This purple basil lemonade is the perfect drink to help you stay hydrated on a hot day! I first came up with the idea for this drink recipe when I was unpacking my collection of various teas. We had just moved and I was working on unpacking all of our kitchen items.
That is when I found my butterfly pea tea. Butterfly pea tea is one of my favorite herbal teas because of it’s striking blue color when brewed. Also, the tea turns purple when citrus is added to it, which is how I made this basil lemonade purple!
Additionally, it is super neat being able to watch the transformation when the tea goes from blue to purple! One idea is that this recipe could work as a fun science experiment to do with kids. The lemon juice changes the pH of the tea from basic to acidic, which causes the tea to turn a deep purple.
And I would like to add that this drink is family approved! I had two of my sisters, my husband, my daughter, my mom, and my brother-in-law try the purple lemonade and it was a hit. Also, it should be noted that I have some picky eaters in my family and even the picky ones liked the drink! Let me tell you, it did not last long.
Interesting Facts about Butterfly Pea Tea (aka butterfly pea flower tea).
- It’s native to South East Asia and found in countries such as India and Thailand.
- The tea itself comes from the flowers of the Clitorea ternatea plant.
- Butterfly Pea Tea is said to contain antioxidants.
- Some of the benefits of drinking butterfly pea tea include; promotion of hair growth and weight loss, and can possibly stop inflammation.
For more information on butterfly pea tea, click here.
What does butterfly pea tea taste like?
Butterfly pea tea on its own doesn’t really have much of a taste. If anything, I would say that the tea has a very subtle earthy taste. Which is why I like to at least add some type of sweetener to my butterfly pea tea.
What does purple basil lemonade taste like?
Not to be confused with the plant purple basil, my drink is made with typical green basil. Therefore, the lemonade tastes like regular lemonade with a hint of green basil. Additionally, like I wrote above, butterfly pea tea doesn’t have much of a taste, which makes it great for adding natural color to foods and beverages.
Why add electrolytes?
Electrolytes are a great way to stay hydrated. In fact, electrolytes are minerals that the body needs in order to function properly. Also, it is super easy to add in electrolytes to a beverage and this lemonade recipe is no exception! I like to use ConcenTrace Trace Minerals, but you could also use sea salt or Pink Himalayan Salt.
Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor or a medical professional. I found all of my information on butterfly pea flower tea and electrolytes by doing online research. Please do your own research as well if you are in doubt about something.
How long is the purple basil lemonade good for?
I would say that the purple basil lemonade is good for about a week if refrigerated.
How to make purple basil lemonade with butterfly pea tea and electrolytes.
Ingredients:
About 5 to 6 lemons- depending on the size.
11 ounces of butterfly pea tea
1 basil stem with the leaves
1 can of lemon sparkling water (optional: I like Limoncello made by La Croix)
Sugar to taste (or your preferred sweetener- note, don’t give this beverage to baby under a year old if you decide to use honey.)
Equipment:
Tea Leaf Strainer
Pitcher or Big Jar
Cutting Board
Knife
Citrus Juicer
Directions for making Simple Purple Basil Lemonade:
Start by making you butterfly pea tea. I used a tea kettle that held about 19 ounces of water and brought the water to a boil.
Next, add your water to a big glass pitcher or jar that has the butterfly pea tea inside of a tea strainer.
Now, let the tea brew for at least a few minutes. (Note that the longer you let the tea leaves sit in the water, the stronger the tea will be. I personally let mine sit about 24 hours for a stronger brew. This is optional though and if you are in a hurry, just do a few minutes.)
While the tea is brewing, juice your lemons in a separate container.
Once the tea is done brewing, dispose of your tea leaves.
Then add your lemon juice to your tea, stir, and watch the two mix and turn purple!
Next, you can either wash and put your whole basil stem into the glass pitcher or container with the lemonade. (This will create a more subtle basil taste.) Or Crush/muddle the basil leaves over the purple lemonade. (This will create a stronger basil flavor.)
And then add your sweetener, ice, sparkling water (optional), and electrolytes (optional).
Stir or shake the drink so that everything comes together.
Finally, add some extra basil leaves to garnish (optional) and enjoy your refreshing beverage!
Tips:
Add your sweetener to the butterfly pea tea before it cools down so that your sweetener can dissolve faster into the drink.
Instead of mineral drops or salt, you could add coconut water for some extra electrolytes.
Don’t shake the purple lemonade if you decided to add sparkling water because shaking will get rid of the sparkling water’s carbonation.
If you don’t like basil, you could do mint leaves instead.
Since butterfly pea flower tea doesn’t have much of a flavor on its own, it makes a good base for other drinks and adds a vibrant natural color.
Like I stated above, I used Limoncello Sparkling Water. However, you could also use just plain lemon or even lime sparkling water if that is what you have available.
Simple Purple Basil Lemonade with Butterfly Pea Tea and Electrolytes
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Tea Kettle
- Tea Leaf Strainer
- Pitcher or Big Jar
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- About 5 to 6 lemons- depending on the size.
- 11 ounces of butterfly pea tea
- 1 basil stem with the leaves
- 1 can of lemon sparkling water optional: I like Limoncello made by La Croix
- Sugar to taste or your preferred sweetener- note, don’t give this beverage to baby under a year old if you decide to use honey.
Instructions
- Start by making you butterfly pea tea. I used a tea kettle that held about 19 ounces of water and brought the water to a boil.
- Next, add your water to a big glass pitcher or jar that has the butterfly pea tea inside of a tea strainer.
- Now, let the tea brew for at least a few minutes. (Note that the longer you let the tea leaves sit in the water, the stronger the tea will be. I personally let mine sit about 24 hours for a stronger brew. This is optional though and if you are in a hurry, just do a few minutes.)
- While the tea is brewing, juice your lemons in a separate container.
- Once the tea is done brewing, dispose of your tea leaves.
- Then add your lemon juice to your tea, stir, and watch the two mix and turn purple!
- Next, you can either wash and put your whole basil stem into the glass pitcher or container with the lemonade. (This will create a more subtle basil taste.) Or Crush/muddle the basil leaves over the purple lemonade. (This will create a stronger basil flavor.)
- And then add your sweetener, ice, sparkling water (optional), and electrolytes (optional).
- Stir or shake the drink so that everything comes together.
- Finally, add some extra basil leaves to garnish (optional) and enjoy your refreshing beverage!
Notes
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Tea kettle with attachable strainer
This is absolutely intriguing- I’ll have to give it a shot!
Oh my goodness, purple lemonade looks so fun for my kids!