Flowers You Can Eat

Make Floral Butter: A Stunning Edible Flower and Herb Butter

floral butter with pansies and herbs
Photo by Underatinroof.com

If you use edible flowers for cooking, you will know that this beautiful floral butter will add a fabulous colorful spread to your table. 

Why not have a go at using different edible flowers and herbs to change things up? There are plenty of edible flowers to grow, and you might find the perfect edible flower for your favorite dish. 

Despite how it stunning it looks, creating your own edible flower and herb butter isn’t as difficult as you would think, and it’s sure to become a talking point for anyone you serve it to. 

We’re excited to share with you this step-by-step guide that will show you how easy it is to make.

Table of Contents

What is Floral Butter?

Floral butter is a captivating touch to any meal or can even be used to add to a snack.

It is a compound butter  with edible flowers. It’s like garlic butter but with edible flowers instead of garlic! This unique spread will add an elegance and beauty to your dinner table.

The vibrant color splashes that the flowers add to the creamy butter are what makes floral butter impressive. Common edible flowers like Calendula, Cosmos, and Gladioli provide a wonderfully colorful addition to the floral spread.

It can be served as a butter log or simply smeared on a marble slate.

There really are no limits on how arty you get when adding flowers; you can even create a simple but stunning landscape of a flowering meadow from the petals. Create a piece of edible art!

floral butter recipe variations

Best Edible Flowers for Floral Butter Recipe Variations

Before you go picking your edible flowers and herbs from your garden, keep in mind a couple of factors.

You can make either a sweet butter, or a savory butter, so choose the flowers you use depending on your choice of butter.

Many edible flowers don’t have a strong flavor so you could choose to add them to either savory or sweet recipe.

The great thing with these types of flowers is that they can add the color that is so attractive without affecting the butter flavor.

Examples of these would be violas, cornflower (bachelor button), cosmos, dahlia, gladiolus, impatiens, crucifix orchids, and pentas.

Just try whatever you have available. Just taste test before you add to make sure. Check out here the list of edible flowers with pictures to give you some ideas.

Best Edible Flowers To Use In a Savoury Compound Butter

best edible flowers for floral butter

Here are some of the best edible flowers and herbs you can use for a savory butter recipe, and you can also check out this link for some other examples of the best edible flowers for savory dishes.

When herbs in your herb garden produce flowers, you can use these in the same way that you would use the leaves. The flavours tend to be the same and they can be so much prettier!

  • Mint, oregano, basil, society garlic, borage and chives all work well for a savoury butter.
  • Then infuse some bright orange color into the mix with chopped nasturtiums, calendula, or marigold petals. Dianthus, and Blue Salvia are also good for savoury dishes and will add a lovely color variety.
  • Don’t forget to add in some leaves

Best Edible Flowers To Use In a Non-Herb Flavored Compound Butter

For  a less herby flavoured floral butter, then choose edible flowers that don’t have a strong taste or even a slightly sweeter flavor.

  • pansies and violas
  • bee balm
  • cornflower and cosmos petals
  • daylily and gladiola chopped
  • forget me nots
  • fuschia
  • lilac florets
  • pentas
  • pineapple sage and bee balm (bergamot).

While most of these flowers don’t have strong flavors, they will add texture and color. Of course the most joyous experience is in the visual display of petals and leaves.

How To Make a Floral Butter Log - Recipe Here!

Let’s get started on the step-by-step guide to making your very own butter with edible flowers. 

Useful tip: To make a beautiful looking edible flower and herb butter log, arrange the first layer of flowers and herb leaves onto the baking paper in a colorful arrangement. When you roll the butter, it sticks to the outside and will be the first thing your guests see.

floral butter log

Ingredients:

  • Herb leaves, some roughly chopped and some whole for decoration
  • Edible Flowers, small or with petals plucked
  • 250g (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, room temperature 
  • Pinch Sea salt

Method: 

  1. Place a sheet of baking paper or wax paper on a flat work surface. Arrange some edible flowers and leaves in the center of the baking paper. These will create the outside pattern of your butter roll.
  2. In a bowl, mix softened butter with the pinch of salt. Add the rest of edible flowers and herbs until well combined. If the butter is soft enough, this shouldn’t be too difficult. Avoid mashing up the flowers too much, as you still want them to be visible singularly, not blended in.
  3. Using  a spatula, smear the butter and flower mixture onto the  that you previously placed on the baking paper. Take the paper and gently roll up the butter until you have a log shape. (similar to how you would form cookie dough)
  4. Pat the ends to make a nice solid log end shape
  5. Leave it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to solidify. 
  6. Once the log has solidified, you can serve the butter sliced or place it out on the table whole for maximum effect.

How To Make a Floral Butter Board

Here’s how to make a floral butter marble board that can look like a flowering meadow.

Floral butter and bread slices

Ingredients:

  • 250g (2 Sticks) Softened unsalted butter at room temperature
  • Edible flowers and herbs of your choice and any extras like pine nuts, pepitas, peppercorns, chili flakes, etc.
  • Clean surface such as marble tray, wooden board, or slate tile 

Method: 

  1. Smear a thick layer of softened butter on your chosen surface. 
  2. Tear up the leaves and petals of your edible flowers and herbs
  3. Sprinkle them over the butter surface and if necessary, just gently press them into the butter. Try and avoid adding extra fingerprints to the butter; you want them to look delicately placed!
  4. Add black pepper, salt, seeds, and any extras on the top

Place in the fridge and bring out when ready to serve. Your guests will be mesmerized by your fancy artwork!

Ideas How To Use Floral Butter

These homemade compound butter recipes can be used in a wide range of dishes and not just as a side accompaniment

  • Use to top a baked potato. 
  • Add it to your favorite pasta dish to add some extra color and depth. 
  • When serving crackers and cheese, use a slice of your floral butter log to brighten up the platter. 
  • Serve with freshly baked bagels and toast as a unique and delicious breakfast treat which looks wonderful
  • If you are roasting vegetables, toss them in some floral butter to finish them off before serving. 
  • Melt over grilled steak for an extra layer of visual experience.

These are just a few of the ways you can use floral butter in your daily life – you don’t need to save it for special occasions- treat yourself every day! 

edible flower and herb butter

Despite how fancy floral butter looks, it’s actually pretty simple to make, and with a few basic ingredients, you too can make your own piece of buttery artwork. 

Say goodbye to those boring butter dishes and bring some floral butter to the next dinner you host- your guests will have a lot to talk about! 

 

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