Fall is coming, and it’s my favorite time of the year. I don’t know about you, but there’s just something I love about wearing cozy clothing, watching the leaves change color, and curling up with a good book and a hot beverage. Hot chocolate is my go-to drink, and after doing some exploration of fall seasonal produce, I came up with this fun and luxurious recipe for lavender hot chocolate. I hope you like it as much as I do!

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Wait, lavender is edible?

If you weren’t already aware that lavender is edible, then you are in good company. When thinking of plants to cook with, it’s not the most common food item that comes to mind. It is, in fact, a perennial herb traditionally used for medicinal, perfume, and culinary purposes. And in the kitchen, it has a variety of (delicious) uses:

• It makes a great addition to sweet dishes and desserts like pies, tarts, creme brûlée, shortbread cookies, ice cream, macarons, scones, and other pastries
• It can be used in drinks (as a simple syrup) such as lemonade, soda, and mojitos
• It pairs well with chicken dishes, citrus, dairy (butter and cheese), grilled fruits and veggies (peaches, plums, blueberries, eggplant, tomatoes), lamb, and other herbs
• In the US, it’s part of the seasoning called “Herbes de Provence,” which is a blend of different herbs from the Provencal region of France. It usually includes lavender, rosemary, oregano, and thyme.

Lavender hot chocolate: the recipe

Isn’t it fun how long it takes to find the actual recipe on a food blog, lol? In case you’ve ever wondered why, here’s a blog post I found by a food blogger that explains it.

Lavender hot chocolate

Ingredients

• 3 cups of whole milk (or nondairy milk of your choice)
• 1 1⁄2 Tbsp culinary grade lavender
• 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (use semisweet for a sweeter taste)
• Hot chocolate toppings of your choice (e.g. whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings)

To make the lavender-infused milk:

1. Bring the milk and lavender to a simmer over medium heat, being careful not to overheat or scald the milk.
2. Once the milk is fully simmering, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. 10 minutes will provide a more subtle lavender flavor, while 20 minutes will give it a stronger flavor.
3. Once the infusion is completed, strain the milk into a clean container. A large mason jar or glass measuring cup works well for this.

To make the hot chocolate:

1. Add the lavender-infused milk to a saucepan along with the chocolate, broken into chunks.
2. Heat over medium-high heat until the chocolate is melted, whisking to incorporate.
3. Pour into mugs and serve with your favorite hot chocolate toppings.

Recipe notes

• It’s important to note that the longer you infuse the lavender, the stronger the flavor will be. I infused mine for about 20 minutes and it gave quite a strong flavor. If you’d like your flavor to be more subtle, try infusing it for just 5-10 minutes to start.
• No semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bars? You can substitute chocolate chips instead.

What are some other ways to use lavender-infused milk?

When making the lavender hot chocolate for the first time, I made a smaller batch and used only two cups of the milk. This left me with one cup to play around with. Using this Chamomile and Maple Porridge recipe as inspiration, I decide to make some lavender oatmeal. It was packed with lavender flavor, and I believe it would be very soothing on a cold morning.

Want more fall-themed recipes?

If you’d like to grab this recipe and learn about fall produce, check out my Fall Seasonal Produce Guide, created in collaboration with The Global Harvest RD. It has information and recipes for six fall produce items: pumpkin, pears, lavender, sweet potatoes, cranberry, and Brussels sprouts.

You can also check out the Meal Planning & Recipes area of my website for more recipe ideas.

References

1. Food Print Real Food Encyclopedia, Lavender
2. Featured image credit: Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash