Dropping in fast with my absolute favourite thing these days. We’ve had some very busy days and this cup of goodness gives me all the juice I need to take it all on. I start looking forward to it the night before, no joke.
The drink is essentially a typical espresso-based latte made with a turmeric and other warm spice frothed nut milk. With respect to origin and the inspiration, the turmeric and milk combination ties to haldi doodh, the Hindi phrase for “the milk of turmeric.”
Any time we’re talking about “turmeric lattes” or the many other ways it is named, I love to refer myself and others back to this incredible piece of food writing by Mayukh Sen: How Indian is Your “Turmeric Latte”? As for possible health benefits, Kanchan from the Spice Spice Baby blog always has so much information on the power of spices. You can read her post on turmeric here.
Fall and Winter usually gifts me at least one minor eczema flare-up and I do have some ongoing sciatic nerve pain issues, so the more anti-inflammatory action I can get in my life, the better as far as I’m concerned.
I have this minor obsession with finding/DIY’ing the best plant-based milk for warming and frothing. It’s my own personal foam party that never ends. I treated myself to the Breville milk frother a couple years ago and wow, I love that thing. You can add any spices, extracts, sweeteners etc. to the milk as it does its thing, which is the best part. Since I try to DIY milk whenever possible to avoid excessive packaging flowing through my house, I tried to come up with an ultimate homemade option for foam.
And I mean I really tried. I made cooked oat milks, raw oat milks, different blends of nuts, seeds, slivered and whole almonds, MCT or grapeseed oil added, maple syrup or cane sugar syrup in the mix, unsweetened milks, milks with sunflower lecithin or tapioca starch, basically everything!
I can say after my own exhaustive experimentation that the best homemade milk for frothing is a very simple raw cashew milk made with a strict ratio of 1 part nuts to 5 parts water and a touch of maple syrup. That’s it. Sort of anti-climactic right? I’ve also found that this homemade Maple Cinnamon Hemp Milk froths extremely well, and the flavour works nicely here.
When I make my own nut/seed milks, I’m usually going for a 1:6 nuts to water ratio because I’m mostly just using it in smoothies. For frothing purposes, the milk needs to be a bit richer. And if you don’t have a frother, not to worry. I include alternative preparation methods in the recipe. Hope you all enjoy this admittedly simple recipe this week.
Golden Serene Latte
Ingredients
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- sweetener of choice to taste
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- small pinch ground nutmeg
- couple twists of black pepper
- 2 shots of espresso
Equipment
Notes
- The quality of your turmeric makes a difference. My preferred turmeric is from Diaspora Co. The flavour blows me away every time.
- You can sweeten this based on your preference. I like about a teaspoon of maple syrup.
- No espresso, no problem. Just use about ⅓ – ½ cup of strong coffee instead.
- If you have a high speed blender, you can simply combine the following in the blender pitcher on high for the same effect: 12oz hot coffee, 3 tablespoons of raw cashews, all of the below listed spices, vanilla, and sweetener. Blend for a minute and done!
- If you don’t have a frother, heat the milk with the spices, vanilla, and sweetener in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, whisking vigorously. Once it’s simmering, simply pour it over the coffee. No foam with this option, but it’s still tasty. You can also transfer the heated milk to a high speed blender before pouring over the coffee for some froth.
Instructions
- If you can add spices/powders to your milk frother (check the manual), combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the espresso in the pitcher of your milk frother. Set to your ideal temperature and let it heat up while you make the espresso.
- Pour two shots of espresso into a large mug. Once the spice-frothed milk is ready, pour it over the espresso. Sprinkle the golden serene latte with extra cinnamon if you like.
Cashew Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 5 cups water
- pinch sea salt
Equipment
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, combine the cashews and water. Blend on high until smooth and milk-like. Pour into sealable jars and store in the fridge for up to a week. No straining needed!
My first time not only making but also drinking this. I must say I am hooked. Been cutting back on dairy and plain almond milk latte/cappuccino just hasn’t been hitting the spot. I don’t use any sweetener either but the warmth and complexity of this didn’t need anything. What a nice warm hug in a mug!
Absolutely delicious – just added a touch of ginger in addition to everything else. Thanks, as always :)
Holy moly. This is hands-down THE BEST LATTE I’ve ever had. Thank yooooou!!
Absolutely love all your recipes :) Any chance you can share where you found the beautiful white & black speckled tray/bowl featured in this post? Also, thank you for contributing to the nutrition/inflammation discussion, I really appreciated reading the different perspectives.
Thanks for this Michele! The speckled clay tray is from Target! It’s the Threshold line I believe.
