Have you ever heard of Korean strawberry milk (딸기 우유 / ttalgi uyu)? This delicious treat is a popular drink at Korean cafes. It is made of a tasty strawberry syrup, creamy milk (dairy or dairy-free), and fresh strawberry pieces. You may also choose to top it with some fluffy whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Now you can easily make this cafe specialty at home!
This drink is really very special. The homemade strawberry syrup flavours the milk so wonderfully. And the fresh strawberry pieces make it even better. Children go crazy for this refreshing treat, and I can't blame them because I do too.
Why does Korean strawberry milk taste different? Because it's made with a delightful strawberry syrup and fresh strawberry pieces, rather than just strawberry flavouring. Simply put, there are no artificial flavours!
How to make it
First you will use a blender to purée the one and a quarter cup of strawberries that we need to make the strawberry syrup. For the purée, you can use fresh or frozen berries. But you will still need to add fresh berries later. And keep in mind that using fresh berries will give you a fresher fruit flavour. (If you are using frozen strawberries, add two tablespoons of hot water to the blender to purée with them.)
Add the purée, sugar, and half the diced strawberries into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Continue to cook for two more minutes on medium-low.
Cool the strawberry syrup completely in the refrigerator. (If you don't completely cool the strawberry syrup before combining it with milk, you may cause the milk to curdle.)
Split the cooled syrup between two glasses (this recipe makes two servings). Use a spoon to swirl the syrup around in the glass to get some on the inner sides.
Pour in the milk of your choice. I recommend using dairy, oat, or coconut milk. (Other milk substitutes seem to have too thin of a consistency to work well for this drink.) Top with whipped cream, if desired. Then split the remaining diced strawberry pieces between the two glasses.
It tastes like creamy milk with sweet, fresh strawberry. It's very refreshing. If you add whipped cream, this drink will be extra sweet.
You can make the homemade strawberry syrup ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days. But don't add the milk and fresh berry pieces until shortly before enjoying.
There is a little bit of sugar in this drink, but to make it healthier you could substitute granulated sugar with brown or raw sugar, which is less processed.
Did you love Korean strawberry milk? You may also want to try Korean banana milk.
Korean Strawberry Milk
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
Korean strawberry milk is made with a delicious, homemade strawberry syrup, creamy milk, and pieces of fresh strawberry. This can be made dairy-free! Enjoy this popular Korean cafe treat at home.
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups (180 g) strawberries, whole and destemmed (fresh or frozen*)
3 tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup (85 g) diced strawberries (fresh)
2 cups (473 ml) milk (dairy, oat, or coconut **)
whipped cream, optional
Instructions
Purée 1 ¼ cups strawberries in a blender. (If you are using frozen berries, add 2 tbsp hot water to the blender.)
Add purée, sugar, and half the diced strawberries to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then continue to cook for 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
Completely cool the strawberry syrup in the refrigerator.
Split the cooled syrup between two glasses. Use a spoon to swirl the syrup around the glass, getting it onto the inner sides.
Pour a cup of milk into each glass. Optionally, top with whipped cream. Then split the remaining diced strawberries to top the two glasses.
Notes
* You can substitute frozen strawberries for fresh in the purée part of this recipe, but you would still need fresh strawberries for the rest of the recipe. However, keep in mind that using fresh strawberries will give you a fresher fruit flavour.
** I recommend using dairy, oat, or coconut milk. Other milk substitutes have too thin of a consistency to work well in this recipe.
Keywords: Korean strawberry milk
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