Lilac Scented Sugar

Don't you wish you could hold on to that beautiful scent of lilacs just a little longer? Here's a way! Infuse sugar with fresh lilac blooms, and bring that beautiful floral note to treats and drinks.

White sugar topped with lilac flowers of light purple color, and a small spoon.

When it's that late-spring time of year here the air is permeated with the breathtaking, floral scent of lilacs. The shrubs are so unassuming the rest of the year that I forget they're growing in almost every yard, along most fences, and line so many streets. I forget, that is, until they burst forth in shades of pink and purple (and a few white ones, too.)

Light purple lilac flowers on shrub outside.

The scent is so intoxicating; perhaps like me you try to find as many ways as you can of enjoying lilacs before the blooms fade away. Armloads of sprigs come inside, placed in large and small vases throughout the house. A few times a day I try to find my way past a lilac shrub to breathe it in.

Purple lilac flowers submerged in white sugar.

Well, here is one more way to enjoy the beautiful flowers a little beyond their short bloom time - by infusing sugar with fresh sprigs of lilac.

White sugar sparkling in the light, and topped with purple lilac flowers and a small spoon.

Why you'll love it

It only takes one day to infuse the sugar with lilac flavor. It's a wonderful treat to enjoy!

And it only has two ingredients: sugar and lilacs. If you don't have shrubs in your own yard, beg a few sprigs from a neighbor or look for shrubs on your next walk.

White lilac scented sugar in a glass dish with lilac blooms and fresh blackberries.

Here are ways to use your Lilac Scented Sugar:

Sprinkle it over fresh berries or slices of fresh fruit like melon or peaches.
Add a spoonful to your hot or iced tea
Stir it into cocktails.
Dip the rims of glasses into water, then in lilac sugar to create a sweet accent to your drink.
Sprinkle it over fruit salad
When your muffins or quick bread are hot from the oven, sprinkle lilac sugar over the tops.
Another sprinkling - this time over hot, buttered toast!

A sugar canister behind a glass bowl of sugar and a scoop, plus purple lilac flowers.

🔪 How to make Lilac Scented Sugar

Step 1: Gather lilacs

Three sprigs of purple lilacs held in a hand.

Pick three sprigs of lilac from your shrub. Give them a gentle shake and a once-over to get rid of bugs and dried up leaves.

Step 2: Layer the lilacs and sugar

Glass bowl of white sugar next to purple lilacs.

Sprigs of purple lilac laying over white sugar in a bowl.

Glass bowl holding white sugar and purple lilac flowers.

Add the lilacs and sugar to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal it up, and allow the sugar to infuse for 1 day.

Step 3: Remove the flowers and enjoy!

Shriveled purple lilac blooms in a glass bowl of white sugar.

Discard the lilacs—they have nothing left to give now, because it's all in the sugar!

Blue checked tablecloth under a glass bowl of white sugar and purple lilac blooms.

Notes:

Choose vibrant lilac blooms that have just opened and that aren't yet turning brown. A few unopened buds is okay. You will get the best flavor from sprigs that have just bloomed.
Lilac blooms grow in cone-shaped clusters. You want three of these clusters for this recipe.
I don't recommend washing the blooms because you don't want excess moisture going into the sugar. So be sure to use lilacs that have not been sprayed or treated, and check the blooms thoroughly for dirt and critters. If you feel more comfortable with washed flowers, make sure they dry completely and quickly before adding them to the sugar.

FAQ

How long does it take to make lilac sugar?

The sugar is infused with beautiful flavor after 24 hours. UPDATE: In my testing, keeping the flowers in the sugar for longer starts to give the sugar an off taste from the flowers losing their vigor. So plan on removing the flowers after one day.

Blue and white linen around a glass bowl of white sugar, and purple lilacs scattered around.

The recipe is below. Add a sprinkle of Lilac Scented Sugar to one of these sweet treats:

💬 Have you made your own Lilac Scented Sugar? Leave a comment below.

📖 Recipe

Glass dish holding lilac infused white sugar with lilac blooms acroos top.

Lilac Scented Sugar

Nancy Mock

Don't you wish you could hold on to that beautiful scent of lilacs just a little longer? Here's a way! Infuse sugar with fresh lilac blooms to bring that beautiful floral flavor to treats.

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Prep Time 10

Infusing Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Course Dessert, Drinks, Spice

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 sprigs dry Lilac flowers: this looks like three 4-inch to 5-inch conical sprigs of lilac flowers.
1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Gently shake your lilac sprigs to dislodge any bugs or critters that may be hiding. Check your lilac sprigs closely and pick off any dried up leaves or shriveled petals.
Have ready a small lidded dish with enough room for the sugar and lilac sprigs.
Pour ½ cup of the sugar into the dish. Lay the lilac sprigs over the sugar, pressing them gently to tuck them into the dish. Then pour the other ½ cup of sugar over the lilacs. Tightly seal the dish and leave it on the counter out of direct sunlight for 24 hours.
Remove the lilac sprigs from the sugar - you will see that they look a little shriveled and that the sugar is a little clumpy. This is because the moisture (and delicious scent) from the flowers has been absorbed by the sugar.
Discard the lilacs and keep the sugar stored in the tightly covered container. You can gently shake it or stir through the sugar with a spoon to break up the clumps.
Makes 1 cup of infused sugar. Keep the sugar stored tightly at room temperature away from direct sunlight for up to 1 month.

Notes

Choose vibrant lilac blooms that have just opened and that aren't yet turning brown. A few unopened buds is okay. You will get the best flavor from sprigs that have just bloomed.
Lilac blooms grow in cone-shaped clusters. You want three of these clusters for this recipe.
I don't recommend washing the blooms because you don't want excess moisture going into the sugar. So be sure to use lilacs that have not been sprayed or treated, and check the blooms thoroughly for dirt and critters. If you feel more comfortable with washed flowers, make sure they dry completely and quickly before adding them to the sugar.