Lavender Honey Crunch Cookies Recipe

I had to share my Lavender Honey Crunch Cookies as a playful entry in Infused Cookies, where floral lavender meets honey in a clever twist you’ll want to read about.

I keep finding excuses to bake these Lavender Honey Crunch Cookies. The first bite is floral and slightly crisp, with honey sneaking up like a friendly secret.

I used dried culinary lavender buds, and the floral note is actually bold enough to make you pause, but not weirdly perfumey. They’re the kind of thing I bring to a picnic and watch people tilt their heads wondering what that flower taste is.

Somewhere between Infused Cookies and Dessert Recipes With Honey, they feel unexpected, a little grown up and oddly addictive. Try them with tea or pack a few as a small surprise.

Ingredients

• Butter: Adds rich mouthfeel, mostly fat, helps tender crumb, gives buttery flavor.
• Honey: Intense natural sweetness, mostly sugars, adds moisture n floral notes.
• Flour: Main carbohydrate source, gives structure, low protein compared to other flours.
• Lavender: Tiny buds add perfume and floral bitterness, negligible calories but aromatic antioxidants.
• Almonds: Toasted almonds give crunch, provide protein, fiber and heart healthy fats.
• Turbinado sugar: Coarse crystals add crunch and sparkle, pure sucrose, no nutritional win.
• Lemon zest: Bright lemon zest lifts flavor, adds citrus oils and a little vitamin C.
• Egg: Egg binds dough, adds protein and moisture, helps brown and set cookies.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds flavors, masks any bitterness, tiny calories, big aroma boost.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 1/4 cup turbinado or coarse sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional

How to Make this

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone and set aside.

2. In a large bowl cream 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup honey, 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until combined, scraping the bowl.

3. In another bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir in 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds and 1 teaspoon lemon zest if using. For a more even floral note gently bruise the lavender with the back of a spoon or pulse briefly in a spice grinder.

4. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture on low speed or by hand, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Don’t overmix or the cookies will get tough.

5. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds until evenly distributed.

6. Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. This firms the dough so the cookies spread less and stay crunchy.

7. Place 1/4 cup turbinado or coarse sugar in a small bowl. Scoop dough by tablespoonfuls, roll each ball in the coarse sugar to coat, and place on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each ball slightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass.

8. Bake on the center rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers look set. Rotate the pan halfway through if you have hot spots.

9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and get crunchy.

10. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can freeze shaped dough balls for up to 1 month and bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Baking sheets and parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Large mixing bowl plus a medium bowl you’ll use for the dry ingredients
4. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon for creaming butter and sugar
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Whisk for the dry mix
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding in the almonds
8. Cookie scoop or tablespoon, and a small bowl for the turbinado sugar
9. Wire cooling rack and some fridge space to chill the dough
10. Optional: spice grinder or mortar and pestle to bruise the lavender

FAQ

Lavender Honey Crunch Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter: swap with equal parts salted butter, just cut the recipe salt by about 1/4 tsp; or use a 1:1 vegan stick butter for dairy free baking, it might spread a little more; coconut oil can be used 1:1 too, but chill the dough 15 to 30 minutes since it melts sooner.
• Honey: replace with pure maple syrup or agave nectar at a 1:1 ratio, flavor will be a bit different and the dough may be slightly looser so chill briefly; or use light brown sugar (about 1/3 cup packed) for less stickiness and more caramel notes.
• Chopped toasted almonds: swap for chopped pistachios, chopped pecans or walnuts for similar crunch; for a nut free option use toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas, same amount.
• Dried culinary lavender buds: if you don’t have it, use 1 to 2 tsp lemon zest for bright citrus notes, or about 1 tsp finely crushed dried rosemary for an herbal floral vibe, or 2 tsp dried chamomile for a milder floral taste.

Pro Tips

1) Make sure your butter is soft but not melted. Beat the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy and scrape the bowl often. Once you add the flour, stop as soon as the dough looks mixed, dont overwork it or the cookies will get tough.

2) Use culinary grade lavender and be gentle with it. Pulse it briefly or bruise the buds with the back of a spoon instead of grinding them to dust or you risk a soapy bitter note. For a more even floral flavor, warm the honey a little and steep the lavender in it for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain and use that honey.

3) Toast the almonds until they smell nutty and golden, then let them cool completely before folding in, otherwise they can make the dough oily. Chop them unevenly so you get both little crumbs and big crunchy bites, and toss the chopped nuts with a spoon of flour so they dont all sink to the bottom.

4) Chill the dough longer if you want thicker, crunchier cookies try at least an hour or overnight. If you freeze the shaped dough balls you can bake from frozen, just add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. And always watch for golden edges not a fully browned top, that visual is what tells you theyre done.