Healing 3-Ingredient Turmeric Tonic

Me and my babies (2yr & 11months) are having a little seasonal cold so I made this and it’s fantastic! I added extra maple syrup and diluted it for the babies and they’re loving it!

I love this tonic! When it’s cold out I make it almost every night! I love to cook and it satisfies the desire to create something without being a big to-do. It’s great with fresh turmeric and ginger. I would love to see a lemon lavender drink from Minimalist Baker next! 😁

Great recipe! I usually do larger and more concentrated batches so I can enjoy the taste and benefits for a couple of days. And I noticed that grated ginger and turmeric can be “extracted” a few times – just add more hot water to the strained pulp and simmer a bit. My first two “extractions” are very concentrated and the third is just good without dilution. Also I use some of the pulp from the first extraction in my curry or recipe calling for ginger and turmeric.
I tend to add lemon juice at the end to avoid losing vitamin C to heat but I don’t know if it’s any helpful
Oh and one more thing from me for today, I add some cloves for extra pungency and warmth ☺

I just made this recipe and am enjoying a nice warm cup! Boy is that lemon gooooood! I simmered mine for about 10 minutes with fresh turmeric and ginger. Have the other cup in the fridge to enjoy tonight. Thank you so much!

I absolutely love this tea!! I’ve had it the last 4 nights and it seems to curb the desire for snacking or sugar. It has also replaced my nightly wine and I feel amazing. Two nights I drank it w/o sweetener and two nights I added 1/2 t honey. I like it just as well unsweetened, so I think I’ll stick w that. Thanks!!

Wow! This made taking turmeric for health palatable for me. I have struggled to find ways to incorporate it daily. This is the solution! I used grated ginger (I freeze my ginger before grating, makes it so much easier) and turmeric powder (that’s what we had on hand) plus lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper. It has a pleasant zing and slight burn (even without cayenne), and the turmeric flavor does not overwhelm at all. Great stuff!

I made this for my husband and myself and we loved it spicy yet comforting. Because my husband wanted an extra punch I added a couple of crushed cloves of garlic and i used a pich of cracked black pepper and a little honey.

Easy to prepare, everything you need are available in the kitchen. I’m sure i will make this a habit .

I had surgery and down for 6 months. Because I’m not moving very much which leads to not wanting to move much, the search was on to look for something to calm my senses even if it’s physiological. And here you are.

I am 12 weeks pregnant, and this tonic has been a lifesaver for me! The ginger settles my stomach and the lemon, cayenne, and turmeric provide the perfect levels of acidity and spice. Thank you!

This is a DAILY “go to” for me. I drink it first thing as part of my morning routine. I also give jars of it to my friends when they are under the weather or just need a boost. They LOVE IT. 10 stars!!!

Delicious recipe. I loved how simple the recipe is and the website is so pretty.

This smelled sooooo good! I didn’t use maple syrup since I put honey in my coffee and didn’t want to up my sugar intake, but I bet it would be delish! An easy and yummy way to get the spice benefit up in my diet.

I tried this because I have an old foot injury that’s acting up, I’m sure this will help!

This was very, very good! I made it without any added sugar and served over ice. May add some honey next time. Thanks for sharing!! I love this and will make it again for sure.🙏🏼

I could live on this drink. I made it into a cordial so I could add sparkling water ice garnish with mint.
Or have it warm before bed .
Great drink.

I drank the tumeric-ginger-lemon juice- maple syrup with water and followed the directions- 30 hours later I have a raised red rashwith small pustilers on my arms chest and back

I drink this concoction twice a day before meals.
I simmer it for about 30 minutes. I always use fresh ginger. Before drinking, I add one tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon matcha per ~8-oz.

I stumbled on the recipe about a week ago and have made it every day since! I add collagen and drink it right after my work out, such a refreshing change. Love this recipe!

Made this recipe today. Be careful on the cayenne pepper. It can get spicy quick. No sugar needed especially if you are using this to fight inflammation. Sugar is inflammatory. I used dried turmeric and ginger. Fresh might be better likely.

