It transforms before your eyes!

Published on August 6, 2025

Credit:

Carson Downing | Food Styling: Annie Probst

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Indigo-tinted syrup is naturally vibrant thanks to a homemade syrup made with butterfly pea flower powder. When mixed with milk and matcha tea, you'll get a fun swampy-colored latte. It's lightly sweet, with a hint of grassiness from the tea. Complete with chewy tapioca pearls (boba), you've got a fun drink to serve guests at your Halloween party.

Tips for Making this Layered Tea Latte

Keep these tips from our Test Kitchen in mind when prepping this Halloween mocktail recipe.

  • In order to get the distinct drink layers, slowly pour each ingredient into your glass over the back of a spoon.
  • Boba pearls (also called pearled tapioca) are available uncooked as well as precooked. Look for them in Asian markets as well as large grocery stores—they're often found next to the tea or beverage section.
  • Look for butterfly pea flower powder (aka blue matcha) in tea shops, health food stores, or online.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1 tsp. butterfly pea flower powder

  • 4 tsp. matcha powder

  • 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. hot water (167ºF), divided

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup plain cooked boba

  • Crushed ice, for serving

  • 4 lemon wedges, optional

Directions

  1. Make Butterfly Pea Flower Mixture

    In a small saucepan whisk together sugar, water, and butterfly pea flower. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes.

  2. Strain


    Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer; cover and set aside until ready to use. 

  3. Make Matcha

    While syrup is cooling, in a 2 cup glass measuring cup whisk together matcha tea and 1 tablespoon of the hot water until smooth and no longer dry, about 30 seconds. Pour remaining 1 cup hot water into cup while whisking constantly; whisk mixture until completely combined, about 30 seconds. 

  4. Make Milk Mixture

    In another glass measuring cup or small pitcher, stir together milk and vanilla.

  5. Assemble and Serve

    Pour 2 tablespoons of the butterfly pea flower syrup into each of 4 (10 to 12-ounce) tall glasses; top with crushed ice (about 2/3 cup each). Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of boba to each glass. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into each glass over the back of a spoon.

    Test Kitchen Tip: Pouring the mixture over the back of a spoon helps keep the layers visible in the glass.

    Carefully pour 1/4 cup matcha tea over the back of a spoon on top of milk. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

Credits

Recipe developed by Renu Dhar.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

253 Calories
5g Fat
53g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 252.9
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4.5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2.4g 12%
Cholesterol 12.4mg 4%
Sodium 60mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 53.2g 19%
Dietary Fiber 4.8g 17%
Total Sugars 37.7g
Protein 5.9g 12%
Vitamin D 1.6mcg 8%
Vitamin C 89.2mg 99%
Calcium 188.5mg 15%
Iron 1.2mg 6%
Potassium 408.9mg 9%
Fatty acids, total trans 0g
Vitamin D 63.4IU
Alanine 0.1g
Arginine 0.1g
Ash 1.4g
Aspartic acid 0.3g
Caffeine 4.7mg
Carotene, alpha 1.9mcg
Choline, total 26.3mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0g
Energy 1055.6kJ
Fluoride, F 36mcg
Folate, total 26.5mcg
Glutamic acid 0.9g
Glycine 0.1g
Histidine 0.1g
Isoleucine 0.2g
Leucine 0.4g
Lysine 0.3g
Methionine 0.1g
Magnesium, Mg 27.6mg
Manganese, Mn 0.1mg
Niacin 0.3mg
Phosphorus, P 133.9mg
Pantothenic acid 0.8mg
Phenylalanine 0.2g
Proline 0.4g
Retinol 56.5mcg
Selenium, Se 5.5mcg
Serine 0.2g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0.2g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.3mg
Tryptophan 0.1g
Tyrosine 0.2g
Valine 0.3g
Vitamin A, IU 247.1IU
Vitamin A, RAE 59.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.6mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0.6mcg
Water 355.7g
Zinc, Zn 0.6mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.