Butterfly Pea Flower Simple Syrup Recipe for Tea, Cocktails, and More!

Butterfly pea flower simple syrup recipe is a bright, beautiful, and bold blue-colored sweetener that is a perfect addition to your favorite drinks! This naturally colored syrup is made from dried butterfly pea flowers and can be a bright blue or changed to purple if citrus is added.

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I don’t know about you, but I think the butterfly pea flower is the most well-hidden secret. This amazing flower is absolutely beautiful as part of your landscape, but what most people don’t know is that it can be used for much more than just lawn decoration! It makes a beautiful, fun, and very nutritious tea or latte as well as this simple syrup recipe that I am going to share with you today. It is incredibly easy to make and its bright coloring is a show-stopper! Not only can it be a bright bold blue, but add a little lemon and watch the mixture turn purple! Some people also like to add a bit of hibiscus for deep pink coloring.

So you see, this little flower is incredible and there are so many ways to add it to your tea or favorite drink!

What is Butterfly Pea Flower?

The butterfly pea flower is a small vining blue flower native to Thailand. The scientific name is, Clitoria ternatea, but is also known by many other names including, Asian pigeon wings, blue pea, or butterfly pea. The butterfly pea flower is often used to make herbal tea and studies have shown it to be packed with positive health benefits as well. In general, it is said to contain an array of antioxidants and is very good for the health of your skin and hair.

Taste

The butterfly pea flower has a very earthy taste and as such this syrup although sweet, has a floral and earthy flavor to it.

Magical Color Change of Butterfly Pea Flowers

Butterfly pea flowers are often touted as magical, and they almost are! But there is a reasonable explanation for the color change. By adding acidity such as lemon it changes the PH levels of the tea which results in the color change.

• Blue – This recipe will naturally be a bright and bold blue color.
• Purple – To make purple, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or a small wedge of lemon to the cooking syrup.
• Pink – Make it pink by adding a bit of hibiscus.

What is in Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup?

• Butterfly Pea Flowers – I used these dried whole butterfly pea flowers for this recipe. They are relatively easy and economical to purchase.
• Sugar – Regular granulated cane sugar is a good option for this recipe as it dissolves easily and quickly.
• Water – Not to be overlooked, water is not typically noticed in a recipe unless it tastes bad. Use good water such as filtered or spring water.

How to Make Butterfly Pea Syrup

Butterfly Pea Syrup Recipe

Kitchen Tools

• Saucepan
• Wooden Stirring Spoon
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Dry Measuring Cup
• Tea Strainer

Ingredients

• Dried Loose Leaf Butterfly Pea Flowers
• Cane Sugar
• Water

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan on the stovetop, add water and sugar.
2. Stir together.
3. Cook on low until sugar is fully dissolved, stirring occasionally. (this should only take a few minutes)
4. Turn off the heat and add butterfly pea flowers.
5. Let sit for 5 minutes.
6. Strain out flowers.
7. Pour into a storage container.
8. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Heat just until the sugar fully dissolves.
• Don’t forget to stir syrup.
• Do watch the syrup as it cooks. While it is very unlikely to burn, it does dissolve the sugar and finishes quickly.
• Strain out butterfly pea leaves using a tea strainer. I like to strain into a liquid measuring cup, and then pour the strained simple syrup right into my storage container.
• Use whole dried flowers. Tea bags are not ideal for this recipe.

How to Store

This simple butterfly tea syrup is fairly simple to store. Pour prepared syrup into a container (I like this one!) with a lid and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Don’t forget to label and date. If the syrup begins to develop an off-color or smell rancid, discard it and make a new recipe.

Using Butterfly Pea Flower Simple Syrup

There are almost endless options for this bold blue butterfly pea flower syrup. It can be added to lemonade, cocktails, lattes, or homemade soda. It can be used as natural food coloring for baked goods as well.

More Simple Syrup Recipes!

• Rose Simple Syrup
• Liquid Cane Sugar
• Cinnamon Dolce Simple Syrup
• Lavender Simple Syrup
• Lavender Honey Syrup
• Rosehip Syrup

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe. Leave a comment below and let’s connect!