Get ready to be truly addicted to Korean strawberry milk! A super refreshing and delightful drink, it’s made with just 3 ingredients: strawberry, milk, and sugar!
I am the biggest K-drama fan. Given me anything Korean, I will dive into it, and their recipes are God to me. From Korean pickled radish to Korean braised potatoes to Korean corn cheese, I’ve tried it all.
So, even though it’s cold, when I learned about Korean strawberry milk, I just had to make it. Plus, with berries in season, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to create another healthy, happy (and somewhat indulgent) drink!
My home has had it for a couple of weeks now. It’s devastatingly good and a fantastic break from the hearty, heavy winter food!
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What Is Korean Strawberry Milk?
Strawberry milk is an iconic beverage in South Korea known for its dreamy pink hue and luscious flavor. It's taken the world by storm because it is ridiculously easy to make and just as delicious.
You purée plump, ruby-red strawberries and sugar into a velvety concoction. Pour a generous helping of creamy milk, and what you get is sweet and tart bliss.
It’s also known as a Korean strawberry latte, even though there is no caffeine because sometimes it’s served with frothed milk or whipped cream.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Swell way to brighten up mornings.
- A great dessert to conclude dinner with a sweet note
- There’s something about the cool, creamy sip of strawberry and milk that just hits!
- Pretty, pink, and full of fresh strawberry flavor in different textures, from purée to chunks, the drink is a sensation—visually enchanting and mouth-watering.
Recipe Ingredients
Strawberries: There are two ways to make this Korean strawberry milk drink. You can either cook the berries (as I did) or directly use the macerated strawberries. The latter is more perishable and works if you’re planning to make the sweet drink the same day. On the other hand, cooking preserves the syrup and increases its shelf life.
Milk: My preference for this Korean drink recipe was homemade almond milk. Trust me, once you’ve tried fresh, creamy almond milk made at home, you’ll never return to store-bought. Cashew milk or oat milk will also work here.
Sugar: The original recipe for this Korean sweet drink calls for a 1:1 ratio of sugar and fruit. But that is just too much sugar for me, so I use far less. It’s also why I needed to cook the strawberry sugar.
If you stick to the original ratio, then even without cooking, the macerated berries will last a long time. Why? Because the sugar acts as a preservative, prolonging its shelf life.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Korean Strawberry Milk
Step 1: Wash the strawberries well.
Step 2: Dry and slice into small pieces.
Step 3: Toss them with sugar and set aside for 5 minutes for the juices to macerate.
Step 4: Transfer to a saucepan and, on low-medium heat, cook till the berries soften, and the juices start running. About 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 5: Cool the strawberry syrup mixture completely.
Step 6: Transfer to a sterilized jar.
Step 7: When you’re ready to make fresh Korean strawberry milk, put 3 to 4 tablespoons of the syrup in a glass.
Step 8: Top with your milk of choice. Garnish with diced strawberries.
Final Step: Serve the fresh strawberry milk!
Pro Tips
- How to clean strawberries: Give the fruit a good rinse. Then soak in a big bowl of water mixed with baking soda and vinegar. The froth of the two chemicals pulls out all impurities. Drain the water. Rinse the berries again, so there is no trace of baking soda. Spread it on a kitchen towel to dry.
- Don’t feel like cutting fruit? Blitz the strawberries into a purée. Keep it smooth or a little chunky—the choice is yours.
- Constantly stir the berries while cooking the Korean strawberry syrup so it doesn’t burn.
- Homemade strawberry syrup stays good in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, so make it ahead and keep using portions of it to whip up Korean strawberry milk whenever the mood strikes. You can also use this syrup to make strawberry madeleines or strawberry poke cake!
- Don’t forget to sterilize the jar. It kills all germs and bacteria and makes the syrup last longer.
- Never transfer hot strawberry syrup into a cool glass jar. It will shatter. So, make sure the strawberries have cooled completely.
How To Serve
While you’re welcome to enjoy Korean strawberry milk as-is, I have to say that with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s true heaven.
But even in its most basic form, milk with strawberries is an absolute delight during the bleak winter months!
📖 Recipe
Easy Korean Strawberry Milk
Ingredients
- 14 oz Strawberries
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- Milk of choice I used Almond Milk
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries well. Drain and cut into small cubes.
- Toss them with the sugar and set aside for 5 -7 minutes.
- Transfer this mixture to a saucepan, and on low-medium heat, cook till the berries soften and juices start running. About 5-7 minutes.
- Cool the strawberry syrup completely, then transfer to a sterilized jar.
- When you're ready to make fresh strawberry milk, put 3-4 tbsp of the syrup in a glass.
- Top with milk of your choice. Mix well.
- Garnish with chopped strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- How to clean strawberries: Give the fruit a good rinse. Then soak in a big bowl of water mixed with baking soda and vinegar. The froth of the two chemicals pulls out all impurities. Drain the water. Rinse the berries again, so there is no trace of baking soda. Spread it on a kitchen towel to dry.
- Don’t feel like cutting fruit? Blitz the strawberries into a purée. Keep it smooth or a little chunky—the choice is yours.
- Constantly stir the berries while cooking the Korean strawberry syrup so it doesn’t burn.
- Homemade strawberry syrup stays good in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, so make it ahead and keep using portions of it to whip up Korean strawberry milk whenever the mood strikes. You can also use this syrup to make strawberry madeleines or strawberry poke cake!
- Don’t forget to sterilize the jar. It kills all germs and bacteria and makes the syrup last longer.
- Never transfer hot strawberry syrup into a cool glass jar. It will shatter. So, make sure the strawberries have cooled completely.
- If serving one glass at a time, refrigerate the remaining strawberry syrup.
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