Flavorful and comforting, this turmeric oatmeal is inspired by golden milk, which is an Indian drink with roots in Ayurveda. It is golden in color with all the wonderful spicy flavors and benefits of a turmeric latte in a bowl! It's the healthy breakfast recipe you didn't know you needed!

When I think about turmeric, I immediately think of Indian cuisine. Turmeric is the main ingredient in many curries and has a wonderful warm but slightly bitter taste. Turmeric is such a special spice because it turns everything it touches a lovely golden color. It also has lots of different health benefits. The turmeric root is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, making it a popular supplement. It is also a key ingredient in a drink called golden milk.
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What is Golden Milk?
In recent years, a drink called "golden milk" has become popular at coffee shops and juice bars in the USA. Golden milk is an Indian latte made with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and other spices and is thought to have anti inflammatory properties. This drink is based in the tradition of Ayurveda. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means "The Science of Life". Ayurveda is a holistic healing system with historical roots in ancient India. You can learn more about it here. There is not much scientific evidence that proves Ayurveda's effectiveness, but I do think that the notion of using plants and herbs for their unique health benefits is important (I'm not a medical professional FYI!)
I find a cup of golden milk to be so delicious. When you pair the spicy and earthy flavors of turmeric and black pepper with milk (y'all know it's oat milk for me), magic happens!
So you may be wondering... can turmeric be added to oatmeal? The answer is yes! Golden milk is so nice and comforting and creamy. You know what is also creamy? Oatmeal! Creating a bowl of golden milk inspired turmeric oats seemed so natural to me and easy to make into a healthy turmeric oatmeal recipe. So with that in mind, golden coconut oatmeal was born! And it is a creative oatmeal recipe that I love. It may even be the best oatmeal recipe I've tried!
Ingredient Notes
The ingredient that is most important to this turmeric oatmeal recipe (besides the turmeric and spices) is the shredded coconut! Make sure that you toast the coconut before adding it to the turmeric oatmeal bowl. Toasting coconut is important because it brings out a lot of depth and nuttiness. This adds great flavor and texture to anything you add it to. Toasting coconut is super easy. Just add the coconut to a pan and cook on low until the coconut turns golden brown. For this oatmeal bowl, make sure to reserve some of your toasted coconut to use as a topping!
Coconut milk is another important ingredient for this recipe. Be sure to use a light coconut milk so that the oatmeal doesn't get too creamy. Oatmeal is already a creamy dish, so adding a thick milk can make it overwhelming. If you can't get your hands on coconut milk, that's ok! You can definitely use a different plant milk to make this recipe. I'd recommend oat milk over almond milk for the turmeric oats because almond milk tends to be more watery.
Additions
- Nut butter - use this as a topping.
- Hemp hearts as a topping
- Star anise - to garnish
Substitutions
- Oat milk or almond milk can be substituted for coconut milk.
- Coconut flakes can be substituted for the shredded coconut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, please use whole rolled oats. My favorite are Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.
I used leftover toasted coconut, cashews, almonds, berries, dates, and peanut butter. But you can get creative. I'd also recommend caramelized bananas. My honey caramelized bananas would be absolutely delicious with this oatmeal.
Nope! It just has a slight taste of Turmeric. It's more warming than spicy.
I hope you give this turmeric oatmeal a try. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below as well as a review! Also, feel free to share on Pinterest and send me a DM on Instagram to tell me how making it went!
Turmeric Oatmeal with Toasted Coconut
Flavorful and comforting, this bowl of turmeric oatmeal is inspired by golden milk- an Indian drink with roots in Ayurveda. This oatmeal is golden in color with all the wonderful spicy flavors and benefits of a turmeric latte in a bowl!
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbs unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
- optional: pure maple syrup or raw honey to sweeten
Instructions
- Place water, coconut milk, oats, chia seeds, salt, pepper, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon into a large pot. Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the oats don't stick to the bottom of the pot. When the oats are done and at your desired consistency, remove from the heat.
- While the oats are cooking, place whole cloves and shredded coconut into a small pan. Cook on low until the coconut turns golden brown.
- Discard the cloves and stir 2 tbs of toasted coconut into the oatmeal, reserving the rest for garnish.
- Scoop oatmeal into a bowl and top with remaining toasted coconut, nuts, seeds, fruit, or whatever you like!
Notes
- You can mix in about 2 tbs of pure maple syrup or add a drizzle of honey to sweeten the oatmeal.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 bowlAmount Per Serving: Calories: 442Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 5gSugar: 16gProtein: 6g
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