This is a perfect summer drink, butterfly pea lemonade! It is a refreshing, healthy, and simple drink to pair with any dish for your backyard grilling!
If you want less sugar and an even more simple and healthy butterfly pea flower tea recipe, this one is for you. Want more sweet and tangy Thai drinks? Try my hibiscus tea recipe. Try my creamy coconut lime mojito for a delicious tropical cocktail with a Thai twist. You are set for all your summer drinks!
Jump to:
- What is Butterfly Pea Lemonade?
- What are butterfly pea flowers?
- What are the health benefits of butterfly pea flowers?
- Butterfly pea flower gin!
- Why Butterfly Pea Drink?
- What Goes Into Butterfly Pea Flower Recipe
- Butterfly Pea Flower Lemonade Ingredients
- How To Make Butterfly Pea Tea Lemonade
- Helpful kitchen notes for your butterfly pea lemonade
- The fun layered effect of butterfly drinks
- Storage
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Thai Summer Recipes you’ll love!
- Butterfly Pea Lemonade
For more tasty Thai drinks, try these popular recipes; Tamarind iced tea, Thai limeade, Cha Manao, How to Make Authentic Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen), Butterfly flower pea tea, น้ำอัญชัน, and Hibiscus tea recipe.
What is Butterfly Pea Lemonade?
Butterfly pea lemonade is a sweet and tangy drink made from butterfly flower peas mixed with fresh lime, lemon, or premade lemonade. The blue flowers are tropical flowers grown in Thailand, Malaysia, and many tropical Asian countries. The butterfly pea flowers are bright blue and are the source of natural blue food used in drinks, desserts, baking, and cooking. The drink is called Anchan lemonade, blue pea lemonade, or butterfly pea drink.
What are butterfly pea flowers?
They are beautiful blue flowers native to Southeast Asia. They are called Clitoria Ternatea or Asian Pigeonwings. The butterfly pea plant is a climbing plant that, when blooming, the fresh flowers have bright blue petals that are used to create a naturally rich blue color to use in food.
What are the health benefits of butterfly pea flowers?
Butterfly pea blossoms have many health benefits and are considered ayurvedic medicine due to their high medicinal properties. They are popular for use as herbal tea, making blue matcha, and used as natural blue food coloring in drinks and desserts and for adding a deep blue color to any food.
Butterfly pea flower gin!
A popular Empress gin is specifically known for using this bright color of the butterfly pea in their spirits! Check out my delicious and popular Empress gin cocktail recipe here. The changing of colors in the drink cocktail has a similar effect, too, with the addition of acids like fresh lime or lemon juice.
Why Butterfly Pea Drink?
- Butterfly pea tea lemonade is the ultimate summer drink. It’s a refreshing, delicious, simple drink to make.
- It’s a fun recipe to make with your kids. Watching their faces marvel and wow when lemon juice turns the blue drink into different shades of purple is a magical childhood moment. A fun memory you won’t forget! Call it the magic lemonade.
- Butterfly pea tea is chockfull of health benefits that are so good for you.
- It’s a very simple recipe using a handful of simple ingredients with many garnishing options.
- It’s a perfect drink with many beautiful hues of blue and purple that you can use to match your themed parties without using unhealthy food coloring.
- It can be made ahead of time for summer gatherings.
What Goes Into Butterfly Pea Flower Recipe
Below are the key ingredients for making butterfly pea flower lemonade. Read on to see how easy making this delicious and magical drink is!
Butterfly Pea Flower Lemonade Ingredients
- Hot water. Hot water is needed to infuse the dried flower petals. Warm water will not work well.
- Dried butterfly pea flowers. Find these in dried packages at your local Asian grocery store or buy them online here.
- Sugar. White sugar is used here, but the brown-colored sugar will change the color of the hot tea a bit.
- Fresh lemon or lime juice for added tanginess. Or 1 ½ cups pre-made lemonade. Adjust as needed, as each brand has a different level of sweetness and tanginess.
- Garnishing options. Ginger, mint, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, rosemary, lemon, or lime slices.
