20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (2024)

Summertime means elderflowers, and that couldn’t make me more happy! They have a delicate floral flavor that is delightful and perfect in drinks and desserts. Just like the elderberries they turn into, elderflowers have amazing medicinal benefits. They are also great to use in skin and body care recipes. I gathered up some of my favorite elderflower recipes for you to make this summer!

20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (1)

Elderflower Recipes

Elderflowers are easy to forage for and are a common sight in many locations (just make sure that you aren’t accidentally grabbing poison hemlock, but I don’t think they look that similar).

These recipes for food, medicine, and body care are the perfect way to use your wildcrafted elderflowers!

20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (2)

Elderflower Drinks

Some of the tastiest and most popular way to use elderflowers is in drinks. Use them when making mead, cordial, liqueur, soda, lemonade, and tea!

My favorite elderflower drink to make is elderflower sparkling mead!

Mead is wine made with honey instead of sugar, and this sparkling mead is similar to champagne.

Sparkling Elderflower Mead Recipe

Go foraging for elderflowers, and then make this sparkling mead recipe! This easy homemade sparkling elderflower mead recipe is low alcohol, delicately flavored, and the perfect foraged drink for a hot summer day!

Check out this recipe

Elderflower cordial (also known as syrup) is an old-fashioned sweet drink made from elderflowers, water, sugar, and lemons. Stir a bit into sparkling water or mix into cocktails for a nice drink!

If you prefer a boozy version check out this elderflower and lemon cordial.

You can also try this elderflower and strawberry cordial/syrup which sounds yummy!

Fermented elderflower soda is another delicious way to use them, or you can try my herbal water kefir soda recipe with elderflowers.

This elderflower kombucha is one I definitely want to make!

Herbal Water Kefir Soda

Turn water kefir, a healthy probiotic drink with gut healing properties, into an all natural herbal soda!

Check out this recipe

This elderflower lemonade looks amazing!

Here is my recipe for elderflower liqueur which turned out so good!

Elderflower Liqueur

Make this delicious elderflower liqueur when fresh elderflowers are in season!

Check out this recipe

Elderflower tea is a great way to enjoy its medicinal benefits. Elderflowers have similar immune boosting benefits as elderberries. They are also effective at reducing a fever and can help with allergy symptoms.

You can also try this iced wildflower infusion tea recipe that includes elderflowers!

Wildflower "Flower Power" Herbal Infusion Tea

Dried edible flowers are perfect for using in an wildflower herbal infusion. Make this recipe for "Flower Power" Wildflower Herbal Infusion Tea from the Foraging & Feasting book!

Check out this recipe

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Elderflower Jelly, Jam, and Curd

Elderflowers are great to use in wildflower jellies, either on their own or combined with other flowers. Try this elderflower and vanilla jelly, or this elderflower and wild honeysuckle jelly.

You can also make jam with elderflowers! Here is a recipe for gooseberry and elderflower jam, and this one for straight up elderflower jam.

Instead of making plain old lemon curd, add some elderflowers to it! Here’s a recipe for elderflower and lemon curd.

20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (8)

Lemon & Elderflower Curd

Easy Lemon & Elderflower Curd tastes just wonderful, the delicate Elderflower flavour works so well with the lemon, a match made in foodie heaven.

Check out this recipe

Elderflower Desserts

There are so many delicious desserts to be made with elderflowers! Ever since the most recent royal wedding had a stunning elderflower cake, it’s been a popular recipe.

If you don’t want to get that fancy, you can make this simpler version of elderflower cake.

Serve this elderflower ice cream along with your cake and you won’t be disappointed!

These elderflower popsicles sound absolutely perfect for a hot summer day.

Then there are elderflower marshmallows, because we always need more marshmallows in our lives!

One of my favorite treats are elderflower fritters. Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar and you’re good to go!

These elderflower honey muffins are a delicious and not too sweet treat!

Elderflower Honey Muffins

Make these delicious wildcrafted elderflower honey muffins when fresh elderflowers are in season! They aren't too sweet and are made with honey and a bit of optional sourdough starter.

Check out this recipe

Elderflower Body and Skin Care

Elderflowers aren’t only great to eat, but they are also great for the skin. They help to tone and soften, and are particularly good in products for aging complexions.

Use them in this elderflower eye cream to help decrease wrinkles and puffy eyes.

This elderflower and rose hip salve will help to heal wounds and to treat dry skin.

Now that I’ve gotten into soap making, I really want to try this elderflower and lavender soap recipe!

20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (10)

Elderflower & Lavender Soap

This natural soap recipe features elderflowers, an old-fashioned home remedy for softer skin, along with lavender essential oil for a relaxing scent.

Check out this recipe

Where to Get Dried Elderflowers

If you aren’t able to forage for elderflowers in your area, or it’s the wrong time of year, many of these elderflower recipes can be made using dried flowers instead.