Thank you so much for this recipe! This is my third time making this tonic. I feel so good everytime I drink this tonic and it has become a family favourite 100%. Thanks again for such a wonderfully healthy recipe.

Made a similar immunity booster today thanks to your inspiring recipe.
I added zest of lemon 1/2 orange and tangerine before squeezing and simmering. I didn’t have fresh turmeric or ginger but had these Ground spices on hand. Used whole peppercorn.
Really great! Thanks for yet another fantastic recipe idea. Be safe and healthy! Janis/Florida
(Wish i could include a photo)

Excellent recipe! I’ve been using these same basic ingredients for a while now, especially lately since my body is trying to fight off some kind of something and I don’t want it to get a foothold, but I’ve just made your recipe, using raw honey, cayenne AND freshly ground black pepper, and I find the ratios to be really perfect! Thank you! I love The Minimalist Baker (I’ve just discovered you a couple of days ago)

I might have been a little overzealous with my pinch of cayenne. This batch was a bit strong for me but as suggested, I added more water and a little stevia. I do love the zesty flavor and I like the simple yet powerful ingredients. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Thank you for this. I don’t have the fresh ginger and turmeric, but I have been adding turmeric to hot water (or peppermint tea) for last few nights, plus crushed garlic, oregano, a dash of red wine vinegar, and tonight I added ginger and black pepper, delicious.

I made this but used honey instead of maple syrup.

I found this very healthful and easy to make, but almost too healthy and potent to be yummy. I added some maple syrup to make it more tasty but still didn’t love it. But: I think my body is happy to have had it regardless! I misunderstood the instructions and brought it to a simmer and then removed from the heat rather than simmering for 3 minutes, I’m not sure if that contributed to not being the biggest fan. I tried the second portion the next day chilled though and I think I like it best that way.

i really liked it. it taste very good. I feel much better after I make.

This is really tasty and not bitter like many other drinks with spice in them. I’m definitely going to make it a lot!

I was sick with a bad cold about a week and a half ago and found this recipe. I have been making it nearly ever since, because it was so soothing, warming, and delicious. I can’t find tumeric root, so I have been using dried tumeric as you suggested. I have been experimenting because I love it spicy. I added more ginger, and added both the cayenne AND black pepper. I also add a little more maple syrup. Thanks so much for this delicious healing brew! My cold is almost gone now, but I am still drinking it tonight. Now my poor boyfriend is sick, and he loves it too!

I’ve been drinking golden milk in the evening to combat inflammation in my shoulder. I stumped across this when I was looking for something a bit more refreshing/lighter. Followed your directions (ground spices) and black pepper. Amazingly delicious and well balanced.

My cousin has been telling about tumeric shot. I stumbled across your recipe, tried it and love it. Will be trying again and other recipes.

I made this just this morning!, stumbled upon it you could say, and just trying to hydrate and get circulation going, the ginger(if not over-used), is a kick to the pallet, although I put (freshly squeezed lime juice) and bottled lemon juice(cautious of the acidity), but it was definitely a invigorating variety of flavors that gets me going, was unaware how healthy they are combined, Definitely a great morning pick me up, I am incorporating in my daily routine!
#coffeewho?

This was the ticket. It’s Tuesday and I’ve been down with the flu since Friday afternoon! Also day 9 of no sun in Chicago… defo looking for a pick me up!

It also helped me salvage a turmeric powder/ raw honey paste I made a few days ago but could not stomach. So I subbed the paste for the fresh turmeric/maple. Thanks for being my go-to for recipes of all kinds!

This is so easy to make and so delicious!

