Lemon Balm Recipes: Tea, Syrup, Pesto, Ice Cubes, and Cookies

Lemon Balm Recipes

A lemon balm plant that’s taking over the bed gives you plenty of leaves to cook with. It’s a flavoring herb: Illinois Extension says it “can be used to flavor many different types of dishes.”

Bonnie Plants and the Herb Society of America (HSA) both say to add it near the end of cooking. Bonnie’s reason is that it can lose its flavor in cooking. For fresh versus dried, see below.

Each recipe comes from one named source, with its amounts. Our own additions are labeled. Giving it to a child, pregnant, or taking medicine? Read Before you eat or drink it first. For growing and harvesting, see our lemon balm guide.

What to do with lemon balm: the short list

The sources treat lemon balm as a lemony flavoring for drinks, sweets, and savory dishes from salads to stews.

• Illinois Extension: “It can be added to salads, stews, soups, fish, pork and egg dishes. It is also used in making jellies, teas and vinegars and to compliment [sic] fruit.”
• NC State Extension: the leaves “are edible, and are used to flavor tea or added to soups and salads.”
• HSA’s tips: make a simple syrup, infuse the leaves in cold drinking water, and “Steep in hot milk for custard-based dessert recipes and ice cream.” HSA also says, “The flowers are edible and can be used in salads and a garnish.”

Lemon balm tea, hot or iced

By the cup. Oregon State Extension’s Food Hero garden herbal tea works with any herb on its list, and lemon balm is on it. Its amounts for 1 cup:

1. Wash your hands, then rinse 2 to 4 tablespoons of fresh herbs (or use 1 to 2 tablespoons dried).
2. Put the herbs in a mug and pour boiling water over them to cover.
3. “Let sit for 10 minutes.”
4. Strain, and drink it warm or cold. Food Hero says, “Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.”

Hot water caution: The American Burn Association says, “Young children’s skin burns more quickly and deeply than adults’. Hot water, drinks, and kitchen items can cause serious scald burns,” and advises, “Keep hot drinks away from the table and counter edges” (American Burn Association).

Food Hero suggests blending “lemon balm and mint or rosemary.” It also cautions, “Use only tea ingredients that you know are safe to consume.”

By the pitcher. Bonnie Plants’ pitcher method, with whole stems and a longer steep, is in our lemon balm guide.

In iced black tea. HSA’s tip: “Add a handful to a pitcher of black iced tea, with or without a handful of spearmint.”

Making it for kids? See the children note first.

For our own blends, try the fresh peppermint and lemon balm brew or the no-heat mint and lemon balm cooler.

Lemon balm simple syrup

A syrup puts lemon balm into drinks and desserts. This one is Penn State Extension’s:

1. “Make a simple syrup of equal amounts of sugar and water.”
2. “When the syrup comes to a boil, add six 4-inch sprigs of lemon balm.”
3. “Steep for 30 minutes, strain, and store in the refrigerator.”

Hot syrup caution: The American Burn Association says, in its fact sheet on children’s scalds, “Hot water, drinks, and kitchen items can cause serious scald burns.” Its tip for the stove: “Place pots and pans on the back burners with handles turned inward.”

Penn State says the syrup “should be used within a few weeks.” It suggests adding it to cocktails or seltzer water, or pouring it over pound cake or fruit.

Keep it in the fridge, and don’t can it. An Ask Extension expert, answering a question about canning herbal syrups, said, “There are not any research based recipes for canning infused simple syrups.” The expert added that you’d need to refrigerate the syrup, “only keeping for a couple of weeks, or make fresh.”

For syrups from other herbs, see how to make any herbal syrup.

Lemon balm pesto

This pesto is a reader recipe by Amy W. Hill, published in Grit. It has no cheese.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups lemon balm leaves, washed
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• Coarse salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice or lemon zest

Before you start: Clemson Extension says ingredients for herb and garlic oils “must be washed well and dried completely” before they go into the oil.

