Dandelion cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting are a delicious foraged treat! Sent right up from the dirt in the ground, dandelions have lovely honey-tasting petals and many health benefits. Enjoy them in an amazing lemony cupcake that seems to glow with the sunshine that grew the ingredients. If you are looking for a new favorite dandelion recipe, this is sure to be it!
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Foraging for Dandelions
The first step to making these dandelion cupcakes, just like any dandelion recipe, is to forage for fresh dandelions. I always love this instruction the most, because a recipe that begins with a walk and sustainably foraging for edible flowers is exactly my cup of tea.
Dandelions are very common and very easy to spot. Foraging for dandelions can be tricky since you must find some that aren’t sprayed with harmful chemicals.
For many of us, that safe space is right in our backyard! If not, you can mosey along until you find a lovely blooming untouched patch of lion-faced dandelions.
For this recipe, you’ll only need the petals of the dandelion flower, so you can pick just enough flowers to make up 3/4 cups of picked petals. The yellow petals will need to be picked from the bitter green parts.
Know that whatever dandelion you pick without pulling the entire dandelion root out will grow back twofold promptly!
Related: Should You Save Dandelions for the Bees? 6 Things to Consider, Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf with Lemon Glaze
Dandelion Benefits
Dandelion flowers have a sweet and delicate flavor, similar to honey, making them a tasty foraged addition to a variety of recipes.
Another benefit to using dandelion flowers in recipes is their wide array of medicinal uses. Traditionally, the entire dandelion plant is used to aid digestion, improve kidney and liver function, and stimulate the appetite.
Dandelion flowers are also an antioxidant, reduce inflammation, detoxify the blood and stabilize blood sugar. Any dandelion recipe will also have added vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
If you want more dandelion recipes, here are 50+ Dandelion Recipes including drinks, sweets, skincare, remedies, and more!
Dandelion Cupcakes
This dandelion recipe is sure to become a favorite, with its lemon and honey deliciousness, and sunshine-like quality to them. They are bright and tasty, with just a little tang from the lemon and just the right amount of sweetness.
Once you have enough dandelions foraged and the petals picked from the flower head, you’re ready to begin making these delightful dandelion cupcakes!
Make the Batter
Preheat your oven to 350° F, and line a 12 muffin tin with baking cups. I prefer parchment paper baking cups, but use what you have.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a stand mixer (if you have one, if not a hand mixer is just fine), cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix the honey in until it’s fully incorporated.
Next, add the eggs one at a time while leaving the mixer on to combine them into the mixture. Once the eggs are mixed in, turn the mixer off.
Scrape the bowl to make sure there isn’t any butter and sugar left unmixed.
Turn the mixer on low speed, and add the buttermilk and flour mixture, alternating a little at a time until both are completely mixed in.
Add in the lemon zest and dandelion flower petals and incorporate them evenly throughout. The dandelion petals tend to clump together, so be aware of that and try to get them as even as possible.
Pour each lined muffin tin with 1/4 cup of the dandelion cupcake batter, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for at least 15 minutes, then carefully place them on a wire rack to cool for another 30 minutes. While they are cooling is a great time to make the frosting!
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix thoroughly with an electric mixer on medium speed until it has a smooth and creamy texture.
Add in the confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until the desired consistency and sweetness are achieved. Feel free to alter the sugar to the amount that suits your preference for how sweet you like it!
Spread the frosting evenly on each cooled cupcake top and enjoy!
For a pretty serving garnish, place dandelion petals or a fresh dandelion flower on top of each cupcake. Beautiful!
How to Eat Dandelion Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
This dandelion cupcake recipe is sure to be a hit for whomever you share them with! Eat them as a flower power dessert with benefits from those lovely dandelion petals.
Dandelion cupcakes are wonderful for a spring celebration, served with ice cream, or anytime you want a tasty and health beneficial foraged treat!