Simple instructions and sensational flavour x

I don’t know why I’ve developed some sort of anxiety about turmeric, but it’s probably because I fall asleep every time I make golden milk. But it’s cold and blah in Chicago today and I had to drop medicine off at a friend’s who has the flu, so I was looking to boost my Feeling Good vibes. I halved the recipe and used a whole (small) lemon and 1 tsp of maple syrup. I used powdered ginger and turmeric because it’s all I have (I highly recommend Diaspora Co.’s turmeric) and it wasn’t too strong. I don’t think I finished reading the recipe because I didn’t add black or cayenne pepper so I may miss some of the benefits. Anyway, this is delicious! But the powdered spices kept settling so I’m sure fresh is better.

This was so comforting! My husband and I returned from our holiday travels with colds, so the tonic was the perfect antidote. I made it exactly as written but used both cayenne and a touch of pepper, as well as a teaspoon or so of honey. Excellent for a sore throat. Adding this to my homeopathic arsenal – thanks!

I made this for the first time tonight after too much holiday-ing left me feeling terrible – like I had a stomach flu. My son recommended this and it was delicious, not to mention comforting. I will be making this on a regular basis from now on. I used fresh lemon and ginger, and used organic ground turmeric I had on hand. I also added 0.5 tsp of maple syrup and the cayenne. Thank you!

Surprisingly tasty! Definitely prefer it to my normal brew of just ginger and lemon. Fingers crossed this helps my cold go away.

Hi,
I tried this tonic for the first time last night and I have to say that it honestly works. I went to bed with swollen ankles and I have arthritis in both knees. When I woke up this morning, barely felt pain in my knees and the swelling in my ankles have gone down quite a bit. This is my new coffee/tea for daily sipping. I used stevia instead of the maple syrup. Excellent tonic!!!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! This may be life changing!!!

I made this today because I have been buying something similar all week from the store. This is so yummy, I didn’t add any sweetener and I added a pinch of chili flakes along with a teaspoon of peppercorns. Was skeptical of leaving the skin on the ginger and tumeric, but I washed them thoroughly. You don’t notice because you strain it anyways! I can see myself drinking this daily. I might try reducing the amount of water next time to make concentrated shots for travel. Great job on the recipe!

I was so pleasantly surprised by the taste! I’m not feeling well so I was happy to try anything that might help. I was shocked that I actually enjoyed the taste, so did my husband.

I started using tumeric and ginger tea for gout 4 years ago after speaking with the owner of the Indian store in my area. I can honestly say that after drinking the tea using either fresh or dried ingredients I haven’t had a bout of gout after using it for about three months. Gout is an extremely painful form of inflammation affecting the joints and makes walking difficult and even impossible at times. As noted in other comments, I saw benefits in quality of sleep as well soothing cough and colds. I am NOT a doctor and this is only my personal experience with drinking tumeric and ginger tea with ground black pepper.

I make it with fresh lemon, ginger and honey. The only ingredient I heat up is turmeric powder with water. Heating the tumeric suppose to intensifie the benefis. I also ad honey and pepper. I keep it in the refridge and drink a shooter every morning.

All of the comments you wrote above resonated.
A great alternate to tea or coffee on a wintry evening.
I used no sweetener and allowed the three ingredients of turmeric, ginger and lemon to shine. I have organic coarse cut ginger which I ground to a powder to make sure I was getting the best.
Making it a second time tonight.

The only comment I have is it took me 10+ min to bring the 3 cups of tonic to a simmer over a generous medium heat-noy sure where you got the 3 from.
And I choose to wait, instead of drunk at 3 min, bc it is my understanding the heat will extract the beneficial compounds from the ingredients.
Otherwise tasty and great recipe!

Wow! First of all, I must say that I don’t normally leave ratings or comments on internet recipes I find, but this was too good to not say anything. I made this as a detox but was pleasantly surprised to LOVE the taste. After drinking a mug of this deliciousness, I feel so healthy AND full, so it’s perfect when trying to get healthy or lose a few lbs (at least for me)! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I’m drinking it right now… YUMMY! ?

I made this today and it is super wonderful. I happened to have a melange of cardamom, turmeric, ginger and clove in a jar, so I also added a rounded quarter teaspoon of that to the recipe. The cardamom and clove add a Scandinavian note to the drink. It is so much better than my usual boiled ginger!!! This one will be a go-to for a long time.
(I hope it aids my sleep, as another reader posted.)

