How to make strawberry milk at home with fresh strawberries. Plus, this sweet and fruity drink can be prepared sugar-free and dairy-free/vegan, if preferred!
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
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).
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.
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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.
Check the blog post for more tips and answers to top FAQs!