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April 15, 2020

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST DALGONA COFFEE AT HOME

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You don’t need to go to your favourite coffee shop to treat yourself to this creamy, velvety, decadent Dalgona Coffee, which has been taking the world by storm. In this post I’ll be sharing some tips and tricks to help you recreate this delicious coffee drink at home.

How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

Just in case you’ve been like me and living under a rock and haven’t heard of the latest Dalgona Coffee craze which went viral on social media, please feel free to join me in trying, testing and experimenting with this delicious decadent coffee drink which you can easily make from the comfort of your own kitchen. In this post I’ll be sharing what worked and what didn’t in making this whipped coffee sensation.

How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

So, what is ‘Dalgona Coffee’ and where has it come from? Dalgona coffee is a beverage made by whipping equal proportions of instant coffee, sugar and hot water until it becomes creamy and then adding it to cold or hot milk. According to Wikipedia, Dalgona Coffee is based on an Indian drink known as Phenti Hui coffee. The only difference is that when making Phenti Hui, milk is poured on top of the whipped mix rather than spooning the whipped mix on top of the milk. Its viral status on social media came as a South Korean actor who visited an eatery in Macau where he was served a similar beverage reminding him of “dalgona“, a type of Korean honeycomb toffee, and later presented on a South Korean TV show.

Being a self-confessed coffee addict, I couldn’t give Dalgona Coffee trend a miss. No way! As soon as my 11 year old daughter showed me some Dalgona Coffee videos on her TikTok, I knew I had to start playing in the kitchen. And so I did!

I’ve experimented with different types of sugar and syrup and in this post I’ll share what produced the best results, as well as step by step instructions of making fool-proof Dalgona Coffee. Hold on to your seats, self-proclaimed baristas!

WHAT INGREDIENTS WILL I NEED TO WHIP UP DALGONA COFFEE?

Dalgona Coffee ingredients
  • 2tbsp instant coffee granules
    Will ground coffee/espresso/brewed coffee work? No, it won’t. The coffee won’t whip up into soft creamy peaks. Stick to instant coffee granules.
  • 2tbsp granulated white sugar* (see further in the post on different sugars you can use).
  • 2tbsp hot water
  • Hot or cold almond milk (or milk of choice) to serve
  • Optional: ice cubes if you’re serving Dalgona Coffee frappe style

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE DALGONA COFFEE?

  • The fastest & the best way to whipping up soft peaks which hold their shape for longer is definitely with a handheld electric whisk.
  • If you haven’t got an electric whisk, you can use a traditional manual whisk but it’ll take you much longer. Your arms will feel like they’ve had a good workout!
  • You can also use a milk frother, although I found it took me twice as long and the peaks were not holding their shape as well as they did with an electric whisk.
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

WHICH TYPE OF SUGAR CAN I USE TO MAKE DALGONA COFFEE?

My views below are based solely on my own experiments of tinkering with Dalgona Coffee in my kitchen. You might get slightly different results depending on which tools you’ll be using but here’s what I discovered:

  • Granulated white sugar or white caster sugar
    From personal experience, I found that either granulated white sugar or white caster sugar produced the best results. The coffee froth was quite firm and stiff and holding its peaks for much longer. I even tried refrigerating it in the fridge for an hour and it still held its shape.

  • Coconut sugar
    Although coconut sugar worked (and it’s a good healthier alternative to refined white sugar), I found that the coffee froth was on the ‘wet’ side and the peaks were not holding that well at all, no matter how much I whipped it. My ‘fridge test’ with coconut sugar failed miserably. Once I’ve whipped the coffee made with coconut sugar and placed it in the fridge for an hour, it turned into liquid and I had to whip it again. When photographing Dalgona Coffee made with coconut sugar (pictured below), the peaks disappeared within seconds. Although the coffee still tasted great, if you’re looking for those impressive smooth and creamy whipped peaks, I personally found that white sugar worked best for me.
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home
Dalgona Coffee made with coconut sugar
  • Xylitol
    My experience with xylitol was much similar to the one with coconut sugar. The peaks were more on the ‘runnier’ side and didn’t seem to hold their shape for very long. Personally, I found the after taste of xylitol was a little too strong for me.