We love having one of these after a good hard run or a long, hilly bike ride. Perfect way to nourish the body!

Tastes great cold or hot!! Got rid of my cramps!

As you know ‘man flu’ is deadly but thanks to this recipe I might just pull through. Tastes great now the old taste buds are getting back to normal.
Dave from Prats Bottom, Kent, England

Just made this tonight. I added pepper and coconut oil, plus a bit of orange juice.
Delicious!! Thank you for this, it will be a regular for sure.

I had been feeling kind of down cuz of the weather may be a little bit of depression I was looking for a pick-me-up and something to help me feel better I didn’t have such a good thing at the beginning which was not fun but in the end I felt a lot better I think you very much for sharing this recipe I’m sure it’s something that me and my family are going to be using quite a lot seeing as how I live in cold damp new England

I have to take the time and thank you so much for this recipe. I love all your recipes but this one has changed my life. I drink a bit every day and ever since the first day my sleep has been amazing after not having slept properly in 6 months. I also feel like a renewed human every day. It is truly healing, thank you so much for this and for everything.

I’m new to this but been told to max out on turmeric and thought we would try. I have made twice now and each time added fresh ground black pepper and cayenne and a small drizzle of coconut oil. First time i made with dry powder turmeric but fresh ginger and we think its great and want this every day.. Second time made with fresh turmeric and fresh ginger and added a small stick of cinnamon and wow well done for a great recipe.

I love this recipe! I use the cayenne pepper instead of the black pepper as black pepper is a stomach irritant and has also been linked to cancer. The cayenne pepper makes the turmeric bioavailable just like the black pepper except without the harmful side effects.

Wonderful recipe for cold winter days!
Add some Apple cider vinegar and drink it cold on hot summer days to transform it into a delicious turmeric switchel!

This drink is amazing! Had a really bad cold and very congested. I made this using tumeric powder along with all the other ingredients mentioned. It looked and tasted absolutely delicious and within half an hour I started feeling so much better. I’m so glad I found this recipe, thank you for posting. I’ve finally found something that works wonders and I will be making sure I’ve always got the ingredients to make it as often as I want or need it. Thank you!

I made a big batch of this. Do you think I could freeze some in mason jars?

Love this tea!

UMMM. I’m speechless. This is amazing! I absolutely love the flavor and the way it made my stomach feel. It helped clear digestion and smoothed my stomach within minutes. Definitely keeping this in my list of “go to’s”! Thanks!!

Just made your delicious 3 ingredients turmeric tea tonic. So satisfying and after reading the comments will make my next batch and add a little coconut oil and pepper. So happy that I stumbled on this recipe. It just has one drawback, my fingers stained from turmeric. I’ll use gloves next time

I had a fever and headache so I decided to try this recipe as I came across it the night before. Not only does it taste good but IT HEALS. After drinking the tea and going to bed I sweated profusely, which I thought was a good thing. The next morning I had no fever and th3hwadache had subsided. Thanks for sharing.

This was delicious and just the sort of thing I was looking for! I only had a pinch of turmeric powder on hand but it was really yummy and beautiful color. I will be making this again and again! Thank you!

I love this recipe! I have made it a few times and it is super easy and delicious.

I’m really impressed with how nice this drink made my stomach feel! I have recently tried drinking apple cider vinegar drinks in the morning and was unimpressed. I love the flavor of this drink and it’s calming effect! I will start drinking this more often.

Everybody around me is sick so I made it and it’s amazing

Amazing. It soothed my throat and was comforting

This was delicious – my boyfriend and I made this to try to fend off a cold and we both love it! Perfectly spicy and so healthy! Definitely going to become part of our routine. Warning if you use fresh turmeric – definitely stains your hands!

I made this last week and it was awesome. I still have some in the fridge (5 days later), and it still looks good. I’ve had a small cup here and there. I love it!

