Easy Butterfly Pea Tea Latte Recipe (With Boba!)

When it comes to lattes, we have certain expectations. But did you ever expect your latte to be... blue?

In this blog post, we'll be sharing with you a recipe that creates possibly the most beautiful latte you'll ever see. 

Time to learn how to make your own Blue Butterfly Pea Tea Latte (with a chance of boba!).

What on earth is a Blue Butterfly Pea Tea Latte?

A blue butterfly pea tea latte is a type of beverage that's made from the butterfly pea flower plant. The said flower is also known as Clitoria Ternatea or Asian pigeonwings. It's actually a herbal tea that's modified by adding some milk, a bit of sweetness, and the chewy goodness of boba pearls. It's iced and definitely ideal for hot summer days. Also, this drink is caffeine-free so you can drink it freely without worrying about any of caffeine's side effects!

What are blue butterfly pea flowers? 

These flowers are known and are mostly grown in Southeast Asian countries. It's become quite popular for its ability to produce a crystal blue color, especially when it's turned into tea. For many years, people have been using these flowers or drinking the butterfly pea flower tea due to the many health benefits it brings. Not to mention, it looks like a magical drink that you'd only see in fantasy films! 

What does the butterfly pea flower tea taste like?

To be honest, the blue butterfly pea flower tea doesn't taste much. It's not really strong nor is it flavorful. However, its taste can be further enhanced depending on the ingredients that you add to it. For instance, our own brand of blue butterfly pea flower tea is delightfully blended with lemon myrtle and ginger to give it a more earthy, memorable taste. Although it may lack in the taste department, it definitely wins in the looks department! Plus, as we said, there are plenty of ways you can improve its flavor. 

Drinking a blue butterfly pea tea latte can be healthy for you! 

It's amazing how one simple beverage can bring so much into your life. It is a known fact that the blue butterfly pea flower provides several health benefits that would surely improve your quality of life. Here are some of the notable ones:

  • It helps with hair growth and strengthening. 
  • It helps increase blood circulation in the head
  • It helps promote collagen production and skin elasticity 
  • It has anti-inflammatory and anti-depression properties 

How to make the blue butterfly pea flower tea latte with boba

Now that you've gotten your appetizer, it's time to head for the main course. This is the part where we teach you how to make this intriguing drink! 

Preparing the blue butterfly pea flower tea is easy-peasy. It literally takes 5 minutes to make. But you have to carefully consider your ingredients and follow the proper steeping time of the tea, just so you can retain its best flavor. 

Blue butterfly pea flower tea latte ingredients

To make this tea latte, you will be needing the following ingredients: 

When it comes to the tea itself, the dried butterfly pea flowers are generally better than just using teabags. They're more genuine, giving you that authentic tea taste that a commercialized tea bag could not usually produce. We also have butterfly pea powder as an alternative, but we recommend the dried butterfly pea flowers more when it comes to overall quality. 

How to make the butterfly pea latte 

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your dried butterfly pea flower tea latte: 

1. Brew your butterfly pea flower tea 

First thing's first, make your tea. You can either use a saucepan or a kettle to boil your water. Once it reaches its boiling point (100 degrees Celsius), turn off the heat and add the dried blue pea flowers. You also have the choice to put the hot water in a teapot and then add the blue pea flowers. A glass teapot is usually preferred if you are going to serve the tea itself. But in this case, it's not really necessary. 

Let the tea steep for about 5 to 8 minutes before straining the tea and voila! You've got yourself a blue butterfly pea tea. Remember to let it cool to room temperature for 10 minutes.

2. Assemble the latte with boba 

Grab yourself a drinking cup or glass, but it would be best to use a mason jar (for aesthetic reasons). Add the delightful boba pearls and brown sugar syrup to the bottom of the jar and then top it with the ice cubes. Follow this by pouring in the tea and your choice of milk (either whole milk or soy milk). 

3. Stir and sweeten it up! 

Stir the latte but make sure to use a wide-opening straw so you can easily drink the beverage and the boba pearls. If you want to make the latte taste sweeter, feel free to add some maple syrup or honey (since they are considered to be healthy sweeteners). It depends on your taste and liking how sweet you want it to be. 

4. Add the color-changing effect

This one's optional, but if you'd like to make the experience more "magical", add a tinge of lemon juice! This will cause your simple butterfly pea tea latte to transform into a different shade. (From blue, it will transition into having a magenta-like color.)

Additional tips in making the blue butterfly pea flower tea latte

Here are some things you should remember or take into consideration as you make this drink:

  • Dried butterfly pea flowers are better than tea bags or even butterfly pea powder. The quality is more rich and authentic. But whatever's available to you at the moment, go ahead and make use of it. 
  • You can prepare the tea ahead and just store it in a refrigerator. This will actually bring out the flavor more and will already chill the beverage. 
  • If you want the "swirling" effect of the milk in the latte, you can opt to use half & half (half whole milk & half cream).