This blue syrup is a homemade simple syrup made with the amazing Butterfly Pea flowers. Deliciously sweet and floral, it’s perfect for adding a touch of color to drinks, desserts and baked goods. Let us show you how to do it!
Traditionally, simple syrups are made by boiling down a 1:1 solution of water and sugar. This process concentrates the sugar and turns the mixture into a thick and glossy syrup. super easy!
Here we used the same method but replaced plain water with blue pea infused tea. So the syrup will not look clear but will have a super nice blue tint.
Butterfly pea flowers, also known as blue pea, are edible flowers with bright blue-purple petals. They have a sweet and floral flavor with slightly earthy and grassy notes, similar to matcha but not as bitter.
Butterfly Pea flowers are native to Southeast Asia and are commonly used in Thai and Malay cuisines for desserts, beverages and colorful recipes.
Because the petals are rich in blue pigment, they can add the most wonderful shade of blue to cakes, cookies, lattes, and cheesecake. And yes, even to a simple sugar syrup!
For this recipe, you will need dried butterfly pea flowers, which you can find at your local Asian grocery store or online. Then we show how to use the flowers to make blue pea tea from scratch.
The blue tea then forms the base of the syrup, which you simmer with sugar until shiny and concentrated.
Depending on how long you simmer the blue syrup, you will get different consistencies: liquid like maple syrup or thick like honey. But don’t worry, we’ll show you exactly how to get one or the other in the steps below!
And once the butterfly pea syrup is ready, the fun begins!
You can drizzle this blue syrup over pancakes and waffles just like you would maple syrup. Or why not drizzle over a spongy blue cake for extra moisture and sweetness?
You can also use this blue pea syrup to make fancy cocktails, colorful iced teas, and even a color-changing lemonade. And you can also use it to garnish ice cream, sorbets and fruit salads. Impressively!
If you’re watching your sugar intake and want to try a healthier option, check out the recipe below and we’ll tell you how to swap out sugar for the sugar-free sweetener erythritol.
That way, the syrup has virtually no calories—no guilt involved!