Easy DIY Lollipops With Edible Flowers

The concept of edible flowers has always delighted me. As a teenager, I was completely obsessed with faeries, so the idea of flower-covered cupcakes or lavender-flavored bubble gum was totally captivating. While the novelty has worn off a bit over the years, I still have a special place in my heart for delicate edible blossoms. Seeing their beauty encased in a sweet, sugary treat brings back all of those warm fuzzy faerie feelings. Tea party anyone?

This project uses a super easy and virtually mess-free method for making lollipops. No need for candy thermometers or stovetop heroics—this recipe uses your oven and a silicone mold to slump hard candy into a pretty lollipop shape. I used peppermint candies since they were the only clear ones I could find. The flavor actually ended up being perfect! The pops were light and sweet, which matched the delicate vibe of the project really well. I also experimented with colored candies, but I found that the clear candy did the best job of highlighting the natural beauty of the flowers I was using.

Speaking of the flowers—it’s really important to make sure to use only edible flowers for this project. While all flowers are pretty, plenty of them are also poisonous! Choose wisely. I used this guide to pick the flowers for my lollipops. You can purchase pressed flowers online, but since there are a ton of edible flowers that can be grown in the garden, pressing your own flowers is one way to make this project even more special. I used daisies, pansies, columbine, marigold, lavender, rose petals, and tiny flowers from my cilantro plant that had gone to seed. Dried edible teas and herbs, like chamomile, mint leaves, jasmine tea, or lemon verbena would work really well too.

Supplies:
–clear peppermint hard candies
–dried pressed flowers
–silicone lollipop mold
–lollipop sticks
–cello treat bags with twist ties

Step One: Preheat oven to 250°F. Place silicone mold on baking sheet and add one flower (face down) in each cavity.

Step Two: Place lollipop sticks in each cavity.

Step Three: Place one or two peppermint candies in each cavity. If you are unsure of how much candy your mold will hold, try melting one candy first, then adding a second and melting a second time. I figured out that these molds worked best with two or three candies.

Step Four: Place the baking sheet and mold in the oven and bake for 30-60 minutes, or until the hard candy has melted completely. If necessary, rotate the lollipop sticks to make sure they are completely coated with melted candy. Allow the lollipops to cool and harden completely before gently popping them out of their molds. (This should take less than 30 minutes.) Cooled lollipops should be enjoyed right away or packaged in cello bags to keep them from getting too sticky.

These beautiful lollipops make great party favors for spring and summer showers, weddings, and birthday celebrations. Try adding a hand-lettered tag to the packaging to personalize the project for your next event. I hope you’ll have fun experimenting with different flowers and candy flavors! xo. Mary Helen

ps- We can’t wait to add these to our Pinterest board! We’re loving all the edible flower pins that are trending right now.

Credits // Author and Photography: Mary Helen Leonard. Photos edited with the NEW A Beautiful Mess Lightroom Actions.