How To Make Butterfly Pea Tea Lemonade
Step 1. Heat water in a tea kettle, saucepan, or soup pot and bring to a boil. Combine the sugar and dried blue butterfly pea flowers in a glass bowl or medium-sized pot. Add the boiling water to the tea mixture and let the infusion of the flower petals steep for 15 minutes. Use a whisk to stir and make sure the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2. Strain the tea mixture over the sink with a fine strainer and place the tea in a vase. Let cool and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Be careful of the warm water during this step. Notice the stunning bright blue color! Such magical color!
Step 3. Prepare your glasses with ice cubes and garnish options. A tall glass works well for this. Pour the cold blue tea over your glasses and leave the top 2-3 inches at the top for lemon or lime juice or lemonade.
Step 4. Pour 1-2 tablespoon (per serving) of lime or lemon juice over the blue tea and watch the magic happens! Watch the magic tricks happening before your eyes! The tea will turn all shades of pink, bright purple, and magenta. The layered look is quite hypnotizing to watch! Taste the tea and adjust the flavor with more lemon or lime juice. Or you can use store-bought lemonade, too, for a less sour lemonade.
Garnishing ideas: Use fresh mint, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, rosemary, Thai basil, cucumber slices, lemon, lime, oranges, peaches, nectarine, and so much more!
Enjoy your butterfly pea homemade lemonade recipe!
Helpful kitchen notes for your butterfly pea lemonade
- Use a pre-made lemonade if you don’t want to squeeze lime/lemon juice or if you want to make a big batch for a party.
- Use less of the dried flowers if you want a lighter blue color. My recipe uses ¼ cup of butterfly pea flower tea. Try 1 tablespoon butterfly pea flowers and go from there.
- Sugar. Use white, palm, coconut, or monk fruit sugar. Honey is a great option too.
- For an added flavor, use this Tom Yum homemade simple syrup instead of the sugar mentioned above.
- For a fun idea, store the extra lemonade in ice-cubed trays to use as ice to throw in your pitcher. Two birds with one stone!
- Try selling butterfly pea tea lemonade instead at your lemonade stand, and watch the fun reactions and conversations to follow!
The fun layered effect of butterfly drinks
Create a fun project with your guests or kids by showing them the magical effect of butterfly pea lemonade. (: Use a tall glass and fill the bottom with ice. Add the blue tea, some lemonade mixture, and more ice and blue tea to the glass. Add more lemonade or lemon juice. Watch the swirls of many beautiful color-changing before your eyes! The pink, blue, and purple hues are magical to watch!
Add some lemon slices to drink and add a bit of sugar or simple syrup to sweeten the lemonade. For an added fizz, add club soda or soda water to make a refreshing iced drink on a warm summer day!
Storage
Like other regular tea, the leftover butterfly tea will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in a glass mason jar with lids and use as needed. With leftovers, it's a great way to have tea on demand for a few days.
Variations
Add gin, tequila, or vodka with a dash of tonic water to make it an adult beverage for your BBQs on a hot summer day! (;
Frequently Asked Questions
Plants have their preferred acidic level, and butterfly pea flowers contain a certain amount of PH. When adding acidic ingredients to it, the PH of the blue tea changes, causing the fun color change.
Butterfly pea tea has no taste, making it a very mild tea to enjoy. It's an easy and fun ingredient to work with because it doesn't overtake the flavors or fragrances of other ingredients in a dish, drink, or dessert.
Butterfly pea flower lemonade is made with dried butterfly pea flowers steeped in hot water and sugar. Once cooled, the blue drink is mixed with lime, lemon juice, or pre-made lemonade. There's a ph element in the blue tea that, once mixed with any citrusy liquid, turns into many beautiful shades of pink, purple, and magenta.
The butterfly pea flower itself has no taste hardly at all. But once the blue water is mixed with sugar and lemon or lime juice, it tastes like a refreshing summer drink. The more sugar and citrus juice you add, the stronger and more flavorful your butterfly lemonade.
