Quick answer: Dalgona coffee is iced or hot milk topped with a thick, fluffy foam made by whipping equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water. Two tablespoons of each make one glass. The foam forms because instant coffee and sugar trap air when beaten. It went viral on TikTok in early 2020 and is still an easy treat to make at home.
Whipped coffee is not new. The idea is as old as cafés: beat coffee with something that holds a froth, like cream or sugar, and serve. Dalgona coffee is the version that took over social media in 2020, and it needs only three pantry ingredients.
In this guide 5 sections
Where does dalgona coffee come from?
The name comes from South Korea. In January 2020, actor Jung Il-woo tried the drink at a café in Macau on a Korean TV show and said it tasted like dalgona, a Korean honeycomb toffee made from sugar and baking soda that was popular in the 1970s and 80s. The drink itself is credited to a café in Macau, and India has a similar “beaten coffee” (Wikipedia has the full story). It spread from Korean YouTube to TikTok in early 2020, when many people were stuck at home and looking for easy projects.
How do you make dalgona coffee?
Ingredients (1 glass)
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee (any brand works)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (white or brown; brown adds a little more flavor)
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- Milk of your choice
- Ice cubes, for the iced version
Steps
- Combine the instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a bowl. The water needs to be hot to dissolve the coffee easily.
- Whip until the mixture is fluffy, firm enough to hold its shape and light brown. An electric mixer or milk frother takes a couple of minutes; a whisk or fork works but takes much longer. I found that using 2 spoons of each ingredient rather than 1 gives you more mixture to whip, which makes it easier.
- Fill a glass with ice cubes and pour in milk until it is about two-thirds full. The ice helps keep the foam afloat.
- Spoon the foam on top with a spatula or spoon, and serve.
Eat some of the foam with a teaspoon first, then stir it into the milk. Like most whipped coffees, it is creamier than it is liquid.
How can you customize dalgona coffee?
With equal parts coffee, water and sugar, the result is quite sweet. You can top it with cinnamon, cocoa powder or a few chocolate chips. Many people like it with almond milk; soy milk has a more subtle taste that doesn’t compete with the coffee foam. You can also spoon the foam over hot milk instead of iced, or over a scoop of ice cream.
For a whipped tea, swap the instant coffee for chai latte powder, or whip brewed tea with heavy cream as you would for a classic whipped coffee.
Can dalgona coffee be made with brewed coffee?
Not really. Unlike other whipped coffees, dalgona has no ingredient that whips on its own, like cream, so the coffee itself has to whip, and instant coffee is what makes that work. Regular brewed coffee won’t hold a stiff foam. If you only have brewed coffee or espresso, do it the classic way instead: whip strong coffee with heavy cream, as in the Italian crema di caffè. Decaf instant coffee works just as well as regular.
Frequently asked questions
Why won’t my dalgona coffee whip?
The most common causes are using brewed coffee instead of instant, too much water, or not whipping long enough. Stick to equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water, and use an electric mixer or frother if you have one.
Can you make dalgona coffee without sugar?
You can whip instant coffee and hot water on its own, but the sugar helps the foam hold its shape, so it will be less stiff. Reduce the sugar gradually rather than leaving it out completely.
Is dalgona coffee strong?
It contains two tablespoons of instant coffee, so it has more caffeine than a typical cup made with one or two teaspoons. Use decaf instant coffee or less coffee if you want a lighter drink.
Like trying new coffee drinks? Our guide to the different types of coffee covers dozens more, or try another sweet, milky coffee: Vietnamese coffee. For a coffee dessert, try Japanese coffee jelly.
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