This Korean banana milk recipe is easy and full of banana flavor! Let me show you how to make your own banana syrup at home for extra sweetness and flavor to pair with any coffee, matcha, or just to drink as plan banana milk; it’s delicious. If you can’t take a trip to Korea and get your hands on viral banana milk, here’s how to easily make it at home!
What is banana milk?
Thanks to viral Korean convenience store videos showing customers making their own iced coffee drinks with premade coffee and Binggrae banana milk and BTS singer Jungkook drinking the milk online, the popularity of banana milk has skyrocketed.
I’ve seen banana milk lattes and cream tops in many local coffee shops (like Ape Coffee), and wanted to make my own. Luckily, we have access to Binggrae banana milk in local grocery stores, but I found it too sweet and artificial tasting.
I wanted something more naturally tasting with sweetness that I can adjust. After testing some recipes that had the thicker consistency of banana shakes, I tried to figure out how to create my own version that had a less thick texture and even more banana flavor.
Ingredients in banana milk
This homemade banana milk recipe is made in two steps, including an infused banana milk and optional banana syrup for extra sweetness. The banana milk includes just two ingredients: super ripe bananas and the milk of your choice.
For extra sweetness and more banana flavor, I like to make a banana syrup made from:
- Very ripe bananas add the perfect amount of flavor and caramelize very quickly. You can also use frozen banana pieces from the freezer.
- Granulated cane sugar is the sweetener, but you can also use brown sugar.
- Water is needed to help thin the syrup slightly because you don’t want this to turn into a jam.
How to use banana milk
You can drink banana milk straight up! But I prefer serving banana milk and the syrup with matcha or espresso to make lattes. To make banana lattes, use the banana milk instead of regular milk and the banana syrup as the sweetener. Add the espresso shots or matcha on top and mix.
Banana milk lasts in the fridge for up to three days from the time of infusing the bananas in the milk. We recommend making banana milk in small batches so that it doesn’t spoil before you can consume it.
Korean Banana Milk Recipe
Ingredients
Banana milk
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 c milk
Banana syrup
- 1 ripe banana
- ¼ c water
- ⅓ c sugar
Assembly
- ice
- espresso optional
- matcha optional
Equipment Used
- 2 food storage containers with lids
- spatula
- Strainer
- saute pan
- masher optional
Instructions
Banana milk
- Peel the 2 ripe bananas and cut them into 2-inch pieces.
- Transfer the banana pieces into a large container. Add the 2 c milk and cover with a lid.
- Keep the banana milk in the fridge overnight (or up to 36 hours).
- Strain the banana pieces from the milk. Discard or eat it later, but we won't use this banana for this recipe any longer.
Banana syrup
- In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 ripe banana (cut into 1" pieces), ¼ c water, and ⅓ c sugar. Stir until the sugar melts.
- After about 2 minutes, mash the bananas with a masher or a spatula.
- Continue to cook for another 6-8 minutes or until the syrup is dark brown and as thick as honey. Here's a photo showing the final texture and color.
- Remove from heat and let cool before transferring to a food container or serving.
Assembly
- In a cup, combine the banana milk and banana syrup. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Optionally, add espresso or matcha to the drink and add ice.
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