Herbs + dessert = absolute heaven. Besides, when you harvest your own herbs, it offsets some of the calories…right? These 3 sweet herb recipes are always family favorites. They’re healthy options that are easy to prepare ahead — perfect for satisfying late-night cravings.
Mint Peach Granita
![peach granita sweet herbs recipes](https://i0.wp.com/blog.gardenuity.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-874428766.jpg?resize=870%2C580&ssl=1)
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from water and sugar. This one adds sweet peaches and fresh mint to make a crystalline dessert worth snacking on all night.
INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ cup of water
- 14 fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 4 peaches, peeled and pitted
- Mint leaves, for garnish
HOW-TO
- Place sugar, mint, and water in a saucepan on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Slice peaches into thin slices and add to saucepan. Cook another minute and remove from heat.
- Puree mix in a blender. If needed, press through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on solids and discarding them. Let cool.
- Freeze mixture in a 1 ½ to 2-quart shallow non-reactive metal container, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes until evenly frozen — about 2-3 hours. Scrape with a fork to lighten the texture and crush any lumps.
- Spoon into glasses or bowls, garnish with mint leaves, and serve!
Lavender Infused Banana Bread Muffins
![lavender banana bread muffins](https://i0.wp.com/blog.gardenuity.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/muffins-2858392_1920.jpg?resize=870%2C580&ssl=1)
Banana bread is something I crave often. These lavender muffin versions are absolutely delicious, a little sweeter, and perfect for light night snacks (or morning breakfasts!) With the light lavender flavor, this subtly sweet herb recipe will become a regular. We substituted yogurt to create a better texture and added coconut shavings for an extra touch of sweet flavor.
INGREDIENTS
For muffins:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 6 oz plain, whole-milk yogurt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3 slightly overripe bananas, lightly mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp dried lavender
- Coconut shavings, to garnish.
For the lavender syrup:
- ½ cup of water
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 Tbsp lavender
HOW-TO
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin tins with liners.
- Cook 2 Tbsp of dried lavender in a pan on high until it begins to release scent — about one minute. Set aside ½ Tbsp of cooked lavender. Turn heat down to medium heat, add butter to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain infused butter through a sieve.
- In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. Add infused butter and fold in mashed bananas and ½ tsp of cooked lavender. Gradually fold in flour mix and pour batter into a bread pan.
- Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean — about 45 minutes.
- While muffins are cooking, make lavender syrup. In a small saucepan on medium heat, make a simple syrup with ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water. Whisk to dissolve sugar. Once dissolved, add remaining tsp of lavender. When muffins are done, pour simple syrup over muffins. Garnish with coconut shavings.
Chocolate Orange Basil Brownies
![chocolate orange basil brownies](https://i0.wp.com/blog.gardenuity.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/fudge-brownies-1235430_1920.jpg?resize=870%2C520&ssl=1)
In our book, chocolate is a girl’s best friend. And it pairs oh-so-beautifully with orange and basil. Fresh basil shines in this sweet herb recipes and creates a complex flavor you won’t be able to resist.
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup raw walnuts, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil, tightly packed
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 drops oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
HOW-TO
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8 brownie tin with parchment paper.
- Place walnuts and basil in a food processor and pulse until a crumbled mixture forms. Set aside.
- In a medium glass bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate at 50% power until the butter has melted — about 3 for 4 minutes. Whisk until chocolate has melted. Then stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange oil, salt, and the walnut basil mixture. Gradually add flour and stir until just combined.
- Spread batter into the prepared brownie pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.
These sweet herb recipes aren’t the only ways to use your herbs. Check out these herbal water alternatives!