Recipe for Golden Milk (vegan)

Recipe Note

For me, a warm golden milk is one of my favorite drinks in fall and winter. It warms me from the inside and simply tastes like comfort. It's quick to make too: Overall, you only need about 10 to 15 minutes until your cup is ready - so making golden milk is really uncomplicated.

To make sure your golden milk recipe turns out perfectly the first time, I've collected a few more tips and some interesting information for you.

What exactly is golden milk?

Golden milk is a warm drink made with milk and intense spices. Turmeric is the star of golden milk: It not only provides the intense golden-yellow color, but also the slightly earthy flavor. Ginger, cinnamon, and pepper are usually added too - turning a simple cup of milk into a truly spicy drink. By the way, you can easily replace the milk with a plant-based alternative. I think that suits this kind of drink even better.

What's what?
Golden milk, turmeric milk, Golden Milk - the names basically all refer to the same drink! So just remember: Every turmeric milk recipe revolves around milk with turmeric and a few spices.

And what is a turmeric latte?
It's more the café version of the good old golden milk: usually with lots of milk foam on top, and sometimes with a shot of espresso. Very tasty too, if you ask me!

I didn't make my first turmeric latte at home; I ordered it at a small café in Munich: golden yellow, with milk foam and cinnamon on top. I fell in love with it immediately and really wanted to recreate the Golden Milk recipe in my own kitchen. So I did - and today you can find the result here on our blog!

How to make your golden milk recipe a success

A few things I've learned since I started making golden milk myself:

• Don't let it boil: Heat the oat drink gently, never until bubbling hot. Too much heat changes the flavor - and not for the better.

• Control the ginger's heat: Thin slices give a mild warmth, while puréed ginger makes the drink noticeably spicier. Choose how much fire you want in your cup.

• Don't forget to strain: Pour the golden milk through a fine-mesh strainer so no pieces of ginger or spice residue end up in your cup.

• Mix the protein powder separately: First stir the cinnamon protein into 50 ml of cold oat drink and add it only at the very end. This helps prevent lumps and gives you a wonderfully creamy texture.

• Coconut oil and pepper: The coconut oil makes the milk richer and fuller-bodied, while the black pepper provides a spicy counterpoint to the earthy turmeric.

• Foam topping without a milk frother: Heat the barista plant milk and whisk it vigorously with a whisk - or pour it into a screw-top jar and shake it for about 30 seconds. Then carefully spoon it onto the Golden Milk and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.

Four variations on your Golden Milk recipe

The Golden Milk recipe is so easy that you’ll know it by heart after two or three cups. Then it’s time to experiment:

• Golden Latte with espresso: Add a shot of espresso or strong coffee to the finished Golden Milk. It may sound unusual at first, but it tastes really good: The roasted notes meet the spicy turmeric, while the oat drink brings everything together. My turmeric latte recipe for days when you need a little more oomph.

• With fresh turmeric root: For Golden Milk with fresh turmeric, cut about 1 cm of root into thin slices or grate it finely instead of using powder, and heat it directly in the milk. The color will be even more intense, while the flavor will be earthier and slightly bitter. Warning: Wear gloves, or you’ll have yellow fingers for days.

• Iced Golden Milk: Your Golden Milk recipe is also delicious when you let the warm milk cool and then pour it over ice cubes! A little tip: coconut oil solidifies in cold milk - leave it out for the iced version or blend everything thoroughly.

• Chai style: Let a clove, a star anise pod, and a bag of black tea steep as well, then strain everything. The result is reminiscent of a chai latte with a turmeric twist - a turmeric drink for truly miserable autumn weather.

Why I add cinnamon protein to my cup

I made my Golden Milk recipe without protein for a long time - until one day I ran out of cinnamon and stirred in cinnamon protein instead. Since then, I’ve thought: Why not always do it this way? For me, Golden Milk is a comforting drink for cozy moments, and cinnamon belongs in it anyway. With cinnamon protein, I get spice and plant-based protein in one. A win-win, so to speak. And the drink also gets a wonderfully creamy texture!

We are naturally a little biased, but the Vetain Vegan Protein Cinnamon is simply perfect for this golden milk recipe: It is organic, sweetened with monk fruit extract, contains no sucralose, is completely vegan and includes Ceylon cinnamon in the ingredients list.

Substitution table

Is your pantry not fully stocked today? No problem, you can easily adapt your recipe for golden milk (vegan or not):

• Oat drink → almond, soy or coconut drink. Golden milk with oat milk becomes wonderfully creamy and slightly sweet, almond drink tastes nuttier, and coconut drink even creamier. If your drink does not need to be vegan, you can also use cow's milk.

• Turmeric powder → about 1 cm fresh turmeric root. I usually stick with the recipe for golden milk with turmeric powder because the powder is always in the cupboard anyway (more about fresh root in the variations).

• Cardamom → leave it out or replace it with an additional pinch of cinnamon.

• Fresh ginger → approx. 1/4 tsp ground ginger. It tastes somewhat less fresh but provides the typical spiciness.

• Black pepper → allspice if you do not like pepper. The contrast will then be somewhat milder.

• Coconut oil → cashew butter or a neutral vegetable oil for some fat and creaminess.

• Vetain Vegan Protein Cinnamon → add some cinnamon powder directly to the pot; simply add the 50 ml oat drink as well.

• Nutmeg → simply leave it out; the difference is small.

• Sweetener → maple syrup, rice syrup, date purée or leave it out entirely.

• Barista milk → leave it out or vigorously froth regular plant milk.

Nutrition