Korean Strawberry Milk {Make at Home}

Homemade Korean Strawberry Milk was something I came across while scrolling through TikTok. It looked so easy, so simple, and so refreshing, that I had to try it. I’ve tried a few different recipes by now, but think I’ve narrowed it down to the perfect version with a few tweaks of my own. Try it and let me know what you think.

What is Korean Strawberry Milk?

Korean Strawberry Milk is fresh strawberry milk made from chopped strawberries that you then turn into a strawberry puree.

I’d never even heard of a Korean Strawberry Milk recipe until recently. I have a major sweet tooth. And though cutting out sugar completely from my diet seems daunting, I thought that if I started by making all of my desserts (so no store-bought cookies!) I could gradually reduce the amount of refined sugar I was eating. TBD still on how it’s going 😉

Korean Strawberry Milk Recipe

Kitchen Tools

• Food processor or potato masher
• A decorative clear glass (optional, of course 😉

Ingredients

• 3 cups of diced strawberries
• 2 cups dairy milk (or your choice of non-dairy milk)
• 1/3 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Prep time: 5

Total time: 10

Servings: 2

Making Korean Strawberry Milk

Wash and then dice or slice 2 cups strawberries. if you’re using frozen strawberries, let your strawberries defrost and then drain off any excess water.

Next, add your chunks of strawberries to your food processor and blend until you get a strawberry puree. If you don’t have a food processor or a blender you can mash your strawberries with a potato masher or even just a fork.

Then, add your strawberry puree to a pot and on medium-high heat bring to a boil. Don’t let it boil for long. forty-five seconds to a minute is enough. Then remove from heat and let cool or throw in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Finally, make your drink. Take half of the syrup and swirl it around in your clear glass to make a pretty pattern, then add the milk of your choice and enjoy your refreshing drink!

You can also add additional extra strawberry pieces if you’d like more texture to your drink.

NOTE: Want a less sweet drink? Just cut down on the amount of sugar you use. Strawberries are naturally sweet and your drink will still taste delicious.

Recipes Tips

Do use real strawberries. Please please please don’t buy strawberries syrup and think you’re going to get the same strawberry flavor as you would with real strawberries.

Using store-bought strawberry syrup isn’t going to give you Korean Strawberry Milk. Instead, you’ll have pink flavored milk with a ton more sugar than needed. If that’s what you want, I won’t stand in your way. But it won’t be the same as this popular drink inspired by Korean Cafes.

Can you use frozen strawberries?

You can definitely use frozen strawberries to make your strawberry puree if it’s the middle of the winter and berries are out of season. When you can, however, I do recommend using fresh strawberries. There is just nothing else like it!

but if you just can’t find fresh strawberries, that’s totally fine. There are actually a few reasons that frozen strawberries are sometimes a better option.

1. Frozen fruits and veggies are picked at the height of their freshness and ripeness. This means that regardless of the time of year, you’ll always have access to fresh strawberries.
2. Frozen fruits and veggies prevent food waste. You use what you need and leave the rest in the freezer. Tada!
3. Some frozen fruits actually retain more nutrients than when they are fresh.

With all this said, there are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing frozen strawberries, or any frozen fruit.

1. Read the ingredients to make sure you aren’t purchasing fruit with added sugar.
2. Look at the expiration date. Even though technically frozen fruit won’t go bad, you don’t want to purchase fruit with freezer burn.
3. Buy in bulk! Why not? As long as it’s not hanging out in your freezer for years, if you see a good deal, snatch a few packages up.

Vegan Korean Strawberry Milk

If you’re lactose intolerant or just not a fan of dairy milk, you can totally make this strawberry drink with your choice of plant or dairy-free milk. A few that I’ve seen people use are:

• Hemp milk
• Oat milk
• Soy milk
• Coconut milk

Not sure what non-dairy milk you should choose? Here are some basic stats on the different types of plant-based milk, their nutrition, as well as their taste.

