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Dandelion jelly might sound a little unusual, but it’s one of the most fun and rewarding recipes you can make at home.
If you’ve never tried it before, you’re in for a surprise—it has a light, sweet flavor that tastes very similar to honey.
Tap to jump right to recipe.This is one of my favorite easy jelly recipes for beginners, and it’s a great way to turn something simple from your yard into a beautiful homemade treat.
Canning Expertise: Rachel Paxton is a certified Master Home Food Preserver with over 25 years of hands-on experience in safe home canning and food preservation.
If you enjoy preserving seasonal ingredients, be sure to browse all of my canning recipes here and my full collection of jam and jelly recipes.
If you’re new to canning, be sure to read my water bath canning for beginners guide and see the canning supplies you need here before getting started.
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The Amish Canning Cookbook: Plain and Simple Living at Its Homemade BestDIY Pickling: Step-By-Step Recipes for Fermented, Fresh, and Quick Pickles
Why You’ll Love This Dandelion Jelly
- Tastes similar to honey
- Made from simple, natural ingredients
- Perfect beginner-friendly recipe
- A fun way to use wild edible plants
- Great for gifting or pantry storage
Ingredients for Dandelion Jelly
- 2 c. dandelion flowers
- 4 c. sugar
- 1 pkg. or 6 tbsp. powdered pectin
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. butter
How to Make Dandelion Jelly
Step 1: Prepare the Dandelions
Harvest fresh dandelion flowers on a sunny day.
Make sure they are:
- Free from pesticides or sprays
- Clean and fully open
Remove as much of the green base as possible to avoid bitterness.
Step 2: Make Dandelion Tea
Place the dandelion petals in a bowl and pour 4 cups of boiling water over them.
Let cool, then refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days).
Step 3: Strain the Liquid
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
You should have a clear, golden liquid.
Measure exactly 4 cups of liquid, adding water if needed.
Step 4: Cook the Jelly
Pour the liquid into a large pot.
- Stir in lemon juice
- Add powdered pectin
- Bring to a rolling boil
Boil for 1 minute.
Add butter (optional), then add sugar all at once.
Return to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and skim off foam.
How to Can Dandelion Jelly
If you’re new to canning, read my water bath canning for beginners guide before starting.
Step 1: Prepare Jars
Wash jars, lids, and rings and keep them hot until ready to use.
Step 2: Fill the Jars
- Ladle hot jelly into jars
- Leave 1/4 inch headspace
- Wipe rims clean
Step 3: Seal the Jars
Place lids and rings on jars and tighten finger tight.
Step 4: Process in Water Bath
- Place jars in boiling water canner
- Ensure water covers jars by 1–2 inches
- Bring to a boil
- Process for 5 minutes
Remove jars and let cool undisturbed. When they have cooled, test the jar seals
Yield and Storage
- Makes about 3 pints or 6 half-pints
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for 1–2 years
- Refrigerate unsealed jars and use within a few weeks
Important Canning Tips
- Always use pesticide-free flowers
- Don’t skip the lemon juice (needed for acidity)
- Let jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours
- Jelly may take 1–2 days to fully set
What to Do if Your Jelly Doesn’t Set
Jelly doesn’t always set right away—give it at least 24–48 hours.
If it’s still runny, follow my full guide on what to do if your jelly doesn’t set to fix it.
More Jelly & Canning Recipes to Try
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You can also browse all of my canning recipes here for more ideas.
Ready to make it? Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full step-by-step instructions. Print it, save it, or come back to it anytime.
- 2 cups dandelion flowers
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 package powdered pectin
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp butter optional
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Pour boiling water over dandelions; steep overnight.
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Strain and measure 4 cups liquid.
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Add lemon juice and pectin; bring to boil.
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Boil 1 minute.
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Add sugar; boil 1 minute.
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Fill jars (1/4″ headspace).
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Process 5 minutes in water bath.
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Yield: 3 pints or 6 half-pints
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I just tried this recipe today and my jelly didn’t thicken. I followed the instructions. Are there different types of PECTIN? I just bought what our grocery store had but after my jelly failed to thicken I looked at the pectin and it said for freezer jams and jellies. I’m guessing I made a rookie mistake. It looks really pretty but too watery. Thanks for any help you can provide.
You could try adding some White flesh from the inside of Lemon or Orange peels. I get the impression that is the same as pectin.
Or just chop some peel and boil them with the flowers to extract the pectin, then use the juice as normal.
Is this fresh dandelions or do they need to be dried? Do I have to separate the petals from the greens or just remove the stems? Thanks, I can’t wait to try this!!!
Andrea
HI my name is Franny and I have made your Dandelion jelly for the last 2 years,.. yumm
I am stumped I made 12 4oz jellie, the last 3 didn’t seal so I put new lids on and re bathed
They sealed, but I was shocked to see 1/2 solid jelly and some liquid that was on top inside,..but sealed
I opened up 2 of them and threw away, but the 3rd one o saved so I could message you
please can you give me a suggestion why this happened and if the jelly is ok
I am new to jelly making. I erroneously used one pack of liquid pectin. The result was a an awesome honey. Had the smell, taste and consistency of honey. I canned it and made another batch with the powdered pectin, which jelled up perfectly.
I guess it’s possible. It might have to do with how long you soaked the dandelion flowers or even the color of them. I think the quality of the lemon juice can also affect how the color turns out. That is kind of strange though. You could always use a drop of yellow food coloring if you want. That’s what I would do 🙂
Hi! I’m not exactly sure, but I’m guessing you could use half the measurement called for in the recipe. The measurement doesn’t have to be exact…you are going to remove the petals anyway. They just add the flavor. You probably should err on the side of putting in too much rather than too little to get the most flavor.
Should this be clear as in not yellow at all?
I’ve already picked my petals off. Do you have any idea the measurement for just the petals?
Yes! You can totally leave out the butter. It is just to help reduce foaming. You can just remove the foam with a spoon before canning.
Can you do this without the butter? I have children with dairy allergies but I would love to make this jelly….
Hi! That’s a very good question. I did some reading on fine jam sugar, and while I think you could use it to make homemade jam without the added pectin, I’m not sure your jelly would set correctly. The jam sugar will help your jam to set, but not to the same consistency that store bought pectin would. You can make your own pectin from apples, but again I don’t think it would be enough pectin to make your jelly set. With jams it doesn’t matter as much because they will thicken more on their own, but jelly is a bit more tricky to get it to gel correctly. So to answer your question, no, I don’t think you could replace the pectin with the fine jam sugar for this recipe.
This is an awesome recipe, can’t wait to try it out!
Only one issue.. I’m in middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands and really struggling to find pectine, can however fine jam sugar (added pectin), any idea how to replace the two?
Thank you 🙂
Sorry about that! I’ve added it to the recipe directions.
Um, I can’t find the lemon juice in the instructions.