The truth of the matter is, we've all been home for weeks now and coffee is DEFINITELY in rotation all day especially those of us now homeschooling, I am right?
What do Americans do best? Search the internet for the latest trends. A recent TikTok video shared a popular South Korean coffee drink, the Dalgona Coffee. It's equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water. That magic combination whipped creates the ultimate creamy, foamy froth to top your iced milk. Dalgona is actually a sweet Korean candy made with melted sugar and baking soda. While this version is trending, other cultures have similar versions.
The beverage's origins can be traced to the Indian subcontinent, where it is called phenti hui ("beaten coffee", "whipped coffee"), and has long been popular there before being viral on social media.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalgona_coffee
Another popular version is a Greek Frappe, my dear friend Eleni from My Family's Food Diary shares her version here.
Frothy whipped drinks aren't something new, but as many folks are missing their favorite coffee spot right now, this has become a special treat and easily attainable (if you can get your hands on instant coffee!)
I jumped on the bandwagon and was pleasantly surprised, once mixed with the milk it's quite a tasty treat without brewing coffee or having an espresso machine. After my first take, I went back for 4 more tries to see what method truly worked the best! I've also added a hint of allspice to give it a little Lebanese twist.
What you'll need to make Dalgona Coffee
- equipment of your choice - read on
- instant coffee - must be instant COFFEE, instant espresso will not work
- allspice (optional)
- sugar
- water
- milk of your choice
- ice (optional) or choose to drink warm
Which method works best
The idea behind this popular drink is to whip equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water. This magical blend creates a luscious froth to top your milk. The most popular method has been hand whisking (I did not try this because I'm lazy). But I did try a few other ways after some of my friends on Instagram shared some tidbits.
Frother
Many folks mentioned using a frother, toss all the ingredients in and press the button. Well, I have a super nice Nespresso frother (love it more than you know) but for making Dalgona's, it was not my favorite choice. It barely frothed at all after multiple attempts. I did NOT try a manual stick frother.
Mason Jar
We all have a mason jar hanging around the house, a few of my followers mentioned throwing everything in and giving it a shake, shake, shake. Kind of like making homemade butter from whipping cream. So I did just that, blended all the ingredients together, sealed the lid nice and tight and shook! I kept shaking as I watched the color change to that caramel color. Low and behold, it got nice and frothy! I recommend this method if you don't have a mixer with whisk attachment and/or you don't feel like getting it out. Super effective!
Mixer with whisk attachment
Sorry, not sorry...I didn't manually whisk! I grabbed my mixer and put the whisk attachment on. To use a stand mixer, you definitely need to make the recipe for 2, so double recipe below. Otherwise, using a electric hand mixer with whisk attachment for one works great. This by far was the BEST result! Frothy, foamy and thick! If I really want to impress someone or take a photo, I'd go this route.
Assembling
Once you have your whipped coffee ready, top your iced milk or enjoy on warm steamed milk. After you've taken your photo and shared with all your friends, stir that coffee into your mix and enjoy! Couldn't be any simpler.
Not into coffee? Try this Matcha Dalgona Latte from Candice at Proportional Plate.
As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
xoxo,
Cosette
Treats to go with your Dalgona Coffee
Pear Skillet Cake
Irish Soda Bread
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Poppy Cookies
Dalgona Coffee
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: beverage
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
This sweet coffee drink is easy to make in just a few steps.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp instant coffee (not espresso)
- 2 Tbsp sugar (you can use granulated, brown or sugar in the raw)
- 2 Tbsp hot water
- ¼ tsp all-spice
- 1 cup of milk - any type of milk you choose
Instructions
- Begin by adding your instant coffee, sugar, hot water and all spice into a bowl or mason jar (depending on what method you choose)
- If using a mason jar, secure lid and begin shaking vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy and caramel in color.
- If using a mixer with whisk attachment, place same ingredients in a bowl and begin whisking on high for 3-4 minutes until frothy and caramel in color.
- In a tall glass, add your ice and milk choice and finally top with your whipped coffee.
- If you'd prefer a warm version, skip the ice and warm your milk first then top with coffee.
- Double the recipe for additional servings.
- Enjoy!
Candice says
Such a great recipe for Dalgona coffee! I especially love the origin story. Great post, Cosette!
Cosette's Kitchen says
Thanks sweet friend! Love you matcha version!!! Miss you!
xoxo,
Cosette
Elizabeth says
I used my hand mixer without the whisk attachment and it worked great. My adult daughters and I have been making this daily and sometimes we even put this and homemade whipped cream in our hot coffee as well. Delicious!
Cosette's Kitchen says
Yay! So glad you are enjoying it, and the whipped cream sounds delicious!!!
xoxo,
Cosette
Cat says
Super easy! This recipe helped me finally get it right!
Cosette's Kitchen says
So glad to hear, such a fun and easy recipe!!!
xoxo,
Cosette