Dandelion Fritters | Wild Table

Most people think of dandelions as a pesky weed you find growing just about everywhere. Few realize that these plants offer a variety of nutritional benefits.  These little plants offer a lot of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, reduce inflammation, manage blood pressure, and can help control blood sugar and lower cholesterol.  You can add dandelion greens to any salad or stir-fry or pick a bunch of these sunny yellow flowers and try this family favorite dandelion recipe – Dandelion Fritters!

Tips and Tricks

• It’s best to pick the flowers in the morning when they’re in full bloom.
• Leave ¼” of stem as the handle for the dandelion tops.
• Harvest only from non-chemically treated areas.  
• May and June are when blooms are most abundant, though they will bloom nearly year-round.
• This recipe calls for coconut oil which gives it an added, richer flavor; however, you can use any type of cooking oil you prefer.
• I like to add a little cayenne pepper to the batter for a little kick.
• For savory fritters add optional herbs like chives, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• For a sweet treat, add some cinnamon and sugar to the mix.  Drizzle syrup or honey on top.

Ingredients

• 20-40 Dandelion flower tops
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 c. flour (I used whole wheat flour) and 1/2 c. ground cornmeal 
• Coconut oil OR the oil of your choice – enough for 1/8-1/4″ in your skillet
• Keep the fritters warm in the oven to serve hot.

Directions

1. Rinse flowers in cool water and pat dry on a paper towel.
2. Heat your skillet and melt coconut oil for frying, just a little deeper than if you were making pancakes.
3. For the batter, combine egg, milk, and your flour in a bowl and mix to remove lumps. 
4. Prepare a skillet on the stove with coconut oil over medium heat. 
5. Holding one of the flowers by the greens at the base, twirl the flower into the batter until covered in batter.
6. Place it into the skillet, petals down, and continue until the skillet is full. Brown the first side, then flip over to brown the other side. The stems will collapse nicely until you have mini-dandelion pancakes. We like dandelion fritters crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When finished, serve hot.

Are you a field to table foodie? Check out more of our wild game recipes and foraging tips on our Wild Table blog!