What is golden milk? If you have ever tried it, you know well why it’s called “golden”. This brightly colored warm drink is indeed based on turmeric, that gives it the typical yellow finish. It’s a classic Ayurvedic preparation and really easy to make – a more traditional recipe uses both almond oil (food grade) and a turmeric paste that you can make ahead then store in the fridge and dissolve in a cup of warm liquid anytime you want. When I have made it for the first time years ago, I have followed this recipe and didn’t like the almond oil at all… it has been really difficult to empty that (luckily) little bottle! Well, after this disappointing start, I have found my own way to make golden milk and I’ve felt in love with its flavor. The ingredients in your cup will work together to increase the nutritional value of this warm drink.
You can also slightly adapt the recipe to your taste buds – the main things that you can change are:
- amount of turmeric (especially if you have never tried it, I would say that’s better to use a little bit less than what’s written in the recipe)
- liquid: you can use a plant-based drink or any kind of milk or a mix of one of these and water 1:1 (I like to make it with plant-based drinks and almond/cashew/ hazelnut are my favorite options to choose from)
- this is a basic recipe, but you can decide to add other spices (for example cardamom (crushed into a powder) or cloves (making an infused milk) or vanilla powder)
- you can choose between powdered cinnamon or use it as a stick
- if you are using a liquid that is very diluted or you have decided to go for water as base: you can add 1/3 tsp of ghee or coconut oil or 1/2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil to the golden milk – you will do this to ensure that you have a certain amount of fat to improve the absorption of turmeric
- the recipe below is for an unsweetened golden milk – if you’d like to add 1/3 tsp of honey when the drink is ready (especially if you have never tried it), go ahead. But keep in mind to try it without any sweetener and use this as a chance to learn something more about your taste buds!
Turmeric is widely known for its anti-inflammatory properties and the golden milk was traditionally used by people practising yoga to support their joints’ health.
GOLDEN MILK
Ingredients to make 1 cup:
250 ml hazelnut or almond or cashew drink (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (heaping tsp)
a pinch of cinnamon powder
a pinch of black pepper
You can mix all the ingredients when you want to prepare your cup of golden milk or decide to prepare ahead a turmeric paste (mixing 1 part of water, 2 of turmeric, and some black pepper in a small pan until it’s warm and without lumps – allow to cool down and store in the fridge for up to 4 days) to add to the warm milk.
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