This butterfly pea flower latte is so simple yet amazingly flavorful. Perfect to enjoy as a bedtime relaxing tea as it is loaded with calming properties, but also rich in antioxidants and provides a natural bright blue color that's very appetizing and fun! Enjoy warm or cold and this version is made fully vegan.
This is a fun latte recipe that I have been wanting to post for a while. It is unique and you might not have heard of it, but it is SO delicious, it had to be shared!
I must be making this butterfly pea flower latte every other night. It is completely free of caffeine, which makes it a nice bedtime drink, plus it has an amazing soothing effect, similar to my lavender milk latte. Perfect to wind down at the end of a day.
But what we love so much about this blue matcha latte is its amazing flavor. If you haven't tried it yet, then you are in for an interesting discovery! As opposed to other powders such as matcha or spirulina, butterfly pea flower is rather mild in taste. And although it comes from flowers, it only has a subtle floral taste. Almost sweet, actually. I pair it with a little vanilla extract and a splash of sweetener, and this combined with a creamy plant-based milk makes it really feels like a delicious delicate treat. My husband and kids love it too!
There are 2 ways to make a butterfly pea tea latte: using the dried whole flowers or the ground powder. I use a powdered butterfly pea flower (easy to find online, more info below) since it allows me to also use it in baking, smoothies and more. Its natural beautiful blue color makes it a valuable addition to recipes to turn them to a nice blue hue without adding any food coloring.
Also, I make all my lattes without an espresso machine and I'll show you how, so everyone can make this latte with minimal equipment.
So whether, you are in need of a new stress releasing habit, want to boost your diet with more nutrients or just want to try that crazy looking blue drink, then this drink is for you!
Hope you enjoy! 💙
What is butterfly pea flower tea?
Well, they are bright blue flowers (Clitoria ternatea (!!)) that grow in Asia and have been cultivated for centuries in the South Eastern countries to prepare tea. Only recently, it has been imported outside of indigenous areas to be commercialized around the world.
The beautiful flowers are cultivated and typically dried before storage. You can also find butterfly pea flowers in powdered form (this is what I use), as opposed to the whole flowers, which you would steep in water. Oh and butterfly pea flower's nickname is blue matcha!
But, you can make so much more than warm tea with these flowers. They are used in baking, to make cold drinks such as lemonade, mocktails/cocktails, rice dishes and so much more. It provides a deep blue color to any recipes without being too overpowering in flavor.
How does butterfly pea flower taste?
I fell in love the first time I enjoy this latte. The flavor is mellow and not that floral in taste, plus has hints of sweetness and feels very delicate. I find its flavor kind of hard to describe, actually!
Is butterfly pea flower good for you?
But other than being tasty and a cool hippie thing to try and insanely blue, it is SO GOOD-FOR-YOU.
Butterfly pea flowers are rich in anthocyanin, which are the compounds that provide their beautiful bright blue, but also act as powerful antioxidants. It is known to help keep your skin and hair looking healthy, assist you to manage your blood sugar and more.
Aside from these health claims, anyone enjoying butterfly pea flower tea on a regular base will brag about its calming properties. Placebo effect or real, it does seem to relax your mind and put you into "zen mode". And who does not need more of that?
Where can you buy butterfly pea flower powder?
I bought butterfly pea flower powder from the brand Ancient Choice, but I'm sure any brand would be nice. Just make sure there is nothing else added to it. It's easy to find online!
It is not that cheap, but you don't need a lot for each serving. I have made this latte many many times and still cannot see the end of my bag!
Fun fact about butterfly pea flowers
Butterfly pea flowers (whether the dried flowers or the powder) will change in color depending on the pH of the liquid you combine them with. You can appreciate this just by looking at my pictures: the powder is quite purple, but turns blue-ish whenever in contact with my milk. If you were to add lemon juice to the drink, it would turn purple, etc. How fun!
This unique characteristic is used to make beautiful looking cocktails that change in color right in front of your eyes by some mixologists.
