Achieving fluffy, milky, Korean shaved ice (called bingsu or bingsoo) at home is not so tough if you have the right tools. The actual ice ingredients are very simple (just milk, condensed milk, and any toppings), so read below for my very affordable shave ice machine review! Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

What is Bingsu? Bingsu vs. Shaved Ice vs…

Bingsu is a Korean dessert – a type of shaved ice that has a fluffy texture and is milky in flavor. Growing up in Southern California, I had many close Korean friends who introduced me to their favorite foods, and we had plenty of restaurants in our area where I got to expand my culinary horizons. I especially liked one version of bingsu called patbingsu, which had red beans (called pat in Korean) on top.

Strawberry bingsu from a cafe near my house (other flavor might be injeolmi but I forgot)

But milky shave ice isn’t just in Korean cuisine. All Asian countries have their own ice desserts! Taiwan also boasts a creamy shaved snow called xuehuabing, which I also used to eat by the truckloads. My high school friends and I were lucky enough to have a Class 302 shave ice restaurant nearby that served giant portions of the sheets of snow ice.

Even in Japan, where their shave ice, called kakigori, is usually pure ice topped with fruit flavored syrups, milky shave ice is gaining popularity. In fact, my Japanese shave ice machine came with a recipe for milky ice, which is the basis for my bingsu recipe here.

Shave Ice vs. Shaved Ice

By the way… you may notice I sometimes switch back and forth between shaved ice and shave ice. There’s no difference in the actual food. It’s just… I grew up with friends and family who said “shave ice” because that’s how it’s said in Hawaii (even though I’m from California, I guess we had enough Hawaii transplants that it stuck). Speaking of Hawaii, the Hawaii version of shave ice is similar to the Japanese kakigori. However, you can commonly get your shave ice there with a drizzle of condensed milk and a scoop of ice cream, similar to bingsu or xuehuabing. Same same but different. The world of shave ice has a lot of overlap!

What Shave Ice Machine Do I Need?

I hate to prescribe a special piece of equipment for my recipes as I like to keep things simple and easy. However, you really need to have a shave ice machine for this. I know some recipes say you can use a blender, but I always end up with just a slushie when I do that.

Luckily, though, the shave ice machine I use is super affordable and easy! It’s a hand crank machine, similar to the one my Japanese grandma always used to make our shave ice when I was a kid. It’s relatively compact too and can easily be stored away during the winter (or not… I like cold desserts in the winter too). I found mine for $16 at my local Japanese grocery store, but I also found it online on Amazon for about $20.

The thing I like about this shave ice machine is that it literally shaves the ice, not just crushes it. It comes with a small, circular mold to freeze your ice (or milk). Then you turn the crank so that it shaves off small sheets of ice. It works really well at getting that shaved, fluffy, milky texture.

See how it actually shaves the milky ice in sheets?

If you’ve ever seen Youtube videos of bingsu being made, you know they have special equipment. It looks wild! But also you would never buy that bingsu machine for your house because it would take up your whole kitchen. The hand crank machine is a good substitute, although the end result is not QUITE as fluffy as the large machine.

I don’t recommend the electric machines where you just throw in ice cubes, because unfortunately, you wouldn’t be able to get that shaved effect without the mold. And honestly it’s not even much of an arm workout.

Even though bingsu made with the real machine is nice, this 8oz cup cost $12!! If you need to save money, a hand crank machine at home works wonders.

Fluffy Milk Ice Ingredients

Okay, great ready – it’s just whole milk and sweetened condensed milk. That’s it!! Sooooooo easy! Just mix it together in the mold, let it freeze, and shave! Then top with your toppings of choice. For this recipe I did strawberry, so I add fresh strawberries on top and a strawberry syrup. I highly recommend ice cream and a sweetened condensed milk drizzle as well.

Other Bingsu Flavors and Toppings

Now that you know how to make the milk base, you can switch up the flavors and toppings however you like. Here are some suggestions:

  • Crushed oreos
  • Kinako (this is a roasted soybean powder, the Korean version is called injeolmi, which is another popular flavor)
  • Chopped mangoes
  • Mochi or other sweet rice cakes
  • Bananas
  • Nutella
  • Matcha

Okay really anything sweet is perfect. You don’t need to be exact – just layer things on top according to your tastes.

More Asian Desserts

I’m really sorry I made you buy that shave ice machine, but it really doesn’t cost that much, and now you can make regular shave ice with it too so it’s a two-for-one. If you’re looking for another fruity summer dessert, check these out:

closeup of korean shaved ice (bingsu) in a bowl with sliced strawberries and strawberry syrup
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Homemade Strawberry Bingsu (Korean Milky Shave Ice)

Mochi Mommy
Make this Korean bingsu inspired strawberry shave ice (or shaved snow) at home! It's super easy and can be used with a variety of toppings and flavors.
Servings: 4 rice bowl size bowls
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours 5 minutes
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tbsp condensed milk
  • 4-5 medium strawberries
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • Other toppings as desired, examples: whipped cream, cornflakes, strawberry pocky, fruity pebbles, mochi bits

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Pour milk and condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl or glass and heat until just warm enough to dissolve the condensed milk. When the liquid is fully mixed, pour into your shave ice mold (comes with the machine).
  • Put milk mixture in the freezer and let solidify overnight or at least 12 hours.
  • Before making the shave ice, prepare your toppings. Slice 1-2 strawberries thinly. Blend the remaining strawberries with teaspoon of sugar and (optional) heat over stovetop until just bubbling to create a strawberry syrup.
  • When ready to serve, place frozen milk mixture into your machine and shave the milky ice into bowls. You can make about 4 small rice bowl sized servings or two larger cereal bowl sized servings.
  • Top shaved ice with sliced strawberries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a small pour of strawberry syrup, and any other desired toppings. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can swap out the strawberries for other fruits. For other flavors, consider using chocolate syrup, Nutella, cocoa powder, kinako, matcha, crushed oreos, ube halaya, red bean paste, or other sweet spreads and sauces.
  • I’ve heard that some people attempt to use a food processor or blender to create bingsu, but I find that this Japanese hand cranked shave ice machine does a much better job of getting the sheetlike shave snow texture. It’s relatively inexpensive and lasts for years, so I think it’s worth the purchase! Our family uses it every day in the summer. Even if you don’t want to prepare the milky ice, you can easily use regular ice (even ice cubes work) and shave ice syrup.
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