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Homemade Korean strawberry milk is made with fresh chunks of strawberries & homemade strawberry syrup made of pureed strawberries. A favorite Korean drink made with fresh strawberries!
If you haven’t tried Korean strawberry milk before, you have to try it! This is a simple and easy to follow recipe for homemade Korean strawberry milk with fresh strawberries. Nothing artificial in here! Made with a simple strawberry puree and chunks of fresh strawberries for texture, you’ll never want to go back to the store bought stuff. Use any kind of milk, non-dairy works too. I used homemade coconut milk for this Korean style vegan strawberry coconut milk.
What is Korean Strawberry Milk?
Korean strawberry milk is a popular drink in Korea served during the summertime in many cafes. Korean strawberry milk is different from regular strawberry milk because it’s made entirely of real strawberries. Nothing artificial here and no strangely processed strawberry syrup either.
The main defining characteristic of Korean strawberry milk is the fresh chunks of strawberries found inside for a bit of texture. These pieces of fresh strawberries add a lot of fresh strawberry flavor that I find missing in other strawberry milks. The strawberry syrup is made with fresh or frozen strawberries that’s then gently heated until it’s brought to a boil. This thickens up the strawberry puree just a bit so it’s sweet and syrupy but not too thick like a jam.
Next is the milk. You can use any kind of milk for this homemade strawberry milk though in Korea dairy milk is traditionally used. Add it in gently so that you can see the separation of strawberries and the milk. In Korea it’s served separately so you need to give it a good stir before drinking. In my case, I used homemade coconut milk for this recipe and it was fantastic! It made for an amazing vegan strawberry coconut milk!
I first had Korean strawberry milk while I was in Korea a few years ago. Once I tried it I had to go back for it everyday. Interestingly, it can go by two different names, strawberry latte or strawberry milk. I noticed some cafes served strawberry latte so I ordered it thinking there would be some caffeine in it but it was strawberry milk with a bit more froth and whipped cream on top. Sometimes it’s even served with a scoop of ice cream on top. This was a few years ago so things may have changed, but from what I can remember they were the same.
For my homemade Korean strawberry milk, I decided to use fresh made coconut milk. The flavors were so wonderful together! If you want to try homemade coconut milk, try out my recipe below:
How to Make Homemade Korean Strawberry Milk:
Start by making the strawberry syrup:
- Blend fresh or frozen strawberries until you get a strawberry puree.
- Add the puree with sugar and fresh strawberry pieces to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 1 minute and turn off the heat. Let this cool.
- In a small pot, add the strawberry puree, sugar, and a third of the cut strawberry pieces. Heat until it comes to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat, and let it cool on the counter or chill in the refrigerator. (Note: You can opt to skip the boiling step but I recommend you consume this the day of making it. The puree will also be more thin and watery but will have more fresh strawberry flavor as it’s not heated.)
Assemble the homemade strawberry milk:
- Add the cooled strawberry syrup to a tall glass. Swirl it up and around the glass to make a pattern.
- Next, add the fresh strawberry pieces to your glass.
- Finally, gently add in your milk of choice. Swirl it around to get a cool effect. Note: you can froth your milk before adding it to get a more luscious texture.
Additional Toppings for Homemade Korean Strawberry Milk:
Some of these are non-traditional toppings that you wouldn’t find in Korean strawberry milk but would still taste amazing.
- whipped cream
- ice cream
- caramel syrup
- chocolate syrup
- matcha syrup
Non-Dairy Alternatives:
- coconut milk (homemade coconut milk recipe)
- almond milk
- soy milk
- cashew milk
- hemp milk
- oat milk
- rice milk
Note: When using non-dairy milks, I recommend going with one that’s not too watery, such as soy, cashew, or hemp milk. It will get you the closest consistency to Korean strawberry milk since it’s not too watery and on the thicker side. Strawberry coconut milk has a good consistency if you use lite coconut milk.
Make sure the milk and syrup are chilled before combining together and serve immediately. You can keep the cooked strawberry syrup in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. The syrup can also be used on any desserts or drinks if you have leftovers.
If you want some foam on top, froth your milk before adding it or top with some whipped cream. Enjoy!
I hope you make this homemade Korean strawberry milk! Please share, rate, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Homemade Korean Strawberry Milk
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups strawberries, fresh or frozen can be used
- ¼ cup sugar, use less if you prefer your drinks less sweet
- ¾ cup fresh strawberries, cut into pieces, about 1 cm or 1/3 inch
- 2 cups any milk of choice (recommend coconut milk), I used coconut milk
Instructions
- Puree the 1¼ cups of strawberries using a blender, food processor, or masher. If using frozen strawberries, you can thaw them a bit in the microwave or use a high speed blender.
- In a small pot, add the strawberry puree, sugar, and a third of the cut strawberry pieces. Heat until it comes to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat, and let it cool on the counter or chill in the refrigerator. (Note: You can opt to skip the boiling step but I recommend you consume this the day of making it. The puree will also be more thin and watery but will have more fresh strawberry flavor as it's not heated.)
