Made in under 5 minutes with only four ingredients, our Vegan Banana Milk recipe is not only quick but also perfect for vegans and those with lactose intolerance, as we use plant-based milk. If you loved Korean-style Banana Milk as a kid, this recipe will bring you back to your childhood!
The original dairy banana milk was first produced in South Korea and quickly became popular among kids and adults. Wondering why? You may have to give this recipe a try! It's an indulgent treat that tastes like liquid banana ice cream!
So why am I introducing you to this recipe? After living in Malaysia for a few months, my son Luca discovered this product at a local Korean shop, and he loved it. The truth is that Binggrae's Banana Milk tastes delicious, but the ingredients aren't too healthy, containing artificial flavors, plus, we don't tolerate cow's milk at home that well.
My solution was to recreate this recipe without artificial flavors, dairy, and refined sugar at home. All you need are four natural ingredients to make your own homemade banana milk. Our version is vegan, using plant-based milk, and just as yummy as the original Korean banana milk.
Ingredients
You just need four simple ingredients to make your Banana Milk:
Bananas. You'll need ripe fresh bananas, which provide the sweet banana flavor. Make sure to use sweet bananas that are soft and sweet. Underripe bananas will not give your banana milk enough flavor.
Plant-based milk. You can choose any plant-based milk you like. For our Banana milk, we use unsweetened soy milk. Other options would be oat milk, cashew milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. Not so common options but also available and a great addition to your banana milk would be pea, rice, or even quinoa milk.
Maple syrup. This ingredient is optional, but we love the touch of sweetness that the maple syrup adds to our banana milk. You can add another type of sweetener, such as agave, dates, date syrup, or brown sugar.
Vanilla extract. Korean banana milk has a mild vanilla flavor, and to recreate that extra flavor, we use some pure vanilla extract. If you don't have this ingredient, you can find here a substitute for vanilla extract.
Preparation
To make this homemade version of Banana Milk, all you need is to have the ingredients and a blender. You can use a high-powered blender, an immersion blender, or even a food processor. For this recipe, we use our Ninja Smoothie Blender.
- Peel the bananas and add them to the blender. You can cut them in half or add them whole. Pour the milk, the maple syrup, and the vanilla extract.
- Blend until you have smooth milk. Serve, and enjoy!
Vegan Banana Milk
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 cups plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- A small drop of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel the bananas, and add them to the blender. You can cut them in half, or add them whole.2 ripe bananas
- Pour the milk, the maple syrup, and the vanilla extract.2 cups plant-based milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, A small drop of vanilla extract
- Blend until you have smooth milk.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- We recommend serving this drink cold during the summer months. To do this, freeze the banana beforehand, or add an ice cube to the blender.
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Nutrition
Variations to our Easy Banana Milk Recipe
- Use frozen bananas. If you want to enjoy this flavored milk during the hottest months, we recommend adding some ice cubes to the blender or using frozen bananas. We like freezing the bananas that are ripened so we can use them another day for smoothies, shakes, or banana milk!
- Add different flavours. For our Korean-style banana milk, we kept it quite simple by just adding some vanilla extract for flavor. You can add other ingredients, such as a dash of cinnamon, peanut butter, cocoa, matcha, etc. Another option is to add some other fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries. If you love strawberry flavor, you should definitely try this Korean Strawberry milk Recipe from My Korean Kitchen.
- Make it protein-high. Add a teaspoon of your favorite plant-based protein powder with the rest of the ingredients.
- Use regular milk. If you prefer to use whole milk or skim milk, go ahead! You can also add some condensed milk for extra sweetness.
Serving Tips
- We recommend serving your banana milk straight after making it. Bananas start to discolor quite quickly.
- Serve cold during the summer months. You can do that by adding some ice into the blender or freezing the bananas beforehand.
- Serve as a snack, breakfast, or as a refreshing drink during the hottest months. We love adding some protein powder and enjoy this flavored milk for breakfast.
- Make sure you are using ripened bananas to get that natural sweetness from the fruit.
- You can top the drink or decorate the glass with some banana slices.
- While not entirely necessary, serving the banana milk in a tall glass with a straw can add to the fun, drinkable experience.
If you want some Korean dishes to serve this drink, have a look at our Vegan Japchae, or this delicious Gochujang Pasta.
Store
Freeze leftovers into popsicles. Any remaining banana milk can be poured into popsicle molds and frozen to create healthy homemade popsicles. Kids especially love the banana milk pops!
FAQ
Banana milk consists of a blend of ripe bananas and milk, resulting in a liquid and smooth beverage with a distinct banana flavor. In contrast, a banana smoothie has a thicker texture containing additional ingredients like ice, yogurt, and various fruits.
You can find this product in some Korean grocery stores or supermarkets. Depending on which country you are located in, it will be easier or nearly impossible! For us, while living in Penang, Malaysia, it was quite easy to find, but since we moved back to Spain, I haven't been able to find Banana Milk.
While it's best freshly made, you can make it 1-2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge using an airtight bottle or airtight container. Remember to shake the milk properly before serving it, and don't worry if the color has changed, as the banana discolors easily.
Yes, you can use your preferred type of milk, such as whole milk, skim milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc, depending on your dietary preferences.
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