More dandelion recipes to enjoy:
- Dandelion Mead Recipe
- Infused Dandelion Vinegar
- Dandelion Pesto
- How to Make Dandelion Tea
- Dandelion Jelly: Low-Sugar or Honey
- Dandelion Lotion Bar Recipe
- How to Make Dandelion Salve
- Dandelion Soap Made With the Whole Plant
- Dandelion Root Muffins (paleo & gluten free)
- Dandelion Salad
- Dandelion Kombucha
- Dandelion Fritters
- Dandelion Syrup
Dandelion Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Dandelion Cupcakes
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3/4 cup butter 1½ sticks (at room temperature)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 lemon zested
- ¾ cup dandelion petals
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick (at room temperature)
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- pinch salt
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar to desired consistency
Instructions
Dandelion Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C)
- Line a 12 muffin tin with baking cups.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for approximately 1 minute, or until light and fluffy. Add in the honey and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, then turn the mixer off and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure there isn't any unmixed butter and sugar.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk and flour mixture a little at a time, alternating between each. Mix until evenly distributed.
- Add in the lemon zest and dandelion petals, making sure they are evenly incorporated and aren't clumped together.
- Fill each lined muffin tin with ¼ cup of the batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then they can be placed carefully on a wire rack to cool for another 30 minutes.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Add in the confectioner's sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing in between until the desired consistency is reached.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cupcakes. Garnish the cupcakes with dandelion petals or flowers if desired.
Notes
- Dandelions are very common and very easy to spot. Foraging for dandelions can be tricky since you need to find some that aren’t sprayed with harmful chemicals. Be sure to forage from clean area away from roadsides and heavy foot or pet traffic.
- For this recipe you’ll only need the petals of the dandelion flower, so you can pick just enough flowers to make up 3/4 cups of picked petals. The yellow petals will need to be picked from the green parts, which are bitter.
I found that mixing the dandelion petals and lemon zest into the flour mixture first was very helpful in keeping things from clumping. I hope others find this tip helpful as well!
I work for a sustainable/edible plant-focused landscaping company and brought these in for our staff meeting and they were a huge hit! With 1,5 sticks of butter the cake is definitely rich, but the subtle dandelion flavor keeps the cupcakes grounded and not over-the-top sweet like you get from grocery store confections. With the frosting I definitely found that less is more, given how sweet the cake component is already, and since I didn’t want to overpower the cupcake with too much lemon flavor. I almost wonder if doing a flour-based frosting might help since they’re less sweet. Would absolutely make again and recommend to others!
I’m so glad you liked this recipe!
Unfortunately I missed the window to collect dandelions – is there a suitable substitute?
Hi Kaitlyn, I haven’t tried any other flower in this recipe, but I’d imagine any other edible flower would work. How about wild rose?
Imade my first, but not last, batch of these a couple of days ago. They are fantastic!
I’ll be making them again and sharing them for sure!
I loved the lemon buttercream, and it’s perfect on these cupcakes. Personally, I would love to have an subtler icing option to highlight the dandelion flavour. Everyone LOVED these cupcakes as is and wanted more!
So glad you enjoyed them, Alexa!
Can I use coconut sugar for the granular sugar? Could I reduce the sugars (sugar + honey) by half or would that be too much?
Hi Kieh. I haven’t tried doing either of those in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure how the finished product will turn out. You can swap the sugar for coconut sugar, but be aware that it’ll add a more caramelized, brown sugar taste. I personally wouldn’t reduce the sugar and honey by half, however, you certainly could if it suits your taste.
Hi Kieh. used coconut sugar for my first go-round with this recipe. Eau de burnt caramel that comes w coconut sugar was a huge compliment to the cupcakes essence of dandelion earthiness, imo. I always sub coconut sugar because the naturally low gi helps keep sensitive guts in check.
Thank you to growforagecookferment for the opportunity to add commentary. Baking commentary is good, imo.
Is there a certain time of day that’s better to pick the dandelions?
Hi Peg. The best time of day to pick dandelions is in the early morning.
I just wanted to say that I made the Dandelion cupcakes yesterday. They are good, interesting. I used straight honey instead of a combo of honey and sugar. I also learned something. Pull the petals off the flower immediately after picking. I waited until evening and ended up having to cut them apart instead of just pulling the petals off. I’ll definitely make them again. I can’t wait to try the dandelion hummas.
Wonderful!
Do you think you could swap a gluten free baking flour in this recipe?
HI there. Yes, that should still work.
Have you ever created this recipe as plant-based?
No, I haven’t. Sorry!