- Take two 16 ounce glasses and add half of the cooled strawberry puree and half of the remaining cut strawberry pieces into each glass. Swirl it up and around the glass to make a pattern. Next pour half of your milk of choice into each glass and serve immediately. Optional: top with whipped cream.
Notes
- The cooked strawberry puree can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Serve immediately once the puree and strawberry pieces are combined with the milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I love strawberry milk and it tastes even better when it’s homemade! What an easy, delicious, and healthy drinks to make for everyone.
Thanks Amy! Homemade strawberry milk is the best isn’t it?
This was so fresh and light! Way better than store bought strawberry milk. Thank you for sharing!
This has to be the prettiest drink I have ever seen! It is so delicious and refreshing also – love how gorgeously strong the strawberry flavour comes through. We used coconut milk as per the recommendation and it was just yum!
Thanks Tilly! So glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of my favorite ways to use strawberries! 🙂
Now, there are two things that I really love about this recipe and it’s the fact that it does not call for any artificial flavourings (after all, why?) and the fact that it has fresh strawberry pieces! Love me some strawberry bits here and there. I think this is just one more reason why I should visit Korea as soon as possible! Btw this tasted amazing!
Thanks Eva! The fresh strawberry pieces are my favorite too!
Have never tried Korean strawberry milk but I love the idea of adding fresh strawberry chunks. It was so fresh and tasty! Thank you for this recipe, my family loves it!
Thanks for giving it a try Jenny!
I’ve made this multiple times now and my whole family loves it! Its so simple to make, only hard part is waiting for the strawberries to cool off.
Thanks Ashley! It’s a great way to enjoy strawberries isn’t it? I’m so happy your whole family loves it! 🙂
Wow I have never tried Korean strawberry milk before this but it was so easy to whip up! It came out so pretty too! Thank you!
Thanks Neha! So glad you liked it!
How long does the syrup last? If I refrigerate it
Hi Jade! If you boiled the strawberry syrup, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. If it’s fresh, I wouldn’t let it go for longer than a day.
hi, first of all this looks so pretty!! btw, if I use regular dairy milk will it looks the same as yours? yesterday I made strawberry milk (not ur recipe) with dairy milk and the strawberry puree only stays in the bottom, it didn’t look as pretty as yours. please answer, thank you!!
Hi Adel! You can use any kind type of milk you want with this recipe but if you want the strawberry puree to make that swirl pattern, you’d want to cook it down and thicken it up so that it’s ‘sticky’ enough to stick to the sides of the glass. Another thing that helps is to use a milk that’s on the thicker consistency. If the milk is thin, the strawberry puree will just sink to the bottom. Hope this helps and you like this recipe! 🙂
Do you add water when blending the strawberrys?
Hi Chayanne! Nope I didn’t add any water since it’ll dilute the flavor. Fresh strawberries should blend up without any water since they’re pretty juicy. If you’re using frozen strawberries, you can thaw them until they’re soft enough to blend without water. Hope you enjoy!
This looks so stunning! I’d never heard of this Korean strawberry milk but have tried it and now I’m hooked. Making another batch this weekend. Thanks!
Thanks for giving it a try Daniela!
OMG this is so mouthwatering! Look at that strawberry swirl. I have never heard of this but just reading about it, I know I would love some! Saving this because I need to make this!
I’m korean student. Strawberry milk is popular in korea. Sometimes, i enjoy eating this. I try to coconut milk!
Thanks Yeji! It’s really good with coconut milk, it’s my favorite to add. 🙂
Strawberry milk is so popual in korea. Sometimes, i enjoy eating this milk. I try to coconut milk!
Jamie, this looks amazing!
Thank you Sheenam! Hope you enjoy it! 😀
Wow this is sooooo pretty and refreshing looking ~ why have I never heard of this??
Thank you Sue! I hope you give this a try, you’ll love the fresh strawberry flavor! 😀
Oh, WOW! This Strawberry milk looks fancy, but the recipe is so simple to make. Your recipe is a keeper!
Yes this is definitely easy to make and looks great for company. Thank you so much! 🙂
This looks amazing…but…I really don’t like strawberries. Do you think of I subbed raspberries it would hold up?
Hi Lisa! Absolutely you can use raspberries. If you don’t want the seeds, I suggest you strain it out, or you could blend it in a high speed blender to blend up the seeds. If you want the swirl effect, it’s best to get the raspberry puree on the thicker side so it sticks to the sides of the glass. You can heat it up until it’s a thick consistency. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I remember drinking the strawberry Nestle Quick as a kid….but it doesn’t even compare to this. Fresh strawberries win hands down!
Thank you Lisa! Yes I remember drinking strawberry Nestle as a kid too. 😀 So glad you like this!
I have never tried Korean Strawberry Milk. This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you Patty! Yes please give it a try, you’ll love it!
Not only is this super cool looking , it sounds so delicious.
Thanks Andrea! I hope you enjoy it!