A Dozen Rose-Infused Recipes to Serve on Valentine’s Day

Rose Water Marshmallows
Photo: © John Kernick

Sure, you can buy a bouquet of roses for Valentine’s Day and call it a night—but cooking with roses is a creative (and very aesthetically-pleasing, might we add) way to mix things up. In this roundup, you’ll find rose recipes for any time of the day. Stuffed peppers with flowery honey for hors d'oeuvres? Check. Vodka rose punch and creamy rose panna cotta for dessert? You got it. Some use rosewater, while others use rose petals—all in all, we ended up with a solid dozen. It just felt right, given the theme.

01 of 12

Ricotta Crêpes with Honey, Walnuts and Rose

Ricotta Crêpes with Honey, Walnuts and Rose

These crepes are light and delicate, and scattered rose petals on top add an extra special touch.

02 of 12

Cardamom Rosewater Iced Tea

Cardamom Rosewater Iced Tea
© Adrian Gaut

Additions of toasted cardamom and rosewater instantly elevate your average iced tea.

03 of 12

Vodka-Rose Punch

Vodka-Rose Punch

It only takes 10 minutes to make Padma Lakshmi’s Vodka-Rose Punch, which combines club soda, rose syrup, fresh mint leaves, and more. The end result is a gorgeous pink drink.

04 of 12

Rose Martinis

Rose Martinis
© PETRINA TINSLAY

Rose water and rose petals add a floral twist to the traditional martini.

05 of 12

Stuffed Baby Peppers with Yogurt and Floral Honey

Stuffed Baby Peppers with Yogurt and Floral Honey. Photo © David Malosh
© David Malosh

If you don’t think roses and pepper would go together, think again. Lavender-rose honey is the perfect finishing touch to these yogurt-stuffed peppers.

06 of 12

Rosewater-and-Saffron Ice Cream (Bastani Irani)

Rosewater-and-Saffron Ice Cream (Bastani Irani)
© Con Poulos

This incredibly fragrant ice cream is a show-stopper, visually and in taste. Make sure to get the dried roses for the garnish.

07 of 12

Creamy Rose Panna Cotta

Creamy Rose Panna Cotta
ANNA WILLIAMS

A twist on traditional panna cotta that uses Italian rose syrup (found in specialty food stores) and vanilla bean to create a light, delicate dessert.

08 of 12

Apple-Rose Cake

Apple-Rose Cake
Kristin Teig

This apple-rose cake does triple duty—it has ground rose petals and rose water inside, and it’s shaped like a rose.

09 of 12

Strawberry, Rhubarb and Rose Fool

Strawberry, Rhubarb and Rose Fool
© John Kernick

If you want to play on Valentine’s Day colors, look no further than this strawberry, rhubarb, and rose fool, which has a beautiful red and white contrast.

10 of 12

Sweet Semolina Cake with Rose Water

Sweet Semolina Cake with Rose Water
© Con Poulos

This semolina cake, infused with rose water and topped with a rose water syrup, is best served with whipped cream and a cup of tea.

11 of 12

Persian Love Cake

Persian Love Cake
Matt Russell

You can make this cake within an hour—but, with the pretty combination of pistachios, rose petals, and bright white icing on top, you’ll look like you’ve been working all day.

12 of 12

Candied Rose Petals

Rose Water Marshmallows
© John Kernick

Candied rose petals add an elegant touch to any dessert (and they only take one step to make.)

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