Delicious. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you for all the incredible recipes <3

I added just a pinch of cinnamon to this recipe and it is divine! Thank you for sharing!!

I’m for some reason surprised by how good this tasted! I didn’t have anything fresh though; I did it with powders and lemon juice from a bottle and it was still great!
Advice I have is to use a coffee filter when using the powders though so it’s not so gritty

I’m suffering a cold right now so I made this tonight. It was quite tart even after I added a bit of honey to my cup. I think next time I’ll use only half a lemon. I added a bit of black pepper to the batch and a touch of coconut oil to my cup and put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow. I hope it makes me feel better!

This was superb! I didn’t have a lemon so I used a lime and added 3 drops of liquid vanilla stevia and it was a treat and makes you feel oh so good after. Made 2 perfect mugs full (one for me and one for hubby) Delish

Sounds similar to a lemonade recipe I made recently. Instead of water I used steeped butterfly pea flower tea. It is a beautiful blue color. When lemon Is added the color changes to a purple-pink. Making is yummy and pretty! Try it!

So, so spicy, but I upped the chile ratio to combat an upper respiratory infection. This. HIT. THE. SPOT. Seriously delicious–spicy, sweet, tangy, and best of all–medicinal properties on point. This one will be a staple this season!

This was so yummy and made me feel great! I will continue to make this all fall / winter long :) Next time I’ll make sure to wear gloves though, my fingers are yellow right now – oops!

I made this tonight and I really like it! I typically drink hot lemon water before bed so this is a great addition to my nightime routine. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

Love this! I’ve made this two nights in a row and it’s the perfect tonic to sip and relax before bedtime. The boyfriend was feeling sick so I took the opportunity to whip this up and he liked it! He thinks it helped him feel better.
I added some fresh ground pepper to it. I love the heat the cayenne pepper gives it.
Thanks for another winning recipe!

Perfect drink to have when you are all congested from a cold!

I’ve been drinking this exact tonic for years! I even wrote about it a few years back because it was a life-changer for me! I like a lot of cayenne in mind because the kick wakes me up. After I started, my caffeine cravings went away completely.

Made it today and loved it. Upon reading the other comments about the black pepper and oil, I will add that to my next cup. Thanks Dana!

I made this yesterday, but it wasn’t to my liking. It was bitter and too spicy for me. After adding a lot of sweetener I could drink it.. but I think that likely negated most of the health benefits ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ maybe if I make it again, I will try diluting it.

Hi Guys!

I just wanted to say congrats on your awesome website, beautiful photos, and inspirational words!
You guys are really awesome, and I love receiving your new recipes!
Thanks

I add black pepper to it.

Let me start off by saying, whoa! I made a double batch, read the comments about adding black pepper and coconut oil and as soon as I took one sip my eyes lit up. I hope it helps me sleep and soothes some of these pains I’m having, but the taste alone is superb! Thank you, ladies.

Thank you for this! Perfect timing as I’m home sick today- and kudos to you for so many things! Since eating plant based for the last 2 months I come to you often! Great recipes??❤️

I wasn’t feeling well when I woke up, but I have a full day of phone meetings I could not miss. This recipe came to my email just in time! I didn’t have a lemon, so I made it with an orange instead. I added the cayenne and am LOVING it! Thank you for a timely, tasty recipe.

I just made this almost instantly after I seen the post. I have not had seasonal allergies before so this has been a little rough for me. I love coffee and warm lemon water, but in the middle of the afternoon I am searching for something else. THIS IS IT!!! It’s warm, fragrant, and I personally added a stevia packet to mine to sweeten it up. PERFECT for calming these sinuses and satisfying on a rainy day like it is here! Thank you!

I just made this with garlic and added to chai tea to mask that awful garlic taste. The pressure in my ears and my foggy head have cleared up. Thank you SO much!! Now back to work.

I was scrolling through Instagram, and as soon as I saw the pic I thought “I need to try this”. The result is even better than I expected it to be. Refreshing, delicious, healthy! Thank you very much for the lovely recipe!