Yes! The butterfly pea flower has a ton of healthful benefits that are good for the body. Especially when used as tea without added sugar. Butterfly pea tea is rich in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, fight off free radicals, and boost our immune system. Blue tea has healthful benefits that relax and calms our nervous system, which in turn helps with reducing anxiety and stress.
More Thai Summer Recipes you’ll love!
- Butterfly tea (hot or cold)
- hibiscus tea recipe
- Creamy coconut lime mojito
- Thai iced tea recipe
- Thai tea limeade
- Thai coconut ice cream recipe
- Thai glass noodle salad with shrimp
- Thai beef salad
- Thai green mango salad with cashew
- Namtok beef waterfall salad
- The best Crying Tiger recipe
- Tom Yum homemade simple syrup
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Butterfly Pea Lemonade
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Butterfly pea lemonade is a refreshing, healthy, delicious, fun, and naturally colorful drink. It is also very simple to make as a perfect add-on to your backyard grilling! It's a perfect summer drink!
Ingredients
- 6 cups of hot water
- ¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers.
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon or lime juice for added tanginess. or 1 ½ cups pre-made lemonade. Adjust as needed, as each brand has a different level of sweetness and tanginess.
- Garnishing options. Ginger, mint, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, rosemary, lemon, or lime slices.
Instructions
- Heat water in a tea kettle, saucepan, or soup pot and bring to a boil. Combine the sugar and dried blue butterfly pea flowers in a glass bowl or medium-sized pot. Add the boiling water to the tea mixture and let the infusion of the flower petals steep for 15 minutes. Use a whisk to stir and make sure the sugar is dissolved.
- Strain the tea mixture over the sink with a fine strainer and place the tea in a vase. Let cool and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Be careful of the warm water during this step. Notice the stunning bright blue color! Such magical color!
- Prepare your glasses with ice cubes and garnish options. A tall glass works well for this. Pour the cold blue tea over your glasses and leave the top 2-3 inches at the top for lemon or lime juice or lemonade.
- Pour 1-2 tablespoon (per serving) of lime or lemon juice over the blue tea and watch the magic happens! Watch the magic tricks happening before your eyes! The tea will turn all shades of pink, bright purple, and magenta. The layered look is quite hypnotizing to watch! Taste the tea and adjust the flavor with more lemon or lime juice. Or you can use store-bought lemonade, too, for a less sour lemonade.
Garnishing ideas: Use fresh mint, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, rosemary, Thai basil, cucumber slices, lemon, lime, oranges, peaches, nectarine, and so much more!
Enjoy your butterfly pea homemade lemonade recipe!
Notes
- Use a pre-made lemonade if you don’t want to squeeze lime/lemon juice or if you want to make a big batch for a party.
- Use less of the dried flowers if you want a lighter blue color. My recipe uses ¼ cup of butterfly pea flower tea. Try 1 tablespoon butterfly pea flowers and go from there.
- Sugar. Use white, palm, coconut, or monk fruit sugar. Honey is a great option too.
- For an added flavor, use this Tom Yum homemade simple syrup instead of the sugar mentioned above.
- For a fun idea, store the extra lemonade in ice-cubed trays to use as ice to throw in your pitcher. Two birds with one stone!
- Try selling butterfly pea tea lemonade instead at your lemonade stand, and watch the fun reactions and conversations to follow!
** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Thai
Summer A says
The color alone makes this drink a must try! So fun for any BBQ or summertime occasion. Kids will live and so refreshing:)
Suwanee says
A fun and delicious drink to make for the summer months!
Suwanee says
Wasn't it so fun to see? So glad you loved it!
Jane Manino says
I made this for a girlfriend luncheon. We all enjoyed it so much, and they were so surprised how it changed colors.
Suwanee says
So wonderful to hear, Sarah! Glad it was a success!
Sarah says
I made this for our Halloween party and it was a hit! I added some lime and lemon to achieve the purple color and opted for agave to sweeten. Enjoyed a hot cup plain as well for morning tea and it was great. Would make again!