Learn how to make Thai butterfly blue tea (น้ำอัญชัน) with this easy recipe using only 3 ingredients! Make it hot or cold and both in two easy methods, French press or on the stovetop. The tea can be made and ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes!
For a butterfly pea flower lemonade, use this refreshing and easy recipe. Also, try this Thai hibiscus tea, another tasty and healthy drink!
If you are a tea lover, here are refreshing and delicious Thai drinks. Try the Hibiscus tea flower tea recipe and the popular Thai iced tea recipe. Using the same Thai tea ingredient, make Thai tea limeade while at it. Thai iced tea, Cha Yen. These are delicious in their own right!
Jump to:
- The magic of butterfly blue tea
- Why You'll Love This Butterfly Pea Flower Tea?
- What is Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
- Health Benefits of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
- Ingredients for butterfly pea flower tea recipe
- Making Butterfly Pea Tea, 2 methods!
- How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
- Helpful Kitchen Notes
- More Thai drinks you'll love
- Variations
- Storing leftover blue butterfly pea tea
- How are Butterfly Pea Flowers used?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Thai Recipes you’ll love!
- Enjoy the Magic of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
- How to Make Thai Butterfly Blue Tea (น้ำอัญชัน)
The magic of butterfly blue tea
Discover the enchanting world of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea, a magical tea native to Southeast Asia. Known for its brilliant blue hue and color-changing properties, this tea is visually captivating and offers many health benefits.
Steeped in hot water, dried Butterfly Pea flowers create a stunning deep blue color, and with the addition of lemon juice, watch as the tea transforms into a vibrant purple. This traditional tea has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for its cognitive and heart health benefits, and it's a favorite among tea lovers and those seeking natural food dyes.
Whether you enjoy it hot or as a refreshing iced tea, this beautiful blue tea will surely leave you mesmerized.
Why You'll Love This Butterfly Pea Flower Tea?
- Butterfly pea tea is all-natural with no artificial colors added! Hard to believe, but nature gifted us big with this magical ingredient!
- It’s a perfect drink to have all year round! Stay healthy all year!
- Butterfly pea tea is chockfull of health benefits that are so good for you. We’ll ignore the sugar for now, but you can use healthy substitutes too. Check the notes section for more helpful tips.
- It’s a simple recipe using only 3 ingredients, but the garnishing options are endless!
- It can be made ahead of time in a big batch, too, perfect for serving a group of thirsty people during your gatherings.
- This recipe offers two tea options, hot and cold. Both are very simple.
What is Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea is an herbal tea made from the dried flowers of the Clitoria ternatea plant, also known as Asian Pigeonwings or Blue Pea Flowers. The tea's color-changing properties result from its pH level reacting to acidic ingredients like lemon juice.
Health Benefits of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
- Cognitive Function. Rich in antioxidants, Butterfly Pea Flower Tea helps combat oxidative stress and free radicals, supporting cognitive function.
- Blood Sugar Levels. Studies suggest this tea may help regulate blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for those concerned about diabetes.
- Heart Health. With potential effects on reducing heart disease risk, this tea contributes to a healthier heart.
Ingredients for butterfly pea flower tea recipe
Below are the ingredients for making hibiscus tea. Only 3 ingredients, VERY simple and easy!
- Water
- Butterfly pea flowers, dried.
- Ginger for added taste and health benefits. Optional
- Sugar, honey, or any sweetener of choice. Optional
- Limes, lemon, and ginger for garnishing. Optional
- Ice. For making iced tea. No need for ice if you are drinking your tea hot.
- Lemon slices or kaffir lime leaves (for garnishing)
Making Butterfly Pea Tea, 2 methods!
There are two ways to make butterfly pea flower tea. One uses a French press. Mine is a 51 oz size and holds 6-7 cups. The recipe calls for 6 cups of water, so it's a perfect size. I also use my French press to make Thai iced tea, coffee, and other loose-leaf teas. Very easy and convenient!
The second method is to use a medium-sized pot. Add the dried butterfly pea flowers and water and let it come to a gentle boil, then steep and strain. Also very easy and fast!
How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Butterly Pea Tea in a French Press
Step 1. Boil water in an electric kettle or on the stove. Place the dried Butterfly Pea flowers and ginger in a French press.
Step 2. Pour the boiling water over the dried flower tea mixture and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. The steep time affects the color intensity, so adjust to your preference. Use a spoon or fork to whisk all the flowers to help submerge all the leaves.
Step 3. Plunge the French press, then pour the hot tea into a teacup to drink it hot.
Step 4. Add sweetener and garnish of choice; sugar, honey, ginger, lemon/lime wedges, lemongrass, etc.
Step 5: For iced tea, allow the tea to cool before refrigerating it.
Butterfly Pea Tea Recipe On the Stove Top
Step 1. Combine dried butterfly pea flowers and ginger in a medium pot.
Step 2. Bring the tea to a boil, remove from the stop, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. The steep time affects the color intensity, so adjust to your preference. Use a spoon or fork to whisk all the flowers to help submerge all the leaves.
Step 3. Strain butterfly pea flower into a heat-safe bowl or pitcher. Discard the used tea bits.
Step 4. Drink it hot with honey or any garnish of choice. For drinking iced tea, let the tea cool completely to room temperature. Drink the tea with ice, add sweetener, and top with your favorite garnish. Save the rest of the blue tea in the refrigerator.
Helpful Kitchen Notes
Add simple syrup or maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter taste.
