Fresh strawberries in season are the best thing in the world… And out of countless recipes you can try with strawberries, I think the strawberry bingsu is one of the best ways to enjoy the flavor of fresh strawberries to the fullest.
So today, I want to tell you about the strawberry bingsu recipe. I wrote about mango bingsu the other day on my blog and I wanted to continue with another fruit bingsu, the strawberry bingsu. 🍓
Growing up in Korea, I used to eat so much bingsu as a kid and there are many kinds—mango bingsu, strawberry bingsu, patbingsu, you name it. There are even more bingsu varieties with a modern twist, like chocolate bingsu and matcha bingsu. (I shall cover all of that later in my blog!)
Especially during the summer season when it’s so hot and humid in Korea, eating some soft, cold, and sweet bingsu is almost a must to endure the hot season.
Recently, there have been so many Korean dessert cafes and restaurants popping up in Korea and expanding to the world, bringing Korean traditional desserts and drinks back to the modern days. That includes lots of Korean specialty lattes that I shared recipes on my blog, like sweet potato lattes, mugwort lattes, and bingsu, which is what we are going to talk about today!
So let’s talk about what bingsu is, its history, and the varieties of bingsu.
What is Bingsu?
Bingsu is a Korean shaved ice dessert with sweeteners and other toppings.
History of Korean Bingsu
In the past, the main ingredient of shaved ice was simply frozen water. It used to be coarsely shaved and therefore had the nickname of “ice snack” (얼음과자 in Korean).
But now the coarsely shaved frozen water has been replaced by finely shaved frozen milk and it is called “snowflake bingsu.” Due to the modern production of very finely shaved milk, it literally feels like snowflakes that just fell from the snow in your mouth. And it also has a deeper flavor now because of milk usage.
The very traditional bingsu used to be “patbingsu,” meaning bingsu with azuki beans. It would have boiled red beans, powdered roasted bean powder, and some sweet rice cake on top as toppings. They are still one of the most loved bingsu varieties in Korea!
But now, there are so many varieties of Korean bingsu to capture everyone’s tastes all over the world.
Korean Bingsu
Korean bingsu, now in modern terms, is any shaved ice (usually frozen milk) with condensed milk as the main sweetener and other varieties of toppings.
In my opinion, one of the best-condensed milk recipes is Korean bingsu!
Korean Bingsu Varieties
Now, there are so many different types of bingsu in Korea. And I’d love to cover them all on my blog! Here is a list of one of the most popular bingsu varieties in Korea.
- Patbingsu: With red beans, rice cake, and toasted soybean powder
- Injeolmi bingsu: With Injeolmi rice cake
- Mango bingsu
- Chocolate bingsu
- Strawberry bingsu
- Matcha bingsu
- Melon bingsu
Bingsu with fruits are especially popular during the season. So for instance, strawberries are harvested during January in Korea, and the strawberry bingsu is sold in many cafes, restaurants, and hotels!
So bingsu can be made with any toppings, but the key ingredients that make a bingsu a bingsu are these two: frozen milk as a base and condensed milk as the sweetener.
Korean Bingsu Recipe: 3 Main Ingredients
To make any good bingsu, you need these two main ingredients. Then it’s up to you to come up with some creative topping ideas.
1. Plant Milk
I suggest using plant milk for bingsu for many reasons.
First of all, plant milk is usually sweeter than regular cow milk. In a dessert recipe like this bingsu recipe, using plant milk would take your bingsu to the next level. It has a cleaner aftertaste as well. I personally love using sweetened soymilk for bingsu recipes to give a little more sweetness to my bingsu base. For most of my bingsu recipes, I used almond milk.
Secondly, it’s better for digestion. I’m lactose intolerant, like many other people in the world. People don’t realize it so much, but I know so many people have a slight to pretty bad stomachache after eating ice cream or bingsu. In milk, there is more lactose than in any other dairy product. It can have more than 30 times more lactose than hard cheeses! So try using plant milk to enjoy your bingsu to the fullest.
Last but not least, plant milk is better for the environment and our planet.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get our plant milk for this delicious bingsu recipe!
