Lightly sweetened spiced golden milk (Haldi Doodh) is made with turmeric, ginger, pepper, and cinnamon, and sweetened with honey. It's a delicious cozy drink that I grew up drinking, and originated in India. Turmeric can have health benefits and it's a nice alternative to hot chocolate or herbal lattes.
For some more turmeric-rich recipes, try my cultured turmeric cashew cheese, easy vegan ginger red lentil dal, and healing Ayurvedic kitchari.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Milk: golden milk is traditionally made with whole dairy milk, but you often see it with non-dairy milks. I like a creamy vegan milk like soy or cashew for this.
- Spices: ground turmeric is ideal, but I like the spiciness of fresh ginger over ground. You can use ground ginger if preferred.
- Honey: use any sweetener you like to replace the honey. If using sugar, make sure to stir very well to dissolve fully before serving.
How to Make Golden Milk
Step 1: add all of the ingredients to a small pot and whisk to combine.
Step 2: bring to a low simmer and serve warm.
Top Tips
- Don't bring to a boil: overheating the milk can make the drink bitter, so make sure it only reaches a simmer.
- Sweeten to taste: you can adjust the amount of honey added to suit your preference, or even leave it out altogether.
- Add other spices: if you want to add some variation, try mixing in a sprinkling of cardamom or allspice.
FAQ
Can I store golden milk?
While you could keep it in the fridge after heating and mixing, it's so easy to make that you might as well just mix up a fresh batch instead.
What does golden milk taste like?
Golden milk tastes a lot like other spice or herbal lattes, with a fairly strong warming spice flavour and creaminess from the milk. It's a little like chai but with a fairly strong turmeric taste.
Is golden milk better hot or cold?
You can serve golden milk cold if preferred, but lots of people like to have it before bed to wind down for a good night's sleep. In that case, it's better to serve warm for some soothing qualities.
More Warming Drinks
If you make this Golden Milk recipe or any other vegan drinks on Wholehearted Eats, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more WHE, follow along on Instagram or subscribe for new posts via email.
Recipe
Golden Milk
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Fine grater
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- pinch black pepper freshly ground if possible
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon honey or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a pot and whisk together. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and serve warm, sweetening to taste.1 ½ cups milk, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger, pinch black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon honey
This was delicious although for my taste it needed more sweetener ☺️