How to Make Herbal Electuaries + 2 Recipes to Get You Started

As far as homemade herbal preparations go, it doesn’t get much easier than herbal electuaries. This beginner-friendly herbal concoction is quick to make and use in a variety of ways, and you may already have the ingredients sitting in the kitchen to whip up your own blends right away!

What is an herbal electuary, anyway?

Herbal electuaries are simply powdered herbs mixed with honey to form a thick paste. That’s it! There is no strict ratio of herbs to honey because it all comes down to personal preference. 

A tasty preparation, an herbal electuary is a great way to enjoy the benefits of herbs in a sweet, nutrient-packed treat. Read on to learn about the basic steps for making your own herbal electuaries, herb suggestions to explore, and two recipe ideas to get you started.

Basic Steps to Making Herbal Electuaries

Herbal electuaries are fun to experiment with because there’s no need for a formal recipe, and they are a format that is quite forgiving! We suggest starting with a small quantity of honey and herbs while you find the consistency that works best for you. If the mixture is too thick and herb-dense for your liking, simply add more honey. Too sweet or thin? Mix in some more powdered herb! Here are the basic steps to making an herbal electuary. 

1. Powder dried herbs in a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or high-powered blender.
2. Add powdered herbs to a sanitized, dry bowl.
3. Add just enough warmed honey to make a paste to your preferred thickness. If honey is crystallized, you may need to gently warm it to be able to mix. Stir until honey and herbs are thoroughly mixed.
4. Transfer the herbed honey into a clean, dry sanitized jar (ideally dark-colored jars to protect from light) and cap tightly.
5. Label and store electuary in a cool, dark place or refrigerator.

Herbal electuaries have a shelf life of up to 1 year when refrigerated. This type of herbal preparation is appropriate for children because it can help make the taste of herbs more palatable, as long as the herb it is made with is safe for children. Do not give honey to children under 1 year old.

Herbs Commonly Used in Herbal Electuaries

Whether you opt to make a single-herb electuary or choose several complementary herbs to mix in combination, here are some herbs typically used in herbal electuary blends:

Anise (Pimpinella anisum) seed
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) root
Burdock (Arctium lappa) root
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) seed
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) bark
Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) root
Elecampane (Inula helenium) root
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) root
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) berry
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) aerial parts
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushroom (use extract powder)
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) root
Rose (Rosa spp.) flower
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) berry
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) root
Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) aerial parts
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome

If you are unsure how to pick herbs to use in an herbal electuary, we suggest mixing in one herb at a time, to start. If you plan to blend more than one herb into honey, think about your goals for the preparation. Choose complementary herbs with your intended function in mind. Some ideal electuary combinations may include:

Adaptogenic electuary: ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root, reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushroom, and tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) leaf
Respiratory tonic electuary: mullein (Verbascum thapsus) leaf, astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) root, and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root
Carminative electuary: ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) bark, and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed

See two of our team-favorite herbal electuary recipes below!

What to Do With Herbal Electuaries 

Herbal electuaries are delicious herbal preparations that are easy to enjoy in just about any way you can dream up. Try these ideas for using herbal electuaries throughout your day.

• Blend into morning smoothies for a concentrated herbal boost
• Spread on toast, crackers, or biscuits, or serve some different blends up on your next charcuterie board
• Stir an electuary directly into an herbal infusion
• Drop a spoonful into your favorite moon milk, turmeric latte, or hot cacao recipe
• Use thin consistency herbal electuaries in recipes that call for honey 
• Roll thick herbal electuaries into rolled pills (pastilles) and coat in more powdered herb for storage
• Bottle them up and give as an easy DIY herbal gift 
• Eat them right off the spoon!

There are no limits to what you can do with herbal electuaries! 

In Closing,

Get started with herbal electuaries today—they are one of the easiest ways to enjoy herbs! Explore more kitchen herbalist recipes in Herbal Academy’s Intermediate Herbal Course, which features herbal preparations that are easily integrated into everyday meals, including herbal vinegars, herbal oils, and even more herbal honeys.