Bulletproof Bedtime Golden Milk Latte {paleo + vegan}

Made with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and healthy fats, this bulletproof bedtime golden milk latte is the perfect relaxing remedy for winding down at night – or any time you just need to CHILL out. Delicious, easy to make, and paleo and vegan!

A quick note on this recipe! The original version of this post was published back in 2017. Since then I’ve re-tested the recipe, updated the photographs, and the content. I’m republishing it for you today to enjoy! I hope you continue to make and love this delicious golden milk. xo

Since I work a regular job during the week, I’m up late many nights getting things done around the house or brewing things up on here for Nyssa’s Kitchen!

I like working in the quiet and dark house – it always tends to be a pretty productive time for me. There’s something about that stillness that allows me to focus like no other. But I don’t like staying up so late that I’m dragging to get out of bed in the morning, and sometimes if I get carried away working on the computer or engrossed in a project it can be hard to wind down for bed!

I’ve known for awhile that golden milk can aid in relaxation, and therefore promote a good night’s sleep, so I decided to give it a try. 

Boosting this turmeric latte with an extra dose of healthy fats was sort of an intuitive thing that I included to have an even easier time falling and staying asleep. And after doing some research I found out that having a little bit of fat before bed isn’t just some random thing. It really can help you fall and stay asleep by giving you that same cozy / sleepy feeling you get after finishing an especially satisfying meal.

And that my friends, is the magic of this bulletproof bedtime golden milk latte.

What is golden milk and why should you drink it?

Golden milk is a creamy, warm and nourishing caffeine free beverage that is slightly sweet, and layered with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.

A modern take on a traditional ayurvedic tonic that has been used for centuries to help aid in sleep, digestion, boost immunity, and lower inflammation levels.

The main health boosting ingredient in golden milk is turmeric.

In ayurvedic tradition turmeric has long been appreciated for it’s nurturing properties.

The most studied and prized agent in turmeric is called curcumin, a polyphenol that has been shown to have many beneficial health properties for everything from acting as a systemic anti-inflammatory, to a liver, digestive, and immune tonic.

Turmeric also has powerful anti-septic properties, which means that it helps stop or slow down the growth of harmful disease causing organisms – pretty rad, right?

In the fast paced world that we live in, inflammation is becoming a bigger issue for many of us. It can be triggered by stress, infection, toxic chemicals and eating foods that just aren’t suited to our body type.

But when you think about adding something like a turmeric golden milk latte to your daily routine that helps with:

• relaxation (therefore combatting stress)
• has anti-septic and immune boosting properties (which may help ward off infection)
• boosts our liver function (helping our body process toxic environmental chemicals)
• and soothes and tonifies our digestive system (bringing a little more harmony back to our gut)

That kind of makes it sound like the perfect remedy to our modern lives, doesn’t it? It’s definitely been making a big comeback these days, and I don’t think that’s an accident.

 

Can golden milk help you sleep better?

In addition to the comforting effect of a ritual of drinking something warm before bed, golden milk can help you sleep better thanks to the nourishing ingredients that are used in combination to lull you into sweet, sweet dreamland.

Let’s break those ingredients down:

• Turmeric – The base spice for all golden milk’s, turmeric offers healthy anti-inflammatory and immune support for the whole body.
• Black pepper – There’s a key chemical in black pepper called piperline, that can enhance the bio-availability of turmeric by 2000%! Making it a pretty important pairing for the bright orange spice.
• Ginger – Also long prized for its anti-inflammatory and digestive soothing properties, this warming spice adds another layer of support for the body.
• Cardamom – Another digestive aid! Crazy how much managing our digestive systems has to do with relaxing and sleeping well. Second brain, anyone?
• Cinnamon – This common well loved spice actually has a pretty awesome way of balancing your blood sugar, which in turn helps regulate your hormones, which can help you sleep more soundly!
• Vanilla – The scent of vanilla is well known for promoting relaxation. It can also stabilize your heart rate and lower blood pressure.
• Coconut oil – There are tons of benefits of coconut oil, but the one I want to point out here is that it’s almost entirely made up of oleic acid. This is a precursor to oleamide, which is a naturally occurring sleep inducing chemical.
• Almond butter – For more healthy fat! And the fiber from the almond butter will keep your tummy satisfied so you can sleep more deeply.

Many of the pantry friendly ingredients for this golden milk recipe can be found on Thrive Market – a membership based natural products website that is like a Whole Foods or Costco but entirely based online and with the BEST wholesale prices.

I have been a Thrive Market member for 4 years and over that period of time I have saved a projected $3,892.75! That is some serious savings.

How to make a golden milk latte

It’s actually really easy to make!

The first step is to heat all of the spices in the coconut oil until they’re very fragrant. Add that mixture to your blender with the healthy fats, vanilla, sea salt, and hot water. Then simply blend until creamy, cozy, and nourishing nirvana is reached!

How to make it without a blender

If you don’t have a blender you can make this recipe using a battery operated whisk. I use and love this one from Amazon. It’s inexpensive, powerful, and so easy to take with you traveling or are on-the-go.

Just be careful not to fill your mug more than halfway full before whisking! If too full it will spill over the edge of your cup – and turmeric can easily stain various surfaces and materials.

If you want to make this golden milk with a battery operated whisk here’s what you wanna do:

Add just enough of the coconut oil with the spices and almond butter for one serving (half of this recipe) to a mug. Fill your mug a little less than halfway with hot water. Whisk until it is creamy and smooth, and then top up your cup with more hot water and stir with a spoon to combine.

If you don’t have a blender or a battery operated whisk another option is to use nut milk in place of hot water and almond butter. Simply heat the spices with coconut oil and then pour 16 oz of dairy free milk into the pan. Whisk together with a hand whisk, bring to a simmer, and once hot serve!

A few notes on this healthy latte recipe

If you like to plan ahead you can make a larger batch of the recipe, store it in the refrigerator. You can then heat it up and re-froth it in the blender when you’re ready to drink it.

Additional optional add in’s for this golden milk:

• collagen powder
• mct oil
• ghee
• maca powder
• ashwagandha powder
• hot chai tea in place of hot water (note: the latte will no longer be caffeine free if you make this substitution!)

To make this recipe keto / whole30 friendly simply leave out the sweetener.

Try this golden milk powder if you don’t have the time to make this recipe from scratch but still want to enjoy the benefits of golden milk!

If you have fresh turmeric you can use that instead of dried – I would peel and grate a piece about 2 inches long for one batch of this recipe.

Turmeric is a powerful spice that also can leave a stubborn stain. Avoid using any dish towels that you don’t want bright yellow marks on, make sure to wash your hands after making the latte, and clean up any spills quickly. It may also stain your blender container. If this happens, wait for a sunny day and place your blender container outside in the sun for several hours – the stain will quickly fade!D

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