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All you need is milk and a simple syrup made from fresh strawberries and sugar to make this tasty strawberry milk.
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My kids love strawberry milk but most strawberry milks, including the kind they have at school, is full of corn syrup and red food dye. Skip the powdery drink mixes and the artificially flavored ice cream syrups and make your own at home with just a few simple ingredients. If your kids are a fan of strawberry milk, it’s totally worth it to put in the little effort to make it using fresh. It really doesn’t take any time at all! Make a batch of strawberry simple syrup and leave in the fridge.
Ingredients in Strawberry Milk
Homemade strawberry milk is made from your favorite milk, mixed with a simple syrup from fresh strawberries and sugar. That’s it! Fresh, real ingredients that you can feel good giving to your kids. Adults love it, too! It’s like a strawberry milkshake without a lot of fat and calories. Here’s what you need:
- Fresh strawberries – about one pound, cored and cut in half.
- Sugar – one cup. You can use your favorite non-sugar sweetener in this recipe too.
- Water – about a quarter cup is all you need to dissolve the sugar for the simple syrup.
- Lemon juice – two teaspoons.
- Milk – use your favorite kind, whole, two percent, skim, almond milk, just about anything!
Strawberry Syrup
The syrup in this recipe will make much more than just one serving. This recipe makes about 2 cups of syrup but one serving will only use 2-3 tablespoons of syrup. The mixture is also a simple syrup which means there aren’t any chunks of strawberries or seeds. All you need to do is boil fresh or frozen strawberries in sugar, a little bit of water and a splash of lemon juice, strain out the larger bits of strawberry and chill. The syrup will thicken up slightly as it gets colder. You can also add a little cornstarch to the mixture while it’s boiling to thicken.
Korean Strawberry Milk
Korean strawberry milk has been all the rage on TikTok lately. In Korean strawberry milk, you simply stir in the strawberry mixture without straining it to make a simple syrup. You can serve this with a spoon or a thick boba straw so you can sip up the bits of strawberry with your milk.
Substitutions
Looking for ways to make your strawberry milk healthier? Swap out the sugar for some honey or artificial sweetener such as Stevia, Splenda, or monk fruit sweetener. For a vegan alternative, use almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or cashew milk instead of dairy milk.
What Else Can I Use Strawberry Syrup For?
Strawberry syrup can be used in many different ways! Check out our original strawberry syrup recipe for more ideas to use strawberry syrup including:
- Italian soda
- Strawberry lemonade
- Pancakes
- Ice cream
- And much much more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you don’t have fresh strawberries on hand, frozen strawberries are a great alternative.
Sure! You may get little bits of seeds in your syrup but it will ultimately taste the same. You can also strain the milk after you have mixed the syrup in. The seeds will separate easily by straining it just once through a fine mesh strainer.
Yes! You’ll get vitamins and minerals, not to mention vitamin C from the strawberries.
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How To Make Strawberry Milk
Strawberry Milk (Made with Fresh Strawberries)
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Wash strawberries well. Remove stems, hull, and cut into quarters
- Place strawberries, sugar, ¼ cup water, and lemon juice in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat
- When the mixture comes to a light boil, reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes or until strawberries become soft and syrup thickens.
- Pour mixture into liquid measuring cup or jar through a fine mesh strainer (this will help remove the seeds). Press the strawberries gently to release excess juices. Skim foam from the syrup if needed. Allow to cool before serving.
- If syrup is too thin, return to sauce pan and bring to a simmer. You want the syrup to be thick enough to coat a spoon. Thicken by combining ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Add slowly, stirring constantly, until desired thickness is reached.
- Allow to cool. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of syrup to 2 cups of milk.
- Stir until pink and well combined. Store excess syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Swap out the sugar for some honey or artificial sweetener such as Stevia, Splenda, or monk fruit sweetener.
- For a vegan alternative, use almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or cashew milk instead of dairy milk.
- Use fresh or frozen strawberries for this recipe.
The fresh strawberries make this soooooo good!
This is so much better than the fake stuff! Thank you for a delicious recipe!