Korean strawberry milk recipe
Fall in love with Korean Strawberry Milk! A refreshing summer drink made with real strawberries, dairy-free milk, homemade strawberry syrup, and a touch of honey! For quick assemble, I recommend making the syrup/compote ahead.
Servings: 4 glasses
Ingredients
For the strawberry compote/syrup (makes about 1.25 cup):
- 16 oz fresh strawberries
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1.5 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract optional
To assemble the Korean strawberry milk:
- 4 oz fresh strawberries diced
- 16 oz. chilled plant-based milk or whole milk (use thicker consistency milk. See notes.)
- Splash half and half or creamer
Instructions
Strawberry compote/syrup:
- Plunge the strawberries in a big bowl of water a few times to clean. Drain and trim away the stems, using a small paring knife.
- Roughly chop the strawberries and add them to a saucepan with orange juice. Cover and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Use a wooden spoon or a small potato masher to muddle and mash the strawberries but leave some chunky texture. Keep the pan uncovered and string periodically for 5 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t spill over.
- Turn off the heat. Stir-in chia seeds, honey, and vanilla extract, if using. Stir well and set aside to cool before storing.
- I recommend storing the compote in an airtight glass jar in the fridge 2-3 hours ahead or overnight before using so that the chia seeds have time to bloom. After refrigeration, the compote will have a spoonable and light syrupy consistency that's neither too thick nor too runny.
Assembling the milk:
- Dice the fresh strawberries into small pieces.
- For each glass, add 4-5 tbsp of strawberry compote (roughly 60-75 grams), swirl it around the glass and all the way to the edge or lip of the glass to make patterns.
- Then, pour in 0.5 cup milk (118 ml), a splash of half & half, and finally top with chopped strawberries. Stir well before drinking. Serve cold and immediately.
- Feel free to make portion adjustments, based on your glass size and shape.
Video
Notes
- The milk and strawberry syrup/compote should be chilled before combining for serving.
- If you prefer a frothier version, you can froth the milk with the cream (or half-and-half creamer) before pouring it into the drink.
- Types of milk to use: Whole milk in Asia has a richer and thicker consistency, almost like our canned light coconut milk. To replicate a similar consistency with plant-based milk, select one that’s not too thin. Good choices include soy milk, oat milk, cashew milk, rice milk, or coconut milk. Mix with a touch of dairy-free creamer of choice for a thicker consistency and richer flavor.
- For reference, I use soy milk (creamier texture similar to cow’s milk) mixed with half-and-half creamer.
- Serving: Serve with a big straw and sometimes even with a long spoon, similar to how bubble tea is served in Asia. The big straw allows the fresh strawberry chunks to sip through easily, or use a long spoon to stir and enjoy the strawberry chunks and milk together!
- If using frozen strawberries to make the syrup/compote, reduce the amount of liquid used to boil the strawberries and increase the cooking time by 1-2 minutes. Follow the rest of the instructions to thicken and chill.
Nutrition
Serving: 1glass | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 1mg
