This iced "golden milk" latte is a fun and luxurious way to get a healthy turmeric fix when the temperature starts to rise. I love this refreshing drink first thing in the morning, as an afternoon treat or even right before bed. It is simple to make and absolutely delicious. If you are nervous about turmeric this is a great recipe to begin to incorporate it into your diet.
This recipe requires just 5 ingredients and less than 5 minutes to make. You simply throw everything in your blender, whiz it up and pour over ice. That's it!
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Evidence-based research is important to me, but especially when it comes to health. I have a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and I am a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES), so let's learn about all things turmeric.
Turmeric, in particular, has a very long history of medicinal use (dating back nearly 4000 years!). In ancient cultures, medical practitioners focused on herbs for promoting the body's immune system. Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for many conditions, including breathing problems, rheumatism, serious pain, and fatigue.
Modern medicine has begun to recognize its importance, mostly as a dietary supplement for inflammation, arthritis, and other conditions including stomach, skin, liver, and gallbladder problems (source). Curcumin (the orange-yellow component found in turmeric) has been shown to enhance antibody responses. This suggests that curcumin's reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system (source).
Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity (source).
Pro Tip: Black pepper and a fat increases the bioavailability of turmeric's healing compounds as our bodies have difficulty absorbing it on its own. You can add a dash of ground black pepper and ½ teaspoon of coconut oil to this recipe if desired.
It is slightly sweet and very creamy. The creaminess comes from the slivered almonds. I kept it refined sugar-free and naturally sweetened the drink with maple syrup which also adds a nice flavor that pairs well with the earthy turmeric.
And if you love this drink, be sure to try my hot turmeric latte in the colder part of the year.
This iced golden milk latte is vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free and refined sugar-free. If you give it a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it above, and tag a photo
@eatingbyelaine and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your creations.
More turmeric recipes
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Creamy Vegan Iced Vanilla Turmeric Latte
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
This simple, creamy vegan beverage is caffeine-free so it works anytime of day. I love the sweet, earthy, flavor it offers and creamy texture. I serve it over ice and find it to be incredibly refreshing during the summer heat. This is a quick, easy and delicious way to incorporate more turmeric into your routine.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain almond milk, oat milk or homemade cashew milk
- ¼ cup raw, blanched slivered almonds (not sliced almonds) or raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric* or 1-inch of peeled fresh turmeric root
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or a pinch of vanilla bean powder
- 1 cup ice cubes
- pinch of salt
- pinch of cinnamon
- pinch of black pepper for better absorption*
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high for 30-40 seconds to ensure it gets nice and frothy. You want to make sure you give it enough time for the slivered almonds to fully "dissolve" into the drink otherwise it will be gritty.
- Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. Try adding more cinnamon if the turmeric flavor is too strong.
- Pour into a glass along with more ice cubes. You could add a sprinkle of ground turmeric or cinnamon on top if you want to be fancy.
Notes
You could use up to 1 teaspoon but I recommend starting with ½ teaspoon and working your way up if desired.
For better turmeric absorption add ½ teaspoon coconut oil and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper to the blender before blending.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Beverage
Turmeric is a plant that has a very long history of medicinal use, dating back nearly 4,000 years. Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for many conditions, including breathing problems, rheumatism, serious pain, and fatigue. Modern medicine has begun to recognize its importance. Many use it as a dietary supplement for inflammation; arthritis; stomach, skin, liver, and gallbladder problems; cancer; and other conditions.
There are a lot of claims about the health benefits of turmeric. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), preliminary studies found that curcuminoids (found in turmeric) may:
- Reduce the number of heart attacks bypass patients had after surgery
- Control knee pain from osteoarthritis as well as ibuprofen
- Reduce the skin irritation that often occurs after radiation treatments for breast cancer.
To learn more about turmeric as traditional and modern medicine click here.
susan hugo says
thks very much
Elaine Gordon says
You're welcome very much! Best Elaine
susan hugo says
thks
Elaine Gordon says
You're welcome, Susan! I hope you enjoyed!
Janice says
Absolutely delicious and refreshing! We love the mild, fresh turmeric flavor. The consistency is perfect too. Thank you!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Janice! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this one so much. Try adding a little cinnamon next time. I recently started doing that and love!