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.
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 lavender ones! 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.
This recipe is for 12 large madeleines. You need to refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes, so plan for that. I also highly recommend the sprinkle of powdered sugar after they have cooled for a little extra sweetness to balance the strong lavender flavor. As with most things I bake, my favorite way to enjoy these Lavender Madeleines is with my morning coffee.
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
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the egg, lavender buds, and sugar and beat on high for 7-8 minutes. 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 just until melted. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Gently fold half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula, then fold in the second half.
- Take a few tablespoons of the egg mixture and add it to the melted butter and mix in. Gently fold in the butter keeping as much air as possible in the mixture.
- Cover the batter and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350° and prepare your madeleine pan with butter. 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.
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. Anymore and you will have sugar that is way to 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 always recommended to use culinary lavender when baking. Yes, all lavender is technically edible, but culinary lavender has the best taste. It is also sweeter than regular lavender which is more bitter. If you are buying dried lavender at the grocery store it’s most likely culinary, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check. Culinary lavender is available online or you can grow your own. Check your local nursery!
No Madeleine Pan? No Problem!
To make true madeleines you need a madeleine pan. But don’t fret! If you don’t have one, you can use a mini cupcake pan and get the same delicious result. Just butter each cupcake well really well 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. Delicious!
Other Lavender Recipes to Check Out
- Lavender Pancakes with Lavender Honey
- Lavender Sourdough Discard Scones with Lemon Glaze
- Apple Lavender Galette Recipe
- Lemon Lavender Bread Recipe
- Lavender Pisco Sour Recipe
Tools for Lavender Madeleine Baking
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.
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Did you Make These Lavender Madeleines?
If you make these beautiful Lavender Madeleines, leave a review below. And, if you take a photo, feel free to tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I love to see what you are making in your kitchen!
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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!