2. Condensed Milk
For the same reason as I mentioned above about using plant milk, I suggest using condensed plant milk. Yes, there is some condensed plant milk out there! I saw some condensed coconut milk, but they can add coconut flavor to your recipe, which is not very preferred when you want the other ingredients to be the center of the flavor.
So the one I recommend is the condensed oat milk.
NATURES CHARM Sweetened Condensed Oatmilk, 11.25 OZ
🌟 My Choice of Condensed Milk 🌟
This sweetened condensed oat milk is what I would recommend. With its subtle, gorgeous oat taste as an undertone, it goes so well with bingsu. Try it!
3. Healthy Sweetener
My Sweetener Pick
WHOLE EARTH Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol, Plant-Based Sugar Alternative, 12 Ounce Pouch
To follow this mango bingsu recipe, you need sugar. But instead of using regular sugar, I recommend using a healthy sweetener that only adds sweetness to bring out the best flavor of the ingredients.
Ninja Creami Bingsu Recipe
There is a bingsu machine that is specifically for shaving very light ice, but getting a machine that is solely dedicated to bingsu sounds like a little too much hassle. So there are a few alternatives.
You can make a shaved ice base of bingsu with a sturdy blender or just by crushing ice from a frozen bag of milk.
The last option is having a Ninja Creami, an ice cream machine. I have this ice cream machine called Ninja Creami, and it is great for making bingsu. It has six options to make frozen treats with: ice cream, sorbet, light ice cream, smoothie bowl, gelato, and milkshakes.
Alternative to Bingsu Machine
If you love a lot of frozen treats that are not restricted to bingsu, Ninja Creami might be a great machine to get. You can make a lot of homemade, fresh frozen treats personalized to your liking! This was a great investment for a vegan like me, as there are very few options I can take at a regular store or restaurant. You can read more about my honest review of Ninja Creami here.
My Ninja Creami Ice Cream Machine in my kitchen!
Equipment Needed: Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker
You really don’t need a lot of equipment to make lots of frozen treats! Just this Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker and a blender.
Bingsu Snowflake Base with Ninja Creami
When you follow my recipe, the base will look like this. It won’t have a fluffy snowflake “look,” but I guarantee it will be so smooth and melt in your mouth like bingsu!
Almond Milk Ninja Creami Recipe
Once you get Ninja Creami, it’s time for you to make as many frozen treats as you want!
One of the most popular Ninja Creami recipes is one with almond milk. In my opinion, almond milk has the closest taste to cow milk while having so many other health benefits and that might be why people love looking for almond milk Ninja Creami recipes.
And bingsu is one of the easiest recipes to make with your Ninja Creami, which has almond milk as a main ingredient.
Together with the mango bingsu recipe I shared, a strawberry bingsu is a great frozen treat to make during the strawberry season. The fresh taste and fragrance of strawberries are hard to resist. Now let’s get into making!
Korean Strawberry Bingsu Recipe | Almond Milk Ninja Creami Recipe
Korean Strawberry Bingsu Recipe with Almond Milk
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a Ninja Creami container, put almond milk and sugar. Mix.
- Put the mixture in the freezer for 24 hours. It is very important to freeze the milk base completely so it becomes shaved ice.
- Wash fresh strawberries and dab the water off. Leave the strawberries to dry completely.
- Take the fresh strawberries and cut them in half. Store them in the fridge.
- Take the almond milk bingsu base and select the ICE CREAM button on the Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker. Run the program.
- Take the pint out of the machine.
- Scrape off the almond milk bingsu base from the pint. Make sure to scrape it off, not take a big spoonful. It makes the milk base more flaky.
- Set the almond milk bingsu base in the bowl.
- Take the half-cut strawberries and lay them on the frozen milk bingsu base.
- Pour condensed milk over the strawberry bingsu right before you serve.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Tips for Strawberry Bingsu Recipe 🍓
1. Make Sure to Freeze for 24 Hours
⚠️ This is very important! Please make sure to freeze your milk bingsu base completely. It should take up to 24 hours.
The milk base should be completely frozen so it can become shaved ice.
