A delicious drink that hits the spot on hot summer days: Korean Strawberry Milk! A popular Korean drink that’s creamy and sweet. Make a homemade strawberry syrup in 10 minutes and store in a jar. Add to your favorite milk of choice and enjoy. For an extra special treat, add Sago Tapioca bubbles. An easy recipe with fresh chunks of strawberries in every sip!
What is Korean Strawberry Milk?
Fresh Korean Strawberry Milk is a popular drink served in South Korean cafes and coffee shops. Also called a Strawberry Latte, it’s a refreshing cold drink made with fresh strawberry puree and creamy milk.
Unlike regular strawberry milk found in the United States, the puree is not entirely smooth. Instead, there are small pieces of fresh strawberries in the homemade syrup. The fresh chunks of strawberries add so much BIG strawberry flavor. And a bit of texture that is quite delicious!
During strawberry season, when strawberries are especially juicy and sweet, I always have a big jar of homemade strawberry syrup in the fridge. Better than store-bought strawberry syrup, it’s one of my kids’ favorite drinks. And such a simple recipe.
A food processor makes it especially easy. But make sure to pulse the strawberry mixture. You want to keep all those chunky bits of strawberry. Do not puree until smooth!
Add the strawberry chunks to a big jar with brown sugar and vanilla. Unlike other strawberry syrup recipes, there’s no cooking required. Instead, rest for 24 hrs in the fridge. Or, at minimum, overnight. As the strawberries macerate, it will create a thick syrup.
The list of simple ingredients help the fresh strawberry flavor to shine. You only need strawberries, brown sugar, and vanilla. Enjoy a sweet treat that’s better than any store-bought strawberry milk!
What is Sago?
When I started adding Sago bubbles to Korean Strawberry Milk, my kids agreed — it made this Korean drink truly spectacular! Like Korean Strawberry Bubble Tea!
Sago are tiny, white, plant-based starch balls that come from the pith of various tropical trees. When cooked, they turn clear or translucent. The texture is slightly bouncy and chewy. The taste is neutral.
Sago is commonly listed on Bubble or Boba Tea shop menus. Adding Sago (instead of brown tapioca or boba balls) lends a very different texture and vibe. So squishy and chewy!
For the home cook, Sago is easy to cook and store. I keep it on hand for Coconut Sago with Mango, an easy dessert. I also use it for Peach Yakult Sago, a fun drink during peach season.
Note: Sago is not a traditional ingredient for this Korean Strawberry drink. If you prefer, leave it out.
Ingredients:
- Strawberries. Take advantage of sweet, ripe strawberries. Look for firm, bright red strawberries that smell fragrant with no bruising.
- Milk. I recommend whole milk (full-fat, homogenized) for the best creamy flavor. But any kind of milk works well — 2%, 1%, or even skim milk. Plant-based milk is also delicious. Almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
- Brown Sugar. For deeper, caramel-y flavor than regular white sugar. Can be subbed with white sugar, agave, honey, or maple syrup.
- Vanilla. Just a splash!
- Sago. Optional but takes Korean Strawberry Milk to another level!
How to make Strawberry Milk:
1. Make strawberry puree. Add washed + trimmed strawberries to a food processor. Pulse until mostly pureed with a few chunky bits. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
**If you prefer, feel free to add the brown sugar and vanilla together. I prefer to pulse the strawberries first to achieve the right texture. But if you prefer, you can add the brown sugar to make it easier.
2. Rest. Transfer to a glass jar. Rest for 24 hours or overnight. The macerated strawberries will turn into a thick Korean strawberry syrup with chunks of fresh strawberries.
3. Optional: *Cook Sago.* Bring water to boil. Add sago to boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
4. Drain Sago. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain. Rinse in cold water.
*The sago is fully cooked when it turns from white to translucent. It’s ok if there are a few white centers here and there but the majority should be fully clear.
5. Assemble the drink. Add 2-3 tablespoons of strawberry puree to a tall glass. Optional: add Sago Tapioca pearls. Top with cold milk of choice. Give it a good stir and enjoy this sweet treat!
