“But like all good rebels, the dandelions are irrepressible.”
—Guido Masé, herbalist and author of The Wild Medicine Solution
Herbalists love to love dandelions. Not only do they grow abundantly all over the world, every single part of the plant offers us either food or medicine (or even a free wish).
While I adore dandelion leaf pesto and consider dandelion flower wine to be a delicious burst of flavored sunshine, I would have to say that drinking dandelion tea with roasted dandelion root is my favorite way to enjoy this plant.
Besides being yummy, dandelion root is full of nutrients and minerals, and herbalists frequently use it for a myriad of health benefits. Here’s a look at some of the specific ways dandelion root is beneficial.
PRE-biotics
Dandelion roots are high in a starchy substance called inulin. Humans can’t digest inulin, but you eat it it passes to the colon where it provides foods and nutrients for healthy gut flora. Many pro-biotic formulas now boast that they also contain pre-biotics like inulin. With dandelion roots you can avoid pills and let your food be your medicine.
Liver Health
Herbalists have long relied on the simple dandelion root for improved liver health. Because our livers are involved in many physiological functions, this means that dandelion can be used for a lot of different ailments.
Here are some examples:
- To support healthy hormone levels (poor liver health is associated with imbalanced hormones).
- To address skin inflammation (poor metabolic pathways can lead to inflammatory conditions in the body that can show up as acne, eczema, etc).
- To improve digestion (a healthy liver produces bile which is stored and then released from the gallbladder to digest fats).
Numerous studies have shown that dandelion improves liver health in animals; I would love to see well-designed human clinical trials further validating this use.
Cancer
Folk herbalists have long used dandelion root to support the health of people who have cancer. Scientists are now looking into this and there are a handful of in vitro studies showing promising results. 1 2 3
Dandelions Are Wallet-Friendly
Another benefit of dandelion is its cost. To make this recipe you can buy roasted dandelion roots from apothecaries (they are fairly cheap). You can also buy raw roots and then roast them yourself.
However, if you’d like to take advantage of dandelions you have growing near you, here’s a step-by-step guide to harvesting and roasting your own.
Step by Step Guide to Harvesting and Roasting Dandelion Root
- Know how to properly identify a dandelion. There are lookalikes! You can read more about how to identify a dandelion in this article.
- Locate dandelion plants in an area where it is safe to harvest. (i.e., hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, doesn’t see a lot of pet traffic, etc).
- Carefully harvest the roots, ideally in the fall months. You’ll quickly learn to gently ease the roots from the earth, otherwise they will readily snap off. (Luckily for us as well as the dandelion, the plant will continue to grow even if it breaks off prematurely.)
- Gently wash the roots, leaving as much of the root sheath on as possible.
- Finely mince the roots and dry them thoroughly. (If you live in a humid environment you may need to use a dehydrator.)
- Once thoroughly dried, roast them in a dry cast iron pan on medium high heat, stirring frequently. You’ll know they are done when they turn a darker shade of brown and have a rich aromatic smell. Avoid burning them. You can also roast them in the oven at 350 degrees, checking on them frequently to stir and keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
- Once roasted you can store them in a dark, airtight container for up to a year.
Also a word about butter…
This recipe makes a foamy creamy dandelion tea with the aid of butter. To get the most benefits from butter, I recommend buying organic pasture-raised butter. While butter used to be vilified as heart-clogging unhealthy fat, we now know that high-quality butter is a good source of important fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins (A, K2) that can actually aid heart health. If you don’t eat butter, you can get similar effects by using ghee or coconut oil instead.
You can also omit the butter entirely and enjoy roasted dandelion root by itself; however, using the butter will give this dandelion tea a creamy taste with a foam top that is sooooo delicious.
Creamy Roasted Dandelion Root Tea Recipe
This is a lovely rich beverage that is perfect during the colder months. The addition of butter makes this a creamy and foamy drink, similar to a latte. The combination of dandelion root and high quality butter offers many potential benefits for the liver and heart.
