Golden Girls, the Golden Globes, why not a golden milk, too? ✨

I’ve been drinking golden milk for about 2 years now and I just love the taste and warm and fuzzies it gives me. I’m not perfect about taking it every day, but when I do, I never regret it.

If you love the warmth that a nice cup of tea brings, you’ll love the extra coziness of a nice golden milk powder blended into your favorite plant-based milk. Here’s what you should look out for and some of my top picks in golden milks!

What is Golden Milk?

Golden milk (some call it turmeric milk) is a traditional drink that comes from Ayurvedic medicine. In its simplest form, it’s made by mixing ground turmeric with milk and an array of other spices. While you’ll commonly see a golden milk blend with ginger and black pepper at the very least, some have even different ingredients (we’ll get to that in a second).

Key Ingredients

The magick of golden milk comes from three key ingredients:

💛Turmeric, which has natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

🧡Ginger, which adds a spicy little kick and helps soothe your stomach.

🖤Black pepper, which helps your body absorb the nutrients from the ginger and turmeric.

The 5 Best Golden Milk Powders for Clarity & Inspiration

1. Gaia Herbs Golden Milk Supplement Powder

What I Love

♥️ Made with organic turmeric, black pepper, ashwagandha, dates, cardamom, and vanilla — yum
♥️ Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and made in the USA
♥️ Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth for sustainable production
♥️ Natural sweetness from dates (no added sugars)

What I’d Change

😏 Wish there wasn’t rice maltodextrin and dried rice syrup added

2. Garden of Life Organics Golden Milk

What I Love

♥️ This organic golden milk powder is made with fermented turmeric root, curcumin, ginger, black pepper, and ashwagandha
♥️ Added coconut water enhances hydration and probiotics aid digestion in the powder
♥️ Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, NSF Certified Gluten Free, Certified Vegan & Kosher

What I’d Change

😏 Wish it didn’t have “Organic Flavors”

3. Sunfood Superfoods Golden Milk Super Blend™️

What I Love

♥️ Made with organic turmeric, maca, goji berry, cinnamon, and more
♥️ Added black pepper for increased bioavailability
♥️ Organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher

What I’d Change

😏 Wish it didn’t have guar gum

4. Harney & Sons Golden Milk Powder

What I Love

♥️ Comes in a cute, repurposable tin (plus no plastic — yay!)
♥️ Turmeric, ginger, coconut pieces, black pepper, and chicory root (love the black pepper in there and the chicory root is a nice touch!)
♥️ USDA organic, gluten-free
♥️ 5 simple, clean ingredients: organic turmeric, organic ginger, organic coconut pieces, organic black pepper, organic chicory root

What I’d Change
Nothing!

5. Spice Train Golden Milk

What I Love

♥️ 4 simple ingredients: organic turmeric, organic black pepper, organic ginger, organic stevia
♥️ Non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free
♥️ No additives or fillers

What I’d Change
😏This might not be for you if you’re not a fan of stevia!

6. Honorable Mention: Laird Superfood Morning Jumpstart Powder

Though isn’t technically a golden milk powder, it still has turmeric and a few nice, golden-like ingredients that I wanted to mention!

What I Love

♥️ Simple ingredients: organic lemon powder, organic lucuma powder, organic ginger powder, organic cayenne powder, and sea salt
♥️ Vegan, paleo-friendly, non-GMO, soy-free, and gluten-free
♥️ Natural sweetness and vitamin C boost

What I’d Change
Not technically a golden milk, but I wanted to sneak it in here anyway!

Benefits of Golden Milk Powder

Anti-Inflammatory

One of the best things about turmeric in golden milk is curcumin — aka, what makes the turmeric yellow. Curcumin helps calm down inflammation in the body. This is really helpful for people who suffer from things like arthritis or generalized inflammation.

Antioxidant

Antioxidants help find oxidative stress (get it? Anti-oxidant? 😉) They help you fight against free radicals, which could damage your cells. Both turmeric and cinnamon are usually used together in golden milk blends because they’re both loaded with antioxidants.

Regularly using golden milk powder can help your body keep these free radicals in check, which means you can fight viruses and diseases off better. Natural prevention is something I fully believe in, especially as a musician and creative whose commonly working with others or even traveling and on the road.

The more antioxidants are in our lives, the more likely we are to stay well when we need to perform.

Supports Brain Health

Circumin is known for keeping your brain healthy by increasing levels of a natural growth hormone called  Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). For you? This means better memory and a lower chance of getting diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Ingredients to Look For in a Great Golden Milk Powder

Turmeric

When picking a golden milk powder recipe, the first thing to look for is turmeric.

You’ll want to opt either for organic turmeric or third-party tested turmeric so you can avoid as many harmful pesticides as possible. The brands I mentioned are all ones I checked for being organic or non-GMO. I don’t fully trust all of the testing that’s done in USDA, but it’s a little more reassuring to know that there’s some sort of oversight.

(Best bet? Start growing your own turmeric!)

Black Pepper

Black pepper is great for helping you absorb nutrients — in this case, the curcumin in the turmeric. Great golden milk powder will already include this, but if it doesn’t, you can crack a pinch of it into your drink before sipping to supercharge your turmeric absorption!

Ginger

Ginger is great for digestion, helps prevent nausea, and is another anti-inflammatory agent. (By now, you should know that if you suffer from inflammation, powder golden milk might be your next favorite go-to).

Ginger also adds a spicy, zesty kick to your drink, making it even more delicious. Fresh or dried, high-quality ginger can make all the difference in how effective and tasty your golden milk is.

Ingredients to Avoid in Golden Milk Powder

Added Sugar & Fillers (Maltodextrin, “Natural Flavors”)

When you’re sipping on something as healthy as golden milk powder, the last thing you want is for hidden sugars and unnecessary fillers to spoil the party.

I’m never a fan of added sugars because, well, it’s already added! If I really want to add sugar to something, I want to be able to control the amount I get. Plus, added sugars in pre-made foods like maltodextrin and vague ingredients labeled as “natural flavors” often don’t add any nutritional value.

I always want to make sure my labels are as simple and clean as possible, with no random stragglers acting as fillers. With everything, opt for golden milk powders with a clear and straightforward ingredients list that focuses just on natural and beneficial spices and ingredients so you can get the most out of every cup.

I hope you loved these creative lifestyle tips and *clink* to our cute little golden milk powder tea cups! 🍵