The Secret To Creamy And Cool Korean Iced Coffee

Bananas and coffee may not be quite as classic a pairing as coffee and chocolate (or frozen bananas and chocolate, for that matter). But it's a combo that has its share of fans, especially in Korea, where banana milk coffee is not just consumed — it's gone viral.

While Almond Breeze makes a banana flavored almond milk, and Mooala offers a plant-based banana milk (made with bananas and sunflower seeds), the Korean version does not typically use a dairy substitute. Rather, the most common banana milk coffee is made with Bingrrae banana-flavored milk drink; actual dairy milk flavored with banana juice concentrate. Bingrrae is a popular Korean brand that also makes coffee-flavored milk (A coffee-on-coffee beverage sounds like an energizing delight!), melon-flavored milk, and strawberry-flavored milk, among others.

All it takes to make this creamy drink is banana milk (Look for it at your local Asian grocery store), iced coffee or cold brew concentrate, and ice. Whether you add the coffee or milk first is up to you, as are the portions. And of course, if you're dairy-free, feel free to try one of the plant-based banana milks.

If you're struggling to find banana milk locally and don't want to order it, you can either make your own banana milk, or a version of creamy frozen banana coffee that lets you skip the milk in your coffee, altogether.

For the former, blend a ripe banana with equal parts milk, water, a sweetener such as maple syrup, and a bit of vanilla extract. (Don't forget that banana peels can be used for all sorts of things from skin salve to banana peel tea.) Use it in your banana milk coffee as you would a store-bought banana milk. For the latter, simply take two frozen bananas and blend them with a cup of cold coffee. The creaminess of the bananas will still produce a smooth beverage, even without the milk component.

Finally, if you're intrigued by the idea of banana milk coffee but not ready to fully dive in, try whipping up a banana cold foam. Top your iced coffee with it for just a hint of that delightful banana flavor.