Meghan Markle’s Flower Sprinkles Are a Beautiful Way to Bring Winter Blooms to the Table – and They’re So Easy to DIY
Inspired by Meghan Markle’s flower sprinkles, learn how to grow, dry, and use edible winter flowers to add color and flavor to cold-season dishes.
Meghan Markle has always been obsessed with flower sprinkles, as we’ve seen from her recent hit show on Netflix, With Love, Meghan. She puts them on every kind of food – from scrambled eggs to donuts to crêpes – and sells them through her lifestyle brand, As Ever. It’s a reminder that even in winter, flowers can delight more than just the eyes.
At the Time100 Summit last spring, Meghan was interviewed by Time CEO Jessica Sibley and spoke about the infamous flower sprinkles (via Newsweek). She said, "It's like a little fairy, if I could just be tossing them around all the time. The obsession that has come with flower sprinkles I was not expecting.”
She continued, "Of all the things to be talking about for Time100, let's talk about flower sprinkles. But let's, because I think it speaks to the tiny moments of joy that are so effortless and just create a little bit of magic that we are all craving in our everyday.”
In winter, it may feel like everything is dormant and gray – especially in the garden. But, with a little forethought (and creativity), you can grow, preserve, and enjoy edible flowers all season long. Here’s how to bring blooms from your garden to your table with color and flavor that goes far beyond decoration.
Grow or Source Cold-Hardy Edible Flowers
While many summer-blooming annual flowers won’t survive frost, some edible flowers and petals actually love cooler weather, or you can harvest and preserve the flowers before winter.
The best cold-hardy options are pansies and violas. These tiny little flowers pack a punch when it comes to color in winter, and they can even handle light frost – perfect for winter containers.
Alternatively, these flowers can be started in late winter for harvesting in spring:
- Calendula (pot marigold): These bright orange and yellow petals will add a sunny pop of color to your dishes; they will look especially nice on eggs, toast, or another breakfast dish.
- Chamomile: These are small daisy-like flowers that can be dried for tea.
- Borage: Flowers and young leaves of this herb have a cucumber-like flavor.
- Bachelor buttons: Beautiful, true blue flowers with a mild clove taste.
- Bee balm: The flowers of this hardy perennial have a fresh minty/citrusy flavor.
If you have limited space, container plants make it easier to control soil and warmth. These grow bags from Amazon give your plants room to expand while also allowing good drainage and airflow; ideal for cold-season herbs and edible flowers.
You can even start your edible flowers from seeds indoors and move them outside when the weather allows. To do this, you can use a small indoor grow light to avoid leggy seedlings. This one from Walmart is great, as you can put right into your plant pot, it’s height-adjustable, and comes with an auto-timer.
Summer Flowers to Grow for Sprinkles
Collect and dry these summer flowers before cold weather arrives and preserve the petals to use throughout the season. Drying the petals locks in the color and flavor, turning summer’s harvest into a winter garnish.
In addition to the early-season flowers above, these summer flowers can be dried for sprinkles:
How to Dry Petals
- Harvest in the morning (after the dew is dried up but before the heat sets in)
- Rinse gently and gently pat them dry
- Spread petals on a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Dry in the oven on a low temperature (about 100–120°F) or use a dehydrator until they’re fully dry
If you want to regularly dry flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits, then it's worth investing in a dehydrator. The Magic Mill Food Dehydrator Machine, available on Amazon, is a popular, budget-friendly choice.
Once your flowers have completely dried and they’re nice and crisp, you’ll need to store them. Use in an airtight jar and place that in a cool, dark place like a pantry or garage. Your edible flower sprinkles will stay vibrant, in color and flavor, for several months.
Using Edible Flower Petals in Winter Foods and Drinks
Once the work is done, then starts the fun! Meghan Markle told the Time100 Summit, "The level of charm that you find people have when they see these tiny little dried petals is something I can't wrap my head around, but I appreciate that there is a love for the detail and the small level of delight that can be added.”
Try edible petals in:
- Winter salads: Throw in some pansies or calendula with greens like kale and endive.
- Baked goods: On With Love, Meghan, the Duchess throws flower sprinkles on donuts with white icing, which looks simply lovely. But you can also add it on lemon bread, scones, or even muffins before baking them.
- Teas and infusions: Chamomile and lavender petals make for very soothing winter teas, especially before bedtime.
- Cocktails: Cocktail glasses look seriously beautiful with flower sprinkles used as a garnish.
- Yogurt and oatmeal bowls: Add beauty and a hint of floral nuance with flower sprinkles on your yogurt and oatmeal bowls, or even a smoothie bowl.
Like Meghan’s flower sprinkles, these petals are meant to be playful yet delicious. Just be sure to use flowers that were grown without chemical pesticides and are actually edible (not all flowers are!)
A Garden That Feeds the Senses Year-Round
Meghan Markle’s flower sprinkles are a reminder that you should think beyond flowers as decor, seeing edible blooms as not only for looks but function. With a handful of flower sprinkles, a simple way to preserve the petals and a bit of culinary creativity, you can bring a beautiful addition to every meal.
