This homemade Korean banana milk recipe is creamy, naturally sweet, dairy-free, and ready in less than 5 minutes. Made with ripe banana, plant-based milk, vanilla, and a little maple syrup, it’s a simple banana milk drink you can make at home.
If you love creamy drinks, try my Korean strawberry milk, Mexican horchata, or iced matcha latte.
A Quick Look: Korean Banana Milk Recipe
- 📝 Recipe Name: Korean Banana Milk Recipe
- 🕒 Total Time: 5 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 1
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Ripe banana, plant-based milk, vanilla, maple syrup
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, dairy-free, naturally sweetened
- ✨ Best For: Quick breakfasts, kids’ drinks, afternoon snacks, and creamy dairy-free drinks
- 💕 Why You'll Love It: This homemade Korean banana milk is creamy, lightly sweet, nostalgic, and made with simple ingredients in less than 5 minutes.
Jump to:
If you’ve ever had Binggrae banana milk, you know why Korean banana milk is so loved. This homemade banana milk keeps the creamy banana flavor, but uses simple dairy-free ingredients you can adjust to your taste.
My kids love it first thing in the morning. I like mine with a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom. It’s a recipe that seems almost too simple to be this good, but once you make it, you’ll understand.
Homemade banana milk makes a great liquid base for smoothies. Try it in an easy strawberry banana smoothie, peanut butter banana smoothie, and this chocolate peanut butter smoothie. It pairs well with strawberries, peanut butter, cocoa, and oats.
What Is Korean Banana Milk?
Korean banana milk is a sweet, creamy banana flavored milk drink made popular by Binggrae, one of Korea’s most iconic packaged drinks.
This homemade Korean banana milk keeps that creamy banana flavor but uses simple ingredients like ripe banana, plant-based milk, vanilla, and a little maple syrup. It’s easy to make at home, dairy-free, and simple to adjust depending on how sweet or creamy you like it.
If you love bananas as much as I do, make sure to check out my banana bread overnight oats, vegan banana bread with chocolate chips, or vegan banana pancakes.
Why This Recipe Works
Here’s why this Korean milk drink works so well.
- Overripe bananas for natural sweetness: The more brown spots, the better. Ripe bananas give this drink sweetness, flavor, and creaminess without needing much added sweetener.
- Plant-based milk for creaminess: Oat milk gives a smooth, creamy finish; cashew nut milk makes it richer; soy milk adds protein, and almond milk keeps this banana milk lighter.
- Vanilla and salt for balance: Vanilla adds depth, while a tiny pinch of salt makes the banana flavor pop.
- Easy to customize: Add cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa powder, protein powder, or frozen banana depending on what you want.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy banana milk recipe:
- Ripe banana: The riper the better. More brown spots mean natural sweetness and better flavor.
- Plant-based milk: Oat, soy, cashew nut milk, or almond milk all work. Oat milk gives the creamiest classic flavor, while soy adds more protein.
- Maple syrup (optional): Adds sweetness if your banana isn’t very ripe. You can also use agave or date syrup.
- Pure vanilla extract: Adds subtle depth and makes the banana flavor taste rounder.
See the recipe card for quantities.
For a simple breakfast or afternoon snack, serve this dairy free banana milk with high protein chia pudding, vegan oat bran muffins, drizzled with this easy mixed berry sauce. For something sweet, pair it with easy vegan chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Korean Banana Milk
Find the full printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Add everything to a blender
Add the banana, plant-based milk, water, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and salt to a blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy
Blend on high until the banana milk is completely smooth and pourable.
Adjust to taste & serve
Taste and adjust the sweetness if needed. Pour over ice and enjoy right away.
Tested Tips
- Use a very ripe banana: More brown spots mean more sweetness and less starchy flavor.
- Use frozen banana for a colder drink: Frozen banana makes the banana milk thicker, colder, and creamier.
- Blend until fully smooth: Blend until fully smooth: A high-speed blender gives the best texture. If using cashews or seeds, blend a little longer.
- Start light on the sweetener: Taste after blending. A ripe banana may be sweet enough on its own.
Make It Your Way
Keep dairy-free banana milk simple or turn it into a fun variation.
- Make it chocolatey: Add 1–2 teaspoons cocoa powder for chocolate banana milk.
- Strawberry Banana Milk: Blend in a few strawberries or 1-2 teaspoons freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- Peanut Butter Banana Milk: Blend in 1 tablespoon peanut butter for a more filling snack.
- Protein Boost: Add chia seeds, hemp seeds, or a scoop of vegan vanilla protein powder.
- Warm and cozy: Gently heat on the stove (don’t boil) and add a pinch of cinnamon for a soothing evening treat.
If you’re looking for a few easy homemade drinks, try my green tea lemonade, hibiscus lemonade, or this blueberry lemonade recipe next. They’re light, refreshing, and perfect when you want something cold.
Storage
Homemade banana milk tastes best right after blending when it’s cold, creamy, and fresh.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a sealed jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Natural separation and slight browning are normal, so shake or stir before serving.
- Freezing: Freeze banana milk in ice cube trays and blend later for a slushy-style drink or add the cubes to smoothies.
- Make ahead: Since this recipe only takes a minute to blend, I usually make it fresh. To prep ahead, slice and freeze ripe bananas so they’re ready to blend.
Korean Banana Milk FAQs
Banana milk can have dairy depending on how it’s made. Store-bought Korean banana milk usually contains dairy, but homemade banana milk can easily be made dairy-free with oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
Homemade banana milk is usually made with ripe banana, milk, sweetener, and vanilla. This dairy-free version uses plant-based milk and water to keep it creamy but still light and drinkable.
To make banana milk, blend ripe banana, plant-based milk, water, vanilla, salt, and maple syrup until smooth and creamy. Taste, adjust sweetness if needed, and serve cold or over ice.
Yes. Frozen banana makes banana milk thicker, colder, and creamier, almost like a light smoothie. Slice the banana before freezing so it blends more easily.
Traditional packaged Korean banana milk usually contains dairy milk, so it is not vegan. This homemade Korean banana milk recipe is vegan and dairy-free when made with plant-based milk and maple syrup.
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Korean Banana Milk Recipe
Want To Save This Recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus you'll get vegan recipes and meal prep ideas from me every week!
Ingredients
- 1 ripe spotty banana, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup plant-based milk, like oat, cashew, or soy
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional, adjust to your taste
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Add the banana, plant-based milk, water, vanilla, maple syrup, salt, and any optional additions (see Notes) to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed, adding another ½ teaspoon maple syrup at a time. Pour over ice and enjoy right away.
Video
Notes
- Use a very ripe, spotty banana for the sweetest flavor.
- For a thicker, colder banana milk, use frozen banana slices.
- Taste before adding more sweetener. Very ripe bananas may not need maple syrup.
- Oat milk gives the creamiest dairy-free texture, soy milk adds more protein, cashew milk makes it richer, and almond milk keeps it lighter.
- Optional flavor add-ins: Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or ¼ teaspoon cardamom.
- For extra creaminess: Add 1 tablespoon of soaked cashews.
- For an extra boost: Add 1 teaspoon hemp seeds, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, or 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder.
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
This Korean banana milk is a total favorite in my house! It’s creamy, naturally sweet, and just so satisfying. I usually blend it with a dash of cinnamon or cardamom (so worth it!). It disappears fast, so I like to double it. Enjoy! 🙂