Have you ever wanted to learn how to make strawberry milk? Well, today is your lucky day. I’m going to talk about how to make strawberry milk with three simple steps.
There’s something special about drinking your milk while it’s warm. I don’t mean lukewarm either; I’m talking about piping hot milk that is ready to be mixed with cereal, put in a cup of coffee, or poured over some plain old vanilla ice cream (what can I say? sometimes “plain” is best).
Easy Homemade Strawberry Milk for One or Two
This Easy Homemade Strawberry Milk for One or Two, made with just four ingredients, is fruity, creamy, subtly sweet, and pretty much all your strawberries and cream dreams come to life.
Hey, it’s strawberry season! My very favorite fruit season (except for maybe sweet cherry season), and the time when strawberries are so good and SO cheap (at least here in California) that I *always* end up buying way too many.
Then I just have a pounds and pounds of strawberries sitting in my fridge or on my counter smelling amazing while I try to eat my way through them before they rot.
And since I figure that I’m probably not the only one with an overabundance of strawberries right about now, I thought that I’d share something to make with some of those extras:
Easy Homemade Strawberry Milk (for One or Two)
Who doesn’t love strawberry milk?
And if you think you don’t love strawberry milk, maybe you just don’t like the stuff that comes powdered in a can or lukewarm on lunch trays.
Because this strawberry milk? This strawberry milk is a GD delight.
Fruity, creamy, subtly sweet, it’s pretty much all your strawberries and cream dreams come to life.
And it’s made entirely from scratch. No pink powder required.
The ingredients are simple: strawberries, sugar, a bit of water, and a tall, cold glass of milk. The strawberries, sugar, and water simmer together to make strawberry syrup, and then you stir that into your milk, and you’re done.
Unlike my (crazy popular) Chocolate Milk for One, which makes exactly one cup of milk, this recipe makes a little over two cups of strawberry milk, enough for one big glass or two smaller cups.
It also easily doubles or triples for times when you feel like leftovers.
And if you went extra crazy at the farmers market and have way, way too many strawberries, stay tuned, I’ll be sharing a larger version of this recipe in the next few weeks.
Homemade Strawberry Milk for One or Two Recipe Notes
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- This recipe calls for a fine mesh strainer to strain out seeds and strawberry pieces from the strawberry syrup. If you don’t own one, they are cheap on Amazon and can be found in the baking aisle at most grocery stores, or you can simply use a slotted spoon to remove strawberries. You’ll just have some seeds and pulp at the bottom of your glass, which doesn’t hurt anything.
- This strawberry milk ends up a lovely pale pink, but if making for kids (or childlike adults), feel free to add a couple drops of red food coloring for a more vibrant pink color. I used two drops for the milk you see in the photos.
- You can make your strawberry milk with whatever milk you have in the fridge, but whole milk makes the richest, tastiest drink. If you have heavy cream or half and half on hand, you can also add a splash of that to the mix for a richer end product (highly recommended).
- Looking for more strawberry recipes? Try my Strawberry Shortcake Sundaes, Easy Strawberry Sauce for Pancakes and Ice Cream, and Strawberry Syrup.
Homemade Strawberry Milk for One or Two
This Easy Homemade Strawberry Milk for One or Two, made with just four ingredients, is fruity, creamy, subtly sweet, and pretty much all your strawberries and cream dreams come to life.
Ingredients
Strawberry Milk
- 2 cups milk preferably whole milk
- 1/2 cup hulled and chopped strawberries frozen is fine
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- A couple drops of red food coloring optional
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of whole milk into a large glass and place in the freezer so milk becomes very cold. (Skip this step if making the syrup ahead of time.)
- In a small pot, combine strawberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until fragrant and reduced.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to strain syrup into a small bowl or cup. Discard strawberries. Mix 3 tablespoons or about 2/3 of the syrup into your very cold milk. Stir and then add more syrup to taste. Add food coloring if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Strawberry Milk
This Homemade Strawberry Milk is loaded with the flavor of fresh strawberries. This easy 3-ingredient strawberry syrup is made with real ingredients, no dyes or artificial flavorings. Use fresh or frozen strawberries and any dairy or plant-based milk that you choose. This is an easy and fun recipe that tastes so much better than store bought strawberry milk.
