Butterfly Pea Latte - Hot or Iced

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This Butterfly Pea Latte (Hot or Iced!) is a delicious, vibrant drink that is suitable for anytime of the day!

A butterfly pea latte is a colorful, floral-flavored latte that you can drink hot or iced! Maybe try it both ways? In the world of coffee and tea, the vibrant blue “mermaid” latte (aka: the butterfly pea latte) has taken the brew shops by storm.  

Made using the butterfly pea flower (with loose leaves, ground powder, or via tea bags), it’s easy to make and enjoy.  It’s caffeine-free, packs some health benifits, and has a unique flavor (mild, neutral, slightly floral, also slightly bitter–not sure if that sells it, but you must try it!)

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions - make it hot!
• Substitutions + variations
• Make ahead + storage
• Can this latte be made with blue matcha?
• Health benefits of the butterfly pea tea (butterfly pea flower)
• Equipment
• FAQ
• Try these related recipes:
• Butterfly Pea Latte Hot or Iced

Ingredients

• Butterfly pea tea - butterfly pea tea is vibrant lavender-blue hue when used to make a latte like this one. This recipe calls for tea bags, you can get those here.

• Honey - raw unfiltered honey is best! 
• Milk - I used whole milk but you can use any variation of neutral flavored milk that you like (read on for some suggestions to make it plant-based or vegan-friendly).  
• Vanilla extract - to flavor your milk.  
• Dried lavender flowers - for garnish. 

Instructions - make it hot!

1. Brew 1 butterfly pea tea bag with ½ cup water.
2. Stir in the honey.  
3. Warm and froth your milk and vanilla extract with a frother.  OR, if you don’t have a frother, heat your milk slightly in the microwave or over the stove, remove it from the heat source, add the vanilla extract, then whisk it until it’s frothy. 
4. Discard the tea bag and add the frothed vanilla milk to your latte.  Top with a few dried lavender flowers. 

Make it cold!

1. Brew 1 butterfly pea tea bag with ½ cup water. Stir in the honey.
2. Let it cool off (to speed that process up, pop it into the fridge for about 5 minutes). Pour your brewed (and cooled) tea into a glass filled with ice. 
3. Froth your milk and vanilla extract together with a hand frother.  OR just whisk it together until it's frothy looking.  
4. Pour the frothed vanilla milk over your tea.  Top with a few dried lavender flowers and serve!

Substitutions + variations

• Butterfly pea tea - this tea generally has a neutral taste. It’s often made into lattes and sweetened when enjoyed in drinks.  You can use blue matcha powder or loose leaf tea to make this recipe (read further into the post or go to the FAQs for more information on those methods). 
• Honey - you can substitute the honey for age, maple syrup, or brown sugar at a 1:1 ratio. 
• Milk - you can use whole milk, 2%, skim, almond, oat, banana, or any neutral-flavored plant-based milk that you have. 
• Vanilla extract - you can swap this for almond extract or just leave it out. 
• Dried lavender flowers - these aren’t necessary, they’re just for garnish, but you can use dried rose petals or even a few petals for your butterfly pea tea bag.

What are the best kitchen tools for frothing a Butterfly Pea Flower Latte?

I like to use a hand frother like this one.  

Or you can invest in a good countertop frother like this one.

Make ahead + storage

Make ahead - you can make this latte ahead of time by preparing it (minus the ice and frothing), and storing it in a mason jar in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve it, shake it in the jar until it’s frothy and pour it over ice. Or serve it hot by heating it up over low heat and giving it a good froth with a hand frother.

You can store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Freeze it - You can freeze this latte in ice cube trays for up to one month. When you’re ready to drink it, let the ice cubes thaw, shake the mixture over ice, and enjoy. Or heat it over low heat, froth it with a hand frother or a whisk, and then serve.

Can this latte be made with blue matcha?

Blue matcha, which is the same thing as butterfly pea flower powder, is visually striking but it’s different from green matcha.  Despite the name, be sure that you’re not using blue and green matcha interchangeably because they’re very different ingredients! Different plants, and different caffeine levels-blue matcha doesn’t have caffeine but green matcha has quite a bit). 

Here’s how to make the latte with blue matcha powder (ground butterfly pea flower):

• ¾ cup hot water 
• 1 tsp blue matcha powder (butterfly pea flower powder)
• 2 tsp honey
• ¼ cup steamed, frothed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: lavender flowers for garnish

1. With a hand frother or a whisk, whisk the blue matcha powder into the water until it dissolves.  
2. Then stir in the honey.
3. Add vanilla extract to the milk and steam and froth it.  
4. Pour it over the matcha mixture.  
5. Garnish with dried lavender flowers if desired. 

This is just a guideline, feel free to customize this based on your preferences. 

Definitely experiment and get creative with milk alternatives too (you can make this recipe plant-based by using oat or almond milk, and swapping the honey for agave, pure maple syrup, or even brown sugar).  

Health benefits of the butterfly pea tea (butterfly pea flower)

Butterfly pea tea/pea flowers are full of potential health benefits! Not only is is visually appealing, with its vibrant lavender-blue color, but it has been used in traditional medicine for centuries in Southeast Asia.  Modern research is also beginning to uncover some health-promoting properties.  Here are a few: 

Here are some of the potential health benefits of butterfly pea tea:

• Rich in antioxidants - this tea is a rich source of antioxidants, including anthocyanins and flavonoids.  These help to neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress and work to support overall health. 
• Anti-inflammatory properties - some studies suggest that the compounds found in butterfly pea flowers may have anti-inflammatory effects.  This may reduce inflammation in the body relating to chronic inflammation. 
• Cognitive support - there is research that suggests that butterfly pea flower extract may have neuroprotective properties.  This may help to support brain health and cognitive function by promoting the growth and protection of brain cells. 
• Skin and hair health - the antioxidants in butterfly pea tea may benefit the skin and hair by protecting them from oxidative damage and promoting healthy cell turnover.
• Lower blood pressure - there are studies that have indicated that this flower may have hypotensive effects (meaning: it could help lower blood pressure levels).  

*This is not health advice, only observations. 

How do you make a plant based/vegan-friendly butterfly pea latte?

Just use plant-based milk (such as oat, almond, soy, or banana), and swap the honey for maple syrup for the best tasting results!

Is a butterfly pea latte the same thing as a blue or mermaid latte?

Yes it is! Often at coffee shops the butterfly pea latte will be called a “blue latte” or a “mermaid latte.” The name “mermaid latte” just refers to the vibrant blue color that comes from the butterfly pea flow, which resembles the color of the ocean, so it follows that this is how it got its name (because they’re the color of the ocean). 

Equipment

I like to use a hand frother like this one.  

Or you can invest in a good countertop frother like this one.

What color is butterfly pea?

Deep lavender-blue. The color effects depend on a few things: the type/quality of your tea, whether or not you’re adding acid (like lemon or lime), and of course adding milk will change the color as well. 

FAQ

Try these related recipes:

Love butterfly pea tea and making drinks at home? Try these:

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