Using Pansies in the Kitchen
Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) aren't just a cheerful addition to garden beds and window boxes. They're also one of the most popular edible flowers in home cooking! With their delicate, slightly grassy, wintergreen-like flavor and vivid range of colors, pansies bring both visual charm and a subtle taste to a wide variety of dishes and drinks. The tastiest and most tender part of the plant are the petals so remove the small green sepal at the base of each flower before eating. Wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel and use them within a couple of days for the best texture and color.
Fresh and Raw Uses
Salad garnish. This is the simplest and most common use. Whole pansies or torn petals scattered over a green salad, fruit salad, or grain bowl add a pop of color and a mild, fresh flavor.
Cake and dessert decoration. Fresh pansy blooms are pressed directly onto frosted cakes, cupcakes, and tarts for a natural, garden-fresh look that's become especially popular for spring and summer celebrations.
Sandwiches. Petals layered into tea sandwiches add color and a light flavor note, especially nice for afternoon tea spreads or bridal and baby showers.
Herb butter and cream cheese. Whole flowers or petals can be pressed into softened butter or cream cheese, creating a decorative spread that's as pretty as it is tasty on crackers or fresh bread.
Floating garnishes for drinks. Pansies floated on top of cocktails, lemonade, iced tea, or champagne make for an easy, elegant presentation with very little effort.
Ice cubes. Freezing individual blooms into ice cubes creates a beautiful effect for punch bowls, pitchers of water, or cocktails. The flowers stay suspended and vivid as the ice melts.
Candied and Preserved Uses
Candied (crystallized) pansies. Petals or whole flowers can be brushed with beaten egg white, dusted with superfine sugar, and left to dry until crisp. The result is a delicate, shelf-stable decoration perfect for topping cakes, cupcakes, and cookies, and it can be made well ahead of time for special occasions.
Flower jellies. Similar to violet jelly, pansy petals can be steeped to extract their color and subtle flavor, then used as the base for a delicate floral jelly. Serve alongside scones or cheese boards.
