Short answer: yes, but not all lavender is created equal. You don’t want to munch on the stuff from your neighbor’s rock garden that’s been doused in weed killer. Stick to culinary varieties like English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). It’s the champagne of lavenders—classy and mild.
I once made the mistake of grabbing a handful from a decorative pot at a hardware store. It tasted like my aunt’s perfume drawer mixed with dirt. Lesson learned: eat the fancy kind, not the “looks pretty on a porch” kind.
How to Use Lavender Without Ruining Your Dinner
Start small. Lavender is like that overly enthusiastic friend at a party—a little goes a long way. You don’t dump a whole cup into your lemonade unless you want to taste like a bath bomb.
My go-to move is to add a teaspoon of dried culinary lavender to shortbread cookies. It feels fancy, but it’s literally just butter, sugar, and a flower. I once brought these to a potluck, and a guy asked if they were “laced with something.” I said, “Only happiness.” He ate four.
You can also steep it in hot milk for a sleepy-time latte. I did this last week, and it felt like drinking a hug. My cat looked at me like I was insane, but my anxiety took the night off.
