How to make strawberry milk at home with just 3 ingredients, including fresh strawberries, and prepare it either super smooth or chunky (aka Korean strawberry milk)! Plus, this sweet and fruity homemade strawberry milk can be prepared sugar-free and dairy-free/vegan, if preferred!
Having recently shared my recipe for a simple homemade banana milkshake, I’m back at it again, but this time with fresh strawberries for a refreshing, sweet, and wonderfully pink homemade strawberry milk loaded with fresh berries. With a combination of ripe strawberries, sugar (or sugar-free sweetener), water, and milk, you can learn how to make strawberry milk that’s either smooth or chunky (Korean strawberry milk style!) and ready to impress!
While it’s best to use fresh, ripe, in-season strawberries for this recipe, frozen will work too. I love to stock up on the berries when they’re at their best and freeze them at home. That way, you can store them for up to 6 months and enjoy them all year through – you don’t even need to thaw them first.
When made into chunky Korean strawberry milk, this drink is light and refreshing with swirls of sweet, fruity strawberry syrup. In comparison, the blended version is evenly fruity, subtly sweet, creamy, and beautifully pink to boot. Best of all, though, neither option is loaded with preservatives, chemicals, and artificial flavors, like powdered versions. You get fresh strawberry milk that tastes so much better than any powdered or store-bought version!
And while we’re appreciating strawberries, you might also enjoy these recipes for strawberry chips (dehydrated strawberries), strawberry juice, strawberry sorbet, strawberry jam, or even a simple strawberry vinaigrette.
The Ingredients
This real strawberry milk requires just three ingredients plus water, including:
- Strawberries: you can use fresh or frozen strawberries, though fresh, ripe in-season strawberries are superior.
- Sugar: I used organic raw cane sugar, but you can use the sugar (regular, coconut sugar, etc.) or sugar-free sweetener (erythritol, stevia, etc.) of your choice. Note that different sweeteners will affect the taste and color of the strawberry milk.
Sugar-free strawberry milk won’t be as thick as sweeteners don’t become as syrupy. But this is normal.
- Water: to help break down the strawberries while simmering.
- Milk: use the milk of your choice, dairy or dairy-free, and at the fat level of your choice (whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed).
I used dairy milk this time around, but I’ve had great success with almond milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk. I imagine that oat milk and other dairy-free milks would also work well for vegan strawberry milk.
You’ll also need
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Blender OR immersion blender (if you want to make the blended fresh strawberry milk).
Optional Add-ins and Variations
There are several ways to adapt this fresh strawberry milk recipe, including:
- Vanilla: a small amount of vanilla extract brings out the berry flavor even more.
- Rosewater: just a tiny amount of rosewater will delicately scent the homemade strawberry milk and will taste lovely with the strawberries.
- Boba: turn this into a strawberry bubble “milk tea” (minus the tea 😝) with the addition of some boba.
- Chia seeds: stirring some chia seeds into the syrup helps to make a kind of strawberry chia “jam,” but also provides the drinks with extra protein, nutrients, and staying power – to keep you full for longer.
- Whipped cream: for serving. Use coconut whipped cream for a dairy-free option.
- Ice cream: in Korea, you can sometimes purchase this drink as a “strawberry latte,” topped with a scoop of ice cream (usually vanilla, but strawberry would also work).
- Keto strawberry milk: use a keto-friendly sweetener (like erythritol) and milk (like coconut milk or almond milk).
- Vegan strawberry milk: ensure the sugar is vegan and use the dairy-free milk of your choice.
How to Make Strawberry Milk?
Step 1: Prepare the Strawberries
First, rinse all the fruit well. Discard any that look under/overripe or have any spoilage.
Then remove the green stems and cut all the strawberries in half (or quarters if preferred).
Step 2: Prepare the Strawberry Syrup
In a large saucepan or skillet, add the strawberries, water, and sugar, and mix.
Bring to a soft boil over medium heat, mashing the strawberries into the mixture as they soften.
Then simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to reduce and slightly thicken.
When making a smaller batch, the simmering time will also be reduced.
Once ready, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down for a bit.
Step 3: Assemble the Strawberry Milk
Blended Strawberry Milk: transfer all the strawberry syrup to a blender or food processor and add the milk. Then blend until smooth. Transfer to the drinking glasses/jugs of your choice and enjoy!
Alternatively, you could add the milk to the saucepan and use an immersion blender to blend it directly in there (and save extra washing up).
Chunky Korean Strawberry milk: add enough of the strawberry syrup to your glass/jar of choice, filling it halfway or adjusting the amount used based on how subtle/strong you want the flavor to be. You could make it more aesthetic by swirling the syrup up the sides of the glass, too. Then, pour over the milk of your choice, add a straw and enjoy!
You can use the straw to help mix it in. Optionally, before adding the milk, you could add in some additional finely chopped fresh strawberry for a more chunky texture in the drink.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Make ahead: because you need to wait for the strawberry syrup to cool before assembling the homemade strawberry milk, I highly recommend making it in advance by an hour or two or even up to 3-4 days.
Store: you can store the prepared strawberry mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Depending on the amount of sugar you use, the shelf life is extended. For a 1:1 ratio, it would last up to 2 weeks.
The blended strawberry milk will last 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the milk as it will separate upon thawing.
