Ever since adding “Be Rested” to my list of Intentions for 2018, I’ve been putting more thought into how I spend the last 90 minutes before I climb into bed. And by “more,” I mean that I’ve actually been thinking about it, period. If you are looking for ways to relax, unwind, and improve your sleep—or if you simply like the idea of a warm, tasty beverage adding a little cozy to your evening—this Soothing Bedtime Golden Milk recipe has been a wonderful addition to my nighttime routine, and I can see it having a welcome spot in yours too!
This recipe is sponsored by McCormick.
I’ve heard a lot about “golden milk” over the years, but I didn’t fully understand or appreciate its benefits. I’d seen enough recipes for it floating around the web to know it contained turmeric and ginger (the sources of its signature golden hue), but I didn’t connect it with sleep until I decided to get more serious about my zzzzzzzzzs.
For most of my life, I’ve ignored sleep as a critical component of health. Diet and exercise? Absolutely. But sleep? I reasoned that was why God gave us coffee.
After all, surely whatever I was doing in that last 90 minutes before bed was more important than sleeping.
Or so I thought.
Actual final 90 minutes before bed from a recent weeknight:
- 9:38 p.m. Finish watching show and eating ice cream on the couch with Ben (for the curious, we just started The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and it was Halo Top Peanut Butter Cup with a sprinkle of chocolate chips).
- 9:39 p.m. Begin posting a photo from a recent video shoot to Facebook.
- 9:40 p.m. Tell self that as soon as I post this photo, I’ll head upstairs to bed. Actually become excited at the prospect of being in bed by 10 p.m.!
- 9:49 p.m. Finish posting photo. I don’t know why this took so long.
- 9:50 p.m. Scroll Facebook while checking how many likes my photo is getting.
- 9:53 p.m. Realize I have a typo in my photo caption. Fix immediately.
- 10:08 p.m. Silently chastise myself for being on Facebook so long.
- 10:09 p.m. Close Facebook. Open Instagram.
- 10:29 p.m. OMG IT’S BEEN 20 MINUTES.
- 10:31 p.m. Haul self off couch. Walk into kitchen to start the dishwasher. Realize dishwasher is already clean. Decide to empty and reload it.
- 10:46 p.m. Finish cleaning kitchen and head upstairs to bed. For real this time.
- 10:47 p.m. Start brushing teeth. Refresh email on phone. See an email that will need a response first thing in the morning.
- 10:48 p.m. Mentally draft email response. Revise mental draft several times.
- 10:58 p.m. Make it to edge of bed and sit down. Check email one more time.
- 10:59 p.m. Begin discussing client email/generally chatting with Ben.
- 11:07 p.m. FINALLY get under the covers. Try to relax, while still thinking about email…and tomorrow’s to-do list.
No wonder I don’t feel rested!
I’ve always thought the idea of a “nighttime routine” or “bedtime rituals” sounded either silly or reserved for someone far more in touch with their inner juju than me. Now that I’m paying more attention to how I spend my pre-bedtime hours, however, I realize that I DO have a bedtime routine: checking my phone, finishing miscellaneous household tasks, and thinking about my to-do list for the next day.
As a part of my goal to be more rested, I decided to set my own nighttime schedule instead of letting notifications on my phone set it for me.
I’m still testing out different bedtime activities, but one I’ve been LOVING is making myself a cup of this easy Bedtime Cinnamon Golden Milk about an hour before bed.
In addition to soothing me to sleep, this soothing bedtime golden milk has also helped me appease my nightly craving for something sweet before bed. I’ve been replacing my ritual bowl of ice cream with a steaming cup of it and find myself feeling completely satisfied.
How to Make This Soothing Bedtime Milk
This creamy, comforting drink is made of ingredients that have been shown to promote a good night’s sleep.
The Ingredients
- Almonds: Rich in magnesium, which promotes both sleeping and muscle relaxation. This golden milk recipes uses them in the form of almond butter and almond milk.
- Honey: Allows tryptophan (of Thanksgiving turkey fame) to enter the brain more easily.
- Ginger: Calms the stomach and promotes relaxation. Some studies suggest ginger can help reduce anxiety.
- Turmeric: Aids digestion and has calming properties, which lead to sounder sleep. If you have aches and pains, golden milk for joints is a popular remedy, as it is anti-inflammatory too.
- Cinnamon: Similar to turmeric and ginger, cinnamon also helps with digestion (and it’s a delicious pairing with the other ingredients).
Choosing Spices for This Golden Milk
Because the golden milk benefits are so closely tied to the spices, be sure that you choose good-quality ones. I’ve used McCormick spices for years, because they are made from carefully sourced ingredients, taste fresh, and are still affordable. They are also totally on trend!
I’m sharing this golden milk recipe as a part of McCormick’s 2018 Flavor Forecast. Every December, McCormick unveils the top annual flavors and trends for the upcoming year, including Drinks to Your Wellness in 2018! No matter if you are seeking a drink to jumpstart your morning, power through your afternoon, or, like my Soothing Bedtime Cinnamon Golden Milk, wind down after a busy day, there’s a sip to suit your needs.
My need right now: a good night’s sleep. Can I get a refill please?
