This homemade strawberry milk recipe is easy to make with real strawberries, milk, and no artificial colors or flavors. It uses a quick homemade strawberry syrup for a smooth, classic flavor, and shows how to make strawberry milk at home in about 20 minutes using fresh or frozen strawberries.
🔍 Quick Look: Homemade Strawberry Milk
⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes
🥛 Yield: About 2-3 glasses
🍓 Key Ingredients: Strawberries, sugar, milk, vanilla (optional)
🥣 Tools: Small saucepan, blender, fine-mesh strainer (optional)
🎉 Perfect For: Kids and adults, after-school treats, brunch drinks, parties, and summer drinks
⭐ Difficulty: Very Easy
Summarize and Save This Content On:
This easy strawberry milk recipe uses real strawberries to create a smooth, creamy drink with a classic texture. Unlike Korean strawberry milk, which often includes chunks of fruit, this version uses a blended strawberry syrup mixed with milk for a smooth, store-bought-style finish, without artificial colors, preservatives, or Red 40, and it works with fresh or frozen berries year-round.
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Smooth, classic strawberry flavor: A blended strawberry syrup creates a creamy, smooth texture similar to Nesquik and store-bought brands.
- Made with real strawberries: No artificial colors, preservatives, or Red 40, just simple ingredients and real strawberry flavor.
- Easy: Ready in about 20 minutes and works with fresh or frozen strawberries year-round.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Strawberries: both fresh and frozen strawberries work in this recipe.
- Milk: You can use your favorite whole milk or low-fat milk, or non-dairy milk such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, etc. They all work great!
How to Make Strawberry Milk
Similar to making warm vanilla milk or cocoa powder hot chocolate, this is a super easy drink recipe that can be made in 20 minutes.
- Add Strawberries, Sugar, and Water to Pan: Add fresh or frozen strawberries (stems removed) to a pan along with the water and sugar.
- Boil: Over medium high heat, bring to a boil, and then turn heat down to medium and cook fort 8-10 minutes until the strawberries break down.
- Blend: Once they've broken down and are very soft, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Then, using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the syrup until smooth.
- Strain: Using a fine mesh strainer, strain out the seeds of the strawberry syrup. This is optional but I do recommend it for a perfectly smooth syrup. It sounds like a lot of steps but the whole process takes less than 15 minutes. Let the strawberry syrup cool completely until you’re ready to make your strawberry milk.
- Add Strawberry Syrup to Milk: Once the strawberry syrup has cooled, add 2-3 tablespoons to whatever type of milk you want. Both dairy milk and non-dairy milk work great in this recipe.
- Stir and Enjoy: Stir the milk and syrup, top with additional strawberry or whipped cream, and you're ready to enjoy!
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Fresh or frozen strawberries: Both work well, making this strawberry recipe easy to make year-round.
- Versatile strawberry syrup: Adjust the sweetness to taste and you can use it in smoothies, oatmeal, milkshakes, ice cream, coffee, lattes, matcha, or cocktails like strawberry mimosas.
- Any milk works: Use dairy or plant-based milk to keep this recipe dairy-free or vegan.
- Easy to scale: Double or triple the recipe as needed for parties or meal prep.
- Simple storage: Store the strawberry syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Optional topping: Finish with whipped cream for a more decadent strawberry milk, especially chocolate whipped cream.
FAQ
Fully mixed strawberry milk keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Stir or shake before serving, as natural separation may occur.
The color depends on the ripeness and variety of the strawberries. Using more syrup or simmering it slightly longer will deepen the color naturally. And, if you don’t mind food coloring you can add a few drops of red food coloring to give it a deeper redish pink color.
Yes! You can heat strawberry milk gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm, but not boiling. For best results, warm the milk first and then stir in the strawberry syrup to prevent scorching or separation.
Homemade Strawberry Milk Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- blender
- fine mesh strainer optional
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ cups Strawberries fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Water
- ½ tsp Vanilla optional
- 2-3 cups Milk of Choice
Instructions
- Add the fresh or frozen strawberries (stems removed) to a medium saucepan along with the water and sugar. Boil over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until the strawberries break down.
- Once they're very soft and have started to break down, remove from heat and allow to stop boiling.
- Using an immersion or regular blender, blend the syrup until smooth.
- Optional: strain out the seeds using a fine mesh strainer.
- Once the strawberry syrup has cooled, add 2-3 tablespoons to 1 cup of milk, adjusting to taste.
- Stir the milk and syrup, top with additional strawberry or whipped cream, and enjoy.
Notes
- Both fresh and frozen berries work great in this recipe.
- This strawberry syrup is super versatile. You can add more or less sugar to your liking and it goes great in smoothies, oatmeal, milkshakes, topping ice cream, or in coffee, matcha, or cocktails.
- You can use whatever milk you want to make it dairy free and/or vegan.
- This recipe makes 2-3 glasses and can be doubled or tripped as needed.
- The strawberry syrup will last 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Sophia Assunta says
This is such a fun and delicious recipe, and would be perfect for Valentine’s day! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!