Turmeric is one of the key ingredients for this nighttime milk, giving this drink health benefits and an alluring golden color (hence the name). It is a comforting mug of warmth, not only from the heated coconut milk, but from the turmeric and warm spices that steep in the milk. A slight spicy heat is added from black pepper, and is sweetened by honey.
Most people know turmeric as a spice that is used regularly in Indian cuisine, giving dishes a beautiful gold/yellow color, but turmeric actually has many health benefits. The biggest being its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is due to a compound called curcumin. It is also said that this compound improves brain function. All of that sounds good right?
I get cozy on the couch with a blanket and drink this milk almost every night. It gets me calm and ready for bed, and I feel great knowing that the ingredients have all these great health benefits. You can tweak this recipe by adding more or less of any of the ingredients, this is just my favorite version that I have made thus far. I encourage you to tailor this drink to your tastes.
Golden Milk
Makes 2 servings
Time: About 10 minutes
2 tsp. coconut oil
1.5 tbsp. honey
½ heaping tsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ heaping tsp. ground ginger
1/3 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cardamom