How to make turmeric paste to stir in your Golden Milk or Golden Tea. This an easy recipe for a golden paste that keeps well in the fridge.
Golden Milk Paste
Golden milk or golden tea is a super healthy drink that can help improve your health. This recipe for turmeric paste for golden milk makes it easier for us to enjoy this wonderful drink on a daily basis without having to start fresh every time.
Health benefits of turmeric
Known as the “spice of life” in India, turmeric seems to be considered at the moment as one of the most powerful herbs in the world.
Its health benefits have been analyzed in thousands of studies apparently, and most everyone seems to agree that including turmeric in your diet can prevent or improve the symptoms of various diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory diseases, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and so on.
For example, laboratory studies have shown that curcumin, which is the most studied component of turmeric, “is able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. It has the best effects on breast cancer, bowel cancer, stomach cancer, and skin cancer cells”.
Another study regarding one of the diseases most affecting our modern society shows that “curcumin is 400 times more potent than Metformin, a diabetic drug, in improving insulin sensitivity which can help reverse Type 2 Diabetes”.
And if you want to read more about the health benefits and uses of turmeric paste, make sure to read this article:
10 Health Benefits and 5 Uses for Turmeric Paste
So including turmeric in your diet can only be of advantage for your health. The most common way of using turmeric is, of course, in curries; even when using an already-made curry paste or curry powder, I like adding an extra teaspoon of turmeric.
How to make turmeric paste?
Recently I came to discover Golden Milk. I made it fresh a few times and enjoyed it, together with my husband, from time to time, in the evening or on a weekend morning.
Then I found an article stating that it is possible to make a turmeric paste, which will allow you to enjoy the Golden Milk regularly without having to start fresh every time.
I tried 3 or 4 versions of it and found the following to be the tastiest. It combines lots of turmeric with black pepper (which is said to increase the health benefits of turmeric), cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and coconut oil. The amount will make two small jars, which are enough for a few weeks of regularly drinking golden milk or golden tea.
- Pour the water into a small pan and bring it to a boil.
- While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Finely grate the ginger. Place it in a bowl and add the turmeric powder, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and coconut oil.
- When the water is boiling, add the dry ingredients and stir continuously on medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes. If the paste is too thick, add a small splash of water and continue stirring.
- Transfer the paste to the clean jars, seal, and let cool. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Helping notes
- The moment I add the dry ingredients to the water, I whisk everything. Once the paste thickens slightly (it will happen pretty fast), I continue stirring with a wooden spoon. But keep in mind that turmeric stains, so the wooden spoon will become orange (all my wooden spoons are orange by now...).
- I prefer to make the golden paste in a small non-stick saucepan. The risk of turmeric paste sticking to the bottom of the pot disappears, the mixture is easier to mix, and the saucepan is super easy to clean as nothing will stick to it.
How to make golden milk?
- To make the golden milk, gently heat one cup of milk of your choice. The milk should be lukewarm and not hot. Whisk in 1 heaped teaspoon of the turmeric paste and the honey or another sweetener of your choice. Serve immediately.
What milk to use for golden milk?
- You can use any milk you like as a base for the golden milk.
- Coconut milk is considered to be the best choice due to its content of lauric acid; studies show that lauric acid might promote weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance as well.
- But I have also used normal milk, almond milk, and soya milk. The choice is yours.
How to sweeten golden milk?
- I am normally not sweetening any of my drinks, but in this case, I like adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of honey to the milk; I find it takes the edge off the turmeric taste a little bit; I do like it, but in such a concentrated amount, I feel it tastes a bit “raw” and the honey really balances the taste perfectly, it is like drinking a nicely spiced chai.
How to make golden tea?
I posted this recipe for golden milk paste a long time ago, in September 2015. Ever since, I must have made hundreds of little jars already. I even make it regularly for a couple of friends.
My husband and I use turmeric paste on a regular basis as well, but I have to admit that our golden milk transformed into golden tea a long time ago.
- Boil 3-4 cups of water in a kettle. Pour the water into a pouring jug.
- Whisk in 2 heaped teaspoons of turmeric paste, and make sure you stir well.
- Add honey and lemon juice to taste. I usually add 1 ½ teaspoons of honey and the freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon.
- Keep a teaspoon in your drinking cup and stir the tea before you take a sip.
