The BEST 3-Ingredient Papaya Milk

This 3-ingredient papaya milk is ultra revitalizing & ready within MINUTES. It tastes like summer in a cup and is naturally vegan. Can be made gluten-free.

Looking for that perfect refresher for a hot day? Meet a popular drink often enjoyed in Hong Kong, Taiwan & beyond.

This healthy homemade thirst-quencher is vibrant and SO simple to make!

Jump to:

• 💌 Why I Love This Recipe
• 🥛 Ingredients
• 🥄 Equipment
• ⏲️ Steps
• 💡 Expert Tips
• ❓FAQ
• 🍓 Variations
• 🍹 Serving
• 📦 Storing 
• 🌱 Benefits
• Recipe

💌 Why I Love This Recipe

• Just 3 ingredients are needed
• So refreshing & revitalizing
• Beginner-friendly
• Loaded with health benefits!

Plus, it's a great way to use up either milk or papaya that are about to go bad!

🥛 Ingredients

All you need for this papaya milk are 3 simple ingredients. 

Ingredient Details

Papaya - Use RIPE papaya only - the skin should be almost fully yellow and a little soft to the touch (source). Avoid unripe papaya or raw papaya (pawpaw).

Milk - The combination of oat milk and papaya is heavenly to me! Other plant-based milk alternatives like soy, coconut, or almond milk work well too. If you are not vegan, whole milk or other dairy milk works too. 

Sweetener - This is completely up to you. I used maple syrup as it adds a caramel-like note I love. However, you can easily replace it with any sugar you have available in your cupboard (white sugar, coconut sugar, brown sugar, etc). Alternatively, you can also use other liquid sweeteners such as honey, agave syrup, or similar.

Hint - Is your papaya still green? Place it in a paper bag along with a ripe banana. Fold the bag close and check if papaya is ripe in a couple of days.

🥄 Equipment

• A knife & chopping board - to cut the papaya
• Spoon - to scoop out the seeds
• Blender - to blend the drink
• Tall glasses - to serve

⏲️ Steps

Wondering how to make papaya milk step-by-step? I've got you sorted. 

Hint - This is just a super quick visual overview! For detailed steps & quantities scroll down to the recipe card.

1. Slice papaya in half. Use a spoon to remove the seeds in the middle. Then scoop or cut out the flesh.
2. Add cold milk to a blender. Then add papaya slices.
3. Blend on high speed for 3-4 minutes until completely smooth.
4. Pour through a sieve to remove any remaining bits or pieces (optional). Serve it as is or with plenty of ice!

Stir before sipping & enjoy your papaya experience!

💡 Expert Tips

• Add a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the drink before serving. This helps balance out some sweetness of the papaya with the fresh acidic lemon flavor.
• You can use cold water instead of milk if desired. This will give the drink a more smoothie-like consistency as opposed to a shake-like texture.
• Always adjust the sweetness to your liking.
• Some might prefer a thinner drink whereas others enjoy a very thick texture.
• To make it thinner, add more milk or water and blend again.
• To make it thicker, add more papaya (or a different fruit like mango, banana, etc).
• You can use frozen papaya if desired.
• I like serving it with plenty of ice. It makes it that extra bit more tasty & refreshing!

Last but not least, here's the most important tip of them all - only use RIPE papaya. The drink will taste bland otherwise!

❓FAQ

🍓 Variations

There are SO many ways to personalize this drink. Here are some of my favorites:

FRUIT

• Mango: Sub out half the papaya with ripe mango. Their flavors pair so well to create the ultimate tropical drink.
• Pineapple: The combination of papaya and pineapple is extraordinary. Replace half the papaya with pineapple to make this into a tropical papaya smoothie.
• Strawberries: Not only add do they add heaps of flavor, strawberries also turn the drink pastel pink. The ultimate party eye-catcher!

OTHER

• Coconut milk: Use carton-packaged coconut milk (not the one from a tin) to give it an even sweeter, nuttier & deeper flavor.
• Vanilla extract: This is another great option for adding that extra bit of flavor. Plus, if you're using real vanilla extract (as opposed to vanilla essence) you will get those gorgeous dark specs on top of your drink!
• Ginger: The warm flavor of ginger pairs well with fresh papaya. Make sure to only add a small thumb of ginger. Due to its strong taste, ginger quickly overpowers papaya!

🍹 Serving

For me, the best way to serve papaya milk is with plenty of ice cubes. They help make the drink that extra bit refreshing!

Grab your favorite glass and pour the papaya milk into it straight from the blender.

Another great addition is a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I love the plant-based Swedish Glace vanilla ice cream (not sponsored, just genuinely love it!)

📦 Storing 

Unfortunately, papaya milk doesn't store well.

I recommend drinking it as soon as you've made it. Do not let it stand out at room temperature for too long.

Even if you transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge, it will still deteriorate quickly and end up tasting bitter.

🌱 Benefits

The best thing about this drink?

Not only is it ultra delicious, papaya milk also has PLENTY of health benefits.

It's

• packed full of nutrients,
• rich in antioxidants,
• may improve digestion,
• may promote healthy skin.

In addition to that, it's also been used for weight loss (Source: Healthline).

Got questions? The comments section below is always open to any questions you might have. 

If you're having an issue or aren't sure about a certain step or ingredient I would be more than happy to help you out! 

No such thing as silly questions on here! 🙂

Tried this papaya milk recipe? I would LOVE it if you could leave a star rating and a comment below. This really helps more visitors find my blog and try out my recipes.

Recipe