Substitute for Lavender

Lavender is used dried, in small amounts, for scent. It perfumes a dough or cream rather than changing its texture, so the swap only has to replace the aroma. That aroma is strong and turns soapy when overdone, while most stand-ins are milder, so they usually go in at the same or a larger volume. The swap depends on whether the dish is sweet or savory.

Baking

Shortbread, scones, madeleines and lemon-lavender loaf take dried buds ground into the sugar. Earl Grey tea gives the nearest floral-citrus perfume and handles oven heat well; grind the leaves to a powder so they disappear into the crumb. Lemon zest is the simplest option and stays bright in a glazed cake, though the floral note is gone. If fresh lavender is growing nearby, fresh buds at three times the volume behave like dried once ground into sugar.

Infused creams, syrups and drinks

Panna cotta, ice cream, crème brûlée, lemonade and simple syrups get their lavender by steeping, then straining. Any of the dried flowers and leaves can be treated the same way. Steep chamomile at double the amount for a softer honeyed flavor, or Earl Grey for something closer to lavender. Steep off the heat, covered, and taste after 10 minutes; long steeping pulls bitterness from all of them.

Savory dishes and spice blends

Some versions of herbes de Provence, especially those sold outside France, include lavender with thyme, rosemary and savory. Roast lamb, chicken and potatoes seasoned with lavender also lean on that herby side. Dried rosemary fills the gap in these blends; increase the thyme slightly if the mix tastes too piney.

When not to substitute

Lavender honey, lavender sugar and lavender lemonade exist for the flavor itself. A substitute produces a different recipe, so use fresh or dried culinary lavender or skip the dish.

Ornamental lavender of unknown variety and treatment is not a substitute for culinary lavender either. Garden plants may have been sprayed, and many decorative types are lavandins with a harsh, camphor-heavy taste.

Common mistakes

• Leaving whole buds in a dough. Biting into one is bitter; grind them with the sugar or infuse and strain.
• Swapping fresh rosemary into a dessert. Its piney note clashes with sugar and cream where lavender would not.
• Steeping too long or too hot. Boiling cream with lavender or tea leaves for long draws out tannins and a bitter, medicinal edge.
• Using lavender extract or oil like dried buds. Concentrates are drastically stronger; measure them by the drop.