I follow my Mum's Badam Milk recipe whenever I want a comforting drink before bed. Badam Doodh is a sweet Indian milk drink made with almonds, sugar, saffron and cardamom. I love it both hot and chilled.
I keep the recipe quick and easy by keeping a jar of homemade Saffron Badam Milk Powder mix in the fridge. Making this milk takes only a couple of minutes whenever the craving hits!

It's a super creamy drink thanks to the milk, delicately sweet and perfumed with almond and cardamom. It has a delicious texture from the nuts and is filling too.
Our version also contains a pinch of saffron for added flavour. And we all know how well saffron pairs with nuts and cardamom!
I mostly make it at bedtime but you'll find that Badam Milk is often served at special occasions and at weddings too. Fancy right?!
The traditional way of making this Indian almond milk is by soaking raw almonds, peeling then blending to achieve an almond paste then cooking with milk and sugar. I find this too long winded, especially when I want to make it in a hurry.
This Saffron Milk (Kesar Doodh) is a delicious alternative.
You will also love these creamy Indian Milk Sweets and Desserts recipes.

Badam Milk Ingredients
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
Whole milk - for the best taste use full fat milk but you can absolutely still make this with skimmed or semi skimmed milk too. I've made it dairy-free with whole oat milk too and the results were delicious!
Sugar - I use regular white sugar but brown sugar works too. Note that brown sugar may change the colour and the taste will be a bit deeper.
Badam Milk Powder - our homemade recipe consists of ground almonds, pistachio nuts, nutmeg, cardamom seeds, saffron strands.
I've garnished it with rose petals in the pictures because they're so pretty! They don't have to be a part of your recipe though unless you're serving for a special occasion.

How to make Badam Doodh
Heat the milk, sugar and almond powder in a saucepan or heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat.
Stir continuously (otherwise the milk will burn) and bring it to a gentle boil.
Then, lower the heat and simmer the milk for another 4-5 minutes. Again, keep stirring! This allows the flavours from the nuts and spices to infuse into the milk and cook the milk so it doesn't taste raw. Also, this gives time for the nuts to cook a little too.
Turn off the heat and serve hot. You can also serve it chilled on hot days.




Storage
Let it cool at room temperature then chill in the fridge. Consume before the use by date of the milk you have used.

Other Indian Beverages
Check out these delicious modern and traditional Indian beverages
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Badam Milk
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Instructions
- Heat the milk, sugar and almond powder in a saucepan or heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat.
- Stir continuously and bring it to boil.
- Then, lower the heat and simmer the milk for another 4-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and serve hot or warm.
- You can also serve it chilled on hot days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote:- This post was originally posted in February 2012 but I have updated the post since with newer photos and helpful content. The recipe remains the same.





Simplyfood says
Perfect for the cold weather.
Archana says
Very tempting.
Aruna Manikandan says
looks delicious dear 🙂
Jeyashris Kitchen says
I always love this badam, saffron and milk combo. Tempting drink
abraham says
This looks yummy. Wow love it
VineelaSiva says
Wow love it.Simple ,rich and delicious drink.
Unknown says
Badam milk looks yummy...
Shabitha Karthikeyan says
Nice drink !! Almond and saffron must be a heavenly combo !!
divya says
making me drool......feeling so hungry looking at the pics.
Unknown says
True,gulping so much caffeine is not good for health,this is a nice substitute..Nutritious and healthy....
hotpotcooking says
i was thinking of this one with the powder. Nice one.