This Gut-Friendly Golden Milk Smoothie Should Really Be Called the *Golden Child* of All Anti-Inflammatory Recipes

This may sound a bit crazy, but blending the perfect smoothie has become something of an art form these days. Far beyond just throwing together a few berries and some milk in a blender and calling it a day, 2022 smoothies are much more than just a refreshing drink. You likely never saw a sprinkle of sea moss or adaptogenic mushrooms on the menu at the local smoothie shop growing up, no? But nowadays, this easy-to-whip-together beverage can pack more health benefits than ever before—that is, if you know what you’re doing.

From adding immunity-boosting ingredients to prebiotics and probiotics, smoothie possibilities have really become endless. On the latest episode of Plant-Based, Rachelle Robinett, a certified herbalist and the founder of Supernatural, teaches us how to make a golden milk smoothie recipe crafted with carefully-chosen ingredients that all pack potent health benefits. Plus, this protein-packed beverage is rich, creamy, and insanely great for gut health.

Read on to learn more about what makes this recipe the *golden* child of smoothies.

Why is this golden milk smoothie recipe so great for gut health?

“Gut health is important because it’s such a central system to our entire body. We have the gut-brain axis, so it’s affecting mental health, mood, and brain health,” Robinett says in the video. To ensure she covers the bases with this recipe, Robinett uses ingredients like herbs, spices, and vegetables that contain prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber to make this drink as beneficial for supporting your microbiome—and in turn, almost every single system in your body—as possible.

Although you might associate smoothies with sweet fruits like berries and creamy liquids like oat milk and yogurt, this recipe calls for one somewhat surprising ingredient. Ready for it? Turns out, Robinett’s all-time favorite smoothie ingredient is none other than yams. Who would’ve thought? “Yam is a very good source of prebiotic starch. So you’re getting some gut-friendly fiber and starches in there. It’s also low-glycemic—it’s slow to digest and absorb, so you get this stable energy,” Robinett says. So yeah, we’re sold.

Aside from making a mean Thanksgiving side dish, this starchy root vegetable is filled with tons of potassium, fiber, zinc, magnesium, and iron. Can’t find yams all year round? No sweat—just swap in sweet potatoes instead. (To find out how regular sweet potato stacks up against a good ol’ yam, check out this article that explains the main differences between the two.)

And like a more traditional golden milk latte recipe, this smoothie also calls for coconut milk, chai spices, and loads of anti-inflammatory turmeric. FYI, don’t forget to always pair your turmeric with black pepper, which helps increase its effectiveness by almost 2,000 percent. For more details on making this gut-friendly smoothie that would make Harry Styles sing “you’re so golden” (and to and why prebiotics and probiotics go together like peas and carrots), check out the full video to learn more.

Gut-friendly golden milk smoothie recipe

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients

1 banana1 yam, steamed and peeled2-3 dates, pitted1-3 Tbsp oats1 Tsp vanilla1-2 tsp prebiotic fiber1 probiotic capsule, opened1-3 tsp ground turmericDash of black pepper1 tsp chai spices1 scoop of protein powder1 cup coconut milk1 dried orange slice for garnishing (optional)

1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve and garnish with a dried orange slice.