What you’ll need…
- 2 tablespoons finely cut, dried and roasted dandelion roots (15 grams)
- 16 ounces water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Place the dandelion roots and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Strain. Reserve the liquid and compost the roots.
- Place the butter and dandelion root tea in a blender. Blend on high for 10 seconds (taking any necessary precautions when blending a hot liquid – such as partially removing the lid to allow for steam to escape).
- Pour into a cup and drink immediately.
Yield: 1 serving
Hello everyone! This is a delicious recipe! Don’t forget to download the recipe card above! Enjoy!
Could coconut oil be used in place of the butter or would I be missing out on some of the nutritional goodness? A drop or two of honey or maple syrup may make this more palatable for my wee ones. Thanks, Rosalee and John, for this recipe.
It says in the article that coconut oil can be used.
Oops! I guess I overlooked that. Thank you for pointing that out to me, Nickie. God bless.
Umm, Diana! I guess I’d better read MUCH more carefully.
I love that you add butter. I find that many herbalists are vegan, so this is refreshing to see the benefits of plant medicine and animal medicine combined. Thank you!
as always the recipe is tasty and your presentation incredible………………..
Sounds great!
I just tinctured mine this weekend, using 100 proof vodka. Will store for 6 weeks before decanting (separating the plant from the liquid) and use the tincture (the liquid) as a digestive aid.
Oh this is yummy. Love it this way.
Sounds wonderful surely will try thank you
I am new to this and would like to make the tea. However I need some guidance in roasting the roots. Please explain at what temp and for how long?
Did you see the step by step instructions in the article? If you have further questions please let me know.
Dear John, Thank you for thinking of my liver by drinking the Roasted Dandelion Root Tea Recipe which you sent.
Please have someone from business office to contact me ASAP thanks
John I dont know if you know this or not, I live in central coastal Florida. Dandelions do not grow here. Hard to believe but true….
this was delightful! added a smidgen of maple syrup and vanilla and served it with supper. Kids/teens/hubby inhaled it, ended up making another double batch. This will be a regular at our table – thank you
I juice and use the leaves for salad but haven’t tried the tea yet. However, I know from experience of digging them out of the lawn that the best way to get the root is with an old fashioned potato peeler, corer.
Incredibly beautiful recipe, must try. Also, love, love, love the dandelion cup! Where can I get this cup to go with my dandelion tea?
I bought that from Just Mare on Etsy. She does great work!
I think this is a little misleading as the inulin turns to sugar when the roots are roasted. Can you put the constituents/ health benefits of the roasted plant up?
Inulin content is slightly changed with cooking, but it is still present in the roasted plant.
Thank you all your help John and Rosalee .
I’ve tried the roasted dandelion root tea before , just amazing .
I’ll harvest some after the frost here in Uk and try your recipe .
You guys are very helpful .
Would it be healthier to make tea from raw dandelion root?
I don’t know of a way to quantify whether or not raw vs. roasted would be healthier. The raw root will be more bitter. The roasted root will be more warming (and long term use of raw dandelion root could be too cooling for some folks). Roasting it does not necessarily make it less healthy.
Hi Rosalee, Many thanks for this fantastic recipe and notes. I was wondering if you would get the same benefit it you blended the roots and water first before boiling as my blender is an upside down one and doesn’t like hot things. Many thanks again.
Unfortunately blending it beforehand wouldn’t work Beth. When you blend it at the end it blends the oils and water together to make a frothy drink. You can make roasted dandelion root tea without butter. You can have it straight up or add a bit of cream or milk. It won’t be frothy like this recipe but will still be delicious.
I tried the tea this morning. Wow!!! I Absolutely Loved It! The butter made it so good!
Glad you enjoyed it Cindi – thanks for coming back to share. :)
Wondering if they should be roasted with each use or can they be roasted then stored?
I just roast mine all at once and then store them. I am sure that freshly roasted may have a slightly different taste, but I just go with what’s simple.
Thank you