This cold brewed butterfly pea matcha latte is a beautiful, delicious latte full of powerful antioxidants. Milder in flavor than traditional green matcha, this herbal tea-based latte is subtle, sweet, and caffeine-free. It's the perfect little treat to enjoy without checking the time before bed!
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You Will Love This Recipe
- It's a stun-ner. There's a reason blue matcha lattes have been referred to as unicorn or mermaid lattes. They just look magical!
- It's beyond easy. I recently bragged about how simple my dirty matcha latte is to make, and this is even easier. No hot water necessary!
- It's got health benefits. Butterfly pea flower tea is rich in several antioxidants, which can help fight free radicals in our bodies to reduce oxidative stress.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butterfly pea flower powder: Also referred to as blue matcha powder, this blue powder is an herbal tea that gives this latte its beautiful blue color.
- Water.
- Liquid sweetener: I've used maple syrup because that is what I tend to have on hand, but simple syrup vegan honey would also work great.
- Ice.
- Milk: Use any kind of milk. I love oat milk for the creamiest texture but sometimes choose soy for more plant-based protein.
Instructions
1. Sift. Sift the butterfly pea powder into a small jar with an airtight lid.
2. Brew. Add the cold water to the jar, tightly close the lid, and shake the jar for about 10 seconds until no powder remains.
3. Sweeten. Add liquid sweetener, tightly close the lid again, and shake the jar a few more times until the sweetener is well-combined with the cold-brewed butterfly pea tea.
4. Pour. Slowly pour the blue matcha tea into a tall (16-ounce) glass.
5. Ice. Add several ice cubes, filling the glass.
6. Top. Slowly pour the milk onto the ice cubes, being careful to preserve the matcha layer if you want a layered effect. Stir and enjoy!
Variations
- Zippy purple butterfly pea latte: Before adding the sweetener, add one teaspoon of lemon juice to the cold-brewed matcha.
- Earth Day latte: Cold-brew traditional matcha using the same method as the blue tea and pour it over top for a blue-green tie dye effect and a stronger earthy flavor.
- Blue butterfly pea flower iced tea: Increase the water to ¾-1 cup and pour over ice without milk. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to your tea to enjoy the magical color-changing effect!
Storage
If you do not add ice, this latte can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, the typically mellow vegetal, grassy notes will be slightly more pronounced. You might find this even more delicious, though!
Tips
- Enjoy the light flavor and high antioxidant content of butterfly pea flower powder for breakfast with my blue chia pudding.
- Butterfly pea powder also makes a great natural food colorant in many recipes, especially show-stopping cocktails and mocktails!
- Substitute green matcha with butterfly pea powder in my matcha cookies for naturally blue cookies.
- Eco tip: Choosing plant-based milk in this recipe and others can decrease your environmental footprint.
FAQ
Especially when cold brewed, a blue matcha latte has a subtle floral, vegetal flavor comparable to green tea.
The antioxidants present in butterfly pea flower (clitoria ternatea) powder have been linked to heart and brain benefits, as well as improved blood sugar and fat metabolism.
Yes. Despite being called "blue matcha," butterfly pea flower powder is not made from tea leaves. It is an herbal tea made from butterfly pea flowers.
Recipe
Cold Brewed Butterfly Pea Matcha Latte
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butterfly pea flower powder
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1-3 teaspoons maple syrup (or preferred liquid sweetener, to taste)
- several ice cubes
- ¾ cup oat milk (or preferred milk)
Optional for purple latte:
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Equipment
Instructions
- Sift the butterfly pea powder into a small jar with an airtight lid.
- Add the cold water to the jar, tightly close the lid, and shake the jar for about 30 seconds until no powder remains. (see note)
- Add liquid sweetener, tightly close the lid again, and shake the jar a few more times until the sweetener is well-combined with the cold-brewed butterfly pea tea.
- Slowly pour the blue matcha tea into a tall (16-ounce) glass.
- Add several ice cubes, filling the glass.
- Slowly pour the milk onto the ice cubes, being careful to preserve the matcha layer if you want a layered effect. Stir and enjoy!
Notes
- For a purple latte, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice before adding sweetener. Watch the color change from blue to purple!
Lauren Simoneaux
Why do you call it matcha when it has nothing to do with green tea? You could have simply called it Cold Brew Butterfly Pea Latte.
Tori Vasko, RD
Hey Lauren! I included the word matcha because it has been popular to call butterfly pea flower powder "blue matcha" or even "butterfly pea matcha", so, even though there's no actual matcha, I wanted to include the word "matcha" to make sure people looking for a drink made with butterfly pea flower powder (not the loose leaf tea). If you are looking for a drink that also includes matcha as well, I have that too in my "mother earth" latte. Hope this helps!