Fresh banana milk is a delightful fusion of creamy goodness and tropical sweetness! This enticing beverage combines the luscious flavor of ripe bananas and the velvety smoothness of milk to create a uniquely satisfying and refreshing experience. With its rich and indulgent taste, banana milk offers a delightful alternative to traditional dairy beverages.
Whether enjoyed on its own, used as a base for delectable smoothies, or incorporated into various culinary creations, making your own homemade banana milk is a versatile treat that caters to both your taste buds and your nutritional needs. In this post, I will share how you can make Korean banana milk.
Homemade Banana Milk Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
1. Start by selecting ripe bananas. Optimal bananas possess yellow peels adorned with brown speckles, indicating ripeness. These bananas offer heightened sweetness and a distinctly pronounced banana essence, making them a desirable choice.
2. Begin by peeling the bananas and subsequently slicing them into smaller pieces. This approach facilitates a smoother blending process, ensuring ease and efficiency.
3. Place the banana pieces into a high-speed blender or food processor.
4. Add water or milk of your choice into the blender.
5. Optional: If you prefer a sweeter taste, add a sweetener of your choice, such as sugar, honey, or agave syrup. Commence by incorporating a modest quantity and modify according to your preferred level of sweetness. Furthermore, consider enhancing the taste by introducing flavorings such as a hint of vanilla extract, amplifying the overall flavor profile.
6. Secure the blender's lid and blend the mixture on high speed until everything is well combined and you achieve a smooth consistency. Blend the mixture for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the banana chunks are completely eliminated from sight, ensuring a smooth and well-blended consistency.
7. Once blended, taste the banana milk and adjust the sweetness or thickness by adding more milk or sweetener if desired. Blend again to incorporate any additional ingredients.
8. Pour the banana milk into a glass or container and serve immediately. You can refrigerate the blend briefly if you desire a refreshing chilled variant. This will provide a cool and invigorating touch to your preparation.
9. If you let it sit, be sure to stir the banana milk before serving, as some separation may occur due to the bananas' natural sugars.
Banana Milk Is Not Shelf Stable
Make your banana milk right before you want to drink it. It's not shelf-stable, and it will separate and discolor in pretty short order, so drink up! You can keep banana milk in the fridge for two days, but you'll need to give it a thorough shake before you use it.
What Is Banana Milk?
Flavored milk has been around for a while, but the typical flavors you see are chocolate and strawberry. Banana-flavored milk is most popular in South Korea and other Asian countries. It was first introduced by the company Binggrae in 1974. Binggrae banana milk was made of milk, water, sugar, banana juice concentrate, carotene, and the artificial flavors of banana and vanilla.
In the United States, you might be able to buy Korean banana milk on the shelves of an Asian market, but it's unlikely. The company Nestle made a "Banana Quik" at one point, which contained sugar, artificial flavors, and emulsifiers - and didn't give that Korean banana milk taste.
Banana milk is a beverage that captures the essence of ripe bananas in a creamy, smooth blend. With its lustrous yellow shade and silky-smooth texture, this delightful concoction delivers a symphony of flavors that gracefully entwines and delights your taste buds. Whether you're seeking a nourishing and energizing drink or a delightful treat to satisfy your sweet tooth, banana milk is a delightful solution.
What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Banana Milk
Bananas Are Nutritious
Banana milk provides a combination of essential nutrients from both bananas and milk. Bananas are renowned for being rich in essential vitamins, notably vitamin C and vitamin B6, along with vital minerals such as potassium and magnesium. And the riper the banana, the more nutrient-dense it is! Milk, whether dairy or plant-based, contains protein, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals that contribute to a well-rounded diet.
Energy Boost
Bananas boast a natural abundance of carbohydrates, encompassing a variety of natural sugars such as fructose, glucose, and sucrose. These sugars provide a quick source of energy, making banana milk an excellent choice for a pre- or post-workout drink or a refreshing pick-me-up during the day.
Digestive Health
Bananas are packed with dietary fiber, which is vital in supporting digestion and facilitating regular bowel movements. Banana milk can help support a healthy digestive system and prevent constipation.
Natural Sweetness
Bananas add natural sweetness to the milk without the need for additional refined sugars, and this makes banana milk a healthier alternative to artificially flavored or sweetened beverages.
Dairy-Free And Nut Free
People might need to cut dairy out of their diet for many reasons. There are many alternative kinds of milk out there nowadays, but it's always nice to have another one to try! As a bonus, many nut milk options are expensive to buy or time-consuming to make. Banana milk uses cheap ingredients and comes together in less than two minutes!
Regular milk isn't off the table if you have a nut allergy. However, if you are dairy-free AND nut-free, many milk options exist! There is oat milk and hemp milk, but banana milk is an even easier nut-free option.
Wholesome
Banana milk uses only wholesome and healthy ingredients, so you can drink it regularly with no guilt! Unlike store-bought beverages loaded with sugar and flavoring, homemade banana milk is beneficial.
Versatility
Banana milk serves as a versatile foundation for an array of culinary creations, ranging from smoothies and milkshakes to various delectable recipes. It can be combined with various fruits, vegetables, or other ingredients to create delicious and nutritious beverages.
Ways To Elevate Korean Banana Milk Recipe
You can add different ingredients to the mix to enhance the flavor or add some sweetness!
Sweetener
Bananas have a natural sweetness, so adding more sugars is a matter of personal preference. Give this banana milk recipe a taste as is first, and then add a drizzle of pure maple syrup or date syrup and give it another blitz in the blender!
Milk
Instead of using water, you can blend your bananas into the milk of your choice. Nut milk (such as almond milk or cashew milk) or soy milk enhances the creaminess of the banana milk while keeping the recipe dairy-free. Or, if you need to avoid nuts, try using whole milk! To avoid nuts, soy, and dairy but still bump up the creamy texture, swap in oat milk instead.
Vanilla Extract
Oddly enough, the vanilla extract helps give your banana milk that trademark artificial banana flavor! Use pure vanilla extract so your drink won't be artificial.
Spices
Cinnamon and nutmeg naturally pair well with the banana flavor. They're frequently in banana bread recipes for a reason!
Seeds
This recipe does not make a banana smoothie, but banana milk. If you want to thicken it up, look for chia seeds or flax seeds.
Nut Butter
This is another way to add flavor and thicken the texture. A spoonful of any nut butter will do.
How Long Does Banana Milk Stay Fresh?
When freshly prepared at home, banana milk is best consumed immediately or within a few hours. Over time, the texture may change, and the banana flavor may become less pronounced. It is recommended to refrigerate the banana milk if you plan to consume it later the same day.
If you have any leftover banana milk or prefer to make it ahead of time, you can safely store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. However, it's important to note that the banana milk may separate, with some sediment settling at the bottom. Give it a good stir before consuming or using it in recipes.
Frozen banana milk is an effective method of extending its shelf life. Pour the banana milk into an airtight container, leaving some space for expansion, as liquids expand when frozen. Frozen banana milk can typically be stored for up to 1-2 months. For optimal results, thaw the frozen banana milk in the refrigerator overnight or gently heat it before usage. Ensure thorough stirring to blend any separated layers back together.