- This is my favorite way of enjoying turmeric paste. Do give it a try!
Other ways of using the turmeric paste
- Another way of enjoying this paste is by stirring one cup of warm milk with the paste and then using this liquid to pour over some homemade muesli, letting it cool, and adding some chopped fresh fruit.
- And sometimes, when making a curry or a soup, I like adding some golden paste as well. I feel it tastes best when added to carrot soup, lentil soup, dhal, or chickpeas.
- Here are some more recipes using golden paste:
Turmeric Paste for Golden Milk
Ingredients
- Turmeric paste:
- 1 ½ cup water 12.5 fl.oz/ 375 ml
- ½ cup turmeric powder 2.1 oz/ 60 g
- 1 piece of fresh ginger about the size of ½ of your thumb
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 teaspoons coconut oil
- Golden milk:
- 1 cup milk of your choice 8.5 fl. oz/ 250 ml coconut, almond, dairy, etc
- 1 teaspoon turmeric paste
- ½-1 teaspoon honey or another sweetener of your choice
- Golden tea:
- 1 cup hot water 8.5 fl. oz/ 250 ml
- 1 teaspoon turmeric paste
- honey to taste
- fresh lemon juice to taste
Instructions
Turmeric paste:
- Pour the water into a small pan and bring to a boil, preferably using a non-stick pan (Note 1).
- Add: Finely grate the ginger and add it to the pan together with the turmeric powder, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and coconut oil.
- Whisk well for about half a minute until it becomes difficult to whisk.
- Stir continuously, using a wooden spoon (Note 2), on medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes. If the paste is too thick, add a small splash of water and continue stirring.
- Refrigerate: Place the paste into the clean jars, seal, and cool. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Golden milk:
- Gently heat one cup of milk of your choice. The milk should be lukewarm and not hot.
- Whisk in 1 teaspoon of the turmeric paste and the honey or another sweetener of your choice. Serve immediately.
Golden tea:
- Stir 1 teaspoon turmeric paste into a cup of hot water.
- Add honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste, it should have a strong sweet-lemony flavor.
Notes
- Use a small non-stick saucepan, the risk of the paste catching to the bottom of the pan disappears and the pan is very easy to clean.
- Turmeric stains, so if you use a wooden spoon, the spoon will become orange.
Anca says
It's a great idea. My husband doesn't like turmeric and having a turmeric paste would make my life easier. Golden milk sounds great too, I didn't hear about it before.
Adina says
It does make it easier, I was really not bothered to make the Golden Milk so often before but now that I only have to stir in the paste, we have almost every day.
Balvinder says
That's my favourite way of drinking milk in winters but I never added cinnamon or nutmeg.
Adina says
Adding those spices makes it really more like a chai, you should try it! 🙂
Sissi says
Sorry to hear about your health condition... I hope turmeric helps you! It's always such a relief to learn one can skip the drugs and take something which isn't a burden for the liver.... (especially if it's so delicious!). I don't cook with turmeric for health reasons but for the flavours it adds (and also for the colour sometimes....) and I even add it to Japanese dishes. It seems to go with so many different dishes and cuisines from all around the world.... I love it even more since I learnt how healthy it is!
Evi @ greenevi says
I love golden milk! And it's such a genius idea to make a paste for it 🙂
Plus these jars would make the cutest gift ever!!
mjskitchen says
You post is so timely! Just yesterday I read a summation article of the studies on turmeric and one of the things that has been scientifically proven is, for it to have the advantage to our health, it must be combined or taken with a fat and, even better, a fat and black pepper. I see you have both in your recipe. Having a couple of inflammatory autoimmune diseases, I've been considering consuming more turmeric, so making this paste is a must! Thanks!!!
Zerrin says
Wow! I'm impressed with all that information here. I didn't know black pepper increases the positive effect of turmeric. Will have to use them together. Turmeric is my new obsession but have never heard about turmeric paste. And golden milk is such a super drink to have in the morning.
Rebecca Krause says
Thank you for this recipe. Other recipes I have looked at use dry ginger but I feel fresh is the way to go.
I also tried using a full mug of organic coconut milk with the paste but just too darn thick in consistency for me. What does work is half coconut milk and half water.
I have a lot of joint pain in my 66 yet old body so i hope I will be able to detect some relief after drinking my nightly cup of golden elixir.
