Tart Cherry Moon Milk Recipe for Relaxation and Better Sleep

Moon milk is a relatively new wellness trend that has been incredibly popular in the last year.  What is moon milk exactly?  Basically, it is an upscale, yuppy, herbal variation on the glass of warm milk at bedtime.  If you are looking for relaxation and better sleep, this tart cherry moon milk recipe may be just the thing you need!

When Relaxation and Better Sleep Elude You

The last 6 months have been incredibly stressful for me.  In October, my mom was hospitalized with heart problems.  Despite a grim prognosis, she has made a great recovery thanks to surgery.  But I spent a couple of hellish weeks up in Vermont with my family thinking I would lose her. 

Then, in January, my teenage daughter was hit by a car while crossing the street.  It was the singularly worst day of my life.  After several days in the ICU and 2 surgeries in the last 6 weeks, she is on the road to recovery and doing well.  She still has a few issues to deal with but the worse is, thankfully, behind us.  

Stress and emotional upheaval wreak havoc on the human body. I have had many sleepless nights recently, in addition to depression, loss of appetite, an an assortment of other issues.  Relaxation and better sleep are goals I am working on this month as my life (hopefully) settles back into normalcy.  When I came across some beautiful moon milk recipes on Instagram, I decided to give it a try.

What is Moon Milk?

Moon milk is a warm drink that has its roots in the  Ayurverdic diet.  It is typically made from a mixture of honey, cinnamon and cow’s milk.  There have been many variations of moon milk created but the concepts is the same. It is a glass of warm milk with ingredients added for relaxation and better sleep.  Moon milk recipes offer powerful anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia benefits, as well as being pretty to look at!

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Moon Milk Ingredients

Your own moon milk ingredients will vary slightly, depending on the recipe you choose.  I recently made a batch of blue moon milk that was delicious and you can check it out on my Instagram feed.

This tart cherry moon milk was equally pretty and tasted yummy as well.  If you are looking for a slightly spicier moon milk recipe, try making it with turmeric. There are a ton of health benefits of turmeric and it is one of the most popular moon milk ingredients for that reason. 

Here are a few more ingredients you might want to try in your own moon milk recipes:

The milk:

• Cow’s Milk: This is the classic addition to moon milk recipes. An organic, whole milk variety is particularly creamy. 
• Coconut Milk: Want vegan moon milk?  Add coconut milk!  
• Almond Milk: Almond milk will give your moon milk a nutty flavor.  
• Cashew Milk: Cashew milk has a very neutral flavor. It won’t interfere with other flavors you might add.

The Spices: 

Generally, warm spices are added to moon milk.  This includes nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice.  They offer a delicious flavor and aroma that (for me anyhow) is naturally relaxing! Check out my cinnamon moon milk recipe if you love those warm fall spices. 

The sweeteners: 

The most common sweeteners for moon milk are honey and maple syrup.  Agave nectar would also work well.

Adaptogens  and Superfoods for Your Moon Milk: 

Adaptogens are what give your moon milk it’s therapeutic properties. Ashwagandha powder is one of the most popular and the one I chose for this tart cherry moon milk recipe.

Montmorency tart cherry juice is a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. You can see several more therapeutic moon milk ingredients on the Thrive Market website.  A Thrive Market membership makes stocking up on these unique ingredients much easier. 

Tart Cherry Moon Milk Ingredients

So, what will you need to make this tart cherry moon milk recipe?  Here are the ingredients I chose on Amazon if you want to shop online.  The basic ingredients for moon milk can be found in most major grocery stores, however, some of the specialty items may be harder to find.  

• Organic whole milk or your favorite nondairy version
• Montmorency tart cherry juice
• Ashwagandha powder
• Madagascar vanilla extract
• Raw Manuka Honey
• Dried culinary rose petals
• Freeze-dried strawberries

Tart Cherry Moon Milk Recipe

This tart cherry moon milk recipe takes only minutes to make.  If you are not interested in a photo-worthy mug of moon milk, you can skip the freeze-dried fruit and culinary rose petals on top. 

They are more for presentation than for relaxation and better sleep.  Just heat the ingredients in a pan over medium heat.  Whisk or blend to create a bit of foam on top.  Sprinkle with decorative ingredients, and enjoy your warm moon milk before bed!

Yield: 1 serving

Tart Cherry Moon Milk Recipe

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What is moon milk? It's a popular wellness trend for relaxation and better sleep. This tart cherry moon milk recipe is delicious and therapeutic.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 ounces dairy or non dairy milk
• 4 ounces Montmorency tart cherry juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ashwaganda
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• dried culinary rose petals and crushed freeze dried strawberries for sprinkling on top.

Instructions

1. Heat milk and tart cherry juice over medium heat in a small pot.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk in honey, vanilla, and ashwaganda powder.
4. If you want to make it really frothy, add it to a blender.
5. Top with rose petals and crushed, freeze dried strawberries and drink warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

10 ounces
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 376Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 51gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information not always accurate