My favorite place to get organic, high quality dried herbs and flowers is Mountain Rose Herbs.

I hope these elderflower recipes inspire you to make something fun!

20+ Elderflower Recipes: cordial, liqueur, tea, jelly, cake + more! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between elderflower cordial and elderflower liqueur? ›

Contrary to the name, elderflower cordial does not contain alcohol. If the preparation has alcohol in it, it is typically referred to as an Elderflower Liqueur, like. St. Germain.

Can you use elderflower cordial instead of liqueur? ›

With a little tasting and tweaking, it'll work in place of elderflower liqueur in concoctions as diverse as the Yellow Jacket or Watermelon Crawl. Elderflower cordial is a natural companion for sparkling wine—add a little cordial to your bubbly along with some gin and a lemon slice for a twist on the French 75.

Is drinking elderflower cordial healthy? ›

Elderflower is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when used short-term as medicine, or in small amounts as part of a combination product containing elderflower, sorrel, gentian root, verbena, and cowslip flower (SinuComp, Sinupret). The combination product can cause digestive system upset and sometimes allergic skin rash.

Why add citric acid to elderflower cordial? ›

Why use citric acid in elderflower cordial? The addition of citric acid simply prevents the cordial from fermenting and acts as a preservative. You can buy citric acid for cordial online in a number of sizes depending on how you choose to use this versatile product.

What does elderflower liqueur go well with? ›

Elderflower liqueurs are delicately flavoured, aromatic and floral; they mix brilliantly with pretty much every spirit, both white and brown, even combining well with the strong flavours of mezcal, peated whisky and pisco. Elderflower tends to mix better with light-coloured fruits such as pear, apple and white grapes.

Can I drink elderflower liqueur straight? ›

This quarantees the easy mixability with sparkling wine/Champagne, or enjoyed chilled by itself!

Why has my elderflower cordial gone fizzy? ›

The fizz in elderflower champagne is generated by active yeasts that will continue to work in the bottle for up to four months.

Why does my elderflower cordial taste bitter? ›

Where I had gone wrong, was that I hadn't removed enough of the stalk and if you leave this in, you get this horrible, bitter taste, which ruins the cordial. To make the cordial, you'll need to leave it to infuse overnight and the most time-consuming part is in the prep, but it is really simple to do.

What is the difference between elderberry and elderflower liqueur? ›

Elderflower has a woodsy and floral taste, and their sweetness comes out when elderflower is cooked. Photo courtesy of Shadi via Unsplash. Compared to elderflower, elderberry has a more intense taste: woodsy and floral, with a dark flavor that can be bitter and earthy when the fruit is consumed raw.

What are the disadvantages of elderflower? ›

Elderflower is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when used in excessive amounts. Some parts of the elderflower plant contain a cyanide-producing chemical which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Cooking removes this chemical. Not enough is known about the safety of applying elderflower directly to the skin.

Is elderflower cordial full of sugar? ›

The only downside of elderflower cordial is that it uses a lot of sugar- you just have to think that it is a lot better for you than fizzy drinks (maybe).

Is elderflower cordial a laxative? ›

For those suffering with constipation, elderflower can help relieve the symptoms due to its diuretic and laxative properties.

Why did my elderflower cordial explode? ›

A friend opened it and got covered in half fermenting elderflower wine. Wild cordials can start to spontaneously ferment when wild yeasts get to work on them. The fermentation process causes carbon dioxide gas. Left with nowhere to go in a bottle this can build up and cause explosions.

Why is my elderflower cordial fermenting? ›

There is enough yeast in the flowers of the elderflower to cause it to ferment, go fizzy and become (very slightly) alcoholic. The solution is to freeze your cordial in small batches, and defrost as and when you need it.

Can homemade cordial go bad? ›

I would say that you should expect your cordial to last at least a month if kept refrigerated, possibly longer. I've seen recipes that suggest that it can keep up to a year if preserved properly, but unless they're working in laboratory conditions, I don't think that's attainable for homemade cordial.

What is the difference between a cordial and a liqueur? ›

Liqueurs And Cordials

Liqueurs are basically liquors that have been flavored and sweetened. The term is interchangeable with “cordial,” except in the U.K., where cordial can also just refer to a sweet, non-alcoholic liquid.

What is a substitute for elderflower liqueur? ›

The essence of up to one thousand elderflowers can be found in each Belle Epoque-style bottle of St-Germain! You can substitute St-Germain with Giffard Fleur de Sureau Sauvage, St. Elder, and RoomeR Elderflower Aperitif.

What is another name for elderflower liqueur? ›

St‑Germain is a French liqueur made with fresh elderflowers, handpicked in full bloom every spring.

Does elderflower cordial have alcohol? ›

Introduction: Elderflower Cordial

It's a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that can be mixed with sparkling water or soda water and ice to enjoy in the heat.

References

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