Adina says
I am glad you like it, Rebecca, and I hope it will help you. I haven't tried this with coconut milk, but plenty of times with almond, rice or soy milk. And I like stirring some in my smoothies in the morning, I do it all the times.
Amber says
How long does this last and does it need to be refrigerated?
Adina says
Depends on how often you use, I have never kept it for more than 2 weeks though. And you should keep it in the fridge all the time.
Carol says
So easy and delicious! I used hemp milk and strained the milk before I drank it (remove the ginger chunks). I can see myself having this nightly all winter. Hopefully this will help me sleep and feel better.
Adina says
Thank you for your comment, Carol, I am so glad to hear you made and liked the turmeric paste. I do hope it will help you feel better.
Rose says
So easy to make, looking forward to the benefits of turmeric I've been reading upon. I used to make Golden Milk by a single serving, but it was such a process for one cup, this paste will make it easier and more enjoyable knowing it's right in my frig whenever I want it. Thanks so much!!
owen says
awesome recipe; i am addicted to golden milk - i was just wondering how much the recipe would change for adding fresh turmeric as well as fresh ginger?
really looking forward to making this paste asap 🙂
thanks for sharing!
Adina says
I am glad you like it, Owen. I've never made it with fresh turmeric because fresh turmeric is hard to find. The ginger I use is fresh. Let me know if you make it with fresh turmeric, I can imagine it tastes even better.
owen says
hey adina
thanks for the prompt response; i'll see what i can do with fresh turmeric - will need to scour google for ways to prepare it as i'm quite the novice to say the least.
if i manage it, i will follow up here and provide the amount required.
but hey, fresh is almost always better right? 😛
Melisa Crosby says
Any thoughts about fresh turmeric vs powder and how much to use for this recipe? Thanks!
Adina says
Sorry Melisa, I wanted to make this paste with fresh turmeric as well, problem is it seems impossible to find the fresh turmeric at the moment around here. Maybe I will have to order it online and give it a try.
Melisa Crosby says
Oh, that's too bad. Not sure where you live, but I find it pretty regularly at Vietnamese markets and sporadically at our local natural foods chain.
Adina says
I live in a very small village in the middle of Germany, the closest largest town is 60 km away... So no chance of an Asian foodstore around, I am afraid. We don't even have a farmer's market... I found fresh turmeric a couple of times in a larger supermarket, but I have been asking for it for at least 6 months now and nothing, they keep telling me that they will have it soon again, but it doesn't seem to happen.
Owen says
hey guys
I'm actually in the process of making an 'as fresh as possible' recipe for just the latte (no paste) and have found that grating 2 medium sized pieces of fresh Turmeric does the trick nicely for 1 litre (4.2 cups) of latte.
not sure how this would translate for the paste itself, but I would just experiment and see how it goes.
Adina says
Wow, Owen, thank you so much for your reply.
Owen says
no problem! i actually meant to reply here but lost the bookmark (got an email notification for another reply!)
i am currently developing a pdf recipe book type thing for my latte and will happily send it your way when it's finished if you like
Adina says
That would be great, Owen. Thank you!
Owen says
hey adina
here is my recipe, as promised - you can download it from my google drive:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6Ec7nSQg-DlRnBLYkJwY2R1bzg
hope you enjoy!
Adina says
Thank you, Owen, that's great! I will definitely make the latte, I love the cardamon and the vanilla pod in there. 🙂
Timothy says
Hey Owen,
I know this post is over a year old but I'd thought I'd add my two cents. Turmeric is fat-soluble, meaning you don't get the health benefits unless it's bound with fat. I made your recipe but added 60ml (1/4 cup) of unrefined virgin coconut oil as the binder. I cooked the coconut oil, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper for 4 minutes on a low boil. I added the remaining spices and simmered for 2 minutes. I poured in the cashew milk and whisked until warm, about a minute. I found with the coconut oil I didn't need honey as it was sweet enough for me. Some of my friends add honey. Your combination of spices makes a wonderful drink. It's my go-to Golden Latté!
Thanks for the link to your recipe, if you have others I'd love to try them out.
Jehan Olweean says
Adina,
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I've just heard about Golden Milk, (and that it should be taken with black pepper and a good fat, olive oil or coconut oil, etc.) My hope is that it alleviates some Fibromyalgia and Migraine pain. We'll see!