Ingredients you'll need
- Butterfly pea flower powder
- Plant-based milk
- Vanilla extract
- Sweetener of your choice, I used maple syrup (optional)
Recommend equipment (but not essential)
- Small saucepan
- Bamboo matcha whisk
- Handheld frother
How to make it
I make my lattes at home without an espresso machine. I use a battery operated handheld frother and it works well. But, if you do have an espresso machine, skip on warming your milk on the stove and go straight to frothing your milk (with the addition of sweetener and vanilla) in your frothing pitcher.
Warm up the milk
In a small sauce pan, combine the plant-based milk with the sweetener and vanilla extract. Stir often and warm up on low-medium until steamy but NOT boiling. Watch carefully as milk tends to overflow easily and be sure to remove from the heat whenever its hot.
Dissolve the butterfly pea flower powder
While the milk is warming up, combine the butterfly pea powder with a little boiling water right in your serving mug (I use about ¼ cup).
Whisk well to combine. I find this step to be important: if you don't make sure to break up the clumps at this point, then your drink won't be super smooth. For best results, use a bamboo matcha whisk. Or, use a small regular whisk and whisk vigorously until dissolved.
Pour and enjoy
I like to transfer my sweet warm milk in a frothing pitcher and use a handheld frother to foam the milk, but this is optional.
Pour the warmed up milk or frothed warm milk into the mug containing the dissolved butterfly pea flower powder. Taste and adjust sweetener. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Helpful tips
- Use any kind of plant-based milk you like! I like making lattes using oat milk: I find it creamier and a little thicker, it just seems to froth better too. But, I would just use your favorite milk, such as almond milk, cashew milk or even coconut milk. You could also use a milk that already has added vanilla flavoring to it and skip adding the extract.
- If your latte end up with clumps, then it means that you didn't whisk strong or long enough with the boiling water first. You really have to go to town when whisking. Stirring the powder in the water using as spoon just won't be enough, I tried it and it was so lumpy! So, use a bamboo matcha whisk (or a small regular whisk) and whisk vigorously until there are no clumps anymore. Try doing quick side to side movements against the walls of the mug (check out my quick video to see what I mean).
- You can also first sift the powder into the mug to help prevent clumping.
- This latte pairs well with other flavoring as well! Try combining with matcha powder, chai spices or cinnamon.
- You can also make a cold iced latte: fill a tall gall with ice cubes and pour the dissolved powder over and then add the sweet milk over. You can simply skip on warming up and frothing the milk first, but I would still recommend to whisk the powder in boiling water first to help dissolve it all.
More latte or tea recipes you might like
I hope you like this butterfly pea flower latte as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Latte (Blue Matcha)
Ingredients
- 1 tsp butterfly pea flower powder
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 1 cup warm plant-based milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract - optional
- ½-1 tbsp maple syrup - optional
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, combine the milk, sweetener and vanilla extract. Stir well and warm up on low-medium heat. Remove from the heat when steamy hot, but not boiling.
- While the milk is warming up, add the butterfly pea powder to your serving mug and pour the hot water over. Whisk vigorously until smooth (if you have a bamboo matcha whisk, use it!).
- When the milk is warm, you can transfer to a frothing pitcher and froth the milk using a handheld frother, but this is optional. Pour the warm milk, frothed or not, into the mug and serve right away. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use your favorite kind of plant-based milk, although I prefer to make lattes using oat milk.
- If your latte end up with clumps, then it means that you didn't whisk strong or long enough. You really have to go to town when whisking. Stirring the powder in the water using as spoon just won't be enough, I tried it and it was so lumpy! So, use a bamboo matcha whisk (or a small regular whisk) and whisk vigorously until there are no clumps anymore. Try doing quick side to side movements against the walls of the mug (check out my quick video to see what I mean).
- You can also first sift the powder into the mug to help prevent clumping.
- This latte pairs well with other flavoring as well! Try combining with matcha powder, chai spices or cinnamon.
- You can also make a cold iced latte: fill a tall gall with ice cubes and pour the dissolved powder over and then add the sweet milk over. You can simply skip on warming up and frothing the milk first, but I would still recommend to whisk the powder in boiling water first to help dissolve it all.
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