  • Maple syrup
    I loved the added taste of maple syrup in my coffee (maple syrup tastes great with anything as far as I’m concerned!) Yet again, the coffee peaks were a little too soft and more on the ‘watery’ side. If I was to do a blind taste test, this version of Dalgona Coffee with maple syrup would be the winner for me personally.
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

HOW TO MAKE DALGONA COFFEE?

  • In a mixing bowl, combine instant coffee granules, sugar and hot water. Whisk by hand for a few seconds until the coffee granules are dissolved in the hot water.
  • Switching to an electric whisk, whisk the coffee mixture for 12-15 minutes (the time will vary depending on your whisk) until soft peaks form. You’ll find the coffee mixture will turn from black colour to caramel and will become lighter in colour the longer you whip it. In terms of consistency, your Dalgona coffee mixture will go through several stages: from watery black liquid to smooth but still quite runny dark caramel cream (when the peaks are just starting to form but they don’t hold their shape that well yet) and then to light caramel, smooth and velvety stiff peaks. I’ve taken some photos of whipping that famous Dalgona coffee foam to show you what it looks like.  

  • Pour hot or cold milk (see serving ideas below) into a glass/mug and scoop the coffee whip on top. Mix with a spoon to combine.

HOW TO SERVE DALGONA COFFEE

  • Over iced (dairy-free) milk or any other milk of your choice.
    I served mine with iced almond milk for a frappe style coffee. It was a great coffee cooler during the heat wave we were very lucky to experience in the UK last week (it certainly made our Easter weekend in the lockdown much nicer, thank goodness for the garden!)  
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home
  • Over hot milk
  • Over hot milk mixed in with cacao powder for a ‘mocha’ effect. Just whisk the hot milk with cacao powder until well combined. Pour into a glass/mug and top with Dalgona coffee foam.
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

Here you go my friends. I think I’ve covered all things I could think of to help you get the best results with your Dalgona Coffee creations. I’d really, I mean REALLY love to see how your Dalgona Coffee will turn out, so please drop me a comment here on the blog, tag me on Instagram (Fit Foodie Nutter) or Pinterest so I don’t miss them.  

How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

Stay safe and healthy.

See you next week.

Healthfully yours,

Tania x

Dalgona coffee

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST DALGONA COFFEE AT HOME

Tania Pilcher | Fit Foodie Nutter
You don’t need to go to your favourite coffee shop (especially if it’s closed due to quarantine) to treat yourself to this creamy, velvety, decadent Dalgona Coffee, which has been taking the world by storm. In this post I’ll be sharing some tips and tricks to help you recreate this delicious coffee drink in your own kitchen.
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Course Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine South Korean
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Electric whisk and/or hand whisk

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 tbsp granulated white sugar* see the post on different sugars you can use.
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • Hot or cold almond milk or milk of choice to serve
  • Optional: ice cubes if you’re serving Dalgona Coffee frappe style

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl, combine instant coffee granules, sugar and hot water. Whisk by hand for a few seconds until the coffee granules are dissolved in the hot water.
  • Switching to an electric whisk, whisk the coffee mixture for 12-15 minutes (the time will vary depending on your whisk) until soft peaks form. You’ll find the coffee mixture will turn from black colour to caramel and will become lighter in colour the longer you whip it. In terms of consistency, your Dalgona coffee mixture will go through several stages: from watery black liquid to smooth but still quite runny dark caramel cream (when the peaks are just starting to form but they don’t hold their shape that well yet) and then to light caramel, smooth and velvety stiff peaks. Refer to blog post to see photos.
  • Pour hot or cold milk* (see serving ideas in the blog post) into a glass/mug and scoop the coffee whip on top. Mix with a spoon to combine. Enjoy!
Keyword Dalgona coffee, whipped coffee, creamy coffee, vegan coffee drink, dairy free coffee drink
Tried this recipe? Mention @Fit.Foodie.Nutter or tag #fitfoodienutter!
How to make Dalgona Coffee at home

