Lavender and Coconut Oil Bath BonBons

While I was harvesting my lavender and tying them into bundles for drying, I tried to decide what to do with it all this year. My post last summer on 5 Ways to Use Lavender included an ice cream recipe, lemon lavender shortbread, lavender wands, fresh herb wreath and a lavender sugar scrub.

So, I need at least three new idea’s for this year to add to my ever growing collection of Lavender goodness. Here’s one I came up with that is SO easy to make and oh so wonderful to enjoy…. grab a glass of wine, a good book and treat yourself with these luxurious Lavender and Coconut Oil Bath BonBons.

 

I grow an English Lavender called Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Munstead’ and another favorite of mine is ‘Hidcote’. When you hear the term culinary lavender, this refers to the kind of dried flowers you would buy from a spice or specialty food store. Do not use lavender buds you bought from crafts stores for cooking as they most likely contain chemicals etc. Also, if you just planted Lavender this year, it was probably treated with chemicals from the grower. You can harvest this lavender if you have flowers for other uses like crafts etc, wait at least a year to harvest for culinary and herbal medicinal uses.

 

 

Cut your lavender back to the second set of leaves when you harvest it. Most people use rubber bands or string to tie the bundles, I prefer to use pipe cleaners because the lavender shrinks as it dries and you can simply give the pipe cleaner another twist to tighten the bundle. Also, the tails make for perfect hangers.

 

 

Dry Lavender in a cool, dark, well ventilated space. Drying in the sun can fade the flowers and make the stems very brittle. It can take a couple of weeks for your lavender to dry completely, so be a little patient. It’s best to use fully dried buds for culinary purposes as fresh is very fragrant and can over power the recipe. I have mine hanging in the bedroom walk-in closet on a cheap Ikea tie hanger… it smells amazing and it also helps control moths.

 

 

Ok, on to this simple DIY recipe for making these luxurious Lavender and Coconut Oil bath bonbons. At first I was going to call them bath bombs… but the name didn’t seem to suit it. There is no soda in these as I wasn’t looking to create a fizzy bath product. They just melt away making the water feel silky and smooth, so Bonbons definitely describe these little relaxing morsels of Lavender bliss.

 

 

Place about 1 1/2 cups of Organic Coconut Oil into a heat proof jar. Add about 1 Tablespoon of Dried Lavender Buds and you can add 4-6 drops of an essential oil for added scent if you wish. I have a lovely lavender and verbena blend that I added to mine.

 

 

Screw on a tight lid and place in a crock pot with water set on low where the water covers at least half of the jar. Let it sit in there for about 4-6 hours to really infuse the lavender. Check the water level frequently if you had to leave the lid off the crock pot to fit your jar.

 

 

Strain the buds out and pour the oil into a wide bowl, place in the fridge when it’s cooled down somewhat to speed up the process of solidifying. If you do decide to refrigerate it, you’ll need to let it sit a bit to soften up before scooping. 

 

 

I used a melon baller utensil for making perfect little balls. Just drop this directly on to a plate with loose lavender buds and pull the flowers up around the ball before you start to roll it.

 

 

Coconut oil melts very fast in your hands so don’t try to form the balls that way, once you have a coating of buds on them, then you can roll it quickly between your hands with little melting.

 

 

Store the bonbons in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. If your house is warm, store in the fridge. Otherwise, keep in a cool place.

 

 

When it’s time to enjoy a heavenly bath, simply drop in a bath bonbon ( or two ) with your running water and it will slowly dissolve away. If you want to really up the luxury, add a couple of cups of milk or a few handfuls of powered milk to your bath water.

 

 

These Lavender and Coconut Bath Bonbons are so easy to make and so wonderful to enjoy you’ll want to keep a batch on hand at all times… AND they are great for gift giving too!

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Peace Love Garden