Are you ready to feel like a kid again? We’re making Strawberry Milk! After making a Strawberry Milkshake recently I was reminded of this Strawberry Milk recipe. I’ve been serving this to my kids as an after school treat and they have been loving it!
What is strawberry milk made of?
This recipe is made of two components: homemade strawberry syrup and milk.
- Strawberry syrup: On the stovetop simmer a mixture of strawberries, sugar, and water. Once thickened, strain out the solids and you’re left with a sweet, bright red strawberry syrup.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk, dairy or nondairy. I typically use 2% milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Note: If you’re using a sweetened plant-based milk you might want to add a little less syrup. Taste it and adjust as necessary.
Stir the chilled syrup into a glass of milk and drink up! Readers’ Favorites from Celebrating Sweets♪Play Video
Other uses for strawberry syrup
This recipe makes 1-½ cups of strawberry syrup. This is enough for about 6 glasses of strawberry milk. I often use some syrup for making strawberry milk and then use the leftover syrup for topping pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or yogurt.
Smaller quantity
If you’d like a smaller serving of strawberry milk, the quantities below make enough syrup for 2-3 glasses of strawberry milk:
- 1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup water
Storage
Store strawberry syrup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir it into milk right before serving.
Strawberry Milk
Sweet, pink, creamy, and delicious, strawberry milk is a huge hit with the kids. It’s so easy to make, too! Just three ingredients and a quick whir in the blender.
Why buy strawberry milk from the store when you can easily make your own? Also this way you know exactly what goes into it.
Strawberry milk is a quick and easy treat for kids and adults alike. All you need is a handful of strawberries, some honey, and milk. It also works just as well with almond milk (unsweetened) if that’s what you prefer or if you are going dairy-free.
It’s so easy to put together even a 4-year-old can do it. (See my goddaughter Piper with the blender? She couldn’t wait to make it!)
The Best Strawberries to Use
This recipe is best with summer strawberries that are at the very peak of ripeness. This is how you’ll get a naturally sweet drink without needing to add a lot of additional honey.
This is also a great way to use up berries that are slightly past their prime, or you can use frozen strawberries. Frozen strawberries are strawberries that are picked at the peak of the season, so usually they are really good.
Can You Use a Different Sweetener?
Sure! We liked honey in our strawberry milk, but you could make it with maple syrup, agave nectar, or any sweetener you prefer. Just start with a little bit at first, and then taste and add more as needed.
More Favorite Summer Recipes With Strawberries
Strawberry Milk
PREP TIME – 5 mins
TOTAL TIME – 5 mins
SERVING – 1 serving
You can also use frozen strawberries to make strawberry milk!
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 cups milk or almond milk
- 1 handful strawberries, rinsed, stems removed
- 1 to 3 tablespoons honey
Method
- Combine: Put milk, strawberries, and 1 tablespoon of honey into a blender.
- Blend: Blend until thoroughly smooth.
- Taste and serve: Taste and add more honey if you wish your strawberry milk to be a little sweeter. Serve immediately.
EASY STRAWBERRY MILK RECIPE (CHUNKY OR BLENDED)
How to make strawberry milk at home with just 3 ingredients, including fresh strawberries, and prepare it either super smooth or chunky (aka Korean strawberry milk)! Plus, this sweet and fruity homemade strawberry milk can be prepared sugar-free and dairy-free/vegan, if preferred!
Having recently shared my recipe for a simple homemade banana milkshake, I’m back at it again, but this time with fresh strawberries for a refreshing, sweet, and wonderfully pink homemade strawberry milk loaded with fresh berries. With a combination of ripe strawberries, sugar (or sugar-free sweetener), water, and milk, you can learn how to make strawberry milk that’s either smooth or chunky (Korean strawberry milk style!) and ready to impress!
While it’s best to use fresh, ripe, in-season strawberries for this recipe, frozen will work too. I love to stock up on the berries when they’re at their best and freeze them at home. That way, you can store them for up to 6 months and enjoy them all year through – you don’t even need to thaw them first.
When made into chunky Korean strawberry milk, this drink is light and refreshing with swirls of sweet, fruity strawberry syrup. In comparison, the blended version is evenly fruity, subtly sweet, creamy, and beautifully pink to boot. Best of all, though, neither option is loaded with preservatives, chemicals, and artificial flavors, like powdered versions. You get fresh strawberry milk that tastes so much better than any powdered or store-bought version!
