The Butterfly Drink is the coconut milk version of the

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And now I'm bringing you the easy Butterfly Drink copycat recipe!
This is the coconut milk version of the summer 2026 Refresher (like the Pink Drink is to the Strawberry Acai Refresher and the Dragon Drink is to the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher).
It's packed with tropical flavor and incredibly sweet and creamy. The Butterfly Drink is likely going to be the drink of the summer at
❤️ Why this recipe works
It's quick to make with easy-to-find ingredients: the base and infusion both take just a few minutes to throw together and you can find every ingredient online (most at your regular grocery store). Once your components are ready, the actual drink comes together in 5 minutes.
You get creamy tropical summer vibes: swapping water for sweetened coconut milk makes this richer, sweeter, and creamier than the standard Refresher. If you're a Pink Drink or Dragon Drink fan, this is likely to be your new favorite.
The blue butterfly pea flower layer still floats on top: it took me a little testing to get this right, but I learned that mixing the butterfly pea flower infusion with a little coconut milk keeps this layer opaque and pretty against the peachy passionfruit-guava base.
You can make all the components ahead of time: the passionfruit-guava base keeps in the fridge for about a week, and so does the butterfly pea flower infusion. This makes it easy to enjoy a refreshing drink whenever you crave one! Both components can also be used for the standard Tropical Butterfly Refresher, too.
Caffeine is optional: you can add green coffee extract powder to the base if you want it and leave it out if you don't.
I offer simple substitutions: pineapple boba can be tough to track down, so I've included swaps that get you the same tropical flavor.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make your own Starbucks Butterfly Drink at home (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
For the Passionfruit-Guava Base:
- Passionfruit syrup: I use store-bought, but hope to bring you a homemade recipe soon!
- Guava nectar: if you're purchasing this in the grocery store, look near the juices, often in the international aisle.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Water
- Green coffee bean extract: optional if you want caffeine in your drink
For the butterfly pea flower infusion:
- Dried butterfly tea flowers
- Hot water
For the finished drink:
- Mango boba and pineapple boba: also known as popping pearls. If you can't find pineapple boba, pineapple juice or pineapple syrup work as a substitute.
- Sweetened coconut milk: be sure to get the kind in the carton and not the can. If you want a less sweet drink, you can use unsweetened.
🦋 Recipe tips
- Start by steeping your butterfly pea flowers in hot water, since the infusion needs to cool before going into the drink. Steep for 10 minutes to get the deepest blue color.


- The base is the easiest part of the drink (and SO much easier than most of my other Refresher recipes). Passionfruit syrup, guava nectar, lemon juice, and water shaken together in a mason jar and that's it. Double the batch if you plan to make drinks all week.
- If you want caffeine in your Refresher, add the green coffee extract directly to the base.
- Want a less sweet drink? Cut the passionfruit syrup back to about ⅓ cup and increase the water in the base. The coconut milk also adds some sweetness on its own and this tastes much sweeter than the standard Refresher.

- In my experience, mango popping pearls are much easier to find than pineapple. So, if you can't get pineapple, just use all mango and then add 1-2 tablespoon of pineapple juice into the shaker when you're mixing the base and water. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 teaspoon pineapple syrup to the base (start with less since syrup is sweeter).
📧 Email Me This Recipe
- The key difference from the regular Refresher version (aside from mixing the base with coconut milk instead of water) is that you need to mix the butterfly pea flower infusion with a little bit of coconut milk before layering it on top. The coconut milk gives the topper that pretty pastel blue-lavender look (instead of the deep indigo) and helps it float more reliably. I made this quite a few times until I got it to look like it does when you order it at
Starbucks !
- After I shake my passionfruit-guava base and coconut milk together, I pour it over the boba and then put the remaining coconut milk and butterfly infusion into the shaker,


- To layer the blue/purple topper, hold a spoon upside down right at the surface of the drink and slowly pour the coconut-butterfly mixture over the back of it. This is the trick to getting it to sit on top instead of sinking.
- If your topper isn't turning purple as much as you want it to, stir a tiny bit of lemon juice into it. The acid is what triggers the color change. But be careful you don't add too much as lemon juice and coconut milk can curdle.
- If you don't care about the layered look, you can actually skip the butterfly pea flower infusion entirely. It doesn't add any flavor, so the drink tastes exactly the same. But it does look incredible, so I say you should try it out!
Don't you love a pretty layered drink?
But luckily, they're also really tasty and bring lots of fun summer vibes! The coconut milk version of this Refresher certainly makes this even more tropical.

Lots of
⏲️ How to store
This Butterfly Drink is best made right before you want to drink it. The longer it sits, the more the layers blend together (still pretty, but you lose the dramatic effect).
That said, you can keep the passionfruit-guava base and the butterfly pea flower infusion in separate airtight containers in the fridge for about a week. That way you can throw a drink together in 5 minutes whenever you want.
🥭 Other ways to use base
Once you have the passionfruit-guava base in your fridge, you have lots of options:
Tropical Butterfly Refresher: mix the base with water (not coconut milk) for the standard Refresher version.

Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher: mix the base with lemonade for a sweet, tart twist. You can also order this one right off the menu at
Cocktail version: add a splash of vodka, white rum, or coconut rum for a tropical summer cocktail. It's basically a vacation in a glass.
You can also feel free to add additional syrups (vanilla, mango, etc.) to the drink. Or juice like peach juice.

🥥 More coconut milk Refresher recipes
If you love a creamy, tropical
And I have A LOT more where those came from! Be sure to check out all my Starbucks copycat recipes for coffee, juices, tea, and more.

The Butterfly Drink might just be the prettiest coconut milk Refresher
And making it at home means you can have one whenever you want without leaving your house.
Have you tried the Butterfly Drink at
📖 Recipe

Butterfly Drink {Starbucks Copycat}
📧 Email Me This Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Passionfruit-Guava Base (recipe below)
- ½ cup sweetened coconut milk (the kind in a carton), divided
- ¼ cup mango boba and pineapple boba (see notes if you can't find pineapple)
Passionfruit-Guava Base
- ½ cup passionfruit syrup
- ½ cup guava nectar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon green coffee extract powder (optional for caffeine)
- ½ cup water
Butterfly Pea Flower Infusion
- 1 tablespoon dried butterfly pea flowers
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Add about ½ cup passionfruit-guava base and 6 tablespoon sweetened coconut milk to an ice-filled shaker. Shake well to combine.
- Put pearls and their liquid in the bottom of a cup.
- Pour entire mixture (ice included) into the glass.
- Mix together remaining 2 tablespoon coconut milk and butterfly pea flower infusion together and gently pour it over the back of a spoon over the top of the drink.
Passionfruit-Guava Base
- Add passionfruit syrup, guava nectar, lemon juice, green coffee extract (if using), and water to a large jar or container. Shake well to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.
Butterfly Pea Flower Infusion
- In a heat-proof bowl or mason jar, steep dried butterfly pea flowers in hot water for about minutes.
- Strain flowers from water and chill mixture before using. This keeps fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
Notes
- If you can only find mango pearls, I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoon of pineapple juice into the shaker when you're mixing the base and water. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 teaspoon pineapple syrup (start with less since syrup is sweeter).
- Passionfruit-Guava base and butterfly pea flower infusion will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
- Mix base with lemonade for a sweet, tart drink or mix with water for the standard Refresher.
















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