The Benefits of Ayurvedic Hot Drinks

These five Ayurveda-inspired drinks are here to help boost your body’s digestion, immunity, energy, and sleep this holiday season. The recipes include ingredients such as cinnamon, apple, orange, lemon, ghee, and ojas, all warmed up to balance your doshas during vata season. All of our recipes are alcohol-free, so you can enjoy the holiday season with your health in mind.

Take our dosha quiz to find out your Ayurvedic body type. 

Ayurvedic Holiday Drink Recipes

1. Ayurvedic Apple Cider Recipe

This version of the classic apple cider is a time-tested favorite of fall and winter, but with a twist. It takes on the Ayurvedic tastes of sweet, pungent, and bitter all at once—to help you feel more balanced.

Servings: 6
Time: 25 minutes

Step 1: Chai Time

Ingredients:
2 cups of water
2 chai tea bags of your choice

Directions:
Boil water. Remove from stove and add two tea bags of chai. Steep. Remove tea bags once desired tea strength is reached.

Step 2: Apple Concoction

Ingredients:
4 cups apple juice
1 orange, sliced
3 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Bring apple juice to boiling then remove from heat. Combine the heated apple juice and the chai tea in a pitcher. Add orange slices and cinnamon sticks to the pitcher. Let sit for a few minutes to brew. Pour desired amount of drink into mugs and enjoy!

See also Winter Recipes for Your Ayurvedic Body Type

2. Red Root Toddy Recipe

This Ayurvedic and non-alcoholic version of a hot toddy swaps out bourbon for Lymph Cleanse and uses maple syrup instead of honey.

Servings: 6
Time: 1 hour

Step 1: Cinnamon-Infused Simple Syrup

Ingredients:
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Combine maple syrup, water, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and steep for 1 hour. Strain and store in a glass jar.

Step 2: Toddy Time

Ingredients:
Cinnamon-infused maple syrup
4 lemons
1 bottle LifeSpa’s Lymph Cleanse
Hot Water
6 cinnamon sticks
Cranberries, for garnish

Directions:
Combine 3 tbsp simple syrup with the juice of a half a lemon and 30 drops of Lymph Cleanse. Top off with hot water. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, lemon wedges, and cranberries.

See also Best Winter Superfoods for Your Dosha (Ayurvedic Body Type)

3. Virgin Coquito Recipe

Do you love coquitos? We created an Ayurvedic and alcohol-free take on this drink for those dreaming of a tropical escape in the middle of winter.

Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes

Step 1: Put the Cinnamon in the Coconut and Heat it All Up

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk (can be coconut condensed milk as a vegan option)
1 can cream of coconut
1 can evaporated milk (can be coconut evaporated milk to make vegan)
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp grated nutmeg

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. If making ahead of time, let it chill in the fridge for a longer period of time to intensify the flavors.

4. Adaptogenic Hot Cocoa Recipe

Hot hot hot chocolate! Who doesn’t love a hot cocoa on a cold winter day? By adding adaptogens to this classic choice, you’ll get a drink that tastes great and helps balance your energy after a day of festivities and fun.

Servings: 2
Time: 10 minutes

Step 1: Hot Cocoa Concoction

Ingredients:
2 cups whole organic cow’s milk (or substitute oat, almond, or coconut milk)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon adaptogen of choice, powdered
a dash of cinnamon, cardamom, or allspice, ground
Maple syrup or coconut sugar to taste

Directions:
Heat  milk in a saucepan. Gradually add in the cocoa or cacao powder, whisking* to create a smooth texture. Add adaptogenic herb of choice, continuing to whisk. Careful to not let the milk boil over. When milk is foamy and hot, remove from heat. Add spices, pour into mugs, and sweeten to taste.  A dash of cardamom or allspice on top is a great finishing touch.

*If your hand whisk does not adequately smooth out any lumps from the powdered ingredients, consider using an immersion blender for a few seconds, or blending the entire mixture in a glass blender.

5. Original Moon Milk Recipe

You have heard of Golden Milk, but have you tried Moon Milk? Moon Milk is a great drink to help you wind down and relax to get your best sleep–much needed during the holiday season.

Servings: 1
Time: 10 minutes

Step 1: Over the Moon (Milk)               

Ingredients:

1 cup of cow, almond, coconut, or alternative milk
1 tbsp chopped dates
2 tsp chopped almonds
1 tbsp coconut meat or flakes
1/2 tsp saffron
1-2 tsp ghee
1/8 tsp cardamom

Directions:
Bring your milk of choice to a boil and slowly add dates, almonds, coconut meat or flakes, saffron, and ghee.  

Step 2: Ojas Builder

Ingredients:
1/8 tsp or one 500 mg capsule of the ojas-building herb(s) of your choice (shatavari, ashwagandha, turmeric, or Ojas Nightly Tonic)*

Directions:
Add ojas-building herbs to milk.

*Add shatavari and ashwagandha to make your Moon Milk for reproductive health. Add turmeric to create a variation of Golden Milk for deeper immune support. Or use LifeSpa’s pre-mixed Ojas Nightly Tonic, which includes organic dates, almonds, coconut, cardamom, ashwagandha, shatavari, turmeric, and saffron.

Step 3: Ooh Honey Honey

Ingredients:
1 tsp raw honey

Directions:
Remove from heat and add 1 tsp of ojas-building raw honey.

Drink one cup of the Moon Milk every morning, night, or both for three months to rebuild ojas levels, reproductive health and support healthy sleep.

See also Increase Ojas & Vitality with These Potassium-Rich Foods