in the finished dessert.

This technique works particularly well with:

• Heavy cream

  • chocolate ganache/chocolate truffles

  • Ice cream

  • Custard bases i.e. creme brulee

Basic Method

In a high sided pot, add heavy cream and herbs. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat

Let seep for 20 minutes then strain, cool and use.

Note: Some herbs, particularly lemongrass, can absorb a surprising amount of liquid. You may need to begin with a little additional liquid to compensate.

2. Make Infused Sugar

Herb- and flower-infused sugars are extremely versatile.

Combine the herb or edible flower with 2 cups of sugar in a food processor and process until finely incorporated. If your flavor is too mild, add more herbs. Too strong? Add more sugar to reduce the strong flavor.

This technique works particularly well with:

• Lavender

• Rose petals

• Basil

• Citrus zest

• Other aromatic herbs

Infused sugar can be used in cakes, shortbread, scones, cookies, glazes, and dessert garnishes.

It can also be used to rim glasses for drinks such as iced tea, gin and tonics, and other cocktails.

3. Infuse Flour

Herbs and flowers can also be processed directly with flour.

Place the herb or flower and a portion of the flour in a food processor and process until very finely distributed. This allows the flavor to be distributed throughout the dough or batter without large pieces of herbs. Use as you would floru in any recipe, even for pie crusts. How about a Lavender Lemon Meringue Pie?

4. Make Compound Butter

Herbs can be processed directly into butter to create a flavored or compound butter.

Combine softened butter with the herbs in a food processor, process until evenly distributed, and refrigerate until needed.

Compound butters can be used in both sweet and savory baking. Or to flavor fish, on top of steak, breads..wherever you would use butter. Makes a nice presentation at a dinner party.

Flavor Combinations to Experiment With

Some of the combinations discussed during our Meetup included:

• Lavender — scones, pound cake, ice cream, ganache and chocolate truffles

• Rose — caramel, sugar, cream and desserts

• Basil — infused sugar, shortbread and savory baked goods

• Basil + Orange — particularly interesting for flavored sugars and baked goods

• Orange + Anise — cakes and other aromatic pastries

• Lemongrass — cream, ganache and chocolate truffles

• Goat Cheese + Herbs — useful for taking traditionally sweet pastries in a more savory direction

• Rosemary with olive oil cakes, focaccia and lemon cookies.

• Thyme with peaches in pies and tarts.

• Lavender in shortbread, scones and lemon-lavender cake.

• Basil with strawberries, scones or infused into olive oil for desserts.

• Mint in brownies and shortbread.

• Tarragon with citrus desserts and stone fruits like peaches.

Herbs and Fat

Fat is an excellent carrier of flavor, which is one reason herbs and flowers work particularly well when infused into cream or incorporated into butter.

If an herb begins to taste overly perfumed or "soapy," reduce either the quantity of the herb or the steeping time.

Taste frequently when developing an herb-flavored recipe. Herbs vary considerably in strength, particularly when comparing fresh and dried ingredients.

Herb-Infused Chocolate Ganache

One particularly useful application is flavored ganache.

Infuse the heavy cream with lavender, lemongrass, rose, or another culinary herb or flower. Strain the cream and then use it to make the ganache.

The technique allows you to introduce a clean herbal flavor without leaving plant material in the finished chocolate.

Baking with Infused Sugars

Infused sugars can behave differently from ordinary white sugar—particularly when flowers or herbs add color.

For example, rose-infused sugar may make caramel appear purple or another unexpected color while it cooks. This can make the traditional visual method of judging caramel by its amber color unreliable.

When color is altered, pay greater attention to aroma and temperature rather than appearance alone.

High-Altitude Considerations

At approximately 6,200 feet, moisture evaporates more quickly and baked goods can rise and set differently than they do at sea level.

When adding herbs to a high-altitude recipe, remember that the herbs themselves may also affect moisture.

If an herb absorbs liquid, you may need to compensate with additional liquid. Watch the texture of the batter or dough rather than relying exclusively on the written quantity.

High-altitude baking may also require adjustments to leavening, liquid, and oven temperature depending on the particular recipe.

Herb-Baking Tips to Remember

• Use culinary-grade herbs and flowers.

• Remember that dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh.

• Start with less—you can always increase the flavor.

• Infuse cream when you want flavor without pieces of herbs in the finished dessert.

• Process herbs with sugar or flour for even distribution.

• Use compound butter for both sweet and savory applications.

• Consider whether an herb absorbs moisture and compensate when necessary.

• If the flavor becomes perfumed or soapy, add more of heavy cream, butter, sugar, flour to reduce flavor intensity.  

• Taste as you develop the recipe.

• Let smell, taste, touch, and texture help guide you rather than relying entirely on the clock or appearance.

The Goal

Baking with herbs is about experimentation. Start conservatively, taste as you go, and learn how each herb behaves with sugar, flour, butter, cream, chocolate, and other ingredients.

Once you understand a few basic infusion techniques, the possibilities are as endless as your creativity and extend far beyond simply adding chopped herbs to a savory recipe.