Butterfly Pea Flower Lemonade

Ingredient notes:

• 1 cup store-bought lemonade (or homemade, if preferred)
• 1 teaspoon dried butterfly pea flowers (or 2 butterfly pea flower tea bags)
• 1 cup hot boiling water
• Ice cubes
• Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Substitutions

Can I use homemade lemonade instead of store-bought?

Absolutely! Homemade lemonade works perfectly and allows you to control the sweetness and tartness to your preference.

Can I use cold water instead of hot water to steep the flowers?

Hot water extracts the color and flavor more effectively, but you can cold-steep the flowers overnight in the refrigerator for a lighter version.

Instructions

Prepare the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

1. In a heatproof container, pour 1 cup of boiling water over the butterfly pea flowers (or tea bags).
2. Let it steep for 5 minutes, or until the water turns a rich, vibrant blue.
3. Remove the flowers or tea bags and allow the tea to cool to room temperature.

Assemble the Drink

Fill two 12-ounce glasses with ice cubes.

Pour ½ cup of store-bought lemonade into each glass.

Add the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

Slowly pour the cooled butterfly pea flower tea over the lemonade in each glass.

Garnish and Serve

Watch as the blue tea mixes with the lemonade, creating a stunning purple color change!

Substitutions

Here's what happens when you swap ingredients in this recipe.

• Homemade Lemonade Instead of Store-Bought - This works beautifully if you already have homemade lemonade on hand.
  • What you gain: control over sweetness and tartness.
  • What you lose: nothing, really...the color change happens the same way. I prefer store-bought for this recipe purely because it's faster and the acidity is reliable, but homemade works just as well.
• Cold Water Instead of Hot Water for Steeping - This doesn't work. I tried it thinking it would save time in cooling down the tea but the flowers barely released any color at all. You end up with pale blue water that doesn't have enough pigment to create the dramatic color shift. Hot boiling water is required to extract the anthocyanin compounds that give you that rich blue.
• Fresh Butterfly Pea Flowers Instead of Dried - Fresh flowers are less concentrated, so you'll need 5-6 fresh blooms to match the color intensity of 1 teaspoon dried. I haven't tested this myself (I only have access to dried, I WISH I had access to fresh!), but based on how dried herbs work compared to fresh, this ratio should get you close. Adjust to your preference.
• Limeade Instead of Lemonade - This creates a tangier, more tropical flavor profile. The color change still happens because lime juice is acidic like lemon juice. I haven't tried this variation, but readers who have say it works and tastes great-more Key lime pie vibes than lemonade.

Storage Tips

If you have leftover butterfly pea flower tea, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Mix with lemonade just before serving.

Souper Cubes

Pour extra tea into silicone molds, freeze, and add the butterfly pea flower ice cubes to lemonade at a later date.

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