Butterfly Pea Latte - Blue Pea Flower Tea Recipe

This butterfly pea latte uses blue butterfly pea flowers and is not only great as a hot drink, it is perfect as an iced drink too! The natural blue color from the butterfly pea flowers give this herbal, caffeine-free latte a wonderfully pretty soft blue hue. The latte can be made with both fresh blue butterfly pea flowers as well as dried ones. It can also be made with blue butterfly pea powder (powdered butterfly pea flowers).

What is Butterfly Pea Flower

Butterfly pea flower, also known as blue pea flower or Asian pigeonwings, is commonly found in the South East Asia region. It is often used as natural dye in food and drinks. This butterfly pea flower is said to have many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory compounds and powerful antioxidants and can be used to make both hot and cold drinks.

The flowers from the plant impart a lovely vibrant blue color when steeped in hot water and will turn into a purplish hue when introduced to acidic liquid like lemon juice. In terms of taste, the blue pea does not have any distinct taste. Some people would describe the flowers to have a woody flavor. Some compare it to a very subtle flavor of green tea and it is often the color that makes this drink distinctly different.

The simplest form of herbal tea you can make with the butterfly pea is the butterfly pea tea. It is simply a concoction of the flowers steeped in hot water. The drink can be served warm or iced.

The butterfly pea latte recipe on this page is a milk latte. I have used fresh milk in this recipe and you can substitute it for any milk of your choice. For those who prefer their lattes sweet, this drink can be further sweetened with sugar, honey or any other sweetener of your choice.

The blue pea flower latte recipe

The butterfly pea latte recipe I have on this page is a milk based drink. It is made by heating the milk and letting the blue pea flowers steep in the hot milk for about 5 minutes. The flowers are then strained and discarded.

For extra umph, the latte can be frothed with a milk frother. It can also be served as it is. And if you like to enjoy your latte sweet, you can add some white or brown sugar or even honey or caramel for taste.

For iced latte lovers, you can turn this yummy drink into iced latte by letting the latte cool down slightly and then adding ice cubes to it. Again, if you like your latte sweet, you can add your preferred sweeteners to enjoy a perfect glass of iced blue butterfly pea latte.

How to Make Butterfly Pea Latte

Ingredients

• Dried butterfly pea flowers
• Milk
• Sugar (optional)

Steeping the flowers

1. Pour milk into a small pot. Turn on the heat to medium and wait until the milk boils.
2. The milk will froth up as it boils and can overflow, so keep a close eyes as you are boiling it. As soon as the milk starts frothing up and reaches to almost the top of your pot, turn off the heat.
3. Add the butterfly pea flowers and stir briefly with a spoon.
4. Cover the pot with a lid and let the flowers steep in the milk for 5 minutes.

Frothing the latte

1. Once the 5 minutes is up, strain the milk.
2. Use the back of a spoon to press the flowers to squeeze out all the extract. Discard the pulp.
3. Next is frothing the latte. This step is optional. If you do not wish to froth you latte, you can simply pour it into serving cups. To froth the latte, you can use a milk frother if you have one. I use a mesh frothing jug to froth my butterfly pea latte.
4. Pour the frothed latte into serving cups. If you like your latte to be sweet, add some sugar or other preferred sweetener to your liking. Serve.

To make iced butterfly pea latte, pour the frothed latte into a tall grass filled with ice cubes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Fresh flowers or dried flowers?

• You can make this blue latte drink with both fresh flowers as well as the dried ones. Both will yield the same results.

Can you adjust the amount of flowers used?

• Yes you can. Do take note that this is a herbal drink and is best not to use too much in the drink.

Can you make iced latte with this recipe?

• Yes you can. To turn this butterfly pea latte into an iced latte, simply pour it into a glass of ice cubes and serve. If you wish to sweeten your latte, add it to your drink before adding ice cubes.

How much sugar or sweeteners should you add to the latte?

• This really depends on your taste preference. You can totally omit the sugar or any sweeteners if you like. Or add it to the quantity you like.

Can you use butterfly pea powder instead of fresh or dried flowers?

• Yes you can. For the recipe quantity below, you can use between one to two teaspoons of blue pea powder.
• Add the powder to the milk after heating it up and let the milk rest for a few minutes before frothing.

Like this blue butterfly pea latte recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out:

• Butterfly Birthday Cake
• Butterfly Cupcakes
• Gum Paste Butterfly Cake Decorations
• Lemongrass Pandan Tea
• Butterfly Pea Lemonade - Magic Purple Lemonade
• Butterfly Pea Milk Tea with Boba - Easy Bubble Tea
• Pandan Milk Tea
• Grass Jelly Milk Tea
• Butterfly Pea Flower Drink - Easy Blue Pea Tea Recipe
• Butterfly Pea Syrup - Easy Homemade Simple Syrup

Recipe (Printable)

Here is the full printable version of my easy blue butterfly pea latte recipe.

And that's that. My easy blue butterfly pea latte drink recipe.

Enjoy!