Golden Milk: Autumn Nurishment

Golden Milk Latte

A warming, gently spiced latte made by slowly steeping fresh turmeric and ginger with almond and oat milk, black pepper, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Frothing part of the mixture at the end gives it a light, creamy latte finish.

Ingredients

Makes 2 small lattes

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I would use this sparingly for environmental reasons so feel free to default to 2 cups of oat milk or another alternative) 
• 1 cup unsweetened oat milk 
• 1–1½ inches fresh turmeric root, peeled and finely grated or 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric (I have read that medicinally ground turmeric is more commonly used, perhaps because it is more concentrated by weight) 
• 1½ inches fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1–2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2–3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 small pinch of sea salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Preparation

1. Combine the milk and spices.
   Add the almond milk, oat milk, grated turmeric, grated ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, crushed cardamom, and sea salt to a small saucepan.
2. Steep gently.
   Warm over medium-low heat until the milk is steaming but not boiling. Reduce the heat and let it gently steep for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This gives the fresh ginger and turmeric time to infuse the milk.
3. Add the coconut oil.
   Stir in the coconut oil during the final few minutes of heating, whisking well so that it disperses throughout the milk.
4. Strain.
   Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the ginger, turmeric, and cardamom. Press gently on the solids to extract as much of the infused milk as possible.
5. Sweeten.
   Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla, if using. Taste and adjust the sweetness or spices as desired.
6. Froth half.
   Pour half of the golden milk into your milk frother and froth until light and creamy. Keep the remaining half warm in the saucepan.
7. Build the latte.
   Divide the unfrothed golden milk between two cups, then gently pour the frothy portion over the top. Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon or freshly ground black pepper.

Why the pepper and coconut oil?

Turmeric’s characteristic golden color comes from curcuminoids, including curcumin. Curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own and is fat-soluble, so consuming turmeric alongside a source of fat such as coconut oil can help support its absorption. Black pepper contains piperine, a compound that has also been shown to increase curcumin bioavailability. This is one reason the traditional pairing of turmeric and black pepper makes both culinary and nutritional sense.

You don’t need a huge amount of either. A little freshly ground black pepper and a teaspoon of coconut oil are enough to complement the turmeric without overpowering the latte.

A few variations

• • More gingery: add another ½ inch of fresh ginger.
  • More warming: add extra cinnamon and a pinch of cardamom.
  • Creamier: replace ½ cup of the almond milk with full-fat coconut milk.
  • Less sweet: leave out the maple syrup entirely and let the spices carry the flavor.
  • Extra frothy: froth ⅔ of the milk and leave only ⅓ unfrothed for the base.