Lavender tea bread is an ideal snack to serve with your afternoon tea or enjoy with breakfast.
This easy to bake quick bread is lightly infused with floral flavor for a delicate and delicious treat.
Use this lavender bread recipe as an amazing gift and a great way to share your homegrown herbs with loved ones.
The Lavender
Obviously, lavender is the main flavor and star here. And most folks will tell you to use culinary lavender. If you have lavender growing in your home herb or flower garden – give it a taste – if it’s not bitter feel free to use and not worry about labeling it ‘culinary’.
If you don’t have it growing, look to buy it from a local herb or lavender farm, if at possible.
Your local health food store will likely have it in bulk if you can’t find a farm.
If you have fresh lavender and want to make your own lavender sugar for this recipe, here’s how to make lavender sugar — it keeps well and is worth having on hand for spring baking.
Adjusting the Floral Strength
The recipe as written has a light floral flavor but there are a few ways to increase the lavender flavor, if desired:
- Double the amount of lavender in the recipe
- Leave the lavender buds rather than strain them out.
- If you have lavender sugar use that instead of plain granulated sugar
Troubleshooting
My bread tastes too soapy or bitter. This is the most common lavender bread complaint and almost always means too much lavender or the wrong variety. Make sure you’re using culinary lavender or a home-grown variety you’ve tasted first. If the flavor is too strong, reduce the lavender by half next time — a light floral note is the goal, not an overwhelming one.
My bread is gummy or underbaked in the center. Quick breads can be deceiving — the outside browns before the center is done. Make sure your toothpick comes out completely clean, not just slightly sticky. If the top is browning too fast before the center is done, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. An internal temperature of around 200 degrees Fahrenheit confirms it’s fully baked.
My bread didn’t rise well and is very flat. Check that your baking powder is fresh — it loses potency over time and is the sole leavener in this recipe. To test it, drop a teaspoon into hot water. If it bubbles vigorously it’s still active. Also make sure you’re not overmixing the batter — stir just until combined, a few lumps are fine.
The lavender flavor is barely detectable. Try one of the options in the Adjusting the Floral Strength section above — leaving some buds in rather than straining them all out makes a noticeable difference. Lavender sugar is also worth trying if you have it or can make it.
To Glaze or Not?
A simple sugar glaze on this bread is quite lovely and helps it retain moisture. It isn’t required at all but if you’d like too:
Plain vanilla glaze will work. A lemon glaze is also delightful — my lemon glaze recipe is written specifically for quick breads and muffins and works beautifully here. Chocolate would also work for something quite decadent.
Skip the glaze and keep it plain or sprinkle slices with just a bit of powdered sugar before serving.
Lavender Lemon Bread Option
Lavender and lemon are an amazing flavor combination and there are some easy options to get that in this sweet bread recipe:
- Use the lemon glaze to keep it super simple
- Add a tablespoon of lemon zest to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- A half teaspoon of lemon extract can be used instead of the zest and mixed into the egg
How to Serve
This easy bread is perfect for serving as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee. Make it a bit fancy and serve with some berry jam or lemon curd.
Tuck slices into lunch boxes for a lovely treat.
It’s great for breakfast or brunch too with some eggs.
It can easily serve as a simple dessert, consider topping it with some raspberry sauce or whipped cream.
How to Gift
This an easy and homemade gift to share.
Bake mini loaf pans so that you cans share it more widely (watch the baking time).
Consider giving loaves as simple gifts for mother’s day or house warming gifts.
Tuck loaves into gift baskets with a bouquet of fresh lavender flowers and some homemade jam for an extra special treat or get well gift.
How to Store
Leftovers will keep nicely in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer term storage, place into freezer bags or wrap with plastic wrap and freeze.
Thaw frozen bread at room temperature prior to serving. Use up any frozen loaves within 6 months for best flavor.
It does freeze well, so don’t hesitate to make a double batch and freeze one for later.
Lavender Bread Recipe
Delight your taste buds with this simple lavender bread recipe full of lightly sweet floral flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cups Milk
- 1/4 Cup Salted Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Lavender Buds (6 Tablespoons Fresh Lavender)
- 2 1/2 Cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- Lemon Glaze, Optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine milk, butter, and lavender buds.
- Heat just until the milk begins to bubble around the edge. Do not boil.
- Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let steep 15 minutes.
- Using a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl, strain the lavender buds from the warm milk mixture. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add the egg and sugar to the lavender milk mixture and whisk until completely combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Pour batter into the greased loaf pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Drizzle glaze on top of cooled loaf, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 172mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g
I try but cannot guarantee this nutritional information is 100% accurate.
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