Soothing Moon Milk (2 ways)

Moon milk is an insomnia-fighter drink for adults, served warm before bed. Moon milk has natural herbs and spices and it can be sweetened with agave syrup. In Ayurveda moon milk (warm milk) is a common remedy for insomnia.

We tried moon milk for a whole week to see if it improves our sleep in any way, and we believe that a warm cup of oat milk before bed, all spiced up or herby, sure made us feel more relaxed. Maybe it's indeed the Indian ancient knowledge of using herbs and spices the right way. Or maybe, having a warm cup of moon milk before bed offers that extra moment to unwind, meditate upon the day and mentally prepare yourself for sleep.

Either way, we are now addicted to moon milk and we'd love to share with you our winner moon milk recipes. We both drink the same moon milk, but we alternate them throughout the week to ensure we don't get bored with one taste.

What is moon milk

You might have seen delicious-looking cups of moon milk all over your Instagram. not only they look picture-worthy but they are a fantastic, quick and easy way to fight insomnia. We all lead busy lives and we bump into inevitable stress. Moon milk is a way to help us transition from busy day mode, to a peaceful state of calmness to ensure a good night sleep.

Moon milk is essentially warm milk mixed with herbs and spices which are known to have stress-fighting, immune-boosting, stomach-calming properties.

Moon milk spices, adaptogens and more

The concept of moon milk is by no means new. In India, the concept of blending warm milk with herbs and spices has been around for a very long time. In fact, blending cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and other Ayurvedic herbs is something which has been done in India for hundreds of years.

We created moon milk with simple ingredients to ensure you have quick and easy access to them. You can start adding cardamon to your moon milk or ashwagandha which is an adaptogen.

Adaptogens are known to help relieve stress. There have been several papers on the subject and this term was introduced in 1947 to describe a substance which may increase resistance to stress. You can read more about adaptogens here.

To ensure moon milk works for you, we recommend using it as an excuse for an evening ritual. Don't look at it as a chore but as a way to engage with yourself. Boiling the water, adding the spices, blending everything and serving it: let it be a meditative way of soothing yourself after a busy day.

Take time with your moon milk and don't just down it. It's just a few minutes of you being with your own thoughts, reflecting upon the day you just had. Ignore any negative thoughts, and try to learn to meditate. Rituals and meditation are the best way to fight insomnia. Try it for a week and I promise you, you will feel so different, calmer, elevated.

For me, moon milk has been an excuse to be in my comfortable pyjama, blending herbs, feeling like an ancient food alchemist. Then, the time spent looking into my cup of moon milk, allowing my thoughts, feelings and emotions to slowly move away from my mind, so I regain that sense of calmness.

There is something truly extraordinary about going to sleep with a sense of calm. And the good news is that everyone can do it. Those extra 15 minutes spent before bed, will be worth your time in gold as your night sleep will be calm, soother and deep.

How to make moon milk

We developed two different recipes for moon milk which work for us. The first is called Calming Camomile. Camomile is so soothing and tastes slightly sweet and herby. It's the perfect base for our moon milk. The second is called Purple Dreams and that's because you will have an infusion of lavender in there, with a subtle flavour of lemon balm, to envelope you in a perfect state of meditation.

Calming Camomile Moon Milk

To make two cups of moon milk, you will need 1 cup of water, 1 cup of oat milk, 1 tsp camomile (loose or a camomile tea bag, I just use a chamomile tea bag because it's easier), 1/4 tsp turmeric (I use ground turmeric), 1 pinch ginger (ground ginger), 1 pinch cinnamon, 1 tsp agave syrup (optional).

A few notes here. I sometimes put a little more ginger because I really really like it. You can swap cinnamon for nutmeg or cardamon. They will work and the moon milk will taste amazing. I find it a little more difficult to source ground cardamon so I had to use cinnamon or nutmeg.

I do not add agave syrup in my moon milk, but I know many people love a sweeter potion, so I added the right amount just in case you want it.

Using a milk frother, warm-up and froth the oat milk. If you don't have a frother, just bring the oat milk to a gentle boil in a small pan and set aside.
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Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat, then add chamomile and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Discard the chamomile. Now stir in the turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. Add the agave syrup if using and stir.
Divide the spiced mixture into two teacups and fill them halfway. Add the frothed oat milk on top.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

Purple Dreams Moon Milk

To make two cups of moon milk you will need 1 cup water, 1 cup oat milk, 1 tsp camomile (loose or a camomile tea bag), 1/2 tsp Lavender (dried), 1/2 tsp Lemon Balm (dried) and 1 tsp agave syrup (optional).

Using a milk frother, warm-up and froth the oat milk. If you don't have a frother, just bring the oat milk to a gentle boil in a small pan and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat, then add chamomile, lavender and lemon balm and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Strain the herby mixture. Add the agave syrup if using and stir.
Divide the herby mixture into two teacups and fill them halfway. Add the frothed oat milk on top.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

I think it's now time to wish you a perfectly good night.

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.