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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    Butterfly Pea Flower Latte

    Published: Mar 9, 2019 · Modified: Mar 5, 2022 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links

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    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!

    top down shot of hands holding butterfly pea latte

    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?


    top down view of butterfly pea latte with rose petals

    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

    • Pandan Cashew Milk Latte
    • Vegan Irish Cream (Vegan Baileys)
    • Blood Orange Pomegranate Margarita
    • Sidecar Cocktail Recipe
    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.

    Recipe

    top view of hands holding butterfly pea latte

    Butterfly Pea Flower Latte

    Emily Miller
    This easy to make butterfly pea flower latte is a delicious alternative to coffee in the morning and can be enjoyed later on in the day to help unwind.
    5 from 80 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 person
    Calories 93 kcal

    Equipment

    • small mesh strainer
    • battery operated milk frother
    • small saucepan
    • whisk

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 oz cashew milk or other plant-based milk
    • ½ teaspoon blue butterfly pea flower powder
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or rose simple syrup (start with one teaspoon)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon organic dried rose petals optional

    Instructions
     

    • Heat cashew milk on medium heat until starting to steam..
    • To prevent clumping, sift the butterfly pea powder into the warmed plant milk. Whisk in butterfly pea flower powder with maple syrup and vanilla extract until frothy. Keep whisking until the powder is dissolved and you see no clumping.
    • Take off heat, and aerate with milk frother for 30 seconds if desired. Pour into cup.

    Notes

    Garnish with rose petals if desired.
    Using an electric frother helps with the frothing. Be sure to mix the butterfly pea powder well as soon as it is added. Sifting the powder through a mesh strainer helps prevent clumping.
    Alternately you can mix the powder with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Mix with a small whisk to incorporate it into the latte.
    Instead of maple syrup, try rose simple syrup if you have it. Start with a teaspoon and adjust to your taste.
    This recipe is adapted from Crowded Kitchen.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 93kcal
    Keyword butterfly pea flower, dairy-free, latte, vegan
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.


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      Recipe Rating




    1. Suchita

      April 04, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful photography! I am a regular chai drinker but you have just tempted me to try something new.

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 27, 2022 at 4:09 pm

        I'm glad to hear it, thank you!

        Reply
    2. công thức nấu ăn

      August 29, 2019 at 12:17 am

      5 stars
      Amazing drink recipe for weekend!

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 29, 2019 at 11:22 pm

        Thanks very much!

        Reply
    3. Alexandra

      April 26, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      LOOOVE IT! wish I would have found this recipe sooner 🙂 so aesthetic and tastes delicious!

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 26, 2021 at 2:12 pm

        Thank you for your review, Alexandra, I'm so glad to hear that you love the recipe!

        Reply
    4. Pattie

      May 26, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so dreamy! Question: I was given "whole" butterfly pea flowers. Is there a way to use it instead of the powder?

      Reply
      • Emily

        May 26, 2021 at 4:45 pm

        Hi Pattie, Thank you for your review and question! You can make an herbal tea with the butterfly pea flowers you were given; add lemon or simple syrup to taste; otherwise the flavor is earthy and woody. To make herbal tea, steep the 1 to 2 teaspoons of butterfly pea flowers in filtered hot water for 5 minutes and then remove the flowers. You can drink this tea by itself (add sliced lemon or lemon juice to make the drink purple) or add it to cold lemon water for a refreshing beverage; just use less water to make the tea. You can make iced herbal tea as well, sweeten it with simple syrup or another liquid sweetener like agave syrup or maple syrup.

        Reply
    5. Lucy

      August 10, 2021 at 11:46 am

      5 stars
      Wow, how beautiful does this look! I've never heard of butterfly pea flower powder before, thank you for introducing me to it. I avoid caffeine altogether so can't wait to try this, it sounds like such a great alternative!

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 10, 2021 at 12:17 pm

        Thank you so much for the review Lucy. I'm so glad to introduce you to butterfly pea flower powder, I hope you give it a try!

        Reply
    6. Nancy

      March 11, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      5 stars
      This is SO pretty! I could drink this all day!

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 11, 2022 at 12:58 pm

        Thank you so much, Nancy! It's a favorite!

        Reply
    7. Erica

      March 16, 2022 at 11:37 am

      Yum! So delicious.

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 16, 2022 at 12:38 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply

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    Emily Miller

    Hi, I'm Emily, the photographer, writer, and cook behind Resplendent Kitchen. My goal is to show you how easy it is to cook delicious seasonal vegan recipes that are healthy for you, the animals, and the environment!

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