If you want to reduce stress or sleep better, moon milk may help. This dairy-free Vanilla Rose Moon Milk recipe is made with ashwagandha, dried rose petals, honey, and tart cherry juice.
What Is Moon Milk and What Does It Do?
Moon Milk comes from the the 5,000 year-old Ayruvedic belief that drinking warm milk helps induce restful, deep sleep. So, while it might look like something invented just for Instagram, it’s actually been around a lot longer.
Some traditional Ayruvedic recipes include spices, honey, and adaptogens (like ashwaganda) to increase the drink’s stress-relieving properties, but they’re not required. That’s because some plant-based milks such as almond, oat, and walnut milk contain melatonin, tryptophan, and magnesium. All of these can help you get that deep sleep. If you drink dairy, cow milk has the same effect.
Moon Milk Flavors:
If you want to change up the moon milk recipe below by mixing and matching the spices and adaptogens, start with hot milk and add one of the following. (Before you add any supplement to your diet, we highly recommend checking with your doctor first. Unless your doc is Doctor Nick. Then just carry on.)
- Ashwagahnda: Taking this adaptogen daily may improve anxiety and relieve stress.
- Rose: The light, floral sent of rose is calming and comforting and edible rose petals can be found online or in your local spice shop. Use the extras in this zoodle recipe or make a rose simple syrup for future lattes.
- Lavender: Lavender may help you sleep and reduce stress. We used this herb in our Lavender Earl Grey cookies, but you can infuse the milk with it in this recipe. Don’t go overboard unless you need to wash your mouth out with soap.
- Turmeric: To make a golden milk, use the yellow spice turmeric, which may also reduce inflammation.
- Cardamom: Cardamom adds a little bit of sweetness and may aid digestion.
- Ginger: In winter, ginger is a great flavor! We use it in our gingerbread latte to give it a spicy holiday kick but like cardamom, it may also help with digestion.
- Tart Cherries: Tart cherry juice contains load of antioxidants and is also a good source of melatonin. In a small study focused on people suffering from insomnia, the participants slept better and stayed asleep for longer.
Where Can I Buy Moon Milk?
Many coffee shops make moon milk, usually in the form of a golden milk latte. Or, you could simply ask them to steam some milk and add cinnamon and honey to your drink. Or you could order a tub of the Vital Proteins pink moon milk collagen latte powder.
If you have a time machine and go back to the early 19th century, you’ll also find a different kind a moon milk, one made from a substance found in caves that some believed was petrified moonlight. It was, actually, dried calcite. It supposedly worked pretty well for heartburn, but we don’t recommend eating your crystals.
Vanilla Rose Moon Milk
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. unsweetened almond milk (or any plant milk)
- 2 tsp. dried rose petals
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. powdered ashwagandha (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. tart cherry juice (optional)
- 1 tsp. honey (add more as needed)
Instructions
- Add milk, rose petals, vanilla extract, and ashwagandha to a small saucepan.
- Bring milk mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Heat until warmed through.
- Remove from heat and cover with lid for 5 minutes to steep.
- Strain out rose petals. Add cherry juice.
- Stir in honey. Pour into a mug, and enjoy.
Notes
- Chill Out With This Moon Milk Recipe - September 6, 2018
What a lovely collection of flavours, interesting read too.
Wow, what a unique recipe. I bet this has a tonne of flavour in it with the rose.
I am unfortunately also one of those with a sleeping problem. Can not wait to try your Moon Milk recipe and it sounds so delicious too !
I am loving this idea. What a great way to calm down and relax before bed. I always have trouble sleeping, maybe this will help!
I take adaptogens but never thought to mix it with warm milk. Sounds very soothing.
I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds delicious! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Does the Cherry juice not curdle the milk?
Hello! We didn’t find that it curdled, but please let us know if you have any issues!
JUST made this… It’s beautiful. The color is much darker than pictured but still beautiful. I used almond milk. It did not curdle but did seperate. It is really strong on the cherry flavor. I will make it again but use less cherry. Fingers crossed for good dreams!
Thank you! A vanilla almond milk may help balance out the intensity of the cherry flavor next time, or of course, decreasing the amount of cherry juice. Hope you slept well!
Can i use rose water instead of rose petals for flavor and aroma?
That would probably be delicious!
The cherry juice I ordered is is concentrate- it says a serving is 2tbs and equivalent of 80 cherries… but doesn’t say how much water to add to make it ‘regular’ juice. How much concentrate do you recommend adding to this recipe to get the same effects/flavor as intended? Or combination concentrate and water? Thanks for any input!
Can you Oat Milk as My daughter wants to know? She li kes Vanilla oak milk b etter then Almond Milk?
Oh! Probably. But we haven’t tried it. I would definitely dial back the amount of cherry juice, though.
I loved this recipe!
Wow… what a shock! I used what I had on hand. Lavender instead of rose petals…frozen cherries blended with leftover black iced tea. This was my first time using the Ashwagandha powder. This is a keeper! Any ideas for baobab powder!!
That sounds amazing! Love the use of lavender 🙂 We’ll take a look to see what’s possible with baobab.
I made this with coconut milk and didn’t have quite enough for 8 oz so I supplemented with dairy milk. Even so, after adding the cherry juice, it did not curdle. Otherwise everything was the same. The color was perfect, but not enough cherry or rose flavor. I would have to try again and see if I can make it better.