How to Store and Reheat
- To Store. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so I like to make a double or triple batch, then enjoy it several nights in a row.
- To Reheat. Reheat on the stove, stirring to recombine the spices and almond butter.
Thank you all again SO much for your kind responses on my 2018 Intentions. You have me feeling so inspired to tackle them with gusto…including when tackling them looks like drinking a golden milk latte and climbing into bed!
Bedtime Golden Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons honey plus additional to taste (to make vegan, swap maple syrup)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond butter
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon plus additional for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon McCormick Ground Ginger
- Optional additions: tiny pinch ground black pepper ground cardamom, or ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine the milk, honey, almond butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and any optional spices in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium until warmed through, whisking briskly so that the almond butter does not stick to the bottom and the spices incorporate. Do not let boil. Pour into a mug and sip deeply.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so I like to make a double or triple batch, then enjoy it several nights in a row. Reheat on the stove, stirring to recombine the spices and almond butter.
Nutrition
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I am sharing this post in partnership with McCormick. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands and companies that make it possible for me to continue to create quality content for you!
I make this with coconut oil, but the almond butter sounds delicious. You actually need the pepper for full effects of the turmeric to absorb in your body. In the capsules, they add pepper oil.
Thanks for sharing, Susan! I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
This warm satisfying drink was delicious. I substituted organic agave for honey but other then that I followed the recipe. I did make it in my CBL frothing pitcher. Came out frothy, warm and oh so delicious. I have not drank coffee for 2 years or my doctors orders and this will be my new go to for a hot drink. Wish I could leave a picture.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Angela! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi, I’m going to try out this recipe to help me sleep at night. I tried this 4 ingredient turmeric latte. It has 8oz of unsweetened almond milk, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, I don’t know what happened it was too spicy. I followed the direction and warm the milk and added the ingredients and whisk it. I tried to use this to help me sleep, but couldn’t drink all of it. I’m not sure what happened. I’m going to try to use your recipe when I can get all of your ingredients together to make this recipe. I’m 60 years young and suddendly having problems to sleep. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for the time to answer me.
Hi JoAnne, I hope you enjoy this recipe if you decide to try it!
Just add a pinch of black pepper. 1/4 tsp is a lot! No wonder it was spicy. Hope you sleep better :) also to round out the spices, I like to add a tiny amount (1/4 tsp) of raw honey or maple syrup.
My son loves this! He’s drinking it now before bed and wanted me to leave you a 5 star compliment because he loves it so much!
I’m SO happy that it was a hit, Ella! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is so delicious! And so soothing.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Susan! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I tried this and it was so comforting! I didn’t notice a big difference in my sleep but it does help calm me down because it’s a hot drink and I really enjoy the taste of it. I have never tried golden milk before but this is definitely a recipe I’ll come back to often. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Meg! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’m 34 weeks pregnant and I wanted to know would this taste just as good with cows milk? I wouldn’t mind almond milk but I prefer the milk that has the highest content of calcium during my pregnancy.
Hi! I haven’t tried it myself, but I think you could use any milk you prefer. If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it!
This is delicious. I tried it tonight and I am intending to enjoy one every evening. I was wondering about substituting the honey with monkfruit, have you ever tried that?
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Joanne! Thank you for sharing this kind review! I have not tried this swap myself, so it would be an experiment.
Goodness that play-by-play of your evening is everything I am! I am that, that is me! lol thanks for not making me feel so alone. I’m not usually big on turmeric but i LOVE this recipe. Almond butter, who would’ve known! Yum!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Pua! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is my new favorite golden milk recipe hands down. I do substitute the almond butter for coconut oil simply because my daily nut butter intake is already pretty high!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Linda! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’ve been dabbling in spices as remedies for my arthritis and migraines. This was my first stab at Turmeric milk and I am LOVING it. Thanks for making it so foolproof and simple for a newbie like me!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Heather! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Did it help with migraines?
Hi there!
Really Love the taste but after a little bit all the seasonings sunk to the bottle and I couldn’t finish it …. any suggestions to keeping it all together so I can drink the whole thing??
Thank you!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the flavor, Sarah! The spices won’t completely dissolve, but they shouldn’t be clumpy. If you’re bothered by the texture, you could try simmering a whole cinnamon stick in the milk instead of using the ground cinnamon, and another reader has reported success with using a blender to combine everything really well before drinking. I hope this helps!
This is so warm creamy and comforting. I just added peanut butter and full cream milk because I didn’t have the listed ingredients at home and so good! Yum turmeric gives it a beautiful earthy flavour
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Shreya! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I was curious to try your recipe…it’s delicious! Made it with coconut milk, maple syrup, and cashew butter (that’s what was in my pantry). Thank you for sharing this recipe…it’s a keeper!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Sabrina! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
We love this recipe! I added a little coconut oil to it. I like the almond taste better than the regular golden milk recipes. Definitely a favorite for us
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Katy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Oh my goodness, this was the best night drink I’ve ever had. I used peanut butter instead of nut butter. I slept like a baby then this morning I felt like going to the gym. I just made two cups to refrigerate for tonight and tomorrow night. Thanks for sharing. 🤗😊
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Deborah! Thank you for sharing this kind review!