-L
I just LOVE this drink!!!! I haven’t tried with cashew milk yet, but using half almond/coconut is just brilliant! I add 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger juice, and that takes it over the top. SO GOOD!
Thank-you for sharing your recipes and your thoughts. <3
Bring back happy hour!!
hiiii. i felt so at home seeing the photos in this post–i’m just getting started with tarot (a month or so in, maybe?) and the mesquite tarot is my very first deck! i love it so much. i am finding so much gentle pleasure in crystals and tarot and cozy spices these days and it made me genuinely smiley to see it all popping up here. :) hope you’re well.
Laura – I LOVE the happy hour posts! and I had no idea why you stopped doing them but now I know why. Let the haters hate, bae!
Laura, your warm drinks for cold days is the post that keeps me coming back to your site. Thank you for this new drink post. I can’t wait to try it!! Also, last night we made your baked potato with vegan cheese and broccoli!. You are a GENIUS!! WOW, wow, wow… I’m so happy you do this – a true blessing for your readers. Thank you!!
This looks dreamy! I’m such a fan of making Golden Milk in a milk frother (and like everything else, make it so much easier). Cheers Laura—I hope all is well xx M
Laura, I just love your blog! Love your tonic and drink recipes, too. I have GOT to get me one of those machines—swoon! :) Can you recommend your favorite espresso powder? All the ones I’ve tried are bitter, and I know you have great taste so can’t wait to hear your favorite one! :) Thanks in advance! <3
i miss Your Happy hour Posts, too, i love those Kind of monthly favourites!
I would like to chime in to say that I LOVE your beverage posts (and I have bookmarked many of your past lattes and elixers) and this looks delicious. Thank you!
I miss your happy hour posts! And I like your drink posts too! Keep doing what you want, your authentic voice always shines through. Thank you!
For my two cents, I also loved your dink posts and wouldn’t mind seeing a few more.
People are crazy. Happy hour posts have always been my favorite of all your posts. I even keep all the recipes in a “Happy Hour” note.
Thank you for this, and count me in Team Happy Hour Beverages! I miss them too.
I’m a huge fan of Elmhurst almond milk. Just two ingredients—almonds and water. It’s thick and creamy. Haven’t tried their other milks, but they have a bunch of varieties.
I’ve always read that turmeric requires some black pepper for for absorption. I added a few twists to my latte, which was terrific, btw. And I, too, love your drink recipes. Hope you keep them coming.
Ah I so looked forward to your happy hour posts, for the drink recipes, yes, but especially for the links, which I would usually take a morning to peruse. They were often websites I don’t typically visit.
Thanks for explaining the other side of the Gundry argument. I’ve seen this pop up a lot lately and I can’t lie…it’s made me nervous? I don’t know a thing about lectins, but they sure seem to be in a lot of foods I eat so I feel relieved at your response.
I 100% agree, I loved taking time to read the happy hour links. They usually made me take pause and reflect, vs. just another recipe roundup like many other bloggers do (not that that’s a bad thing, but I appreciated the difference).
beautiful images and lovely recipe. makes me wish i drank caffeine. also great response to the lectin/plant paradox comment, i agree fully with you. whats in the little serpent bag? are those tarot cards? do tell, as that bag is lovely.
Yes it’s the Mesquite Tarot deck! Super gentle imagery and beautiful colour palette.
-L
Who are these people dissing your beverage posts?! I loved them! Your blood orange lassi is one of my faves. #BringBackHappyHour
Echoing the other folks, I love your beverage posts too! I was seriously addicted to your iced tea posts this summer. It saved me during my morning commute and made life a little bit better. And I cannot get enough of any of your latte recipes – it’s something I look forward to for fall/winter. You rock!
Foam. Party.
Glad everyone beat me to it in saying we love your beverage & happy hour posts! Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks also for your great reply on the Gundry comment; I appreciate how informed you are.
I love this recipe, thank you!
Now please tell us, what is your favorite way to make espresso? Do you have an automatic or semiautomatic device, or stovetop? I tried Aeropress, not impressed. Nespresso is good but expensive per cup. On Amazon I see something called a Flair.
I’m a bit of an espresso fanatic. Please help!
Hi Judith,
I have an ooooold Nespresso machine (like one of the first versions) that we go in phases of using. I agree that it is a bit pricy, but coffee brings a lot of joy to my life so I’m okay with it. I also appreciate that they compost the grounds and recycle the pods for you (they include a postmarked bag to send used pods back in with your order). I know it’s not the most environmentally friendly option, so we do alternate the use of it with phases of a traditional drip coffee maker. I’ve heard that the ROK manual espresso maker is amazing!