Type of Milk	Best For	Taste	Nutritional Benefits
Almond	Good on its own, in cereal, milk, and smoothies.	Nutty, depending on the brand can be thinner than oat milk or soy milk.	Rich in vitamin E which is an antioxidant. Unflavored almond milk is also low in calories.
Banana	Great for people who are allergic to nuts.	Tastes like bananas. But depending on the ingredients the taste and level of sweetness vary a lot. So check the ingredients.	Great source of potassium.
Coconut	Thickening stews and soups and using in desserts.	Creamy and delicious. If you love coconut, you’ll love coconut milk.	Anti-inflammatory properties and tons of electrolytes.
Hazelnut	Use as you would regular milk but also great for adding some additional nutty flavor to baked goods.	Delicious and nutty! Comes with a punch of hazelnut flavor.	Typically higher in fat and calories. This is because high-quality hazelnut milk will be high in hazelnuts which are higher in fat and calories than some other nuts.
Hemp	Smoothies and coffee.	Thick, creamy, and nutty.	Good source of magnesium and calcium.
Macadamia	Those on a keto diet.	Nutty and creamy.	Healthy fats and low-calorie.
Oat	Perfect for lattes.	Tastes like oats! If you’re a fan of the mighty oat you’ll love oat milk.	Less protein than a pea milk or soy milk but has the added benefits of beta glucan which is a soluble fiber that aids in digestion.
Pistachio	Those who are keto. Great in bread recipes and smoothies.	Typically a blend of pistachio and something else such as rice or almond. So depends on the brand. Check the label.	Good source of monounsaturated fat.
Potato	Potato milk foams well, so good for a latte or espresso.	Thick, creamy, slightly sweet.	Potato milk is a good source of fiber. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the US yet. But there are some DIY recipes out there.
Sesame	Those who are allergic to nuts but also are avoiding dairy.	Toasted nutty flavor.	High in calicium.
Soy	Those looking for a standard go-to, no-fail non-dairy milk. Great for lattes.	Depending on what else it includes, it can range from a bean-like taste to sweeter.	Rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Variations of this Strawberry Milk Recipe

Beyond reducing the amount of sugar in this strawberry sauce, there are a few other variations I’ve tried out. Here are a few of my favorite options.

• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to your mixture before reducing it on the stove, for a slightly different flavor profile.
• Swap out strawberries for another fruit such as raspberries, apricots, or even mango.
• Make your Korean Strawberry Milk but put it in a bowl. Then add a small scoop of ice cream. It might sound odd, but milk and ice cream are delicious! I love how the cold milk creates a bit of iciness on the ice cream.

More Drink Recipes to Obsess Over

Thin Mint Latte

Copycat McDonald’s Shamrock Milkshake Recipe

Pineapple Matcha Green Smoothie

Copycat Starbucks Keto Pink Drink

Fireball Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Toasted Almond Drink Cocktail

Homemade Vanilla Chai Mix From Scratch

How Else to Use Strawberry Puree

If you find yourself with more of the homemade strawberry syrup than you need, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week and use it for other delicious recipes.

I love using this strawberry syrup for a variety of recipes because it tastes so fresh. There are no artificial flavors and it’s a great accompaniment to so many desserts.

Below are a few ideas to spark your creativity.

1. Pour it over a quality vanilla ice cream, top with a dash of whipped cream and make a delicious ice cream sundae.
2. I love a good rich flourless chocolate cake. But sometimes you want something to cut the sweetness a bit. Use this strawberry puree as a drizzle on top of each and every slice. Yum!
3. Go berry bonanza! Take a cup of fresh blueberries (or frozen blueberries), top with Cool Whip and drizzle a tablespoon of this delicious strawberry sauce on top.

Other Korean Drinks to Explore

Banana milk is super popular in Korea and is sweet and sugary.

Soju is an alcoholic drink popular in Korea and making waves now in the United States. It’s a distilled alcohol that is colorless and clear. It’s typically drunk neat (as in with no mixers). It’s delicious!

Sikhye is a cold rice drink made from malt water and cooked rice. Want to try it at home, check out this recipe for Sikhye.

Have questions or recommendations? Drop them in the comments below. Until next time: Stay salty, and sweet 😉