Butterfly Pea Flower Latte

This vegan Butterfly Pea Flower Latte is perfect for when you are looking for something soothing or if you want to relax before bed. This easy-to-make latte gets its creaminess from plant-based milk and its lovely blue hue from butterfly pea flower - no artificial coloring here!

This Vegan Butterfly pea flower latte is my favorite way to start the day. It’s a beautiful bright blue and has a lovely floral yet earthy taste that you can't get from any other tea. I first saw this drink on Instagram and I have been wanting to make it ever since!

Jump to:

• A caffeine-free alternative
• What is butterfly pea flower?
• What are the benefits of butterfly pea flower?
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• How to make a butterfly pea flower latte
• How does it taste?
• Variations
• Tips
• More recipes
• Recipe

A caffeine-free alternative

What drink do you typically go for in the morning? Aside from lemon water or plain water, I usually like to treat myself to black coffee, especially on weekends. Similarly, I treat myself to some espresso in the afternoon.

Despite my best intentions, my coffee consumption has not abated. It seems that whenever we return from vacation, my coffee consumption goes up.

After all, I owe it to myself to sample the local coffee, wherever we happen to be! As a result, I carry the habit of drinking more coffee when I return home from vacation.

To try something different, I decided to make this blue butterfly pea flower latte. This recipe is easy to make using just four ingredients. The fifth ingredient, rose petals, is optional.

This soothing beverage is just as delicious without the rose petals if you don't have them. I added them for visual interest, color, and texture for styling the photo. Because, why not?

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What is butterfly pea flower?

The butterfly pea flower plant has been cultivated for a long time in the tropical equatorial region of Southeast Asia. Its flowers are a stunning blue color, and the petals have flecks of white and yellow.

The butterfly pea flower powder is derived from dried butterfly pea flowers. It is entirely plant-based, vegan, caffeine-free, and is free of artificial coloring.

What are the benefits of butterfly pea flower?

Butterfly pea flowers are said to have been used as an analgesic and to aid insomnia, as well as for beauty purposes. The blue color of the flowers comes from anthocyanins, which are water-soluble compounds that occur naturally in some black, blue, purple, and red plants.

The flowers also contain antioxidants. Antioxidants protect against the damaging effects of free radicals, protecting against aging prematurely.

In Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, butterfly pea flowers are used for natural food coloring in rice dishes and in teas.

When the flowers are added to hot water, the water will turn an incredible shade of blue or violet. When mixed with lemon or lime, which have acidity, the liquid turns a beautiful shade of pink.

Equipment

Here is what you will need to make this Butterfly Pea Flower Latte:

• small sieve
• small saucepan
• whisk
• milk frother - I love this battery operated milk frother.

Ingredients

• cashew milk or other plant-based milk; oat milk is another favorite of mine!
• blue butterfly pea flower powder
• maple syrup or rose simple syrup (start with one teaspoon)
• vanilla extract
• organic dried rose petals optional

How to make a butterfly pea flower latte

It only takes about ten minutes to make this warm and cozy drink. Here are the steps:

1. To make this caffeine-free latte, I heated plain unsweetened cashew milk on low to medium heat until warmed. Then I sifted the butterfly pea flower powder through a small mesh sieve and added vanilla extract plus maple syrup. 
2. Using a whisk, I vigorously mixed it quickly in a back and forth motion until everything was mixed in. Be careful not to boil the mixture. Only heat it until warm.
3. After I took it off the heat, I used a battery operated milk frother to get extra froth. I use this same method to make my pandan latte.

Keep an eye on your saucepan because the mixture can suddenly foam up when overheated and overflow.

Be sure not to overfill your mug to avoid spills. It's surprising how powerful that little battery operated milk frother can be!

How does it taste?

This dairy-free creamy blue latte is soothing, and the taste reminds me of the flavor of green tea. It is lovely and mild, delicate, and floral in flavor.

Variations

Try it with rose simple syrup for even more of that lovely delicate floral flavor, start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste. Let me know which version you try and how you like it!

Tips

If you're finding you're getting chunks of blue butterfly pea flower powder in your coffee-free latte, try using a fine small sieve as I mentioned above.

Alternately you can mix the powder with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Mix with a small whisk to incorporate it into the latte.

More recipes

Buy me a coffee

If you make this Vegan Butterfly Pea Flower Latte, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leave a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.

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