Watch how to make it:
PRO Tips:
- Keep the puree slightly chunky! The texture is not super smooth. Tiny bits of strawberries are ideal. The right texture should be 50% smooth puree and 50% little bits.
- Rest puree overnight. Since this no-cook recipe doesn’t rely on heat to concentrate the strawberry flavor to jammy, syrupy goodness, an overnight rest is recommended to bring out the full strawberry flavor.
- Add Sago to boiling water. Sago can turn gummy during the cooking process. To prevent this, add to rapidly boiling water which instantly “seals” the sago and preserves the texture.
- Adjust sweetness level. The beauty of homemade drinks is that you can adjust according to your personal preference. If you like it sweeter, add more strawberry puree. If you like it less sweet, add less.
- Use large Bubble Tea straws. Regular straws are too thin; the sago and strawberry chunks will get stuck. Instead, use large Boba tea straws. (I save and reuse straws from Boba Tea shops, which are easy to clean and last a long time.) Otherwise, serve with a small spoon for the sago and strawberry chunks.
Variations:
- Matcha Milk. Add matcha powder to milk before serving. Whisk very well so there are no clumps. The matcha and strawberry combo is delicious with or without the Sago!
- Milkshake. Make a Korean Strawberry Milkshake by leaving out the Sago and adding ice cream and just a little bit of milk. Thick, decadent richness!
- Whipped Cream. Make it extra-special with whipped cream on top.
- Berries. Swap out the strawberries with other berries of choice: raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
How to store:
The strawberry puree keeps in the fridge, tightly sealed, for 5-7 days. Be careful of cross-contamination and use a clean spoon every time.
The sago can be cooked ahead of time. Keep in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. Rinse sago in a fine mesh sieve under cold water to loosen before serving. FYI: The texture won’t be quite the same on the 2nd or 3rd day.
FAQ:
Yes, you can make this without a food processor. Mince strawberries into tiny pieces with a knife. Or, roughly crush with a potato masher (or fork), making sure to break up big pieces to achieve the right texture and release the juices.
The strawberry puree keeps in the fridge, tightly sealed, for 5-7 days. Store in an airtight container and in the coldest part of the fridge. Be careful of cross contamination and use a clean spoon every time. The taste will improve and become more juicy after the first 24 hrs.
When Sago is cooked, it will turn clear or translucent. Many recipes call for cooking Sago until it’s completely clear without any white in the center.
However, I like a slightly chewy sago with some white centers here and there. As the Sago sits in liquid, it will absorb liquid and get too soft. To prevent sago from becoming too soft and mushy, I cook until 95% done.
More drinks + dessert:
- Dalgona Latte with Honeycomb Toffee
- Coconut Sago with Mango
- Peach Yakult Sago Drink
- Coffee Jello
- Korean Strawberry Milk Popsicles
- Matcha Coconut Pudding
Korean Strawberry Milk with Sago Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Large mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 1 lb strawberries
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup Sago or small white tapioca pearls *uncooked
To assemble 1 drink:
- 2-3 Tbsp strawberry puree
- 2-3 Tbsp Sago (cooked, drained, rinsed)
- 1 cup cold milk of choice
Instructions
Strawberry Puree:
- Wash, trim, and halve the strawberries. Add to a food processor and pulse until finely minced. The texture should be 50% puree and 50% finely minced strawberry chunks.
- Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add brown sugar and vanilla. Mix well. (If the opening to the jar is too small, mix everything in a large bowl instead).
- *Feel free to add sugar and vanilla to the food processor, if you prefer. I find it's harder to achieve the right consistency that way but it's definitely easier than adding it in later on.
- Transfer tightly sealed jar to the fridge and rest overnight. This step allows the strawberry flavor to concentrate and intensify.
Sago:
- Add water to a medium saucepan (2.5 qt) until it's 2/3 full. Bring to a roiling boil. When you see big bubbles breaking the surface, add the sago.
- Cook Sago until completely translucent, mixing from time to time, about 10-12 minutes. The balls should be mostly clear but it's ok if a few balls have white centers here and there.
- Drain in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Assemble drinks:
- In a tall, clear glass, add strawberry puree to the bottom. Add Sago on top. Then add milk of choice. Stir gently with a straw and enjoy!
