You can pull together this Butterfly Pea Latte, hot or iced, in under 10 minutes. A vibrant shade of blurple, this 5-ingredient Blue Matcha Latte has a mild marshmallow undertone with a creamy vanilla finish, making it the perfect low histamine drink for any weather.
If you need more vegan drink recipes, also try my turmeric milk and black sesame latte.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Decaf Matcha: If you can't handle caffeine or are dealing with mast cell issues, the green matcha (made from cured tea leaves) is optional in this mermaid latte. You can even swap out the blue matcha for pink matcha (dragon fruit powder), to mix it up!
Low Histamine Tea. So many people write me asking for low histamine hot drinks to enjoy in the cooler months, so this is one of my many food-based answers. Check out the low histamine drinks page for more recipes.
Other names for a blue matcha latte include:
- Blue Bantha Milk (from Star Wars)
- Blue Latte
- Moon Milk
- Mermaid Latte
- Butterfly Pea Latte
- Blue Moon Latte
- Butterfly Pea Milk Tea
🍯 Ingredients
Full-Fat Milk: you can use any type of milk you'd like in this recipe, but I'd highly recommend trying a homemade non-dairy milk.
Agave or Honey: there are a multitude of low histamine sweeteners you can use in drinks, but by far my favorite is manuka honey. Not only is it great for the digestive system, but manuka honey has been proven to lessen allergy symptoms, like those of histamine intolerance. A vegan honey alternative is agave or simple syrup.
Blue Matcha: also known as butterfly pea flower, this dried & ground botanical has a very mild herbal flavor, like marshmallow root and chamomile. If you tolerate it, you can substitute up to ½ teaspoon of this with regular matcha.
Vanilla Powder: this adds a mild sense of sweetness and complexity to the blue latte, without the need for any extra sugar. Vanilla also does a great job at complementing almost any other flavor you'd like to add.
Heavy Cream: though optional, this whipped ingredient lightens the beverage and adds a bit more sweetness with a touch of honey. A good vegan alternative is coconut cream, optionally sweetened with agave syrup.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🥛 How to Make Butterfly Pea Latte (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Add your milk and honey to a saucepan and heat it up over low for 3-5 minutes, until just starting to bubble around the edges (image 1). While your milk heats, you'll want to make your whipped cream (you can also just pour it over your latte once done.
Step 2) Then turn off the heat but keep your pot on the warm burner. Add in your matcha powder(s), vanilla powder, and a pinch of salt and whisk it all together until well-combined (about one minute) (images 2 & 3), and pour it into your chosen mug.
Step 3) If making the whipped topping, then in a separate small bowl, use a spoon to mix together your honey and cream until the honey dissolves (images 4 & 5). Use a hand blender or strong milk frother to whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks consistency, in 1-2 minutes.
Step 4) Then scoop it on top of your butterfly pea tea latte & enjoy!
🫚 Variations
- Milk Alternatives: Use oat, rice, or hemp milk instead of macadamia milk, depending on your low histamine tolerance.
- Sweetener Options: Substitute honey with pure maple syrup or coconut sugar for a gentle, natural sweetness.
- Matcha Substitution: Replace part or all of the blue matcha with regular green matcha if tolerated, keeping amounts low.
- Add Fresh Ginger: Grate a small amount of fresh ginger into the latte for a warming, anti-inflammatory twist.
- Vanilla Variations: Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder as an alternative to vanilla powder.
- Serve Hot or Iced: Enjoy the latte warm or pour over ice for a refreshing cold drink.
🧊 Storage and Reheating
In theory you could freeze this to reheat gently on the stovetop, especially if you used dairy milk, but if you also used homemade nut more or even store-bought non-dairy milk, it's likely that the texture will be strange even when reheated gently. I recommend only making as much as you'll enjoy within an hour or two, so you only need to freeze as a last resort.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Brewed Version: if you can only use the flowers to make a butterfly pea latte, I recommend using a full tablespoon and then straining out the flowers. If you use the butterfly pea tea rather than a milk base, you'll want to froth your milk separately and then pour it over, and layer the whipped cream on top.
Making Your Own Milk: For those who are wary of trying or triggered by dairy, my homemade nut milk recipe is for you. It can be customized depending on your tolerance of different low histamine nuts and seeds, but all versions are preservative-free and easily freezable for later use.
❓ What to Serve With Butterfly Pea Latte
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute up to half the blue matcha with regular green matcha if you tolerate it, but keep in mind green matcha contains caffeine.
Generally, butterfly pea flower is considered low histamine and safe, but individual tolerance may vary, so start with small amounts.
Yes, adding lemon juice turns the blue butterfly pea tea into a vibrant purple hue due to its natural pH sensitivity.
Yes, pure maple syrup or coconut sugar are excellent low histamine-friendly alternatives to honey.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Butterfly Pea Latte (Blue Matcha Latte)
Ingredients
- ¾ to 1 Cup milk of choice I like macadamia mylk
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon blue matcha can sub up to ½ teaspoon with regular matcha, if tolerated
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla powder
- pinch of salt
- Optional 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream + 1 teaspoon honey to top; alt. coconut cream
Instructions
- Add your milk and honey to a saucepan and heat it up over low for 3-5 minutes, until just starting to bubble around the edges. While your milk heats, you'll want to make your whipped cream (you can also just pour it over your latte once done.
- Then turn off the heat but keep your pot on the warm burner. Add in your matcha powder(s), vanilla powder, and a pinch of salt and whisk it all together until well-combined (about one minute), and pour it into your chosen mug.
- If making the whipped topping, then in a separate small bowl, use a spoon to mix together your honey and heavy cream until the honey dissolves. Use a hand blender or strong milk frother to whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks consistency, in 1-2 minutes.
- Then scoop it on top of your blue matcha latte & enjoy!
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