Golden Milk Ice Cream Float

This Golden Milk Ice Cream Float is a fragrant mixture of ground turmeric, cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of black pepper infused in plant-based milk simmered on the stove, cooled, and then poured over dairy-free vanilla ice cream!

Right now in Ohio we’re in that in between seasons phase, where one day it’s sunny and warm and the next it’s cold and rainy. So I’m starting to crave all the summer drinks, like a root beer float or an iced chai latte, lemonade milkshake, or iced matcha latte, or even Brazilian Lemonade. But I’m also still in the mood for hot cocoa or a cup of cozy moon milk. I didn’t have a good golden milk on the blog, so thought I’d made a golden milk recipe you can enjoy all year round!

What Is Golden Milk?

Golden milk is a ancient traditional beverage, also known as Haldi ka Doodh, enjoyed by the Indian culture that consists of warm milk and spices, most often turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, sometimes nutmeg or other spices. It can be sweetened with maple syrup, honey, or even sugar. Golden milk has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties and to help boost immunity.

Golden Milk Spices

Turmeric. Turmeric, the star in golden milk, is a vibrant golden orange spice used in cooking for both flavor and color. Turmeric, also known as Curcuma, is a part of the ginger family. It has been used for centuries for it’s health benefits, but has become increasingly popular over the last decade or so. You can enjoy fresh, whole turmeric root or dried turmeric spice. In this golden milk recipe I am using ground turmeric.

Cinnamon. I love cinnamon! I have seen some golden milk recipes that use a whole cinnamon stick, but I and using ground cinnamon in this recipe.

Cardamom. I have become a huge fan of cardamom lately! I really enjoy the flavor of this fragrant spice in my Vegan Indian Butter Chicken recipe and ground cardamom in this golden milk recipe is delightful.

Ginger. I already had ground ginger on hand so I used that, but I have seen fresh ginger used in golden milk recipes. You may use fresh ginger if you prefer, keep in mind that dried spices are more potent than using fresh, so if you choose to use fresh ginger root you’ll have to adjust the measurement.

Black pepper. Adding just a pinch of black pepper in this golden milk recipe helps your body to absorb turmeric more easily, getting the most benefit from turmeric.

💡 Typically you would add maple syrup, honey, or another sweetener to the golden milk, but since we’re adding ice cream that probably has sugar in it, I decided to omit any added sweetener in the golden milk itself.

Additional Golden Milk Float Ingredients

Plant-based milk. I have made this ice cream float with both unsweetened oat milk and coconut milk. Both were thick and creamy!

Vanilla Ice Cream. I used a non-dairy vanilla ice cream. Use whatever dairy-free vanilla ice cream is your favorite, but a coconut milk based ice cream is the perfect flavor paired with the fragrant Indian spices.

How To Make Golden Milk

Making golden milk is very quick and simple. Add the plant milk and spices to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat whisking constantly. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low, continuing to whisk for another few minutes. Remove from heat and let the golden milk sit for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Using a nut milk bag (affiliate link) or cheesecloth strain the golden milk into a glass to remove the spices. This is optional but creates a smoother, less gritty drink. Place the glass in the freezer to cool for about 15 minutes, then gently squeeze all of the liquid out, be careful it might still be hot! Add a scoop or two of dairy-free ice cream in a glass and pour the golden milk over the ice cream and enjoy right away!

💡 Turmeric will stain the nut milk bag or cheesecloth, and other items it gets on, so keep that in mind if you do decide to strain the golden milk.

Why Make It An Ice Cream Float!

I know you might be thinking that adding ice cream to this healthy beverage kind of ruins the benefits of golden milk, and while I totally understand where you’re coming from, if you enjoy the flavors of golden milk I think you’ll enjoy this cold version served with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream! It’s so creamy and delicious and I think it makes a great healthy dessert!

FAQ’s

Can I leave off the ice cream?

Absolutely! This golden milk is delicious with or without the ice cream.

Can I enjoy this golden milk warm or cold?

I enjoyed this Golden Milk Ice Cream Float at room temperature, and then with the added ice cream it made it a cold beverage. If you’re not making this drink into a float you can absolutely enjoy this golden milk hot!

️Can I use another milk alternative?

Yes! You may also use coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk, hemp milk, flax milk, or almond milk.

Can I use fresh/whole spices instead of dried spices?

Technically you can, yes- however, I am not sure what the measurements would be for using fresh or whole ingredients instead of dried and ground spices.

Let me know how you like this Golden Milk Ice Cream Float down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover a fun golden milk recipe! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make it!

Print