Dalgona coffee, or whipped coffee, is a delicious way to enjoy your morning coffee or mid-day boost. Light and foamy, this beverage takes no more than 5 minutes to make. Here are a few fun ways to take these to the next level. You can serve it hot or cold.
I must be honest. I have often visited South Korea and never heard of this Dalgona coffee. So, when my son came home excited after seeing it on TikTok, I got curious, too! Of course, if you know me, I tried the original but had to explore some variations. These four instantly became a huge hit at one of our family get-togethers, so I had to share them with you.
What is Dalgona? It is a whipped coffee beverage that originated in South Korea and went viral over social media in 2020. It is named after a type of Korean honeycomb toffee candy called Dalgona because of its resemblance. However, it is simply a drink made by whipping coffee, sugar, and hot water until thick and foamy, then topping it with hot milk.
Why make this coffee?
- It is absolutely delicious. And it is so easy to make in less than 5 minutes.
- It’s fun! It’s fascinating to see how simple coffee, sugar, and water can turn into this wonderful froth or foam.
- And you don’t need many ingredients, just instant coffee, sugar, and hot water! I bet you already have that in your kitchen.
- Also, you only need a whisk to whip the foam, but I highly recommend an electric whisk.
- And you can make one cup, so there is no waste. But it is very impressive to serve when you have guests over.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Coffee – You must use instant coffee. Yes, it has to be instant coffee for this to work. You can use decaf coffee, too, but do not use any coffee mixes like 3-in-1.
- Sugar – I have tried this with both white and brown sugar. And you can also use Sweet’ n Low as long as it is granulated. And while you can use honey, date syrup, or maple syrup, the froth made with these doesn’t last longer than 2 minutes, while the froth made with sugar can last for hours.
- Milk – You can use any milk, dairy, or non-dairy milk. And to make it vegan, use vegan milk. And to make it dairy-free, use non-dairy milk like almond milk or soy milk.
How to make Dalgona coffee or whipped coffee
- Whip – In a tall glass, add the coffee, sugar, and hot water. Using a hand frother or hand whisk, whip on high speed until the mixture becomes foamy, about 2 minutes.
Pro tip – The mixture will triple in volume with a light and fluffy foam.
- Classic – Top the glass with milk and add a few generous dollops of whipped coffee froth. You can also dust it with cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, or powdered sugar.
Pro tip – The milk can be piping hot for hot coffee and ice-cold if you want cold coffee.
- Lotus – Pour the melted lotus paste into the bottom of the glass and swirl it around. Then, top the glass with milk and add a few generous dollops of whipped coffee froth. Garnish with a lotus biscuit
- Caramel – Add the caramel sauce into a glass and swirl the glass or smear the caramel all around the glass. Then, top the glass with milk, followed by generous dollops of the coffee froth. Drizzle with more caramel.
- Chocolate – Dip the rim of the glass with the melted chocolate. Then, pour the rest of the melted chocolate into the bottom of the glass. Top the glass with milk and add a few generous dollops of whipped coffee froth. Drizzle with more melted chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
Well, once you make the whipped coffee, it is best to serve it immediately. The coffee foam or froth made with sugar can last a few hours in the fridge until you pour the milk over.
Well, you can use the whipped foam before adding the milk to desserts, such as making a coffee mousse. Fold it into the mascarpone cream when making tiramisu, or fold it into whipped cream to make coffee whipped cream for cakes, etc.
Personally, I’d say yes, you do need some kind of electric mixer or hand-held frother. If you try to do this by hand, it is possible, but you would be very tired by the time the froth is ready. It does need a good bit of whipping.
This Dalgona coffee is referred to as whipped coffee on TikTok. The name comes from whipping the coffee with sugar and water.
I believe it is Korean coffee coined by South Korean actor Jung II-woo. Having said that, it has acquired a few names from around the world, such as Greek Frappe Coffee, Indian Beaten Coffee, and a few other names in the last 5 years.
Dalgona Coffee Whipped Coffee – 4 ways
Dalgona coffee, or whipped coffee, is a delicious way to enjoy your morning coffee or mid-day boost. Light and foamy, this beverage takes no more than 5 minutes to make. Here are a few fun ways to take these to the next level. You can serve it hot or cold.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Instant coffee
- 1 – 2 tbsp Sugar white, brown, or dark brown
- 2 tbsp Hot water not boiling
- 1 cup (240 ml) Milk hot or cold
- ¼ tsp Spices ground cinnamon, pumpkin spice, gingerbread spice, etc
- 2 tbsp Lotus paste melted
- 2 tbsp Caramel sauce melted
- 1 oz (30 g) Chocolate dark
- 2 tbsp Heavy cream
Method
- Whip – In a tall glass, add the coffee, sugar, and hot water. Using a hand frother or hand whisk, whip on high speed until the mixture becomes foamy about 2 minutes.2 tbsp Instant coffee, 1 – 2 tbsp Sugar, 2 tbsp Hot water, ¼ tsp Spices
- Classic – Top the glass with milk and add a few generous dollops of whipped coffee froth. You can dust it with cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, or powdered sugar.1 cup Milk
- Lotus – Pour the melted lotus paste into the bottom of the glass and swirl it around. Then, top the glass with milk and add a few generous dollops of whipped coffee froth. Garnish with a lotus biscuit2 tbsp Lotus paste
- Caramel – Add the caramel sauce into a glass and swirl the glass or smear the caramel all around the glass. Then, top the glass with milk, followed by generous dollops of the coffee froth. Drizzle with more caramel.2 tbsp Caramel sauce
- Chocolate – Dip the rim of the glass with the melted chocolate. Then, pour the rest of the melted chocolate into the bottom of the glass. Top the glass with milk and add a few generous dollops of whipped coffee froth. Drizzle with more melted chocolate.1 oz Chocolate, 2 tbsp Heavy cream
Notes
- I have given you the measurements to make one cup of coffee but you can make as much as you want. All you need is equal parts of coffee, sugar, and water. This ratio is what produces the best texture and flavor for this beverage.
- While you can use honey, date syrup, or maple syrup the froth made with these doesn’t last longer than 2 minutes while froth made with sugar can last for hours.
- Use an electric mixer because whisking the mixture by hand can be quite tiring while the electric hand-held frother takes less than 2 minutes. Of course, if you make a larger quantity you can also use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Be patient – it feels like it won’t whip at first but after the first minute it starts to build volume nicely.
- Use hot not boiling water to whip the mixture. Coffee is delicate and boiling water can cause the coffee grain to get a burnt taste.
- You can use any milk to make this coffee. Try different kinds of milk to see which produces the best flavor. You can also add flavorings such as vanilla to make vanilla Dalgona coffee or ground cinnamon to make cinnamon-whipped coffee.
- You can make this a hot or cold beverage just by changing the temperature of the milk. Hot milk will make a hot Dalgona coffee while cold milk will make a refreshing cold Dalgono coffee.
- The foam or froth on top does not keep forever so it is best to serve this as soon as it is made.
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
So quick to make and it gives me the pick me up I need in the afternoon!
Thanks Tammy