-L
I can affirm that the ROK is super easy to use, as long as you dial in on the grind size of your beans. Using a burr grinder helps, for more even particle size distribution…it’s fun, but takes some time to get used to. It’s also super portable and low waste. Also, I love the beverage posts…making nourishing beverages is a fun and soothing ritual for my routine, sooo…I appreciate them! Thank you!
Chiming in because I also miss the happy hour posts! They were so unique, and I really enjoyed reading them. If you’re thinking of bringing them back, know that you have some fans!
DITTO. Beverage posts for the win! Keep them coming. Thank you for this one, this is a little golden milk latte with a twist.
This sounds lovely! I wanted to share my frothing hack on the cheap. Its an aeroLatte handheld milk frother. It takes 2 AA batteries and will froth up a hot beverage in no time! at less than $20 it doesn’t break the bank. I usually fill my cup 2/3 full with hot beverage (so it doesn’t overflow when frothing) and froth the heck out of it by getting it spinning and then riding the edge of the whirlpool of liquid for a little bit. Then top off the cup. Enjoy!
i also miss the happy hour posts!
I am in full support of your beverage posts! Whenever I go to make a drink I always google whatever it might be (say a matcha, or golden latte like this one) plus “the first mess”, so that I get whatever recipes you have with them, just because you always make the best combinations of everything. :)
Cashews are inflamatory!!! Full of lectins. Read The Plant Paradox by Dr. Gundry. I feel so much better after only ten days on it. Plus cashews are related to poisen ivy and contain chemical irritants called anacardic acids. Also I can’t imagine why people would comment on your posting of beverages. Here we are fully in Fall and what is more lovely than something creamy and warm. I’ll just make mine with macadamia or blanched almond milk as almond skins also have lectins and totally cause inflamation.
Hi Jessica,
I do appreciate your comment on many levels. I have read and carefully considered the information in Dr. Gundry’s book. For me personally, cashews (and other lectin-containing foods) do not seem to aggravate my inflammation issues. It’s worthy of note that the anacardic acid irritant is found in the oil of the cashew’s shell; not the nuts themselves. Most “raw” cashews available for purchase are actually steamed at high pressure to remove any possible traces of the anacardic acid.
Everyone’s body is different and I totally understand that those dealing with autoimmune diseases and other conditions may benefit from his advice. If you haven’t already, I will encourage you to read pieces from other doctors weighing in on Dr. Gundry’s work for a fuller picture. Legumes and other lectin-containing foods are the foundation of some of the longevity blue zone diets all over the world. Additionally, Dr. Gundry personally raised some red flags for me with his ongoing aggressive vitamin line sales pitches and his recommendation of all egg yolk omelettes (he’s a cardiologist!). Just wanted to weigh in with my take for both conversational purposes and for other people who may be reading this.
Thanks!
Laura
A lot of nutrition scientists have said that these lectin claims are nonsense. But I agree, you do what feels right for you.
As for turmeric, I sprinkle it on my food regularly but have not noticed any anti-inflammatory effects on my joints for example. Same for arnica. Maybe turmeric works at the cellular level, dunno. But I also read that scientists who study alzheimers believe it has preventative benefits so I continue to eat and drink it.
I confess that I hate the mess that comes with straining nuts so I rarely make my own nutmilk, but I recently tried the new Silk Cashew/Almond milk in the plantbased bottle packaging (found it at Sobeys) and thought it tasted great. It even smelled like actual almonds and cashews, imagine that! But it failed when I tried to make a latte with it. It foamed fine, but it tasted bitter and/or brought out the bitterness in the coffee.
A very nicely worded response. I appreciate your sensibilities and recipes.
Laura, I absolutely loooove your drink recipes, so please keep them coming! This one looks absolutely amazing. I just recently also got into making my own milks and I love it. So far I have tried almond milk & hemp milk. I felt hemp milk was a tad too strong especially if I want to enjoy it in coffee. I think my next one on the list is cashew milk and I will DEFINITELY be making this drink & sharing it on IG. You are seriously one of my favorite bloggers out there – all the recipes I have tried from your book and blog are mind blowing (especially because they very often require so little ingredients). Anyways, love your work! *golden serene latte cheers ;)*
I LOVE your beverage posts. I make your superfood lattes all the time in the winter. The one that tastes like a gingerbread cookie gets me through January and February. And I’m going to make this one right now. xx
Wow this look so good! Thanks for all your super recipes!
FIY-I love your drink recipes & miss happy hour as well
I can’t understand WHY people would have objections about your beverage posts. Honestly, you have some of the best beverage recipes and your golden milk latte is the reason why I found your blog. I make that latte on the regular including your Better than Bulletproof latte. Keep those beverages flowing, Laura!