Steps:

1. Put the leaves, garlic, nuts, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. A small one, like the Cuisinart 3-cup mini food processorad, handles the 3 cups of leaves in two batches (our advice).
2. Run the processor and drizzle in olive oil “until the mixture is the texture you like.”
3. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or some zest to taste.

Grit suggests it on grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp, or on crusty bread.

How long lemon balm pesto keeps

Garlic and herbs in oil belong in the fridge or the freezer.

Oregon State Extension explains that herbs and garlic in oil “can be a source of Clostridium botulinum bacteria,” which can grow in the oxygen-free oil. It says, “It is essential for all other flavored oils made at home, including pesto, to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for long term storage.” Oregon State also notes, “Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays.” Writing about basil pesto, it adds, “No research has been done on safe canning times for pesto.” Our advice: don’t can lemon balm pesto either.

Grit’s recipe says a week in the fridge. Oregon State’s food-safety guide says 4 days, so we follow Oregon State.

Label the jar with two dates: the day you made it, and a use-or-freeze date 4 days later.

Three more sources on herbs or garlic in oil:

• CDC: “Refrigerate homemade oils made with garlic or herbs. Throw the oils away after 4 days” (CDC).
• Clemson Extension: a shorter time. Clemson says that without acidification, oils may be flavored with herbs or garlic if “made for fresh use, stored in the refrigerator, and used within two to three days.” It also says to “Discard if left at room temperature for over two hours” (Clemson HGIC).
• Penn State Extension: stricter than the fridge times above. Its freezing guide says, “Oil should only be added to herbs if it will be frozen. Do not store herbs in oil at room temperature.” (Penn State)

Freeze lemon balm in ice cubes

You can freeze lemon balm leaves in ice cube trays. The two sources suggest different uses for the cubes: drinks or cooking.

Wash first. Wash your hands, then wash the leaves in a clean bowl, not the sink. The University of Saskatchewan (USask) explains why: “Herbs grown in the home garden may become contaminated by harmful pathogens from soil, contaminated water, animals or unfinished compost or manure.”

• “Wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water before washing your herbs.”
• “Don’t wash herbs in the kitchen sink – use a clean container instead to avoid contamination.”

For drinks (USask): “Pack about a tablespoon of chopped or whole leaves into ice cube tray compartments and fill with water.” Once they’re frozen, move the cubes to a freezer bag. USask says, “This works well for herbs you use in drinks like mint, lemon balm or stevia. Try the cubes in iced tea.” If you want a tray with a lid, these silicone ice cube trays with lidsad come in a 4-pack.

For cooking (Penn State Extension): Penn State lists lemon balm among herbs that freeze well. Half-fill the tray with water, add about 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs to each section, and top off the cubes the next day. Then bag, label, and date them, and add a cube to soups, sauces, or stews.

Penn State notes that frozen herbs turn limp: “They will generally not be attractive as garnishes.” It says frozen herbs “can be used in the same proportion as fresh herbs.”

USask says frozen herbs “keep in the freezer for 6 - 12 months.” That’s for frozen herbs in general, not lemon balm alone. Penn State gives no time.

Lemon balm vinegar

Illinois lists vinegars among lemon balm’s uses. Clemson Extension’s rule for herb vinegars is “three to four sprigs per pint (2 cups) of vinegar,” and it says, “For best flavor, use fresh herbs picked before blossoming.” Clemson doesn’t name lemon balm, but our vinegar guide lists it among the herbs that work.

Clemson’s rule for spoiled vinegar: “If a flavored vinegar ever has mold on or in it, or signs of fermentation (bubbling), cloudiness or sliminess, throw it away without tasting or using any of the vinegar for any purpose.”

For the full method and how long it keeps, follow our herbal vinegar guide.

