Lavender extract tastes the way a lavender field smells on a warm afternoon: sweet, floral and slightly herbal, with a soft camphor edge that keeps it from turning sugary. A few drops can make a latte, a lemonade or a plate of shortbread feel special. Too many, and the same flavor tastes like soap. This guide covers where lavender shines, how much to use, and how to finish a drink or dessert with a mist of aroma.
- Use less than you think. Floral flavors read stronger than spices, so start below the usual rate.
- Pair it with something bright or rich. Lemon, honey, blueberry, vanilla and cream all give lavender something to lean on.
- Extract for drinks, oil for chocolate. Culinary Aromatics® extract goes into anything poured; the flavor oil is for fat rich sweets.
What lavender tastes like, and why Bulgarian lavender
Good culinary lavender is sweet and floral first, then herbal, with a cool, clean finish. Poor lavender skips straight to the herbal note and lingers like perfume. The difference comes from the flower itself.
Angel Bake Bulgarian Lavender Extract is made with lavender from Bulgaria’s Rose Valley, a region known for fragrant flowers. It is an alcohol based Culinary Aromatics® extract with no added sugar, no added water and no propylene glycol, so it adds flavor without sweetening or thinning your recipe.
Six ways to use lavender extract
Lavender latte
Stir the extract into the espresso or the milk before pouring, then taste the finished cup. Lavender and honey are a natural match, and a little vanilla rounds the floral edge. For iced lattes, judge the drink after the ice has had a minute to dilute it.
Lavender lemonade
Lemon keeps lavender from tasting heavy. Add the extract to the lemonade base or to your simple syrup, then serve over ice with a lemon wheel. It works just as well in sparkling water or iced tea.
Lavender shortbread and butter cookies
Butter carries floral flavor beautifully. Cream the extract with the butter and sugar so it spreads through the dough evenly, and you get the flavor without the gritty buds some recipes call for.
Honey lavender cake
Add the extract with the wet ingredients, and brush the warm layers with a honey syrup flavored with a few drops more. A lemon glaze or a lightly lavender whipped cream finishes it.
Blueberry and lavender desserts
Blueberry muffins, blueberry crumble, a blueberry cheesecake topping: lavender makes the berry taste brighter and more floral. Keep the lavender quiet here so the fruit stays in front.
Lavender ice cream and whipped cream
Cold mutes aroma, so taste the base when it is chilled, not warm. Lavender whipped cream over fresh berries is the simplest dessert in this list and one of the best.
How much lavender extract to use
These rates come from our extract dosing guide. For lavender, start at the low end or just below it. Floral flavors turn soapy when overdone, and it is easy to add a drop and hard to take one out.
| Application | Starting rate |
|---|---|
| Drinks: latte, lemonade, tea, cocktails | 3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Frosting, whipped cream, fillings | 3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Ice cream and frozen desserts | 3 to 5 drops per cup |
| Cake batter, cookie dough | 5 to 7 drops per cup |
| Simple syrup or honey syrup | 1/4 teaspoon, about 50 drops, per cup of syrup, which puts 3 to 5 drops in a finished drink |
The rates above are a starting point. Taste and adjust; every base is different.
Finish with a mist of lavender aroma
Lavender is one of the best flavors for aromatic finishing, because so much of what we enjoy about it is scent. The Culinary Aromatics Kit comes with a dropper and a spray nozzle. Use the dropper to flavor the recipe, then mist the top of the dish just before serving.
Try one light spray over latte foam, a bowl of whipped cream, a plated slice of honey cake or the rim of a cocktail glass. The aroma reaches your guest before the first sip or bite, so the drink or dessert tastes more floral without adding more flavor inside. Read more in our guide to aromatic finishing.
Lavender in chocolate and candy
Melted chocolate and candy coatings do not welcome alcohol based liquids, so use Pure Infusions™ lavender flavor oil for white chocolate bark, truffles and dipped treats. The oil uses an organic coconut derived MCT carrier, is alcohol free, and blends straight into fat. Keep the flavor oil out of drinks; it belongs in chocolate, candy, ganache and buttercream. Our guide to flavoring chocolate and candy covers the details.
The flavor has gone past its sweet spot. Rebalance with more of the base, a squeeze of lemon, a spoon of honey or a little vanilla, and use fewer drops next time.
Bring lavender into your kitchen
Angel Bake extracts carry No Sugar Added, Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free and vegan, and a 2 oz bottle flavors more than 300 cups. Explore Bulgarian Lavender Extract and the full Culinary Aromatics collection, or pair it with rose extract for a floral menu. Building lavender drinks or pastries for a café or bakery? Ask about wholesale and samples.