Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links.Try this Butterfly Pea Flower Tea recipe! It is not only beautiful but also refreshing and relaxing! Add lemongrass and pandan leaves to give more flavor to the tea!
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Butterfly pea flower is a cute little flower that’s super easy to turn into tea. It’s used in a lot of herbal teas, drinks, and even some beauty products.
You can find it all over Southeast Asia, and it’s pretty easy to grow in your own backyard. When you brew it, you get this amazing blue tea.
I’ve got a few pots of these flowers growing in my backyard, along with some pandan leaves and lemongrass. You can dry these flowers and store them in a container to use later. That’s why I love making my butterfly pea flower tea with this recipe.
Butterfly pea flower tea has a light, sweet taste, kind of like chamomile. It’s super relaxing and great for de-stressing.
Throw a couple of lemon slices into your tea, and watch it turn from blue to purple right before your eyes. It also adds a nice tangy lemon flavor. Mix it with milk or heavy cream, and you’ve got yourself a pretty blue latte.
If you can’t find fresh butterfly pea flowers, you can always get the powder. Lots of brands sell it online. I like this one because the color and taste are pretty much the same as the fresh stuff.
This blue tea recipe is a basic recipe for other pretty dessert like Kuih Seri Muka, Kue Lumpang, and Mango Sticky Rice that you can use. If you add milk into it, it becomes a pretty Butterfly Pea Flower Latte.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Butterfly pea flowers – You can either use the dried flowers or the freshly picked flowers. They will taste the same.
Pandan leaves and lemongrass – If you can’t find fresh pandan leaves or lemongrass, you can always use the dried ones.
Rock sugar – Here I use rock sugar because the sweetness is very subtle. If you want to use regular white sugar, you can do so. Adjust the sweetness to your liking.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make
STEP 1. Wash clean the pandan leaves and lemongrass stalks. Cut them in shorter. Put all ingredients into a pot (Image 1).
STEP 2. Pour water into the pot (Image 2).
STEP 3. Turn the stove up to medium heat. Let it simmer.
STEP 4. Turn off the heat when it simmers or you see the ingredients have changed colors.
STEP 5. Strain all the ingredients. Let it cool down. Transfer to a bottle and keep it in the chiller.
STEP 6. Add a slice of lemon to the tea, the color will change to purple. Serve cold with ice cubes.
Pro Tips
- Butterfly pea flowers are different from purple hibiscus or blue spirulina, even though the color is almost the same.
- You can use dried pandan leaves, dried lemongrass stalks, and dried butterfly pea flowers if you can’t find the freshly picked ones. The flavors will be the same.
- The more flowers you brew, the darker the blue color. However, it will not effect the flavor of the tea.
- Add a slice of lemon and it will instantly give you magic. The color will be purple instantly and the flavor will be tangier. Please note that when you put in some lemon slices, the color and taste will be different.
- Chill the brewed tea in a bottle for up to one week. It stays fresh that way.
- Wash the pandan leaves and lemongrass stalk thoroughly, especially the part near the roots, they tend to carry some dirt.
How to Serve
Serve this beautiful Asian drink with other sweet desserts, like Red Bean Pie or Taiwanese Castella Pandan Cake or Ube Mochi Pancake.
This drink will also be great when paired with savory snacks like Shrimp Balls, Fried Meatballs, Pork Shu Mai, Gyoza or Fried Wonton.
FAQs about Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea is generally safe for most people when consumed in moderation. However, pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult their healthcare provider before consumption.
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea has a unique earthy flavor that is mildly sweet and woody, reminiscent of green tea but without the bitterness. Its subtle taste makes it a great base for blending with other flavors like mint, lemongrass, or ginger.
Yes, it is easy to grow Butterfly Pea Flowers at home if you have a suitable climate (tropical or subtropical). I have plenty of pots in my backyard. The plant needs plenty of sunlight, moderate watering, and well-drained soil. Once the flowers bloom, you can harvest them to dry and use for making tea. The flowers bloom more easily in cool temperature.
Other than tea, the vibrant blue color of the Butterfly Pea Flower makes it perfect for natural food coloring in rice dishes, desserts, bread, pudding, and cocktails.
Storage
Keep the drink bottled in a chiller for up to 7 days. It should stay fresh that way. No need to reheat the drink because it is better served cold.
More Refreshing Drinks Recipes
Asian people like to drink tea with herbs, leaves, and flowers. Here are some refreshing ones:
- If you like clear, fresh drink with lemongrass flavor, you should really try this Lemongrass Tea or Lemon Ginger Drink as a comforting drink for the cold.
- Check out Rose Milk Tea, if you are into flower tea. It is a floral and creamy tea that feels like a little treat!
- You will definitely fall in love with this wonderful Honey Oolong Milk Tea. It is a beverage with floral fragrance and toasty notes of oolong tea with the natural sweetness of honey.
- If you prefer a bold and creamy drink with a rich, malty flavor, Assam Milk Tea is the right choice.
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Ingredients
- 30-50 pcs dried butterfly pea flower tea
- 3-5 stalk lemongrass
- 3-4 pcs pandan leaves
- 200 gr sugar use rock sugar
- 5 litre water
Instructions
- Wash clean the pandan leaves and lemongrass stalks. Cut them in shorter form.
- You can use either dried form of butterfly pea flower or the freshly picked ones. They are both the same and will generate the same amount of beautiful blue color and taste.
- Boil 5 liter of water in a pot. Put in the lemongrass stalks, pandan leaves, butterfly pea flowers, and rock sugar.
- Let it boil until the pandan leaves change colors.
- Sieve and let it cool completely.
- Transfer to a bottle and keep refrigerated for 3-5 days.
- Serve with ice cubes and/or lemon slices.
- Please note that when you put in some leomn slices, the color and taste will be different. It is up to your preference. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Butterfly pea flowers are different from purple hibiscus or blue spirulina, even though the color is almost the same.
- You can use dried pandan leaves, dried lemongrass stalks, and dried butterfly pea flowers if you can’t find the freshly picked ones. The flavors will be the same.
- The more flowers you brew, the darker the blue color. However, it will not effect the flavor of the tea.
- Add a slice of lemon and it will instantly give you magic. The color will be purple instantly and the flavor will be tangier. Please note that when you put in some lemon slices, the color and taste will be different.
- Chill the brewed tea in a bottle for up to one week. It stays fresh that way.
- Wash the pandan leaves and lemongrass stalk thoroughly, especially the part near the roots, they tend to carry some dirt.
You will fall in love with this floral tea! Its beautiful blue color with a hint of lemongrass and pandan leaves is not only pretty, but also refreshing!