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Coconut graham cracker crust with a pineapple, ginger and turmeric custard and dried pineapple slices.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Ingredients:

Wind down with this moon milk made of warm almond milk with honey and tart cherry juice.

HOW TO MAKE MOON MILK

Sleep is one of my things. It helps me think more clearly and feel better overall. If you’re like me, not getting enough sleep leads to brain fog and makes you cranky.

But sometimes it can be a challenge. To help, I like to wind down with a warm beverage at night. In the past, I’ve used golden milk lattes. Before that Sleepytime Tea Extra was my go-to nightcap. Lately, I’m into moon milk. That yes… I’m not ashamed to admit, I discovered this dreamy drink :)

This cake delivers a combination of green tea and white chocolate that tastes like Green Tea Latte.

You can also use whatever green tea sponge cake you'd like the mousse is delicious on its own.
Using a "chasen" (tea whisk used in Japanese tea ceremony) during Step 25 will make the mixing easier.
If you are decorating the cake with whipped cream, remember that you are using the sifted green tea powder to dust the cake.