2. Run ICE CREAM Mode Once
Because the Ninja Creami ice cream machine is made for making ice cream, not bingsu, running the ice cream mode twice will make the base creamy, like ice cream. So run the ice cream mode only once to make the base icy and kind of fall apart.
3. Milk Base Melts Quickly
The milk base melts very quickly, so be sure to eat it right away! It has never been a problem for me, as I eat my bingsu in no time 😜
Three Layers of Strawberry Bingsu Recipe
These are the three layers of the strawberry bingsu recipe that can let you experience its flavor and a variety of textures in the bingsu. Unlike mango bingsu, where you need mango sauce, strawberry bingsu has a much cleaner aesthetic when it is just strawberries on top with some condensed milk.
1. Shaved Iced Milk
What makes a great bingsu is the shaved ice milk, which is the very base of the bingsu. Each bite of bingsu should be so soft, light, and airy, melting instantly as you take a spoonful.
Made out of almond milk, this milky and slightly sweet flavor should be a canvas for your bingsu.
2. Strawberries
I love fresh strawberries in season. There is nothing quite like the beautiful fragrance of fresh strawberries.
This strawberry bingsu recipe, with lots of fresh strawberries on top, is a great way to enjoy fresh strawberries. The juicy texture of fresh strawberries also pairs so well with soft shaved ice.
You also sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the strawberry to sweeten it and make it look like snow has fallen.
3. Condensed Milk
The strawberry bingsu recipe is quite easy to follow, as you only need to have the shaved iced milk as a base to prepare. Then you only need to put strawberries on top and pour condensed milk on top.
Unlike mango bingsu, in which you need to make mango sauce that goes between mango pieces and the shaved ice, You can also use condensed milk as a sweetener.
Having a spoonful of snowflake bingsu with fresh strawberries and creamy sweet condensed milk will give you a paradise in your mouth!
Variations of Strawberry Bingsu Recipe
1. Put strawberries in the Base
When you are making the frozen milk base for bingsu, you can also put a little bit of strawberry in the base. That way, you can give the shaved ice base a little more strawberry flavor and a pink color.
In a Ninja Creami pint, pour 1 1/2 cups of almond milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup of strawberries. You can use frozen strawberries for that. Then, using a stand mixer, blend. Put the mixture in the freezer and use that as a base to make your strawberry bingsu. You can still use the sorbet button to create the base.
2. Vanilla Ice Cream on Top
You can also put vanilla ice cream on top of the strawberry bingsu. This is a very popular way to make strawberry bingsu in Korea. I like my strawberry bingsu light, but if you prefer creamy and a little more depth, then having a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top would work so well!
3. Mochi on Top
Last but not least, you can try some small sweet rice cake balls on top for a delightful chewy texture. Fresh strawberries, soft snowflake shaved ice, creamy condensed milk or ice cream, and chewy mochi create a very interesting combination of textures.
Summary of Strawberry Bingsu Recipe
This Strawberry Bingsu recipe is a great Korean dessert for anyone looking to indulge in a refreshing and flavorful treat that combines the best of both worlds—taste and health!
This delectable shaved ice dessert, bingsu, is topped with generous portions of strawberries and rich, creamy condensed milk to create a perfect harmony of texture and flavor in your mouth.
Unlike some heavy desserts, strawberry bingsu feels light and refreshing. But feel free to add some chewy mochi balls or vanilla ice cream to make it more filling and interesting.
I love strawberries a lot, to begin with, but strawberries in season are something I cannot resist. I love the strawberry bingsu recipes for dessert during strawberry season, and I hope you try making one at home too.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Other Ninja Creami recipes you might like…
Mango Bingsu Recipe | Almond Milk Ninja Creami Recipe
Indulge in this classic Korean mango bingsu with our easy almond milk and juicy apple mango recipe! Perfectly sweet, refreshing, and light. Learn more.
Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream | Peanut Butter & Chocolate
Try this easy Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream, which is made of only six ingredients but tastes so wonderful! This recipe is packed with protein and plant power.
Chocolate Bingsu Recipe | Almond Milk Ninja Creami Recipe
Try this rich chocolate bingsu with easy homemade chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, and ice cream. You can also add brownies for more texture! Learn the recipe.
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