Homemade Lavender Sugar

Transport your favorite drinks and baked goods with this easy homemade lavender sugar recipe. Dried lavender buds infuse white sugar with floral flavor and aroma perfect for sweetening tea, lemonade, or desserts. Make a batch to gift or to keep on hand for a little botanical magic in your baking.

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Adding the flavor of lavender to your recipes may sound daunting or exciting. Or probably both. Lavender syrup and extracts can often overwhelm recipes. No one wants to eat perfume.

But making your own lavender sugar is a great way to add a small bit of aromatic lavender to your recipes. You start by replacing only part of the sugar and grow until you get just the right taste. 

📋What Is Culinary Lavender

While lavender flowers may seem interchangeable, there's a big difference between varieties meant for eating versus perfumes. Culinary lavender hails from Lavandula angustifolia plants, milder cousins of the aromatic purple blooms used in soaps and perfumes. 

Less pungent oils mean culinary lavender brings floral essence, not soapiness, to your recipes. Seek out food-friendly "English lavender" for the perfect sweet-herbal flavor.

You need to use dried culinary lavender for this recipe. Fresh lavender blossoms won't infuse the sugar the same way dried ones will.  

🍲How to Make Lavender Sugar

I prefer to use a spice grinder to make small batches of flavored sugars. But when I am making a big batch of lavender sugar for gifting I opt for a food processor.  

Recipe Variations

Lavender Vanilla Sugar- Scrap out the inside of one vanilla bean pod and add to the recipe for an enchanting blend of vanilla and lavender.

Lemon and Lavender Sugar-  Add the zest of 1 lemon to the spice grinder. 

🥣 How to Use Lavender-Infused Sugar

1. Sprinkle over freshly baked goods like scones, muffins, pies, and cookies for an elegant finishing touch.
2. Swap out ½ of the sugar when making sugar cookies.
3. Stir into hot or iced teas for a soothing lavender tea.
4. Use as a sweetener in homemade lemonade, you can turn this into a lavender simple syrup following these microwave simple syrup directions to make this easier. 
5. Use it to rim your cocktail glasses for a subtle lavender flavor. Or use it to infuse homemade simple syrups. 
6. Dust over crème brûlée and custards before caramelizing for a caramelized lavender crust.
7. Combine with herbs for a unique rub for grilled meats or roasted vegetables.
8. Mix into buttercream frosting for cakes or cupcakes or whipped cream for other desserts. 
9. Stir into baked oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast.
10. Sprinkle on fresh fruit salads.
11. Any leftover sugar can be used to make homemade sugar scrubs. 

🌡️Storing Leftovers

To maintain the freshness and potency of your lavender sugar, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Properly stored, it can last up to six months, allowing you to enjoy the enchanting flavors for an extended period.  

If you added any other elements, like vanilla or lemon the sugar should be used within a few days. 

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Common Recipe Questions

Where can I find culinary lavender?

Culinary lavender is available at specialty food stores, spice shops, and online retailers. You can also grow your own fresh lavender and use it once it's dried.

Can lavender-infused sugar be used in savory dishes?

Yes, lavender sugar can be used sparingly to add a hint of floral sweetness to savory dishes like marinades or glazes for meats

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