These fried dandelion flowers are our favorite way to eat dandelions! These crunchy puffballs are like heaven in a bite 😍 Plus, these fried dandelion blossoms are vegan and use shelf-stable pantry staples and spices 🙌 You probably have everything you need to make these without leaving the house 👍
We collect our dandelion blossoms from the backyard. Make sure to pick dandelions from an area that hasn't been sprayed with chemicals. We don't use pesticides on our lawn and have lived in our home for 4+ years so we feel safe eating ours. We don't eat the dandelions in the front yard though because those are probably tainted with car exhaust and dog visits 😝
My son was a little skeptical that these would taste good (he didn't care too much for the sautéed dandelion greens 😆), but after he ate one of these dandelion fritters, he couldn't stop. That's why his hand is in the final photo 😂 I couldn't get him to stop eating them long enough to take a picture! Apparently, "they're addictive"! 😜
These fried dandelion blossoms are fun to make with kids, and they make the perfect spring appetizer. They'd be delicious with a glass of white wine or beer 😋
Dandelion fritters recipe
Adapted from Proverbs 31 Woman
Ingredients
Four handfuls of freshly picked dandelion blossoms (about 60 flower heads)
Olive oil
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cumin (optional)
1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Water
Directions
1. Collect dandelions that are completely open (that way they're easier to clean).
2. Let them sit outside for about 10 or 15 minutes so any little insects can crawl off them.
This is a great time to remove the green sepals from each flower head (they're edible but bitter).
Blossoms should look like this when the sepals are removed:
3. Wash the blossoms a couple times under cold running water. I give them a final bath in salted water to be extra safe. Once washed, pat dry with a cloth towel.
4. Warm up a pan over medium heat with enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
5. In the meantime, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric and cayenne in a medium-sized bowl. Add water a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until the batter is the consistency of pancake batter.
6. Dip flowers in the batter, coating them completely then place flower side down in the hot oil. Repeat until the skillet is full of dipped flower heads. Cook until the batter is crispy, then turn the flowers over with tongs and cook the opposite side. Be sure to fully cook the batter so they're crispy and not mushy.
7. Remove the finished flowers and place on a plate lined with paper towels (be sure to compost when you're done!) or cloth napkin.
