Lavender Madeleines are little fluffy, buttery, floral cookies that are perfect for coffee, tea, or dessert. They are surprisingly easy to make and such a fun and unique treat.
Why I Love This Recipe
It's no secret I love baking with lavender and I just love baking. So when I was craving some madeleines, I knew I had to make some with lavender!
These small cookies are packed with flavor from the lavender, and let's be honest, the butter, and they probably won't last very long once you make them just like my Lemon Lavender Cupcakes and my Lemon Lavender Tart. These small cookies are perfect for a mid-day treat or to serve at breakfast just like my Lavender Sourdough Discard Scones.
Ingredients Needed to Make Lavender Madeleines
From the fridge, you will need an egg and some butter. The rest of the ingredients are from the pantry including sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and, of course, dried lavender buds.
How To Make Madeleines with Lavender
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare your madeleine pan with butter.
Step 2: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and set it aside. Melt 4 tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe bowl just until melted. Set aside and allow to cool.
Step 3: In the bowl of your stand mixer or using a hand mixer, add the egg, lavender buds, and sugar and beat on high for 7-8 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix in.
Step 4: Fold in half the flour mixture, then the rest. Mix a few tablespoons of the batter with melted butter, then gently fold it in. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Spoon about a tablespoon of batter into each section of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookie to cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes and then on a cooling rack.
Step 6: Once the madeleines are cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
A Secret Step To Infuse the Lavender Flavor Into the Batter
This step is optional, but I do think it makes a difference. You can infuse your sugar with the lavender buds before adding it to the batter with a small coffee/spice grinder or food processor.
Just add the sugar and lavender buds together and pulse 4-5 times. Any more and you will have sugar that is way too powdery. This is going to open up those lavender buds and get that floral flavor going even more.
What Lavender to Use for Baking
It's best to use culinary lavender when baking as it has a sweeter taste compared to regular lavender, which is more bitter. While most dried lavender from the grocery store is culinary, it's a good idea to double-check, or you can buy it online or grow your own.
No Madeleine Pan? No Problem!
To make true madeleines you need a madeleine pan. But if you don’t have one, you can use a mini cupcake pan and get the same delicious result.
Just butter each cupcake section and put the batter in like you would a cupcake. Don't fill them too high because this batter will rise and spread! The cupcake pan should give you that same crispy bottom and side with a fluffy and moist center.
Other Lavender Recipes to Check Out
If you get a chance to make these Lavender Madeleines, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.
Lavender Madeleines
Equipment
- madeleine pan
- mesh sieve or sifter
- coffee/spice grinder or food processor
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon lavender buds
- ½ cup sifted all-purpose flour or pastry flour
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled (plus a little extra for the pan)
- confectioners powdered sugar
Instructions
- This step is optional. Place the sugar and lavender buds in a grinder or small food processor. Pulse a few times so that the lavender infuses with the sugar. Don't over-pulse or your sugar will be too powdery.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the egg and the lavender sugar mixture and beat on high for 7-8 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the vanilla and mix in.
- While the egg mixture is beating, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Also while the egg is beating, melt 4 tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe bowl until just melted (about 45 seconds). Set aside and allow to cool while mixing the other ingredients.
- Gently fold half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula. Fold in the second half keeping the mixture as fluffy as possible.
- Take a few tablespoons of the egg mixture and add it to the melted butter. Mix it in completely to the butter and then pour the mixture into the egg mixture. Gently fold in the butter keeping as much air as possible in the mixture. This step will keep your batter a slight and fluffy as possible so your madeleines will also be nice and fluffy. Cover the batter and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (any longer will solidify the butter and your madeleines won't be as fluffy).
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your madeleine pan with butter. I just take a stick of butter and rub it on the surface or you can brush on melted butter. The butter is going to give the madeleines a nice brown and crispy side and help them not stick to the pan.
- Spoon about a tablespoon of batter into each section of the pan. There should be enough batter for 12 madeleines. The batter will spread as it cooks so don't worry about it being perfect.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookie to cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes and then on a cooling rack. Once the madeleines are cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- Madeleines are best when served the same day but will last 2-3 days in a covered container.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Cindy Mom, the Lunch Lady says
Making Madeleines are on my culinary bucket list. Now I also have to add baking with lavender. These cookies look wonderful!
Emily says
Thanks, Cindy! You definitely need to give madeleines a try, they are pretty easy to make and sooooooo delicious!
Mihaela|https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
I never made Madeleines; I don't even have a tray. But they look nice, and your recipe sounds way tastier than what I bought from shops, so I'm curious now!:))
Emily says
Mihaela, I hope you give them a try. If you don't have a madeleine pan, you can always make them in a mini-cupcake pan!
Jennifer | KITJEN says
I never baked with lavender before and now, this recipe has convinced me. They look so delicious 😋
Emily says
I hope you give it a try, it such a fun flavor!
Eric says
Wow these look so good and fluffy. I never thought to cook with lavender before. As I was reading this, I was wondering how lavender would go in pancakes - then you have a recipe for it! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
LOL, you are welcome, Eric! I have quite a few lavender recipes...it's a small obsession of mine 😁.
Christie says
What delightful little treats!
Emily says
Thanks, Christie!
Arica says
I've never tried lavender in baked goods, but these sound perfect to go along with my morning coffee!
Emily says
That's the reason I make them...just for coffee!
Sue says
I love the light floral quality of these madeleines - they feel so fancy!
Emily says
They do feel fancy, I love that!
Leah says
I’ve never baked with lavender before but it always sounds intriguing! Thank you for the tips, didn’t even know there was such a thing as “culinary lavender.” This sounds like a delicious treat to have with coffee in the morning!
Emily says
Leah, you are going to love using lavender. It adds such a unique flavor and your kitchen smells heavenly!