Tropical Butterfly Refresher {Starbucks Copycat}

The Tropical Butterfly Refresher might be the prettiest drink Starbucks has ever put on the menu, with a deep blue-purple layer floating on top of the passionfruit and guava base and fun popping pearls. This homemade version is easy to make and just as tasty as the original!

Jump to:

• 🦋 What is butterfly pea flower?
• 💜 Why this recipe works
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🥭 Recipe tips
• ⏲️ How to store
• 🥣 Other ways to use base
• 🥤 More Starbucks Refresher recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Are we surprised that Starbucks is just introducing butterfly pea flower to their menu in 2026?

The gorgeous color-changing flower is the key to the summer 2026 Tropical Butterfly Refresher. But we're also not discounting the passionfruit guava base and mango and pineapple popping pearls (AKA boba).

The drink will make you feel like you're on a tropical vacation and is certainly going to be a huge hit on Instagram!

Like with all Refreshers, there's also a coconut milk version (the Butterfly Drink) and a lemonade version (Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher).

🦋 What is butterfly pea flower?

Butterfly pea flower is a dried flower from Southeast Asia that's been used in traditional cooking and herbal medicine for centuries. But it's had a serious moment in Western food culture over the last few years.

Want to know why? It's all because of its color and color changing properties. When its steeped in hot water, butterfly pea flower produces a tea that is a gorgeous deep indigo blue color.

But then it gets even more fun when acid is added (like lemon juice). Thanks to the ph of the flower, the color changes before your eyes to a beautiful purple or purple-ish pink.

It doesn't have a noticeable flavor and I'm pretty sure Starbucks is only using it for the Instagram-vibes the new drink will bring. Plus, how fun is a drink called the Tropical Butterfly Refresher for summer?

💜 Why this recipe works

It's quick to make with easy-to-find ingredients: unlike some of my authentic Refresher recipes, this one is very simple to make with ingredients that are all easy to buy online. Once you have the ingredients, you can whip one up in 5 minutes!

The butterfly pea flower infusion floats on top: due to the differences in viscosity of the liquids, the butterfly pea flower infusion sits on top of the drink creating a beautiful effect (until you stir). I love that this pretty color is created without artificial dye!

You can make the components ahead: you can whip up the base and keep it in the fridge for a week. And you can keep the the butterfly pea tea infusion in your fridge for a week, too.

Caffeine is optional: previously, all Refreshers had caffeine built into the base. Of course, when you make them at home, you can choose if you want to add it or not. Now you have the option in-store and at home. If you want caffeine, you just add some green coffee extract powder.

I offer simple substitutes: if you have trouble finding any of the ingredients (pineapple boba can be tough to find), I have simple fixes that get you the same flavor.

🗒 Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make your own Starbucks Tropical Butterfly Refresher 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.
• Water

🥭 Recipe tips

• I recommend starting by infusing your butterfly pea flowers in hot water as you'll want the mixture to cool before adding it to your Refresher. Steep it in hot water for 10 minutes to get the best saturated blue color.

• The base of this drink is so easy to make with just passionfruit syrup, guava nectar, lemon juice, and water. I like to keep my base in a mason jar and sometimes double the batch since it keeps fresh for about a week in the fridge.

• If you want caffeine in your drink, add the green coffee extract here as well.

• If you want a drink that's a bit less sweet, you can cut the passionfruit syrup back to ⅓ cup and bump up the water.

• I always like to mix my Refresher bases in a shaker, but you can also just add the base and water over the popping pearls in the cup if you prefer.

• 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).

• When adding the butterfly pea flower infusion, I recommend holding a spoon upside down right at the surface of the drink and slowly pouring the blue liquid onto the back of the spoon. This will help it layer instead of sink.

• If your blue liquid isn't turning purple as quickly as you want it to, stir in a little extra lemon juice. The acid is what causes the color change.

• If you love the flavor of this Refresher, but don't care about aesthetics, you don't have to add the butterfly pea flower infusion. It doesn't add any flavor and the drink will taste the same without it! But it sure does make it pretty, right??

I'm obsessed with the look of this Refresher! But it also tastes really, really delicious.

I love passionfruit flavor and the added guava nectar, mango popping pearls, and pineapple popping pearls make this feel like a "beach" drink perfect for summertime.

⏲️ How to store

The longer you let the drink sit, the more the colors will blend together, so I recommend making it right before you want to enjoy it.

But you can keep the base and the butterfly pea flower infusion in airtight containers in your fridge for about a week.

🥣 Other ways to use base

Like with all Starbucks Refreshers, there's lots you can do once you have the base.

In addition to this standard Refresher, you can also order or make the Tropical Butterfly Lemonade Refresher, which is simply this base combined with lemonade instead of water.If you don't think the Refresher is sweet enough, definitely try mixing the base with lemonade instead!

Of course, all Refreshers also have coconut milk versions and the one with this base is called the Butterfly Drink. All you have to do is replace the water with sweetened coconut milk. It's tropical, sweet, and creamy.

Of course, if you want to turn this into a summer party cocktail, you can add a little vodka or white rum to the drink!

🥤 More Starbucks Refresher recipes

I have tons of Starbucks copycat recipes on my website and Refreshers are some of the most popular! Here are some favorites:

Word is Starbucks isn't bringing back the popular Summer-Berry Refresher and Summer Skies Drinks this year, so I hope my recipe helps you continue enjoying them at home!

Are you excited about the range of Butterfly Refresher drinks at Starbucks? Now I'm off to figure out what other drinks the butterfly pea flower infusion would be delicious in!

📖 Recipe