The Beauty of Edible Dried Flowers

In recent years, edible dried flowers have become hugely popular among bakers, chefs, and creatives alike. Whether you're a professional cake decorator, an aspiring home baker, or someone who simply loves to explore natural ingredients, edible dried flowers offer a versatile, vibrant, and natural way to enhance your creations.

We do stock wide range of edible dried flowers at Cakers Paradise, all that are perfect for cake decorating - but their uses go well beyond the world of sweets as well.

In this blog post, we well explore the world of edible dried flowers. What they are? How to use them? Why they’re trending? What specific flowers we stock? Also including ideas how else to sue edible dried flowers besides decorating purposes. 

What Are Edible Dried Flowers?

Edible dried flowers are flowers that have been harvested and dehydrated to preserve their colour, aroma, and flavour. Unlike fresh flowers, which can wilt quickly and may carry pesticides, edible dried flowers offer a longer shelf life and safe culinary use.

Edible dried flowers have also been used for centuries in herbal medicine, teas, and cuisine. And they are now trending again as we are all looking for more natural ways of decorating sweets, enhance artisan baking, craft cocktails, and even elevate skincare.

Why Use Edible Dried Flowers?

Natural Aesthetic Appeal

Edible dried flowers add a beautiful, rustic, and romantic touch to cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other desserts. Their vivid colours and delicate textures create an organic look that’s impossible to replicate with artificial sprinkles and food colours.

Flavour and Fragrance

Each flower carries its own unique flavour profile from the subtle floral sweetness of rose petals to the slightly tangy taste of rosella. These can enhance the flavour complexity of cakes, teas, and beverages.

Eco Friendly and All Natural

Edible flowers are free from artificial colours or preservatives and are a great option for conscious consumers who want sustainable, plant based decorating choices.

Multi Use Versatility

Beyond cake decorating, edible flowers are ideal for use in herbal teas, homemade bath salts, candles, cocktails, chocolate, and more.

Many of the edible dried flowers have rich cultural histories and traditional uses around the world - not just in food, but in ceremonial, medicinal, and symbolic contexts. 

What About Freeze Dried Edible Flowers?

Traditional dried edible flowers are air dried or dehydrated slowly to preserve colour and structure. Freeze dried edible flowers undergo a different preservation process.

Freeze dried flowers are first placed in a freezer to rapidly freeze them. The frozen flowers are then placed in freeze drying machine, which creates vacuum chamber and low temperature. This vacuum environment allows the frozen water to transform directly into vapour without melting into liquid water which is then removed from the chamber by the freeze drier. This process gently dries the flowers, retaining their original shape, colour, and aroma.

Benefits of freeze drying edible flowers

Freeze drying preserves the flower's natural colour, shape, and flavour for extended period, making freeze dried flowers look almost like they are fresh. Freeze dried edible flowers are particularly stunning for showpiece cakes and luxury desserts where a more vibrant, lifelike finish is desired.

However, freeze dried flowers tend to be more fragile and expensive than simple dried options and are typically less shelf stable as they can absorb moisture a lot quicker.

Meet Our Edible Flower Range

We at Cakers Paradise offer a diverse selection of dried edible flowers, each carefully chosen for its culinary use, colour vibrancy, and natural beauty. Here's what’s in bloom in our store.

Cornflower 

Dried edible cornflower is perfect for sprinkling over cakes and cupcakes for a confetti like effect. The colour stays vibrant, even after baking or refrigeration. You can also stir it into tea blends or float in cocktails for a striking splash of colour.

Cornflower has mild anti inflammatory properties, supports digestion and has been used for centuries for soothing swollen and sore eyes. It is also very common in floral tea blends and natural skincare.

Calendula (Marigold)

Calendula, also known as marigold offers a cheerful yellow orange hue perfect for spring themed desserts or wedding cakes.

Marigold is traditionally used in teas and salves for its anti inflammatory properties, wound healing, soothing skin irritation and calming digestive issues. 

In Balinese Hindu culture, marigold flowers play a significant role in religious rituals and offerings. These vibrant yellow and orange flowers are symbols of purity and respect, and they are used to decorate temples and altars.

