Our favourite elderflower recipes
Elderflower cordial (or a liqueur) can add a summery touch to desserts and cocktails.
If you're planning to pick elderflowers for elderflower cordial then elderflower season is fairly brief. According to the Woodland Trust, elderflower, recognisable by blooms of small, creamy white flowers in clusters, lasts from mid May to mid June.
Despite blooming at the end of spring, the light, sweet, floral taste of elderflower is a summery mainstay and the perfect flavour for cocktails and desserts.
Luckily, you don't have to go foraging as elderflower cordials and liqueurs, such as St Germain, are easily available all year round.
Elderflower cordial transforms any cocktail into a summer sensation. Just three ingredients, gin, elderflower cordial and pureed cucumber, are needed for our elderflower cooler. It's incredibly refreshing and a seasonal change from a gin and tonic.
Of course, for G&T fans, our elderflower gin and tonic adds elderflower cordial to the mix. And if you really want to forage, you can make your own elderflower cordial when flowers are in season. It's much easier than you might imagine.
Jellies and ice creams are given a lift with the addition of elderflower. A no-churn ice cream is a great time saver and our elderflower no-churn ice cream uses St Germain and has raspberry coulis swirled through for extra sweetness.
For a summer show-stopper, you can't beat our lemon and elderflower celebration cake. It would be perfect for a small wedding and was in fact inspired by the wedding cake the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had. It's a four-layer lemon sponge, soaked in elderflower cordial and Prosecco, and iced with an elderflower-scented buttercream.
Elderflower and fruit jelly - best elderflower recipes 2022
Our elderflower and fruit jelly is a refreshing low-fat dessert recipe - perfect for a summer dinner party
Recipe: Elderflower and fruit jelly
Gin, Elderflower and Cucumber Cooler - best elderflower recipes 2022
This refreshing summer cocktail uses elderflower cordial and is sure to become a seasonal favourite
Elderflower-poached berries - best elderflower recipes 2022
Soak your favourite berries in elderflower cordial to achieve a floral summer flavour.
Recipe: Elderflower-poached berries
Elderflower and raspberry jellies - best elderflower recipes 2022
These elderflower and raspberry jellies can be kept for up to a month - a perfect dinner party solution that can be planned ahead!
Apple and Elderflower Fizz - best elderflower recipes 2022
A refreshing and sophisticated tipple to toast an evening with party guests - this summery cocktail is made with elderflower liquer and sparkling wine.
Recipe: Apple and Elderflower Fizz
No-churn Elderflower Ice Cream - best elderflower recipes 2022
This delicious elderflower ice cream recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare before freezing.
Recipe: No-churn Elderflower Ice Cream
Gooseberry and elderflower jam - best elderflower recipes 2022
If you are learning how to make jam, this gooseberry and elderflower recipe is a great place to start.
Recipe: Gooseberry and elderflower jam
Raspberry and Elderflower Jelly - best elderflower recipes 2022
Not only beautiful to look at, this fresh and fruity elderflower jelly is also fat-free and light on sugar.
Recipe: Raspberry and Elderflower Jelly
Lemon and Elderflower celebration cake - best elderflower recipes 2022
This four-layer lemon sponge is soaked in elderflower cordial and Prosecco, and iced with an elderflower-scented foolproof Swiss meringue buttercream.
Elderflower gin and tonic - best elderflower recipes 2022
Add a dash of elderflower cordial to rustle up a really special G&T, which looks beautiful served with floral ice cubes. If you can’t find edible flowers for the ice cubes, small mint leaves would look pretty, too
Recipe: Elderflower gin and tonic
Elderflower and gin granita - best elderflower recipes 2022
Finish your meal off beautifully with this boozy treat - our triple-tested Elderflower and gin granita.
Recipe: Elderflower and gin granita
Cucumber, Elderflower and Mint Sorbet - best elderflower recipes 2022
The egg white in this elderflower sorbet recipe helps create a smoother, less icy sorbet. Make sure to use a British Lion stamped egg.
Elderflower cordial - best elderflower recipes 2022
Here's how to make delicious elderflower cordial, and just in time for your summer parties!
Recipe: Elderflower cordial
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
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