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Drinks, Recipe Tagged With: coffee, creamy coffee, Dalgona coffee, whipped coffee

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarNart | Cooking with Nart says

    April 16, 2020 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    This drink looks amazing. It’s such a treat! Everyone is making it now and I think I need to hop on the bandwagon with your recipe. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      April 16, 2020 at 11:57 pm

      You should give that bandwagon a try Nart! I’m totally loving it (says self-proclaimed barista:) x

      Reply
  2. AvatarNadja says

    April 16, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like a delicious coffee ice cream. I need to give this dalgona coffee a try.

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      April 16, 2020 at 11:56 pm

      Thank you Nadja. It’s a great coffee number to make at home when all the favourite coffee shops are in quarantine… Hope you’re keeping well and healthy.

      Reply
  3. AvatarAnita says

    April 16, 2020 at 11:35 pm

    5 stars
    This coffee drink is all the rage right now. It’s time I give it a try. 🙂

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      April 16, 2020 at 11:55 pm

      Isn’t it, Anita?! I had to give it a try and I totally get what all the craze is about. It’s totally delicious!

      Reply
  4. AvatarTawnie Kroll says

    April 17, 2020 at 12:14 am

    5 stars
    Tried this the other morning and it was so delicious – a fun drink to change up my normal black coffee routine!

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      April 21, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      Thank you Tawnie! It’s a lovely change from a standard black coffee, isn’t it? I’m glad you like it as much as I do!

      Reply
  5. AvatarBiana says

    April 17, 2020 at 1:15 am

    5 stars
    So delicious, loved making it!

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      April 21, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      Thank you Biana:)

      Reply
  6. AvatarRachel says

    April 18, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    I keep seeing this all over instagra but I haven’t tried it yet. Thanks for testing out the different kinds of sugars!!

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      April 21, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      Hi Rachel! You have to give it a try. It’s a great way of treating ourselves, especially now when all the coffee shops are in quarantine! Hope you and the family are all well and looking after yourselves Rachel. Much love to you all xx

      Reply
  7. AvatarRon Keller says

    July 28, 2020 at 12:27 am

    5 stars
    I posted a photo with comment after I read that White Sugar was better than using Coconut Sugar which I had been using in the past. The photo is using White Sugar. Your instructions in detail, I’ll call them Pro’s & Con’s, is by far the best on the Web. I looked at a lot of recipes. And decided to add yours to my Dalgona Coffee Recipe Board. Somewhere in ALL my searching someone suggested using Nescafé Gold Espresso. They even said it might not be available in the U.S.! Everything is available on Amazon. But, it’s imported from Canada. Wish I could somehow send you a photo! It wouldn’t let me post a second photo, only add a remark. I couldn’t believe the Peaks

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      July 28, 2020 at 8:19 am

      Hi Ron. Thank you so much for trying out my recipe. I’m so glad you found the instructions helpful. There’s been a lot of testing and failing in the kitchen, as you can probably tell:) I’ve just seen the photo you posted on Pinterest and those stiff peaks look beautiful! I wish this coffee appeared in front of me right now! Have a great day and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Tania x

      Reply
  8. AvatarRon says

    July 28, 2020 at 11:06 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for your reply! The peaks are not nearly as “beautiful” as those in a photo I couldn’t post using Nestles GOLD Espresso. Another sugar you can test in your Kitchen. I am now a Follower of you on Pinterest. Looking forward to receiving other creations!

    Reply
    • AvatarTania says

      July 28, 2020 at 9:10 pm

      I’m looking forward to seeing many more beautiful creations of yours Ron!

      Reply

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AvatarWelcome to Fit Foodie Nutter! I’m Tania and here on my blog I share delicious, healthy & easy to prepare vegan & vegetarian recipes for nutritious and wholesome meals, as well as my passion for healthy, mindful living and travel. Thank you for stopping by and happy browsing. Read More…

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