Strawberry milk made at home is my kids' favorite treats! I love that it's made with real fresh strawberries. The recipe makes just one pint, but can be scaled up to have fresh strawberry milk for the whole week!
My daughter accidentally discovered strawberry milk on a vacation. As one of those moms who limits sugar as much as possible (baby's first birthday cake included), I didn't really need for my kids to know there was a way to put sugar in milk. In fact, one time when Camille was reaching for a container of chocolate milk, I told her it was brown because it had dirt on it. So, she grabbed the plain milk instead. Trust me, I know just how awful I am.
Anyway, we were in Seattle, and Camille didn't adjust to the time change, and so we were both up early, wandering around searching for a big breakfast. I think the lady who handed my Camille strawberry milk could see the bags under my eyes and Camille's boundless energy before sunrise. Not so surprisingly, she loved the milk, and also not so surprisingly, she never forgot about it.
So, today, we're making strawberry milk with a very small amount of sugar, mostly real fruit instead, and stashing it in the fridge to surprise the kids at breakfast. If you also make my strawberry muffins, it will be a very sweet morning!
My recipe is made with strawberries and the smallest amount of sugar (1 tablespoon to be exact), but you may of course substitute this or omit. We're also using frozen strawberries because they're easier to have on hand, and they're already the exact weight we need.
Ingredients for strawberry milk:
- strawberries: We need 10 ounces of frozen strawberries. You can use fresh, too, simply weigh them after hulling and removing the green stems.
- sugar: Only 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to sweetened up the strawberries, but please know that you can omit it. You could also use honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or any other type of natural sweetener you prefer.
- milk: My kids are still at the age where they drink whole milk, but use whatever you prefer.
How to make strawberry milk:
- Cook: First, we're going to cook down the frozen strawberries with the sugar and a splash of water (one tablespoon). This is similar to the method for making my strawberry cream cheese frosting, because we're going to mash the berries while they come to a simmer.
- Remove: Once the berries have cooked down and they're soft and appear like jam, remove them from the heat and let them cool. Add them to the bottom of a blender.
- Puree the strawberries until very smooth. Add the milk to the blender, and then blend again to make light pink strawberry milk.
- Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a serving jar that has a tight-fitting lid to keep it fresh. The recipe makes just over 1 pint of strawberry milk.
The milk keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Please, do not try to freeze it--it will separate.
Can you make strawberry milk with jam?
I do think there's a way to shorten this recipe and make it even easier. If you use ½ cup of my small batch strawberry jam, and add it to the blender with the milk, you'll have strawberry milk in no time!
What does strawberry milk taste like?
Strawberry milk tastes like even sweeter milk, with a fruity strawberry kick. It's delicious, and kids love it! You would also love my strawberry cake for two, if you love this!
Strawberry Milk
Makes just over 1 pint of strawberry milk with real strawberries.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces frozen strawberries
- 1 TB granulated sugar
- 1 TB water
- 2 ½ cups milk
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- In a small saucepan, add the strawberries, sugar, and water.
Stir, and cook over medium-low heat until the berries start to collapse, about 5 minutes.
- When the pan has more juices from the strawberries, turn the heat to medium and cook the strawberry mixture while it gently bubbles for 4-5 minutes, while stirring frequently. This helps concentrate the strawberry flavors, almost like jam.
Remove the berry mixture from the heat and allow to cool.
- Puree the strawberry mixture in a blender or by using an immersion blender right in the pot.
- Blend the strawberry mixture into the whole milk. Serve, divided between 2 glasses.
Notes
strawberries: 10 ounces of frozen strawberries. You can use fresh, too, simply weigh them after hulling and removing the green stems.
sugar substitute: You can omit this. Or, you can also use honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or any other type of natural sweetener you prefer.
milk: Use whatever milk your kids prefer; I used whole.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 81mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g
K Meyer says
This turned out deliciously. Thank you for this recipe! Do you think this would work with the same amount of blueberries or blackberries?
Christina Lane says
Yes, any of the berries :)
Alexa Jordan says
This would be great to use in a smoothie!