And while we’re appreciating strawberries, you might also enjoy these recipes for strawberry chips (dehydrated strawberries), strawberry juice, strawberry sorbet, strawberry jam, or even a simple strawberry vinaigrette.
THE INGREDIENTS
This real strawberry milk requires just three ingredients plus water, including:
- Strawberries: you can use fresh or frozen strawberries, though fresh, ripe in-season strawberries are superior.
- Sugar: I used organic raw cane sugar, but you can use the sugar (regular, coconut sugar, etc.) or sugar-free sweetener (erythritol, stevia, etc.) of your choice. Note that different sweeteners will affect the taste and color of the strawberry milk.
Sugar-free strawberry milk won’t be as thick as sweeteners don’t become as syrupy. But this is normal.
- Water: to help break down the strawberries while simmering.
- Milk: use the milk of your choice, dairy or dairy-free, and at the fat level of your choice (whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed).
I used dairy milk this time around, but I’ve had great success with almond milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk. I imagine that oat milk and other dairy-free milks would also work well for vegan strawberry milk.
YOU’LL ALSO NEED
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Blender OR immersion blender (if you want to make the blended fresh strawberry milk).
OPTIONAL ADD-INS AND VARIATIONS
There are several ways to adapt this fresh strawberry milk recipe, including:
- Vanilla: a small amount of vanilla extract brings out the berry flavor even more.
- Rosewater: just a tiny amount of rosewater will delicately scent the homemade strawberry milk and will taste lovely with the strawberries.
- Boba: turn this into a strawberry bubble “milk tea” (minus the tea ) with the addition of some boba.
- Chia seeds: stirring some chia seeds into the syrup helps to make a kind of strawberry chia “jam,” but also provides the drinks with extra protein, nutrients, and staying power – to keep you full for longer.
- Whipped cream: for serving. Use coconut whipped cream for a dairy-free option.
- Ice cream: in Korea, you can sometimes purchase this drink as a “strawberry latte,” topped with a scoop of ice cream (usually vanilla, but strawberry would also work).
- Keto strawberry milk: use a keto-friendly sweetener (like erythritol) and milk (like coconut milk or almond milk).
- Vegan strawberry milk: ensure the sugar is vegan and use the dairy-free milk of your choice.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY MILK?
STEP 1: PREPARE THE STRAWBERRIES
First, rinse all the fruit well. Discard any that look under/overripe or have any spoilage.
Then remove the green stems and cut all the strawberries in half (or quarters if preferred).
STEP 2: PREPARE THE STRAWBERRY SYRUP
In a large saucepan or skillet, add the strawberries, water, and sugar, and mix.
Bring to a soft boil over medium heat, mashing the strawberries into the mixture as they soften.
Then simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to reduce and slightly thicken.
When making a smaller batch, the simmering time will also be reduced.
Once ready, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down for a bit.
STEP 3: ASSEMBLE THE STRAWBERRY MILK
Blended Strawberry Milk: transfer all the strawberry syrup to a blender or food processor and add the milk. Then blend until smooth. Transfer to the drinking glasses/jugs of your choice and enjoy!
Alternatively, you could add the milk to the saucepan and use an immersion blender to blend it directly in there (and save extra washing up).
Chunky Korean Strawberry milk: add enough of the strawberry syrup to your glass/jar of choice, filling it halfway or adjusting the amount used based on how subtle/strong you want the flavor to be. You could make it more aesthetic by swirling the syrup up the sides of the glass, too. Then, pour over the milk of your choice, add a straw and enjoy!
You can use the straw to help mix it in. Optionally, before adding the milk, you could add in some additional finely chopped fresh strawberry for a more chunky texture in the drink.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD AND STORE?
Make ahead: because you need to wait for the strawberry syrup to cool before assembling the homemade strawberry milk, I highly recommend making it in advance by an hour or two or even up to 3-4 days.
Store: you can store the prepared strawberry mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Depending on the amount of sugar you use, the shelf life is extended. For a 1:1 ratio, it would last up to 2 weeks.
The blended strawberry milk will last 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the milk as it will separate upon thawing.