Question: What is the risk of adding the honey to the paste? Based on another recipe I found, 1 serving has 1/2 tsp Turmeric. Based on that, it seems this paste recipe would make about 48 servings. (what do you think about this estimate?)
So, if I plan to add 1/2 tsp honey to 1 serving, I could add 1/2 Cup of honey to the paste recipe. What do you think about this?
Adina says
Hi Jehan,
Thank you for your comment and I do hope that turmeric will help alleviate some of your health problems. Concerning the servings you can get out of this paste, I've never really counted how many teaspoons the recipe contains, but I will do so tomorrow as I plan to do a new batch anyway. If you check again on Sunday or Monday, you will find the answer.
Concerning the honey - I really don't know. Theoratically I would say that there should be no problem, I am thinking here about refrigerator jams made with honey, which keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge as well. But I cannot say if that would affect the health benefits of the turmeric paste. Until now I have only added the honey to the milk or tea itself.
Adina says
Hi Jehan,
Sorry for the delay. I have counted and got 35 teaspoons out of this recipe, so 35 cups of golden milk or tea.
Jehan Olweean says
Thank you very much for this information. I appreciate your quick replies. I hope to make my first batch this weekend.
Have a great Spring week. 🙂
Jehan
Kathryn says
It increases the bio-availability (what your body uses) of tumeric by 2000%!
Kathryn says
I found out from my cardiologist that honey can increase your triglycerides (which are a warning sign for heart disease/heart attacks, similar to cholesterol). If you are routinely using honey, get your triglycerides rechecked after a month or so to make sure it is not shooting up....especially if you use a lot of honey. I am a nurse, and I didn't realize that before. And tumeric can increase the effect of some cholesterol meds, so make sure your doctor also knows about homeopathic things like this that you may be taking or any vitamins or supplements. They just may need to adjust things for you, ie they put me on a lower dose of my cholesterol med. She doesn't rule out the tumeric paste because it helps (I had blood clots in my lungs with pain ever since), but just adjusts things as needed. Tumeric is also a blood thinner, so don't take it if on blood thinners, ie warfarin/coumadin, Xarelto, etc. It can really increase your risk of a bleed! Tumeric with Plavix/clopidogrel may or may not be okay so double check.
J-0n Flavor says
I now drink my first mix of tumeric with honey and hot tea at noontime. I will refrigerate the tumeric paste. OK. Am i on the right track?
Adina says
Yes. Keep refrigerated. It will be good for at least 2 weeks.
Zane says
How about s milkshake in the summer!
Adina says
What a great idea! I don't see why not. I shall give it a try myself. 🙂
K says
I don't see the recipe on this page. I see the photos, ads, and article, but no recipe.
Adina says
Hi K. Thank you so much for letting me know, I probably would not have noticed that for a while. I've no idea what happened, but I've just fixed it now, the recipe is there again. 🙂 Have a nice Sunday.
Adeline says
Hi Adina, I've tried making the turmeric paste, and prob I added too much water rather than the additional splash which you mentioned to add should the paste gets too thick. My turmeric paste doesn't dissolve easily when I add it to drinks and it tasted bland. Also, can I substitute water with coconut milk when making paste to enhance the taste?
Adina says
Hi Adeline. I always whisk the paste when making a drink with it, after a few minutes it sets again, so I keep a teaspoon in the pot and give it another stir before each sip. It will not dissolve completely as it is made with ingredients which will not dissolve in water. If you find the paste to be too watery, you could try cook for a couple of minutes more until most of the water will evaporate. I would not make the paste with coconut milk, but use coconut milk to make the turmeric drink (not the canned coconut milk, but the pack variety similar to nut milk like almond milk or such things). I also add extra lemon juice,sometimes an extra slice of fresh ginger and some sweetener (honey, agave or maple syrup or whatever sweetener you prefer) to give it more flavor. Try experimenting with the flavor until you get the desired result, I never drink it plain either.
Diane says
Ok, I was really dreading this...the taste of these ingredients blah...but I knew I had to do something about my health problems...omgosh, the taste is fabulous! Let pray it works...thanks!
Adina says
Welcome, I am glad you like it and I hope it will help you.
KareyLyn says
Thank you for this recipe. You mentioned the taste of the turmeric being a bit raw without sweetener added to the milk. In the ayurvedic tradition the spices are gently heated in oil first to release their healing properties. If you try heating your spices with the oil first, then add the water, let me knkw what you think!
