Korean Strawberry Milk

A recipe for Korean Strawberry Milk! Homemade strawberry syrup and fresh diced strawberries are paired with milk for a light and refreshing drink.

Foodie Extravaganza

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food!

Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme from The Nibble into recipes to share with you. This time, we are celebrating National Strawberry Month.

Other foods celebrated in May include Asparagus, Hamburgers, Coconut Cream Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Vanilla Pudding, Enchiladas, Shrimp, and Salad.

Korean Strawberry Milk

For today’s strawberry-themed event, Claire asked me to make one of her current most requested drinks- Korean Strawberry Milk (생딸기우유)!

She first developed a love for Korean Strawberry Milk during our time in Los Angeles through INKCoffee&Craft’s drink delivery service (no longer active).

Her other favorites across LA included the Iced Strawberry Latte from Frenz Coffee (merged with Alibi Coffee Co.), Strawberry Milk from Sharp Specialty Coffee, and the Seoul Strawberry Milk from Smoking Tiger Coffee & Bread.

To make Korean Strawberry Milk at home, a sweetened strawberry syrup is layered with diced fresh strawberries and topped off with cold milk for quite the refreshing drink.

Overall, it comes together with only a handful of ingredients and the longest part is waiting for the strawberry syrup to cool before mixing everything together.

A Few Korean Strawberry Milk Tips

Adjust the amount of sugar as desired and based on the quality of strawberries. During peak season, I usually add 3 tablespoons and will increase to 4 tablespoons if they are not as sweet.

The strawberry syrup can be prepared up to a day or two in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until needed. I think the taste is even better the next day. Do not combine with the milk until immediately before serving.

I have updated this recipe in 2025 with the addition of lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the strawberry syrup for a little extra flavor. These are all optional, but help add a bit of brightness to the drink.

I have also come across recipes that use sweetened condensed milk in place of the sugar. Others do a combination of sugar and honey.

Before simmering, roughly mash the strawberries with a potato masher, fork, or even your hands. If you are looking for less texture, use a blender and puree until smooth.

Adjust the cooking time between 2-5 minutes to create a thinner or thicker syrup. The longer you cook the syrup, the thicker it will become (and may have more difficulty combining with the milk).

Do not add the syrup to the milk while still hot. It may curdle.

If using a straw, try to find a thicker one (similar to those used for bubble tea) and dice the strawberries small enough so they will fit through.

A reader on Pinterest recommended adding strawberry popping boba pearls for a fun contrast in textures. Claire is also fond of the heart-shaped strawberry jelly popular at a few local tea shops, especially around Valentine’s Day.

For a richer drink, add a splash of cream.

Avoiding dairy? Check out Drive Me Hungry for a version with coconut milk.

Check out what everyone else made:

• Fresas con Crema from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Marshmallows from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Barbecued Strawberry Chicken from Making Miracles
• Korean Strawberry Milk from Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Simple Strawberry Vodka from Food Lust People Love
• SOP Mocktail from Sneha’s Recipe
• Strawberry Shrikand from Magical Ingredients
• Vanilla-Macerated Berry Shortcake from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This recipe was originally posted in May 2021 and updated in May 2025 with the addition of the lemon and vanilla.

Korean Strawberry Milk Recipe

Adapted from Drive Me Hungry

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Korean Strawberry Milk

A recipe for Korean Strawberry Milk! Homemade strawberry syrup and fresh diced strawberries are paired with milk for a light and refreshing drink.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Korean

Keyword beverage, drink, Korea, Korean, milk, strawberries, strawberry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 10 ounces (284 grams) fresh strawberries divided
• 3-4 tablespoons (44-50 grams) granulated sugar
• zest from 1/2 lemon optional
• 1/2 tablespoon (7 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice optional
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• 2 cups (473 milliliters) cold milk

Instructions

• Hull and chop 6 ounces (170 grams) of the strawberries and place in a bowl. Mash using a potato masher, fork, or your hands until crushed, then mix in the sugar and optionally the lemon zest and lemon juice, if using.
• Transfer the mixture to a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium low heat.
• Simmer while stirring for 2-5 minutes until the mixture becomes a slightly thickened strawberry syrup.
• Remove from heat, then stir in the vanilla extract, if using.
• Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Hull and finely dice the remaining 4 ounces (113 grams) of the strawberries.
• Divide the cooled strawberry syrup between two glasses. Top with the diced strawberries and pour in the milk.
• Stir to combine the ingredients and serve immediately.