Blue Moon Milk

Blue moon milk caught my attention on the Internet, and suddenly, my Pinterest boards were filled not with the usual recipes I was looking for, but instead with mysterious, colorful lattes topped with dried flowers. It was a phenomenon that had my name written all over it…

• Foamy milk? Check.
• Saturated colors from natural sources? Check.
• Flower petals, moons, and other symbols of femininity? Check.

It was love at first sight!

What is moon milk?

As I did some digging, I discovered that moon milk is basically a latte you can make at home for the evening, since it contains no caffeine. However, many moon milk recipes go a bit further in easing sleep, adding ashwaganda or tart cherry juice, which are purported to help you sleep.

In my moon milk recipe, I decided to opt for color and flavor and let the warm almond milk and honey do the job of easing me into sleep. It worked like a charm, adding a little luxury and functionality to my pre-sleep routine.

The recipe

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk of your choosing)
• 1 teaspoon butterfly pea flower powder
• ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch cardamom

Tips

Adjust for the milk you have on hand. In many recipes, they suggest using different types of milk interchangeably, but I find that results in pretty different flavors. For instance, if I tried this tea with cow’s milk, I might take out the honey and coconut oil and add slightly more nutmeg and cardamom, which could balance the richness of the milk. I found the recipe above to be just perfect when made with almond milk.

If you use plant-based milk, don’t omit the nutmeg and cardamom! These flavors will really shine against an almond milk backdrop.

Use a blender if you don’t have a milk frother. The blender is an incredible and under-appreciated milk frother that most of us already have in our kitchens. Just put your steamy beverage in the blender for 30 seconds to a minute, and it’s delightfully foamy and ready to drink! Pro tip: if it’s not foamy enough, blend it again with a teaspoon of tahini or cashew butter.

What is butterfly pea flower tea?

Butterfly pea flower tea is made from the flower of a pea plant, typically grown and made into tea in Southeast Asia. Named because it resembles a butterfly, the flower grows easily in subtropical weather and might just be the newest addition to my garden here in Florida.

I first tried this tea in California, noticing the beautiful, vibrant purple color of my drink. And that’s the coolest part! Brew a few of these dried flowers in boiling water, and you have a blue tea. But stir in fresh lemon juice and your tea turns violet. It’s not just a magic trick or science experiment but an established tea, too–one that boasts a range of health benefits, like any naturally colorful food we eat.

It doesn’t taste as wild as it looks, though. In fact, it has a very mild taste, so it’s often paired with lemongrass–another plant easily grown in tropical weather.

DIY butterfly pea flower powder

You may choose to brew the whole flowers in water to make your tea, but for a milk tea, I prefer using the powder. Instead of buying an extra tin of “blue matcha,” I made my own with my #2 top kitchen machine: the coffee grinder (Blender is #1, naturally). Simply add enough flowers to fill the grinder, and grind for about 35 seconds or until you have a fine powder.

Is moon milk an Ayurvedic remedy?

Alaina Sullivan, creator of Bon Appétit’s moon milk recipe, loosely mentions Ayurveda as her recipe inspiration. I’m not an Ayurvedic practitioner, but from reading The Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda, I have an appreciation of the vast amount of information that an Ayurvedic practitioner might consider when it comes to healthy sleep, such as someone’s age, their dosha, their diet and activity, what time they go to bed, etc. If you’re looking for a good sleep aid, you could always use this simple one from Ayurveda that I’ve used for years: warmed cow’s milk and honey. This combination quenches hunger or thirst that may keep the body awake in the wee hours of the morn. Additionally, cow’s milk contains tryptophan: that’s right, the chemical in turkey that makes everyone sleepy on Thanksgiving.

Personally, I don’t think my own moon milk recipe is all that Ayurvedic. It’s a pretty fussy recipe that, at the end of the day, is less about sleep and more about turning almond milk blue. Thanks for the recs, Ayurveda! Now, I’ll leave the remedies to the experts. 🙂

Other sleep advice

• Go to bed at the same time each night: Setting a regular circadian rhythm is a great way to train your body when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. When I was an anatomy student last spring, I was shocked to learn that your bedtime literally dictates your brain chemistry!
• Try settling sore muscles with a warm bath or a heating pad: There’s a reason they call it “melting” your cares away! No matter how hard a sore muscle wants to hang on, the heat seems to help it relax.
• Read a physical book in low lighting: I love reading, but even I can’t stay awake to read a page turner in the quiet of a twilit room!
• 4-7-8 Breathing: This is a breath pattern in which you inhale for four, hold your inhale for seven, and then exhale for 8 counts. It’s not safe for everyone to hold their breath, so if you’re new to this technique, I’d recommend just inhaling for four and exhaling for eight. When you exhale longer than you inhale, your body starts to relax naturally.

Still thirsty?

Check out this three-ingredient cacao latte or this turmeric latte!

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