Name: Golden Milk Ayurveda Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups unsweetened Almond milk or Coconut milk; 1-2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup; 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger; pinch black pepper, freshly ground

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End the day with this warm, anti-inflammatory Ayurveda non dairy golden milk. Or drift off to sleep feeling restful and wake up rejuvenated.

There are several versions of this golden milk (otherwise known as turmeric milk) recipe floating around the internet and in books. I have tried several and finally came up with the best combination of ingredients that tastes the best to me and still provides the most benefit.

I just dove into Ayurveda recently and I am fascinated! If you are new to Ayurveda too, check out what basic Ayurveda for beginners is all about! And if you have no idea what Ayurveda is and don’t care – then no worries! You don’t need to care about Ayurveda in order to enjoy this wonderful golden milk recipe.

It is certainly not something I can dive into fully on Day 1 so I am working my way towards a more complete Ayurveda experience. Part of the process is simply giving myself grace.

I’ve been taking a turmeric drink for a very long time. It was actually quite similar to this turmeric milk or golden milk as it is more often referred to. My version was turmeric, garlic powder, ginger powder, black pepper, and coconut oil and then I would add that to a smoothie each day.

I did it for the antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties of all of the spices on their own and together. So when I ran across golden milk, I was instantly intrigued and excited. I knew it would taste wonderful and spicy and warm and all the things!

When to Drink Turmeric Milk?

You can drink it any time of the day that you want. The consensus seems to be to drink it before bed for a night of restful night sleep and to be able to feel wonderful when you wake up in the morning! I have tried it at various times of the day and I agree that before bed is a great time!

Let’s dive into the ingredients and their health benefits: turmeric, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon.

Turmeric

The first is turmeric. Turmeric is like the super spice of spices. The king of the jungle. The main active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin and that is what we are going to focus on. Curcumin is fat soluable, which is important and we’ll talk about in a moment. A common mistake, actually, is when people don’t take turmeric with fat.

According to Healthline:

Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory, and in fact, some studies have been done that suggest it is as powerful as some anti-inflammatory drugs.
Curcumin increases the body’s antioxidant capacity. This lovely thing neutralizes those darn free radicals that wreak havoc on our bodies.
Curcumin can lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Curcumin shows promising benefits against depression. In fact, the results were similar to Prozac.

Turmeric may help boost the immune system which is a very attractive benefit!

Like I said, turmeric (more specifically curcumin) is a powerful compound.

Black Pepper

Black pepper has some nice properties on its own, but the reason I add it in is due to turmeric.

The curcumin in turmeric is not absorbed very well in the system. According to Healthline, “…curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%”.

So, there ya go!

Ginger

Let’s talk about ginger now. I don’t know about you, but I love ginger – especially fresh ginger. Just like with turmeric, ginger has a component that has powerful medicinal properties. It is called gingerol.

Like curcumin, gingerol has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It has also been known to have anti-viral properties too.

I think most people are aware of ginger’s ability to help with nausea. Ever drink ginger ale when you are sick with a stomach ache or suffering from morning sickness?

Another super cool benefit is that ginger may reduce blood sugar. WHAT??? I’ll take that! And ladies – it can also reduce PMS pains.

Lastly, ginger just might lower cholesterol levels, help prevent some cancers and Alzheimer’s disease, AND help fight infections. The infection part I’m especially interested in.

A lot of overlapping properties with curcumin, don’t you think?

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of those amazing ingredients! Did you know that cinnamon has been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar as well? I find that fascinating as a type 1 diabetic myself. I have not used it for this, but I find it fascinating that a spice may be able to lower blood sugar.

Cinnamon has also been down to be anti-inflammatory as well as have antioxidant effects. AND, well, it just adds a huge amount of lovely flavor and warmth.

What About the Coconut and Ghee?

Many people overlook a VERY important part of this recipe. THE FAT! Turmeric is a fat soluble spice as we talked about. You need to add the fat in order for turmeric to be more readily absorbed by your body.

DON’T SKIP THE FAT!

How to Make the Best Golden Milk Ayurveda Recipe

This is the easiest recipe ever! Are you ready?

You simply throw all the ingredients (see below) into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat stirring often. Bring it to a simmer.

Let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste the golden milk at this point and add more maple syrup of honey if desired.

Let cool for 2 minutes before serving. BOOM. DONE.

Do I Need to use Honey or Maple Syrup?

You most certainly do not need to use any sweetener. Many people like to sweeten it just a bit, but it is entirely up to you!

I think both options taste wonderful, however.

Golden Milk Ayurveda Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened Almond milk or Coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat stirring often. Bring it to a simmer.
Let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste the golden milk at this point and add more maple syrup of honey if desired.
Let cool for 2 minutes before serving.