FAQs
Korean strawberry milk (딸기 ìš°ìœ ; also sometimes referred to as a strawberry latte) is a popular summer drink in Korean cafes made with pureed fresh strawberries rather than syrups or powders.
The drink usually comprises a quick strawberry syrup made with pureed fruit and sugar simmered to a thick syrupy consistency. That is added to a glass, often topped up with additional chunks of fresh strawberries before milk (usually dairy in Korea) is poured into the glass and served.
Give it a good stir before drinking, and voila!
It’s technically possible to simply mash/blend the berries into a puree with the sweetener of your choice and just a splash of water. Though in that case, a liquid sweetener may be preferable (honey or maple syrup for example), so it fully incorporates (or possibly you can even use sweetened condensed milk). Otherwise, you can leave the mashed berries and granulated sugar to natural macerate over 1-2 hours (or overnight).
I’d also aim to use any unheated version within a day for the best results.
If you want it chunkier, you could stir in some more fresh strawberry chunks into the sweetened pureed strawberries OR leave the strawberries to macerate with the sugar for several hours
This quick strawberry syrup (chunky or strained) makes for a great dessert sauce. You could use it to drizzle over pancakes, cheesecake, and ice cream. It will also work stirred into a hot chocolate, spooned over oatmeal, and added to yogurt bowls/a parfait.
Not only can you enjoy it as a simple drink on its own, but the blended real strawberry milk also works to pour over your morning cereal/granola/muesli or to mix into chia pudding or overnight oats for more flavor.
I’ve noticed a “cheat” method of blending jam into milk, and while it will technically work, I wouldn’t recommend it. The amount of sugar in the jam far exceeds the amount used in this recipe, and the thickness will make it harder to blend in smoothly. In addition, the flavor is almost cloyingly sweet to me.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- For a super-smooth drink: you could use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the seeds and any chunky flesh from the strawberry syrup (like this homemade strawberry syrup does). However, I like the additional fiber and nutrients. Plus, once blended, you won’t even notice the seeds.
- Adjust the amount of sugar: reduce the amount if preferred (especially if the berries are sweet on their own) for healthy strawberry milk.
- When making sugar-free strawberry milk: note that the sweetener won’t make the syrup as thick and syrupy, and the amount of sweetener you use will vary, to taste (so don’t add it all to the pan immediately).
- Adjust the syrup to milk ratio: based on how strong you want the flavor to be, plus how thick you want the strawberry milk to be.
- Experiment with berries: this super simple method will work the same with other berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.).
- When making dairy-free strawberry milk: I prefer using milk that isn’t too thin and watery for the best results.
More Creamy Drink Recipes
If you try this strawberry milk recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Strawberry Milk (Fast & Delicious!)
Ingredients
- 15 oz strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1/3 cup cane sugar adjust the amount to taste; use the sugar or sugar-free sweetener) of your choice
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 cups milk dairy or dairy-free (coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.)
Suggested Equipment
- Blender/Food processor – OR –
Instructions
Prepare the Strawberries
- Rinse all the fruit well. Discard any that look under/overripe or have any spoilage.
- Remove the green stems and cut all the strawberries in half (or quarters if preferred).
Prepare the Strawberry Syrup
- In a large saucepan or skillet, add the strawberries, water, and sugar, and mix.
- Bring to a soft boil over medium heat, mashing the strawberries into the mixture as they soften.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to reduce and slightly thicken.When making a smaller batch, the simmer time will be reduced.
- Once ready, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down for a bit.
Assemble the Strawberry Milk
- Blended Strawberry Milk: transfer all the strawberry syrup to a blender or food processor and add the milk. Then blend until smooth. Transfer to the drinking glasses/jugs of your choice and enjoy!Alternatively, you could add the milk to the saucepan and use an immersion blender to blend it directly in there (and save extra washing up).Chunky Korean Strawberry milk: add enough of the strawberry syrup to your glass/jar of choice, filling it halfway or adjusting the amount used based on how subtle/strong you want the flavor to be. You could make it more aesthetic by swirling the syrup up the sides of the glass, too. Then, pour over the milk of your choice, add a straw and enjoy!You can use the straw to help mix it in. Optionally, before adding the milk, you could add in some additional finely chopped fresh strawberry for a more chunky texture in the drink.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
- Make ahead: because you need to wait for the strawberry syrup to cool before assembling the drink, I highly recommend making it in advance by an hour or two or even up to 3-4 days.Store: you can store the prepared strawberry mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (depending on the amount of sugar you use, the shelf life is extended. For a 1:1 ratio, it would last up to 2 weeks).The blended strawberry milk will last 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the milk as it will separate upon thawing.
Video
Notes
- For a super-smooth drink: you could use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the seeds and any chunky flesh from the strawberry syrup (like this homemade strawberry syrup does). However, I like the additional fiber and nutrients. Plus, once blended, you won’t even notice the seeds.
- Adjust the amount of sugar: reduce the amount if preferred (especially if the berries are sweet on their own).
- When making sugar-free strawberry milk: note that the sweetener won’t make the syrup as thick and syrupy, and the amount of sweetener you use will vary, to taste (so don’t add it all to the pan immediately).
- Adjust the syrup to milk ratio: based on how strong you want the flavor to be, plus how thick you want the drink to be.
- Experiment with berries: this super simple method will work the same with other berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.).
- When making dairy-free strawberry milk: I prefer using milk that isn’t too thin and watery for the best results.
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