As the weather turns colder and we head into flu season, I get a lot of questions about various home prevention concoctions. Most common are questions about elderberries. Syrups, gummies, and various tinctures are all frequent items about which I am queried.
While elderberries may be well-known for their immune-boosting properties, unfortunately most effective forms are going to be sketchy, at best, on a Ketogenic protocol. The problem is that you have to have a pretty concentrated dose of elderberry to really reap any health benefits, and it’s a sugary fruit: the higher concentration needed, the more fruit is actually in that spoonful of syrup. Which means even the varieties that have no added sweeteners tend to be pretty carb-heavy.
Today, I’m presenting you, my dear readers, with a healthy and very low carb alternative: Golden Milk.
Golden Milk is a Westernized version of the ancient Indian remedy haldi doodh, which is milk blended with a bunch of turmeric. Unfortunately, drinking tablespoons of turmeric at a time isn’t really a palate-pleaser unless you’ve acquired a taste for it, and so as the remedy migrated West, it morphed into the spicy, coconutty drink we now call Golden Milk. And with ingredients like coconut milk, coconut oil, turmeric, and other common spices, it has a smooth, comforting flavor that’s a family-pleaser as well as being packed with anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, health-boosting benefits (you can read more about the ingredients’ immune support properties here).
Notes: I consider this kind of a starter recipe for those looking to benefit from using turmeric regularly. If you have a taste for it, feel free to add more of any of the spices listed (as well as the coconut oil), and play with using additional spices and flavorings to make this your own. I personally like to throw a little cardamom into my Golden Milk with all the other awesome pie-esque spices. It gives it a little bit of a coconut chai thing.
Golden Milk
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
- Category: Home Remedies, Healthy Living, Beverages
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian-ish
Description
Feel free to add as much of the spices as you like.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) unsweetened boxed coconut milk (the thin stuff from the carton)
- 1 tbsp virgin or extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, or more as desired
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger, or more as desired
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, or more as desired
- pinch ground black or white pepper
- 2-3 drops liquid stevia, or sweetened to taste with your preferred sweetener
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk, coconut oil, and spices in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium, whisking as it heats to thoroughly distribute spices and blend in the coconut oil.
- When it begins to steam, make sure it’s whisked very well, then remove from the heat and pour into a mug.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Yields 1 serving: 177 cal, 1.2 g protein, 18.6 g fat, 2.4 g carbs, 0.6 g fiber, 1.8 g NET carbs
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Keywords: Golden Milk, Beverages, Drinks
Kristen says
I was hesitent to try this recipe because I thought I wouldn’t like a recipe like this but this was so good! In fact, I tried two other recipes for for golden milk after I tried this one and this one is by far the best. Thanks Mandy!
★★★★★
Mandy Pagano says
Thank you so much! Honestly, I’m not a big fan of how turmeric tastes, so it took several tries and spice blends to get a decent amount in the cup while also having it taste good.