Golden Latte (Turmeric Milk)
Golden latte, also known as turmeric milk, is a warm drink that originates from ancient Ayurvedic traditions. Besides being a feast for the senses with its beautiful colour and delicious flavour, it offers many health benefits for your body.
This healthy and tasty turmeric drink with warming spices is perfect for cold autumn and winter days. Creamy homemade golden latte is for sure one of my favourite winter staples. Learn how to make delicious (vegan) golden milk at home with this easy recipe.
Ingredients for golden latte
To make this tasty and healthy turmeric latte, you will need the following ingredients:
- Ground turmeric – as the main ingredient of this drink, turmeric is responsible for its healing properties and vibrant colour. The taste of turmeric is balanced out by the addition of other spices, so it does not come out too strong in the drink. Using ground turmeric is the easiest and most practical, but you can also use fresh one. In that case, it is good to grate it or chop it finely.
- Ground cinnamon – I normally use Ceylon cinnamon, not only because of its more delicate taste, but also because it is a healthier option for a regular use than Cassia cinnamon.
- Ginger – to make this recipe super easy and practical, I decided to use ground ginger as well. If you prefer a fresh one, you can use it finely minced, grated or crushed to maximise its flavour and healthy properties.
- Ground black pepper – if you want to get the full benefits of turmeric, it is good to combine it with black pepper. That way, the piperin from pepper helps your body absorb curcumin from turmeric.
- Honey or maple syrup – it is optional, but adding a bit of sweetener makes this beverage taste even more pleasant and comforting.
- Milk or plant milk – even though golden latte is traditionally made with cow’s milk, I personally prefer a vegan version. My favourite way to make it is with a combination of my homemade almond and hemp milk, and full-fat coconut milk in a 1:1 ratio. Coconut milk makes it more creamy and fatty. Healthy fat is good in this recipe – it helps dissolve some of the good compounds from the spices, making them more bioavailable for your body to absorb. Make sure to get good quality coconut milk with at least 60% coconut content (the rest being water).
Check out this homemade almond and hemp milk recipe for the creamiest homemade plant milk (also healthier and more budget-friendly than any store bought milk).
You can use the same recipe to make coconut milk out of coconut flakes at home, or use a good quality, full-fat coconut milk such as this one.
Making the golden latte
1. The traditional way
The best way to make a golden latte and get all of its health benefits is to cook the spices in milk for a couple of minutes. Here is how to do it:
- Put all the spices into a pot
- Add the milk and stir to combine
- Slowly bring it to a boil and let it simmer over the lowest heat for 3-5 minutes
- If you used powdered spices, you can serve it straight away; if your spices were more chunky or you used fresh ones, strain it through a fine sieve.
If you’re skipping the strainer, opt for the finest black pepper powder possible. This prevents any unpleasant pepper chunks from irritating your throat.
2. The modern way
Alternatively, you can bring around 50 ml (a fourth of a cup) of water to a boil, pour it over the spice mix, add the sweetener and stir. Then top it up with warmed or frothed milk.
To follow this method, you will need to have all your spices finely ground into powders.
This works great if you are using store-bought plant milk that gets ruined by longer cooking. It is also a way to go if you prefer having a nice frothed milk effect and achieving a more fun and popular look.
Instead of frothing the milk, you can transfer all of the golden latte into a blender and blend until it creates a dense foam. I love this way of frothing the drink because it also blends the spices with milk a bit better.
Health benefits of turmeric milk
Golden milk (turmeric milk) has traditionally been used as a calming and anti-inflammatory drink. It is known as the perfect warm beverage to have before bedtime because of its ability to promote relaxation.
In Ayurvedic practices, golden milk has also been used to improve digestion and circulation, as well as for skin, joints and respiratory health.
Turmeric is famous for its potency in reducing inflammation in the human body. This is thanks to its bioactive compound curcumin.
That being said, everyone who would like to experience the full health benefits of turmeric should know that the bioavailability of curcumin in our bodies significantly increases if it has been consumed with piperine – a compound naturally found in black pepper.
So – in order to really get those health benefits from turmeric, it is recommended that you consume it with some black pepper.
Also, since curcumin is a fat-soluble compound, it will be absorbed better in the body if you have it with some food that is high in fat (such as coconut milk in this recipe).
Making golden latte powder in advance
To save up some time, you can prepare a batch of golden latte powder in advance, ensuring you have it readily available whenever you desire to enjoy this comforting drink.
I recommend first trying if the ratio works for you or if you need to adapt it a bit. Some people might want to reduce the amount of black pepper if it is too strong. If you like the ratio that I wrote in this recipe, here is how to make a batch:
If you are measuring by volume (TBSP, cups, etc.)
- 2 parts ground turmeric
- 2 parts ground cinnamon
- 2 parts ground ginger
- 1 part ground black pepper
Measuring by mass (grams, oz)
These spices have a different density, so it will not be the same if you weigh them. Ground turmeric is usually twice as heavy as ground cinnamon or ground ginger. Therefore, you will need to follow a different ratio in case you decide to measure it on a scale:
- 4 parts ground turmeric
- 2 parts ground cinnamon
- 2 parts ground ginger
- 1 part ground black pepper.
Simply measure all of the spices, add them to a glass jar, close with a lid and shake until the spices are well combined. Voila! You have your golden latte spice powder ready to use.
How much to use from a bulk?
To make the golden milk, use a bit more than half a teaspoon of this powder and combine it with the milk of choice as described earlier in the text.
If you like it milder or stronger, you can use less or more of the powder. Also, if you like it sweeter than in this recipe, feel free to use more honey or maple syrup.
Equipment for making golden milk at home
To make this delicious golden milk, you will need the following equipment:
- small cooking pot to simmer the milk
- mesh strainer, if using fresh or chunky spices
- blender, if you opt for the second way of making golden latte.
Golden Latte (Turmeric Milk)
Enjoy a delicious homemade golden latte (turmeric milk) with this easy recipe. This cosy drink with warming spices has roots in Ayurvedic tradition. Golden milk is known for its health benefits and calming properties.
Ingredients
- ⅓ tsp ground turmeric
- ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅓ tsp ground ginger
- ⅙ tsp ground black pepper*
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (or to taste)
- 400 ml plant milk, or regular full-fat milk (two cups)*
Instructions
Mix all the spices with milk in a pot.
Bring it to a boil and let it simmer over the lowest heat for two to three minutes.
Let it cool down to a temperature that is comfortable for drinking, add the honey or maple syrup and stir to dissolve.
Serve the golden latte in two cups and dust it with cinnamon to garnish.
Notes
I normally use a combination of my homemade almond and hemp milk, and full-fat coconut milk, in a 1:1 ratio. Check out this homemade almond and hemp seed milk if you would like to make your own.
If you want it less spicy, you can reduce the amount of pepper.
Instead of cooking, you can pour hot milk over the spices in a blender and blend well. This will also create some foam and make the drink look even more appealing and creamy.
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