Butterfly Pea Smoothie

Butterfly pea powder gives this smoothie a vibrant blue hue and unique floral taste. Simply whizz it with bananas and coconut for a delightful tropical drink that's as pretty and tasty!

Butterfly Pea Smoothie (Two Ways)

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs24.1 g8.7%
of which Sugars14.7 g16.4%
Fibers3.3 g11.8%
Fats4.9 g7.5%
of which Saturates4.1 g20.7%
of which Omega 30 g3.2%
Proteins1.7 g3.8%
Calcium106 mg10.6%
Vitamin A153 mcg21.9%
Vitamin C10 mg13.9%
Iron1 mg6.9%
Potassium480 mg13.7%
Sodium16 mg0.7%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal147 7.4%
Macro split
  • net carbs 71%
  • sugars 43%
  • fats 14%
  • saturates 12%
  • proteins 5%
  • fibers 10%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
147 per serving
TIME
5m
HEALTH

This butterfly pea smoothie is an all-new and exciting way to use butterfly pea other than for tea. And the great news is you can make it with either dried flowers or powder. Let us show you how to do it!

Also called blue pea or Asian pigeonwings, butterfly pea is a vivid deep blue flower found in South and Southeast Asia and praised for its health benefits in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.

Butterfly pea is also used in Thai and Malay cuisines as a natural food colourant for rice dishes and desserts and to brew a soothing blue tea.

You can find culinary butterfly pea as dried flowers or a finely ground powder at your local Asian food store or online.

The blue pea powder is also called "blue matcha" as it tastes similar to matcha. Just like its green counterpart, butterfly pea tastes grassy and earthy but it's not as bitter.

In today's recipe, we'll use butterfly pea powder to whizz a delicious tropical smoothie with bananas and coconut milk. It's quick and tasty!

If you don't have the powder, worry not! You can make also this blue smoothie with the butterfly pea flowers if you already have them at home. Just follow the steps below, and we'll explain how!

You can increase or decrease the butterfly pea quantities to change the colour of your smoothie from a sky blue to a deep blue hue.

Have fun experimenting with it, and let us know what you think in the rating section at the bottom of the page!

By the way, this butterfly pea smoothie is dairy-free and vegan, as we used coconut milk instead of cow's milk. So it's perfect if you have a dairy allergy or are following a plant-based diet.

As for the bananas, you can replace them with yogurt (regular or plant-based) for a low-sugar option.

Once ready, serve this blue smoothie into your cutest glass and enjoy! And if you're looking for more tropical smoothie recipe ideas, check out our guava pineapple smoothie and papaya smoothie bowl. You'll love them!

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
Option 1
Butterfly Pea Powder1 tsp
Option 2
Butterfly Pea Flowers4 tbsp
Others
Coconut Milk Drink480 mL
Bananas2

Step 1

Depending on what you already have at home, you can use either the butterfly pea flowers or powder to prepare this blue smoothie.

If you have the powder, skip to the next step and follow our recipe as is.

If, instead, you have the butterfly pea flowers, add them to a pot with the coconut milk drink.

Then, bring the milk to a boil and simmer it for a few minutes until the flowers have released all their blue pigments and you have bright blue milk.

Filter the milk with a sieve and let it cool down completely.

Once cold, use it in the steps below.

blue milk made with butterfly pea flowers

Step 2

Add the butterfly pea powder and coconut milk drink to a blender. If you made the blue milk in the step above, you don't have to use any powder.

Next, tip in the bananas (1).

Then, whizz all into a smoothie (2).

butterfly pea smoothie ingredients in a blender
1
butterfly pea smoothie
2

Step 3

Your delicious butterfly pea smoothie is ready for sipping!

If you like, you can swirl the smoothie with yogurt as we did.

To do so, add a few spoonfuls of yogurt into a glass or jar and pour the smoothie over it. Then, stir the bottom a few times to create a pretty swirl pattern.

woman pouring butterfly pea smoothie in a jar with yogurt

Tips

  • You can swap bananas with coconut yogurt, soy yogurt, or Greek yogurt; use about 100g (3.5 oz) of yogurt for each banana.

  • You can turn this smoothie into a balanced breakfast, perfect to enjoy on the go. Simply add 30g (1oz) of oats and one tablespoon of peanut butter per person to the blender and whizz all until smooth.