Getting Creative in the Kitchen with Wild Edible Violets This Spring

Violets are a beautiful and tasty treat that can be added as a garnish or to brighten up recipes, such as in a fresh violet drink. Here’s how you can incorporate violets into your cooking this Spring.

Reader Contribution by Kristy Severin
Published on April 3, 2019
article image
by Pixabay/KIMDAEJEUNG

Wild Violets (Viola Odorata) are a common “weed” found in most lawns, gardens and plant beds across North America.  They are seen by most as a tough, hard to kill invasive weed.  And although they have this bit of a bad reputation, you may learn to love violets after reading and learning how to use them in your kitchen for edible and medicinal purposes.

Violets are truly such beautiful flourishing plants that are native to North America and can provide for a lovely dish garnish and added nutritious snack.  The flowers and leaves of the plant are edible and can be used in salads, cooked, made into jellies, candied, and can even make a delicious violet simple syrup for baking or making sparkling drinks or cocktails.

person holding a violet flower above a white bowl full of violet flowers

This year, I took my kids outside for a “wild violet hunt” and we found hundreds of beautiful violets and made a delicious violet and blueberry cake.  We decorated the cake with our violets and it was a fun and delicious way to celebrate the beginning of Spring and the lovely flowers that are coming into bloom.

So, the next time you see a patch of wild violets, grab a few for a quick snack or take some time to celebrate and make a beautiful and fun violet and blueberry cake!

Wild Violet and Blueberry Cake (Vegan)

Recipe by: Kristy Severin

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup wild violets (save extras for decoration)
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup hot water mixed with 1/4 cup sugar (dissolved)
• 2 Tablespoons Nut Milk or Soy milk
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 3 Tablespoons Aquafaba (bean juice)

Icing ingredients:  

• 3/4 cup room temperature vegan butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon nut milk or soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees and coat cake pan with coconut oil or non stick spray
  2. Mix dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, wild violets
  3. In a blender, blend blueberries and hot sugar water.  Add remaining wet ingredients.
  4. Slowly pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until all blended together.
  5. Pour mixture into cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked all of the way through.
  6. While cake is baking, prepare icing.
  7. Whisk all icing ingredients together with electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
  8. Once cake is fully cooled, ice and decorate with wild violets!  Enjoy!

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-456-6018
Free health and natural beauty tips from Mother Earth News!