Love and Olive Oil
Blue Moon Milk

Blue Moon Milk

Blue Moon Milk Recipe

Moon milk might seem like a new trend sweeping the Internets, but it’s actually an age-old Ayurvedic remedy for sleeplessness. Curl up with this warm, caffeine-free beverage before bed and fall into a peaceful slumber.

I was originally going to call this a butterfly pea latte or blue matcha latte, but once I read about moon milk… and the fact that this was blue… well, blue moon milk seemed like the perfect name for it.

I know, I know, I seriously missed out on an SEO goldmine by not posting this LAST week before the super blue blood moon. But here I am, a few days late but luckily not a dollar short, with this recipe for a calming bedtime beverage that you can enjoy regularly, and not just once in a blue moon.

Blue Moon Milk Recipe

Warm milk itself is an age-old remedy for sleeplessness, and that serves as the foundation of this bedtime beverage. I’ve also read that both nutmeg and cinnamon have a calming effect in small doses, so I figured all these ingredients together have got to do something. (Although, to be honest, you can google just about anything and “for sleep” and someone will probably have claimed it can have positive sleep benefits. So, who knows. I’m certainly no scientist and I know better than to blindly believe everything I read on the internet.)

To add to our already triple dose of calm, many recipes for moon milk call for something called ashwagandha: a plant in the nightshade family (related to the tomato) that is said to promote relaxation and healing. It’s what’s called an an adaptogen: a group of natural substances that are said to modulate your body’s response to stress and balances bodily functions.

You can buy it on Amazon in powdered form. Does it really work? I figure it couldn’t hurt to try. I can’t say definitively if it was the ashwagandha or simply the soothing warm milk that is more effective, though I definitely felt more relaxed after drinking a cup, and in that respect it’s probably more akin to a drinkable meditation than a noticeable sedative.

What is not up for argument is that this blue moon milk is downright delicious. That alone should be reason for making it; any potential sleep-positive side effects are just the icing on the cake.

How to make Blue Moon Milk: A recipe for sleep.

What makes it blue?

Drinking a creamy cup of spiced milk before bed is definitely relaxing. The fact that it’s blue? Well, that just adds to the fun.

Remember that magic lemonade? The natural color comes from the same source: butterfly pea flowers, this time in powdered form. I used this brand of instant butterfly pea powder, which doesn’t seem to be available at the moment… but there are plenty of similar products out there (just search for “butterfly pea flower powder” and look for a finely ground powder with no other ingredients). Coarser ground flower powders might need to be strained before drinking.

You could also use whole butterfly pea flowers or butterfly pea tea: just steep in the warm milk for 10-15 minutes to impart the color, then strain and reheat with the spices and sweetener.

While there is no magic color-changing effect in this recipe (acid + warm milk = ricotta cheese, essentially), you are still getting the full benefits of the natural antioxidants in the butterfly pea flowers, regardless of pH.

Blue Moon Milk Recipe aka Blue Matcha Latte - Calming, caffeine free drink recipe

This recipe is infinitely flexible, so feel free to modify to your personal tastes.

Swap the maple syrup for your favorite sweetener-of-choice, add more or less to taste, or leave it out entirely.

Prefer cashew milk or almond milk or some other kind of nut/seed/grain milk? Go for it (note that some milks ‘froth’ better than others, otherwise this recipe works with just about any milk you want).

Although I wouldn’t add, say, turmeric for example, because it would greatly affect the color of the final product, you can also add other spices to your suit your personal tastes.

Also, while the butterfly pea powder is what makes the moon milk blue moon milk, you can certainly leave it out and enjoy your regular moon milk just the same.

So, yeah… basically everything but the warm milk part is optional.

How’s that for a ‘recipe’?

Blue Moon Milk Recipe - Warm spiced milk with butterfly pea flowers

I topped my moon milk with a sprinkle of crushed up butterfly pea flowers, lavender flowers, and freeze-dried blueberries… for no particular reason other than it’s pretty and it makes up for my serious lack of latte art skills.

Blue Moon Milk

Blue Moon Milk

This creamy, lightly spiced moon milk recipe is perfect for sipping just before bed, with ingredients that naturally promote sleep and relaxation.

Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk of your choosing (I like whole milk, cashew milk, and almond milk)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon butterfly pea flower powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ashwagandha powder (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, whisk together milk with maple syrup, butterfly pea powder, and spices until powder is dissolved and milk is warm but not yet simmering.
  2. Whir briefly using a handheld milk frother for a latte-like finish, or whisk vigorously to create a fine froth.
  3. Pour into warm mug and enjoy. Optionally top with a sprinkle of ground up butterfly pea flowers and freeze-dried blueberries.
All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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22 Comments

  1. Oh my gosh, the name Blue Moon Milk got my attention, the blue encouraged me to read more, and now I have to try this! The kids have the hardest time trying to get to sleep. I’m going to try this on them! Oh, and me. ;)

  2. This tastes super yummy! A little too much cinnamon for my taste, but thats easily adjustable! My husband loved the recipe and thinks it’s absolutely delicious as is. Would definitely opt for frothing at the end vs. whisking and am going to try it with the steamer portion of my espresso maker next time. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

  3. Hello there… 

    I know it’s an old post, but I just happened to make my first Blue Moon Milk tonight and had to come here to say I loved it

    mine also turned a bit darker than yours, next time I think I can reduce to 1/2 tsp and should be plenty blue –  since I don’t drink alcohol it’s nice to have an alternative as a “night cap” and there’s only so much tea one can sip as I also drink tea with dinner

    love this drink – now, if I sleep soundly tonight, I will be doing a very happy dance tomorrow morning…..    At some point I’ll blog about it and give you credit!   Stay tuned

  4. I don’t know why but my latte turned out blue like REALLY blue. I followed your instructions but holy cow it’s bright blue! Yours is such a pretty shade haha

    • Guessing different brands/forms of butterfly pea could vary in color. If you want a lighter color you could just use a little bit less next time!

  5. I know this is an old post, but here’s hoping you’ll see this! I have the pea flowers…can I just grind them into a powder myself with a coffee grinder?

    • You certainly can, although the powder probably won’t be quite as fine and won’t dissolve into a uniform blue (it’ll be more speckled than mine).

  6. Hi, just read your article and had a few good laughs. I love your honesty and sense of humor. My grandmother always made me hot milk and honey before bedtime because I used to have extreme nightmares as a kid. And I must say, hot milk and honey is a 100% relaxing and reminds me of the good old times, so I’m more then excited to try out your beautiful sounding version!

  7. Really this post is interesting.It’s looking very healthy.Thanks For sharing this.All pics are awsome

  8. Using butterfly pea powders for the color is absolute genius! This tasted great and looked amazing as well.

  9. I tried this last night & it was delicious! I also slept really well & woke up feeling refreshed which is unusual for me. I don’t know if the milk did the trick but it was certainly yummy & relaxing! Thanks so much for the recipe!

  10. Gorgeous photography!
    True confession time- When I saw Blue Moon Milk I thought you mixed Blue Moon beer with some milk and I HAD to look at the recipe. I’m glad I did because your recipe looks and sounds a BILLION times better than what I came up with :D
    Cool concept, I’ll be on the lookout for the butterfly stuff :)

  11. I will be making this for my girlfriend on valentines day for SURE!!!
    Thank you :)

  12. I’ve been drinking blue matcha (made by Bluebird Tea Co.) which has the goodness and caffeine of the matcha. It’s so pretty though. I didn’t think of ordering just the blue pea flowers so I can have a nighttime alternative to my blue matcha latte ?

  13. wow, had never heard of this before, it’s worth trying even for the color alone, thank you!

  14. It is just so pretty! Who wouldn’t want to try it? I was wondering how cafes are turning their lattes blue (and really hoped it wasn’t traditional blue food colouring). Thank you for introducing me to butterfly pea flower powder!

  15. Not so many people drink milk especially before bed. But after reading this Blue Moon Milk post it will change. I hope so.

  16. I drink more milk than anyone I know – I sometimes feel like I’m a kid character in a 60s tv show because I have my glass of milk with meals. LOL. So anyway, long way of saying that this recipe appeals to me as a great way to fancy up my milk when I want that latte sort of feel but don’t want coffee. It’s beautiful and I learned so much here!

  17. Hi Lindsay, I just wanted to say Happy New Year and tell you how much I enjoy your posts although I am awful about leaving comments! Trying to do better in 2018.
    This is a wonderful idea and the images are lovely…that blue is to die for…so interesting.
    Hope you are well….I am trying this on my next sleepless night. T

    • Hi Teresa! So nice to hear from you and happy new year to you as well! We’ll have to get together for an early dinner sometime soon. :)

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