Rose Petals & Rose Buds

Dried edible rose petals and rose buds are a favourite for romantic cakes and Middle Eastern inspired desserts like Turkish delight or rosewater cupcakes. They are also super popular during Valentine's Day to add natural red and pink as a decorations on cakes and cupcakes.

Dried rose petals and also be used to infuse syrups, use in teas, or sprinkle in bath soaks for luxury skincare.

As rose petals do have very specific and strong flavour, you either love it or hate it.

Jasmine

Light and fragrant, jasmine pairs beautifully with green tea infused cake layers or lightly flavoured frosting. Jasmine petals and buds are also popular as wedding confetti or decorating wedding cakes due to their natural light colour.

Dried jasmine petals are excellent to infuse in tea especially when paired with white or green tea leaves. Jasmine tea is good for relaxing, stress relief, improving sleep and digestion. Jasmine can also be used in homemade perfumes.

Jasmine is Indonesia's national flower, symbolising purity and sacredness. It's used in wedding ceremonies, offerings, and hair adornments.

Rosella (Hibiscus)

Rosella is also known as hibiscus and its petals are showstopper on its own. Dried rosella petals have deep burgundy tones and a super tangy flavour. They are perfect to use on naked cakes or as a garnish on tarts.

Rosella is super rich in antioxidants and is commonly used in jams, syrups, or tea. It may lower cholesterol and blood pressure and aiding weight management.

Around the world hibiscus tea is brewed into tangy red drink for cooling the body.

Purple Pea Flower (Butterfly Pea Flower)

Purple pea flower has stunning deep blue or purple tones and looks stunning on naked cakes and vanilla cupcakes.

Purple pea flower has been poplar recently as a natural ingredient for cocktails due to it's ability to change colour depending on a pH of the drink. When mixed with liquid it naturally gives you vibrant blue liquid. Adding acidic ingredients like lemon juice, will cause the liquid to change to purple, violet or even magenta pink.

Dried purple pea flower petals are antioxidant rich. It also supports brain function and has anti aging properties. Tea made out of pea flower will reduce stress and promotes healthy skin and hair.

Single Flowers or Signature Mixes

We offer all of our dried edible flowers individually, so you can make your own combinations, depending on the event and colour scheme you're after. Or you can choose from our pre made dried flower mixes - 17 different varieties to choose from, so something for every taste and look.

All of our edible flower mixes are ideal for wedding and birthday cakes, high tea platters, cocktail bars and hamper boxes. You can also use them as a natural wedding confetti.

How to Use Edible Dried Flowers on Cakes

Edible dried flowers can be used on many different ways when decorating and flavouring cakes.

You can use the dried flower petals to sprinkle over fresh soft buttercream or you can use tweezers to place individual petals precisely where you need them to be. You can also use dried petals in and on rolled fondant.

For a slightly different look, you can mix the edible flower petals with edible sprinkles, edible gold leaf or sugar pearls to create different and unique look.

And don't forget to use the edible dried flowers to naturally flavour your cakes and cupcakes. You can let the petals steep in warm cream or milk and then use the flavoured liquid to make ganache or buttercream.

Other Creative Uses for Edible Dried Flowers

Tea Blends: Combine dried jasmine, rose, calendula, and cornflower for your own herbal and healthy tea.

Cocktail Garnish: Use petals to garnish gin and tonic, champagne, or craft cocktails. Give purple pea flower a go to amaze your party guests with a magical colour changing cocktail.

Chocolate Bark: Sprinkle petals over melted chocolate before setting for natural and organic look.

Homemade Candles or Bath Soaks: Add a handful of petals for a luxurious self care experience. Rose petals are super popular!

Ice Cubes: Freeze petals inside clear ice cubes for a stunning drink presentation and extra flavour.

Storage Tips

To keep your dried edible flowers vibrant and fresh make sure you keep them in cool dark place. Lot of the flowers can change colour when exposed to LED light leading to fading, darkening, or even a complete change in colour. Keep your dried flowers in airtight container and avoid humidity and moisture exposure as this can lead to mould growth.

So whether you're baking a wedding cake, crafting a handmade gift, or simply want to add a natural element to your desserts, edible dried flowers are a stunning, sustainable choice.

Browse our full range of edible dried flowers and mixes and turn your next baking project into a blooming masterpiece.