Drying & Dehydrating

How to Dry Dandelion Flowers

May 5, 2026•Traci Cornelius

Dandelions are one of those plants that seem to appear everywhere and yet we so often overlook just how useful they are.

This year I dried another batch of flowers but for the first time, I used the dehydrator setting on my air fryer rather than leaving them to dry naturally.

Honestly, the difference in time was enormous.

Natural drying works and I have used it plenty of times but it can take weeks depending on the temperature and humidity in the house. Using the air fryer dehydrator setting meant I could get the flowers properly dried and stored away in a fraction of the time.

And when you have gathered a decent amount, that makes a huge difference.

Why dry dandelion flowers?

Drying means you can make use of the flowers long after their short spring flush has disappeared.

Fresh dandelions are wonderful while they are available but once dried they can be stored for teas, herbal blends and other homemade makes throughout the year.

They are also far more interesting nutritionally than their reputation as a garden weed would suggest.

Dandelions contain a wide range of naturally occurring plant compounds. The flowers are particularly rich in carotenoids and polyphenols, including compounds with antioxidant activity.

Across the dandelion plant you will also find nutrients such as:

vitamin A precursors including beta-carotene
vitamin C
vitamin K, particularly in the leaves
folate
potassium
calcium
iron
magnesium

The flowers themselves are especially valued for their colourful carotenoid pigments and other antioxidant plant compounds.

Preparing dandelion flowers for drying

Only gather dandelions from somewhere you are confident has not been sprayed with pesticides, weedkiller or other chemicals.

I also avoid busy roadsides and places where dogs are regularly walked.

Choose fresh, fully opened flowers and give them a good check for insects before bringing them inside. Dandelions are incredibly popular with bees and other insects so I only ever take a proportion of what is available.

You can dry the whole flower head or remove more of the green base depending on how you plan to use them.

Then comes the interesting part: how to dry them.

Method 1: Air fryer dehydrator setting

This has become my favourite method purely because of the time it saves.

Spread the dandelion flowers across the dehydrator in a single layer, making sure air can circulate around them.

Use the lowest dehydrating temperature available on your machine. Something around 40–50°C works well for flowers and herbs, mine has an actual dehydrator setting.

Dry until the flowers are completely crisp and there is no softness or moisture left in the centres.

The exact time will depend on your air fryer, how large the flowers are and how much moisture they contain, so I would check them regularly rather than relying entirely on a set time.

Mine were finished far more quickly than naturally dried flowers, which saved literally weeks.

Once completely dry, allow them to cool before putting them into a jar.

Method 2: Drying naturally

This is the method I used before having the dehydrator option and it absolutely works. It simply requires patience.

Spread the flowers in a single layer on a clean tray, drying rack or piece of breathable cloth, I always used kitchen towel.

Keep them somewhere:

warm
dry
out of direct sunlight
with good airflow

Turn or move them occasionally so that air reaches all sides.

Depending on your house and the weather, this can take several days to a few weeks.

The important thing is not to rush them into storage. Any remaining moisture can encourage mould in the jar, so they need to be completely dry before being packed away.

Method 3: Drying dandelions in the oven

You can also use the oven, although this is probably my least favourite method.

Spread the flowers over a baking tray and put them into the oven at the lowest temperature possible.

Leave the oven door slightly open so moisture can escape.

The problem I find with this method is that domestic ovens are not particularly good at maintaining the very low temperatures we ideally want for drying herbs and flowers.

It can also take a surprisingly long time and the temperature tends to fluctuate far more than it does in a dehydrator.

It works if it is your only option but personally I would choose natural drying over the oven if I did not have a dehydrator setting available.

If you have a dehydrator

Even better.

A dedicated dehydrator gives you excellent control over both temperature and airflow and is ideal for herbs and flowers.

Again, arrange the dandelions in a single layer and use a low temperature of roughly 40–50°C.

Dry until completely crisp before cooling and storing.

Storing dried dandelion flowers

Once the flowers are completely dry and cool, store them in a clean airtight glass jar.

Keep the jar somewhere cool, dry and away from direct sunlight.

I also label mine with the contents and the year they were harvested. That makes rotating dried herbs and flowers much easier and means I always know which batch I am using.

If you ever see condensation inside the jar, the flowers were not dry enough and need to come back out immediately.

How to use dried dandelion flowers

Probably the easiest way to use them is in tea.

Add a small handful of dried flowers to a teapot or infuser, cover with freshly boiled water and leave them to steep for around 5–10 minutes.

The flavour is mild and slightly earthy and they blend beautifully with other dried herbs and flowers.

You can try combining them with things such as:

dried rose petals
chamomile
mint
lemon balm
nettle
ginger
a little honey and lemon

They can also be added to homemade herbal blends or used anywhere you would normally use dried edible flowers.

Dandelions are useful in far more ways than tea

Drying the flowers is only one way of using them.

When they are abundant I also make Dandelion Honey, a beautiful golden syrup made from the flower heads, lemon and sugar.

You can find my [Dandelion Honey recipe and method] here.

The more I learn about plants such as dandelions, the harder it becomes to look at them as weeds. They are food, flowers for pollinators and a useful ingredient all growing right under our feet.

If you dry some…

If you try drying dandelions this year, I would love to know which method you use.

The air fryer dehydrator setting has definitely changed the process for me because taking something that previously took weeks and reducing it to hours makes preserving a much more realistic part of everyday life.

Leave a comment below and let me know how you use your dried flowers too. I am always interested in finding another way to use what is already growing around us.