This butterfly pea milk is refreshing, healthy and as good as it looks. With only 2 ingredients needed, it’s also super easy to make and can be made vegan too!
Butterfly Pea Milk – The Prettiest Blue Drink
And I’m back with yet another recipe with edible flowers. You know, I just have a thing for them. This time it’s the butterfly pea milk or butterfly pea latte, or in Thai nom anchan (นมอัญชัน). As the name suggests, this is a milk-based drink so it’s pretty milky. However, just like the Thai milk tea and Thai pink milk, we drink this butterfly pea milk as a refresher here in Thailand. Though, it could actually work as part of breakfast if you’re up for it!
As pretty as it looks, this unicorn drink is REALLY easy to make. While it’s usually sweetened with sugar and/or condensed milk, in this post, I’ll show you the even easier way to make it, which requires only 2 ingredients. Not only is it easier, but it’s actually also healthier.
Let’s see what those ingredients are.
Ingredient 1: The Butterfly Pea Flowers
You can either use fresh or dried butterfly pea flowers. I use both because we grow a vine in our garden. Whenever I have enough of the fresh ones, I’ll use them. When I don’t, I just use the dried ones. If you’re a fan of butterfly pea tea and you already have dried butterfly pea flowers in your pantry, this will be very convenient for you. For those who would like to get these flowers, your best bet is an Asian grocery store or you can buy them online here.
The Biggest Question: What Does Butterfly Tea or Water Taste like?
NOTHING! It just doesn’t have any flavor. Butterfly pea flowers are kind of considered an “herb” in Thailand and we use them in savory dishes too. They have some health benefits such as being full of antioxidants and good for your eyes. But I’ll say that we mainly use this flower in our drinks for the color. Just look at those shades of blue. Aren’t they just beautiful?
Ingredient 2: The Milk
The Sweet Version
Personally, I like to use sweetened milk because it’s quick and easy. It’s just one ingredient, you don’t have to add sugar and stir until it’s dissolved. Also, with this option you can tell the calories and nutrients by the milk label as the butterfly pea part is pretty much just water. I like mine mildly sweet so I just pick the milk with a low sugar content. But you can go however sweet you want – no judgment here!
That Healthier / Vegan Version
If you want to keep this drink the healthiest it can be, you can just use any unsweetened milk. For those of you who are vegans or follow a plant-based diet, just use any unsweetened vegan milk you like.
How To Make Butterfly Pea Milk
- Boil ⅔ cup of water
- Make butterfly pea tea by placing a handful of fresh or dried butterfly pea flowers in a cup and add the boiling water. Soak for a few minutes.
- Use the back of a spoon to press the flowers against the bottom of the cup to extract the color. Once the color is vivid enough, strain and discard the flowers.
- Fill 2 glasses with ice.
- Split ¾ cup of milk between the 2 glasses
- Pour the butterfly pea tea over the milk until it reaches the top of each glass and stir to enjoy.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Cha Yen (Thai Iced Tea)
- Nom Yen (Thai Pink Milk)
- Honey and Lemon Tea
- Butterfly Pea Lemonade
- Fresh Peach Lemonade
- Butterfly Pea Tea (Blue Tea)
Butterfly Pea Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 handful fresh or dried butterfly pea flowers
- 2 glasses ice
- ¾ cup sweetened milk or any kind you like
Instructions
- Boil the water.
- Place the butter fly pea flowers in a cup and add the boiling water. Soak for a few minutes.
- Use the back of a spoon to press the flowers against the bottom of the cup to extract the color. Strain and discard the flowers once the color is vivid enough.
- Fill 2 glasses with ice.
- Split the milk between the 2 glasses
- Pour the butterfly pea tea over the milk until it reaches the top of each glass and stir to enjoy.