Lemon balm in salads and with fruit

HSA says, “Add fresh leaves to complement fruit salads or beverages.” Bonnie Plants suggests the fresh leaves for fruit, green salads, and fish.

Neither gives an amount. Our addition: tear a few young leaves into a fruit or green salad just before you serve it. NC State says, “New leaves are more flavorful than mature ones.”

Lemon balm cookies

This recipe is from Mother Earth Gardener, and it uses a food processor.

Ingredients:

• About 1/4 cup coarsely chopped lemon balm leaves
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pulse 1 cup of the sugar with the lemon balm leaves until the leaves are well chopped.
3. Add the rest of the sugar and the butter, and process until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, “or until edges just begin to brown.”
6. Loosen them while still warm, and let them cool.

Don’t eat the raw dough. This dough has raw eggs and raw flour. The CDC says, “Uncooked flour and raw eggs can contain germs that can make you sick,” and “Tasting or eating raw (unbaked) dough or batter can put you at risk for food poisoning.”

Mother Earth Gardener says, “These cookies freeze well.” Baking for kids? See the children note first.

Fresh or dried lemon balm?

Use it fresh when you can. Illinois says “fresh lemon balm is superior to dried,” and Bonnie Plants says, “Lemon balm loses much of its flavor when dried.”

Have more than you can use? Dry the extra for tea: Food Hero’s cup takes 1 to 2 tablespoons dried. If a recipe calls for fresh and you have dried, our fresh-to-dried herb converter works out the swap. It’s for kitchen recipes only, not tea.

How long each recipe keeps

Harvesting lemon balm for the kitchen

To harvest lemon balm, cut whole stems before the plant blooms, and take about a third at a time. Cutting it back before it flowers keeps the leaves tasting better and stops most of the seedlings. Illinois says the plant “can also be cut back to about one-half its height to encourage fresh, vigorous new growth.” Our lemon balm guide covers how hard to cut it back. Starting from scratch? See Start Your First Medicinal Herb Garden.

Before you eat or drink it

These notes are about eating or drinking lemon balm, not growing it. The lines from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) come from its summary and monograph for licensed lemon balm medicines. Neither EMA page we read (the summary and the monograph) mentions lemon balm as a food flavoring.

Children: EMA’s summary says, “Melissa leaf should only be used in adults and children over the age of 12 years.” EMA’s monograph says, “The use in children under 12 years of age has not been established due to lack of adequate data.” Our advice: ask your pediatrician before giving lemon balm tea or other lemon balm recipes to a child.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: EMA’s monograph says, “Safety during pregnancy and lactation has not been established. In the absence of sufficient data, the use during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended. No fertility data available.” Its preclinical section adds, “Adequate tests on genotoxicity have not been performed. Tests on reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity have not been performed.”

Medicines: EMA’s monograph lists interactions with other medicines as “No data available.” That means no data, not no interactions. Our advice: if you take any medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.

Allergy: EMA’s monograph says not to use these medicines in case of “Hypersensitivity to the active substance.”

Driving: EMA’s monograph says, “May impair ability to drive and use machines. Affected patients should not drive or operate machinery.”

Thyroid: EMA’s monograph says, “Data from in vitro and animal studies indicate that the water extract of Melissa officinalis L., folium may inhibit the activity of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The clinical relevance of these findings is not known.” That’s lab and animal data, not studies in people. Our advice: if you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medicine, ask your doctor before using lemon balm regularly.

Pets: the ASPCA lists the lemon balm plant as “Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats, Non-Toxic to Horses.” That’s about the plant, not the other ingredients in these recipes.

The lemon balm guide’s safety notes cover side effects, breastfeeding data, and when to see a doctor.

Grow your own, then keep the extra

Cut it before it flowers, then dry the extra or make a syrup.

Related guides:

• Growing lemon balm
• How to dry herbs
• Herbal syrups
• Hot infusions and cold infusions
• Herbal vinegars
• Herbal tea garden
• All preparation method guides