Adina says
Thank you, KareyLyn. I will try to heat the spices in coconut oil next time, I am really curious about it! I wil let you know. Merry Christmas!
Ronda Walker says
I can't get my golden paste to get firm. Just be stays a liqid. What did I do wrong?
Adina says
Just cook it a bit longer until more water evaporates. Don't forget to stir well, so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Did you measure all the we quantities correctly?
Nichole says
I just discovered golden milk last week and this is going to be such such a time saver. Thank you so much. I just finished my first batch and discovered I had no nutmeg, so I added some ground cardamon. And some vanilla scrapings...so now it's a golden chai!
Donna Mcclellan says
I can’t find fresh power at this time, what about the turmeric, you find at super market in the spice section? Will it work as well for theses recipes?
Adina says
Hi Donna, I don't make the paste with fresh turmeric, but with plain ground dried turmeric, the one in jars in the spice section.
Jane says
Hi Adina, I just wanted to let you know that I love this recipe. I don't know how many times I have shared your link. I use it in my coffee most mornings and my grandson loves Golden Milk. My Ortho doc wanted me to use turmeric for inflammation, this is my medicine!!
Adina says
Hi Jane. I am so happy to hear it. Thank you very much and all the best.
Kristin says
Adina - this recipe is FANTASTIC. Thank you so much!! I often get a Tumeric Latte from a restaurant called Goodies here in Berlin. I crave it daily and never thought I'd be able to replicate it -- but you nailed it! We have just moved to Germany (from the US) and I'm so happy to have stumbled upon your site. Tschüss!
Trina McLeod says
I have heard of golden milk, but never tried it before now! I Love it!!! Thank you so much for sharing. I will have to try it in some recipes too.
Adina says
You're welcome, Trina. 🙂 Thank you for the feedback.
Chic says
Hello, I'd like to use fresh turmeric root instead of powder. How much root should I use to make the turmeric paste?
Adina says
Hi. Sorry, I have never made the paste with fresh turmeric because that's not available around here. I hope you try it with turmeric powder though.
Lisa says
What size jar did you use Adina? I want to make this for gifts this holiday season! Thanks!
Adina says
Hi Lisa. I use small jars, which used to contain other spices. I have just measured, about 150 ml/ 5 fl.oz/ a bit more than 1/2 cup capacity. You can use whatever cute little jars you have.
mag says
i am having a hard time to get fresh garlic.however i do have organic garlic powder how much would i use...:)
Adina says
Hi Mag. You don't need garlic to make the golden paste, that would be terrible!!! 🙂 🙂 In case you meant ginger powder, I have only made the paste with fresh ginger. You could try substituting fresh with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, but I cannot say how that will taste. Just try!
mag says
lol yes i meant ginger… thank you i made it with ginger powder 1 teaspoon turned out very nice… thank you ?
Valerie says
I have made this recipe and it tastes wonderful. Precisely following your directions. I always have a pretty good amount of residue in the bottom of my mug, no matter how often I stir. The pepper and the cinnamon, I am sure. My question, would it be possible to substitute therapeutic grade essential oils once the paste has cooled? Leaving me with a creamier texture. I think I would enjoy it much more. What are your thoughts? Thank you so much for sharing. I am feeling a bit less inflammed and I have stopped taking prednisone and methotrexate. Both of which gave me an acute colitis flare. Never want that to happen again. Thanks again <3
Adina says
Hi Valerie, I am so happy that the turmeric paste can help you. The residue is normal. I really cannot give advice about the essential oils because I have never used them.
Rose says
So easy to make, looking forward to the benefits of turmeric I've been reading upon. I used to make Golden Milk by a single serving, but it was such a process for one cup, this paste will make it easier and more enjoyable knowing it's right in my frig whenever I want it. Thanks so much!!
Adina says
You are welcome, Rose, this is really a time saver for me too. I almost always have the paste in my fridge.
Gabriel says
3 teaspoons coconut oil = 1 tablespoon.
Did you mean 3 tablespoons?
Adina says
No, I meant 3 teaspoons, but you can use 1 tablespoon, if you wish.
a says
Dang it all, no one wants to tell me how much turmeric powder to add to the paste recipe.
Annoyed in NJ.
a says
Never mind, found it.