Use filtered water for the best taste and water quality.
- Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice for a more intense color change. Show off your magic tricks to your guests. It's a conversation starter, for sure!
- Blend Butterfly Pea flowers with black tea to create a unique Blue Matcha with caffeine.
- Avoid steeping the flowers for too long, as it can result in a bitter taste.
More Thai drinks you'll love
Variations
Experiment with cold brew methods for a refreshing summer drink. Add dry butterfly pea flowers in a water pitcher at room temp water. Let the tea steep while you work or run errands, and come home to a lovely cup of butterfly pea flower tea!
Storing leftover blue butterfly pea tea
- Store leftover tea in a pitcher with a lid or a large mason jar with lids.
- Use ice-cubed trays to store leftover tea for future uses! Add lemonade to the cubes for extra flavor, and watch the color changes! Such a fun and beautiful little trick!
How are Butterfly Pea Flowers used?
Butterfly peas are tropical blue flowers grown wild in Thailand and many Southeast Asian countries. Beautiful blue flowers are used in many things, including tea, smoothies, cocktails, baking, cooking, and as a natural coloring agent.
When blue tea is mixed with acidic drinks like lemon or lime juice, the blue magically turns into many bright hues of purple and pink. It's mesmerizing to watch!
- Blue Rice - Use Butterfly Pea Flower Tea instead of food coloring to dye your rice a brilliant blue. Use this butterfly pea powder for it.
- Butterfly Pea Milk Tea, a beautiful blue latte - Make a butterfly pea tea latte with a creamy and delightful twist on a classic milk tea. The recipe is coming soon!
- Magic Lemonade - Impress your guests with this color-changing lemonade using Butterfly Pea Flower Tea. LINK
- Rice Dishes - Use Butterfly Pea Flower Tea as a natural food dye to enhance the visual appeal of various rice dishes.
- Use the butterfly pea flower powder in your baking. Adds a brilliant shade of blue to any of your bakes goods like frosting, bread, or cakes.
- Make blue butterfly pea flowers ice cubes! This one is fun for my kids. I used blue and pink cubes (add lemonade to turn the water pink) with added edible flowers, and it's a fun project in the summer months!
Frequently Asked Questions
There are tons of health benefits to this magical ingredient. The rich blue color of butterfly pea tea is full of antioxidants that help our bodies fight harmful free radicals.
The high amount of flavonoids in butterfly pea tea fights inflammation and slows aging. Blue tea helps calm our nervous system, which helps prevent stress, anxiety, and depression. It truly is nature's natural medicine to our bodies!
You can add herbs and spices to enhance the flavors of your butterfly pea tea. Ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cinnamon, lemon, or lime juice are great options to spice up the taste of butterfly pea tea.
Try adding lemon or lime juice to the blue tea and watch how the color changes from blue to purple right before your eyes! It's mesmerizing!
You can sweeten butterfly pea tea with sugar, honey, agave, or monk fruit sugar.
It can be! Butterfly pea flower tea by itself has little to no flavors. Sugar or any sweetening ingredient is often used to help sweeten the tea.
I don't recommend using the powder for making this tea recipe. Save the powder for making a butterfly pea flower latte instead.
More Thai Recipes you’ll love!
- 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
Enjoy the Magic of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Indulge in the mesmerizing beauty and health benefits of this magical blue tea. Share your captivating Butterfly Pea Flower Tea experience on social media and introduce your friends to the captivating world of this unique herbal elixir.
** Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star ?rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram! **
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How to Make Thai Butterfly Blue Tea (น้ำอัญชัน)
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how to make Thai butterfly blue tea (น้ำอัญชัน) with this easy recipe using only 3 ingredients! Make it hot or cold and both in two easy methods, French press or on the stovetop. The tea can be made and ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 6 cups of hot water
- ¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers.
- 1 slice ginger, 2 inches long. Bruise lightly with the back of a knife for quick release of the oil.
- Garnish options: Mint, Thai basil, lemon, or lime slices for garnishing
- Ice, for the iced tea version
Instructions
Using a French Press Method
- Combine dried butterfly pea flowers and ginger in a French press.
- Pour the boiling water over the dried flower tea mixture and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. The steep time affects the color intensity, so adjust to your preference. Use a spoon or fork to whisk all the flowers to help submerge all the leaves.
- Plunge the French press, then pour the hot tea into a teacup to drink it hot.
- Add sweetener and garnish of choice; sugar, honey, ginger, lemon/lime wedges, lemongrass, etc.
- For iced tea, allow the tea to cool before refrigerating it.
On the stovetop
- Combine dried butterfly pea flowers and ginger in a medium pot.
- Bring the tea to a boil, remove from the stop, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. The longer you steep the deeper the color of the tea. Use a spoon or fork to whisk all the flowers to help submerge all the leaves.
- Strain butterfly pea flower into a heat-safe bowl or pitcher. Discard the used tea bits.
- Drink it hot with honey or any garnish of choice. For drinking iced tea, let the tea cool completely to room temperature. Drink the tea with ice, add sweetener, and top with your favorite garnish. Save the rest of the blue tea in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Add simple syrup or maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter taste.
- Use filtered water for the best taste and water quality.
- Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice for a more intense color change. Show off your magic tricks to your guests. It's a conversation starter, for sure!
- Blend Butterfly Pea flowers with black tea to create a unique Blue Matcha with caffeine.
- Avoid steeping the flowers for too long, as it can result in a bitter taste.
** 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: 10
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
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