Fermented Dandelion Root Beer Recipe
21. October 2026If you know me, you know I’m a nut for dandelions (see my previous posts about eating dandelions and using dandelion medicinally). I’m up for harvesting and using fresh spring dandelions in all kinds of recipes, usually to my husband’s chagrin. Every part of the dandelion is edible, even though many folks only eat the greens. Foragers know that the roots are a fantastic treat!
Dandelion roots are great as a coffee substitute. It’s a bit of effort to harvest, clean, and roast them, but it’s free “coffee” with a slight chocolatey taste. If you harvest the roots after the first hard freeze, they will be full of nutrients and be the sweetest. So while you can harvest the roots year round, you’ll get the most bang for your buck when harvesting in the late fall. If roots are harvested in the spring, any coffee substitute won’t be as strong tasting or nutritious.
But what if you don’t like coffee or caffeine-free coffee substitutes? Well, I’ve got the recipe for you! Old-Fashioned Fermented Dandelion “Root” Beer. Why easily roast dandelion roots into coffee when you can spend 4 days fermenting them, ha ha! Picture a tall, frosty mug of Barq’s or A&W on a hot summer afternoon and how amazingly cool and refreshing that experience is. This… is not exactly that.
This mixture is made by fermenting dandelion roots for a few days, then slow-boiling fresh roots that are strained and added to the bubbly starter. The starter is then strained and mixed with lemon juice, raw honey, & pure maple syrup. THE VERDICT: The starter STINKS to high heaven and the final fermented drink tastes like honey & maple syrup.
Since I’ve now enticed you, I know you’re simply begging to know the secret of how to construct your own mouth-watering libation. Well, no problem, I’m more than happy to share.
The recipe comes from Kristina Seleshanko’s (@Proverbs31Homestead) The Ultimate Dandelion Cookbook. I was going for a small “tasting” batch, so I modified it some. First you’ll need a fermented starter. It’s simple! You’ll need freshly harvested (and very clean) dandelion roots, sugar, and water. Then you’ll eventually add pure maple syrup, raw honey, and fresh lemon juice. So pretty simple ingredients + a bit of time is all that’s needed.
Dandelion “Root” Beer
Makes about 3-4 cups. Recipe can be doubled or tripled for a larger quantity.
Adapted from The Ultimate Dandelion Cookbook by Kristina Seleshanko
Dandelion Root Beer Starter
- 1 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of diced dandelion roots (fresh and scrubbed clean of all debris)
-
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
“Root” Beer
- About 8 medium dandelion roots (fresh and scrubbed clean of all debris)
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1 T fresh lemon juice
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
1. Create the starter. Add 1 teaspoon of diced dandelion roots to a pint mason jar. Stir in a teaspoon of sugar. Pour 1 cup of water into the jar and stir. Cover the jar with a coffee filter, cloth, or paper towel. Secure with a rubber band. Allow to ferment for 2 days.
2. By the end of day 2, add another teaspoon of sugar. Cover and set aside. By day 3, the starter should be bubbly. And I’m not gonna lie, this will be stinky!
3. Prepare the “Root Beer” on day 3. Add about 8 fresh chopped dandelion roots to a medium sized pot. Fill with 4 cups of water. Do a medium boil for an hour. The liquid will cook down and concentrate some. When done, allow to sit overnight.
4. The next day, strain the liquid into a quart jar. Add the strained fermented starter into the same jar. Then add 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup of raw honey, and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Stir this whole mixture well. Cover again securely with the paper towel and rubber band. Allow to sit for 24 hours before drinking (it’s much better chilled).
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
Now you can brag to all your friends and weird out your husband by making dandelion “root” beer. It’s a neat fermentation project to try, albeit maybe only once. Now part of my lack of overwhelming enjoyment from this endeavor may have been the result of the concoction being flat. Carbonating may very well improve this particular beverage (and my attitude about it). Adding carbonization has never been easier, with gadgets like the Sodastream or Drinkmate lines of products.
But, if you identify like I do, as a skinflint & DIY enthusiast, there are easy alternatives you can do for much cheaper. You can make a sparkling beverage with two simple ingredients: baking soda and acid. Most food-grade acids will suffice (lemon juice, vinegar, etc), but if you’re wanting a more neutral taste you should probably pick citric acid. Also, make sure to use a bottle designed to withstand carbonization pressure. A cheap water bottle or glass bottle will not work. A complete guide for using baking soda and acid to make sparkling water can be found on the eathealthy365 website.
As I stated at the beginning, I’m still very pro-dandelion even if this experiment wasn’t mind blowing. But I’ve always felt that many recipes are worth a try, even if just once. But WHY dandelions? Dandelions have been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years to treat ailments such as anemia, scurvy, skin problems, blood disorders, and depression. All parts of the plant are edible and used in medicine. They are incredibly nutritious. The leaves are nutritionally comparable to other green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. They have more iron, riboflavin, and vitamin E than spinach. The greens also boast more calcium and vitamin A than broccoli with almost as much vitamin K. And if all that isn’t enough to convince you, they are FREE and nearly everywhere. You just need to make sure the ones you pick are from an untreated (aka pesticide free) yard (and one that Fido doesn’t visit either). Bon Appétit!
Want to know more about eating flowers?
See our post on Using Dandelions for Food & Medicine
See our Wild Violet Recipes blog post for many more recipes.
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Do you harvest and eat dandelions? Have you ever used any part of the plant medicinally? Let me know in the comments below.
