Made with fresh strawberries, milk, and sugar, this delightful Korean-style Strawberry Milk recipe is sweet, refreshing, and the perfect way to welcome spring. If you’ve been looking for a drink that is pretty in pink, look no further than this lovely-hued diner favorite, made with just four ingredients.
About Strawberry Milk
Strawberry Milk is a beloved beverage in South Korea. During his time working there, my husband would often order this drink from his office café or while out and about.
Eventually, he began making it at home, discovering that it was not only more affordable but also incredibly easy to prepare.
This light and refreshing drink is crafted with fresh strawberries, milk, and sugar. Unlike commercially available strawberry milks, the Korean version features bits of strawberries suspended in the milk.
Additionally, rather than a Strawberry Milkshake or smoothie, this recipe calls for creating a macerated strawberry syrup or compote with fresh (or frozen) strawberries, which is then stirred into your choice of milk.
About This Recipe
While you might find pre-packaged strawberry milk in stores, these options often contain artificial colors, flavors, and high fructose corn syrup.
This delightful recipe will transport you back to simpler times, featuring nothing but strawberries, a hint of cane sugar, and a touch of vanilla. It’s wholesome with a fresh, homemade taste that even your grandmother would approve of!
Although I typically make this recipe with fresh, ripe strawberries when they are in season, you can easily use frozen berries instead. Frozen strawberries are harvested at peak ripeness and flash-frozen, preserving their sweetness and nutrition, making this Korean strawberry milk a year-round treat!
I also appreciate how customizable this strawberry milk recipe is. I prepare it with almond milk, but feel free to substitute it with any of your favorite alternative milks.
You can also experiment with flavors! Consider adding lemon, almond, cardamom, nutmeg, or cinnamon to personalize this delicious beverage.
How to Make Strawberry Milk
Macerate Strawberries
1. Although it may sound intimidating, maceration is simply the process of softening an ingredient in liquid. In this case, strawberries release their juices when combined with sugar.
This step is technically optional, but I recommend taking an extra minute to prepare and allowing the strawberries to sit for about 20 minutes. This will enhance their sweetness and flavor.
Rinse 10 to 11 strawberries (approximately 150 grams) and drain them thoroughly. Remove the leaves and chop the berries quickly.
2. In a small to medium-sized saucepan, combine the chopped strawberries with ¼ cup of cane sugar or raw sugar. You can also use white sugar.
3. Gently stir the strawberries to coat them in sugar, and then set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. As the sugar dissolves, a syrup will form, indicating that the maceration process has been successful.
Make Strawberry Syrup
5. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir occasionally as the mixture heats up.
6. Allow the strawberry syrup to come to a boil.
7. Once the syrup reaches a boil, remove it from heat and let it cool on your countertop. Mash the mixture using a vegetable masher, fork, wooden spoon, or immersion blender until you achieve your desired consistency.
I prefer my strawberry syrup to be on the finer side so that it almost dissolves into the milk, but you can leave it chunky if you prefer.
8. Taste the syrup and add more sugar if needed. The syrup should have a loose, flowing consistency, not thick like jam. Allow it to cool completely.
Make Korean Strawberry Milk
9. Before serving, finely chop 4 to 5 medium-sized strawberries (about 6 tablespoons). This adds a delightful texture to your strawberry milk that we find very enjoyable.
The small bursts of flavor as you drink remind me of boba tea, the traditional Taiwanese beverage.
While this is more of a Korean preparation, you can omit the chopped strawberries for a version that is closer to American-style strawberry milk.
10. In each glass, add 4 tablespoons of strawberry syrup. This recipe yields three servings.
11. Top each glass with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped strawberries (if using) and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
12. Pour 1 cup of cold milk of your choice into each glass—any nut milk or dairy milk will work. My personal favorite is almond milk, as strawberries and almonds pair beautifully, but feel free to experiment to find your own favorite.
13. Stir with a spoon to blend before drinking. If you have wide straws like those used for boba tea, they will serve as both stir sticks and help you sip up the delicious strawberry pieces. Bonus!
Once you add the milk, serve immediately. Any leftover syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For a beautiful presentation, serve this lovely drink in transparent glasses or bottles to showcase the delightful pink color and striking strawberry layer.
Expert Tips
- Strawberries: Choose fresh, ripe strawberries that are naturally sweet. If they are slightly tart, you may need to increase the sugar.
- Milk: Feel free to use your preferred type of milk. This recipe is very adaptable and works well with plant-based milks like soy, oat, almond, cashew, or coconut milk. You can also use dairy milk.
- Sweeteners: You can substitute sugar with maple syrup, agave syrup, coconut sugar, palm sugar, or honey. Adjust the sweetness based on the strawberries’ natural flavor.
- Toppings: For added flavor, top the milk with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, or strawberry slices. For a citrus twist, consider garnishing with orange or lemon zest.
- Stir While Drinking: The strawberry layer tends to settle at the bottom, so remember to stir while sipping.
- Make Ahead: You can prepare and refrigerate the macerated strawberries a day in advance. Ensure the milk is chilled before assembling to create a cold drink without ice, which can dilute the flavors.
FAQs
Absolutely! Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great way to access out-of-season favorites. They are harvested and flash-frozen at optimal ripeness, retaining all their delicious nutrition. While frozen fruits may have a softer texture once defrosted, this is actually beneficial for this recipe. Just be sure to defrost them completely before chopping to avoid dulling your knife. You can even toss the frozen berries with sugar to macerate while they thaw.
While I personally enjoy making my strawberry milk with almond milk, you can easily choose any dairy or non-dairy milk that suits your preference. There are so many vegan milk options available today—oat, hemp, chia, macadamia nut, soy, cashew—so feel free to experiment until you find your favorite.
While you can certainly blend milk and strawberries, the result will be closer to a strawberry milkshake or smoothie rather than Korean-style strawberry milk. The syrup-making process concentrates the strawberry flavor and softens the fruit for better consistency. However, if you choose to purée or blend the strawberries before cooking, the syrup will still turn out well.
Once you experience how delicious Korean-style strawberry milk is, you may not want to use the syrup for anything else! However, if you have leftovers, there are plenty of other uses for it. Here are a few ideas: swirled into yogurt or oatmeal, drizzled over waffles, pancakes, ice cream, or cheesecake, or used as a base for smoothies or milkshakes.
More Strawberry Inspirations!
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, sign up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
