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!
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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
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?
💙 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?
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.
Step by step instructions
It only takes about ten minutes to make this warm and cozy drink.
Here is what you will need to make it:
- small sieve
- small saucepan
- whisk
- milk frother
- cashew milk
- butterfly pea flower powder
- maple syrup - if you have rose simple syrup, try it instead - I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of rose simple syrup
- vanilla extract
- organic dried rose petals (optional)
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.
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.
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.
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!
Top Tips
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!
More recipes
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
Butterfly Pea Flower Latte
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
Nutrition
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.
Suchita says
Beautiful photography! I am a regular chai drinker but you have just tempted me to try something new.
Emily says
Thank you so much, Suchita! I appreciate your kind comment. I hope you give it a try!
công thức nấu ăn says
Amazing drink recipe for weekend!
Emily says
Thanks very much!
SP says
Mine came out gritty. How can I fix?
Emily says
I'm sorry that happened! It sounds like it needs more mixing.
Alexandra says
LOOOVE IT! wish I would have found this recipe sooner 🙂 so aesthetic and tastes delicious!
Emily says
Thank you for your review, Alexandra, I'm so glad to hear that you love the recipe!
Pattie says
Looks so dreamy! Question: I was given "whole" butterfly pea flowers. Is there a way to use it instead of the powder?
Emily says
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. I hope this answers your question!
Lucy says
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!
Emily says
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!