So, I’ve been seeing these whipped coffee recipes all over social media. At first, I thought it looked really strange to have a concentrated coffee foam sitting on top of milk. Then, I read that you’re actually supposed to stir it in to create a sort of creamy, coffee milkshake and suddenly – I needed a dalgona in my life STAT.
Considering it required instant coffee, I needed to make a quick stop at the store to find the ingredients and then got to work in my kitchen mastering the art of the whipped coffee.
Turns out, it’s actually pretty easy to make this TikTok trending coffee drink.
What’s Dalgona Coffee?
Dalgona coffee is made by whipping equal parts instant coffee, sugar and water together to create a very strong coffee flavored whipped cream.
The word “dalgona” is Korean and references a South Korean street food snack, which is a toffee like candy. The batter of the candy has a similar texture and taste to what dalgona coffee tastes like. Suddenly, I need this toffee in my life…
This coffee mixture is then placed on top of milk, where it sits, separately, barely mixing, unless you work it in. Depending on the type of instant coffee you use, the coffee fluff will either mix in pretty easily or it’ll be a bit thicker and take more work. The kind of instant coffee that I used created a thicker fluff and working it into the milk took some effort, much like trying to mix peanut butter with milk. The end result, though, was a thick, creamy, fluffy, coffee milkshake that is really unique and unlike any other type of coffee drink I have had.
Dalgona Coffee Ingredients:
Much like homemade whipped cream, you only need a few ingredients here to make your own dalgona coffee.
- Instant coffee – I used this Starbucks instant coffee that is a dark roast and very strong. I see a lot of videos online using a thicker granuled instant coffee that creates a softer whipped coffee fluff. I’ve honestly never bought instant coffee before and had no idea which one to buy, but I don’t think it really matters. If you have a brand you like, stick with that one.
- Sugar – I use this thicker, unbleached sugar for everything and it worked great here, too. You can use any type of sugar that you have, such as coconut sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, etc. Brown sugars will add a more caramelly taste to your dalgona. If you feel like the sugar doesn’t make it sweet enough, add some simple syrup to the milk to up the sweet level.
- Water – Cold water is fine. I did not heat the water.
- Milk -Use whatever milk you like to drink here and fill your glass 3/4 of the way full with it. I used cold oat milk, because that’s my jam.
- Ice – One time I made this with larger ice cubes and stirring it was a pain, so the next time I used smaller iced cubes and that helped quite a bit. I would say stick to smaller iced cubes here if you can.
*Affiliate links are used in this post for products I purchased and used, which means that at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you.
Tools You’ll Need:
In order to get the whipped coffee texture right, you’ll need to use one of these cooking tools.
- Whisk: A good ole whisk will work if you have the arm and wrist strength. I would guess it would take 5-10 minutes at least to get the right consistency.
- Hand mixer: I see people using the tall hand mixers they use for frothing milk and I tried mine first, but it died before it whipped it to the right consistency. It also was taking awhile.
- Stronger Hand mixer: I switched it out for my cordless hand mixer and it was ready really quickly. I won’t mess around with the other tools in the future and will head straight to the stronger hand mixer to get the job done.
I would not use a milk frother for this. The mixture is too thick and the frother blade will get stuck.
How To Make Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee):
Let’s get down to business, shall we? It’s time to make your dalgona. I put together a little video that walks you through the highlights and then I’ll give you even more details below:
- Start by adding 2 tablespoons of instant coffee, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to a medium mixing bowl. Use one that is bigger than you might think you need for the amount in it, because it spits quite a bit when mixing.
- Using a mixer, mix until it turns lighter in color and has stiff peaks. The time this takes will depend on the strength of your mixer. Personally, I wouldn’t use a stand mixer unless I was making large quantities for multiple dalgona coffees.
- Fill your cup (at least 16oz. glass) with ice. Smaller ice cubes work better than larger ones here.
- Add milk until about 3/4 full.
- Spoon your dalgona coffee foam on top. Fit as much as you can. The more you use, the stronger the coffee taste will be.
- Stir – really work it in.
- Drink and enjoy!
Answering Your Questions about Dalgona Coffee:
Can you make Dalgona coffee keto friendly?
I bet you could. Swap the sugar for a keto-friendly sweetener and switch to a keto-friendly milk to turn your dalgona into a delicious, sugar-free drink.
What does Dalgona coffee taste like?
The combination of the foam coffee with milk creates a kind of thick, creamy coffee milkshake. It has a really unique flavor, too, but one thing is for sure – this is stroooong coffee.
Can you make Dalgona coffee without sweetener?
Without sweetener, the coffee fluff will not be as stable, so the texture of the drink will be much more liquidy. Some people have experimented with honey instead of a sugar-based sweetener with similar results.
Can you make Dalgona coffee a sweetener other than sugar?
Yes, you can! I made it with vanilla simple syrup and it turned out delicious. I’m going to start playing with chocolate sauce and honey, too, to see which ones work and which ones don’t. Here’s an Instagram video where I used vanilla simple syrup instead:
View this post on Instagram
To learn more about how to make this version, check out this blog post.
Should Dalgona coffee be hot or cold?
You can make Dalgona either way! You can add your Dalgona fluff to either warmed or iced milk. If making it hot, you don’t need to use hot water to make the fluff, because it’s such a small amount – it won’t make a difference in the end. The temperature of the milk you are stirring it into is what will give the coffee it’s overall temperature.
More Coffee Recipe Ideas:
Looking for more fun coffee drinks to try at home? Check out these other posts:
- Easy vanilla caramel affogato dessert
- Starbucks iced caramel macchiato recipe at home
- The vanilla coffee cream soda you need this summer
- Delicious Sweet Cinnamon Iced Coffee at Home
- Vanilla Coffee Cream Soda Recipe Perfect for Summer
- Starbucks Chocolate Cream Cold Brew Copycat
Hope you find something to make today!
Get roasted,
A
