Dalgona Coffee is a cold latte drink that comes with a velvety smooth and sweet coffee foam on top. The combination of cold milk and the bittersweet coffee is simply a match made in heaven. And the best part is that you can make it without any special machines – all you need is some arm muscle and patience.
Dalgona Coffee is the latest big trend in Korea – especially in these strange times of so many being quarantined at home due to the Coronavirus epidemic. I even watched a video of a Korean grandma trying to make the foam with just a spoon… lol.. and she was not happy because it was taking so looong..
Now, why is it called Dalgona Coffee?? The sweet and bitter taste of the coffee foam has is very similar to Dalgona, and the color too – hence the name. I think it’s a perfect drink for people who miss going to coffee shops and also who have some extra time on their hands. Make this and it will definitely put a smile on your face 😊😊because it tastes as good as it looks.
And we certainly all have some extra time on our hands, don’t we??? 😜😝 Well, when life gives you lemons.. 🍋🍋you know the rest..haha.
So, I made this in about 10 times in all – to experiment using different methods and ingredients and also because I would forget to take video or photo of a certain step… I have to say, it didn’t work the first couple times but I worked everything out now and you will succeed – if you follow my instructions precisely.
Using Drip Coffee to make Whipped Dalgona Coffee
We only drink drip coffee at home and so usually, we don’t have any instant coffee. So..I tried using our regular ground coffee to make whipped coffee and in short, you certainly can but it does take longer and you will need a mixer. It’s going to be very hard if you try to whip it by hand. If you want to learn how I made whipped Dalgona Coffee with regular drip coffee, go to the end of the post to see what I did.
FAQ on How to make Dalgona Whipped Coffee
Does it have to be Instant Coffee?
No, you can make it with drip coffee with a filter but it needs to be very strong like an espresso. I will show you how to make it at the bottom of the post. French Press and Mocha Pot will not work well since these are brewed, not filtered drip coffee.
What is the best Instant Coffee to use for whipped coffee?
I have tried several different kinds of instant coffee and the best kind are the ones that have a bit of a sour flavor as that balances well once you add the sugar. But you can use just about any instant coffee.
What kind of sugar can I use?
Granulated sugar works best. I used unbleached raw sugar but you can use white sugar or brown sugar. Coconut sugar will also work.
Can I make Dalgona Coffee without sugar or 1/2 the amount?
Well, you can but the foam will only hold a few minutes while when equal amount of sugar is added, the foam will hold for many hours. If you reduce the sugar to like 1/2 the amount, you will still get a soft-peak with a darker color.
Do I need a special tool like milk frother, hand mixer or stand mixer to make dalgona coffee?
No. You can totally make it by hand but you will need a good round whisk (flat one is not as good) and a big mixing bowl to allow more air to get in. But a hand mixer or stand mixer will make your life easier and will be quicker. Milk frother did not work for me (maybe mine was a bad one).
Can I use hot instead of cold milk?
Of course! Just this morning, I warmed up some milk and then topped it with some leftover foam from yesterday and it was so yummy!!!
Can I refrigerate the Dalgona foam?
Yes. It will keep for a couple of days but will probably start to become watery after.
Do I really need to whip coffee 400 or 4000 times by hand or how long?
I know some internet posts say you need to whip so many times. Well.. not 4000 but pretty much 350-400. I hand whipped it for about 2 min and 30~40 seconds (without stopping) and I counted that I whisked about 350 times during that period (no, I didn’t count all 350. I just counted about 70 strokes in 30 seconds so it comes to about 350). Just whip it until stiff peaks form. ** I saw that some Korean recipes used a spoon instead of a whisk – if you use a spoon, I’m sure it will take much much longer. I think I saw one blogger say it took her 10 minutes using a spoon.
My foam is not forming the stiff peak, should I just whisk longer?
Yes and no. Making the foam with drip coffee (not instant) took about 3 times as long in the mixer so sometimes doing it longer helps but if you don’t see any change in a minute of whipping, there’s probably something wrong.
How to make Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Servings 1~2 Prep + Cook Time: 5 minutes Difficulty: EASY
- In a large mixing bowl, add coffee, sugar and HOT water in 1:1:1 ratio.
- IMPORTANT – use large mixing bowl (having enough space for your whisk to whip air in) and round whisk (fork or spoon will be too hard). Tilt at an angle. Watch video.
Instructions for using Drip Coffee instead of Instant Coffee to make Whipped Coffee
FYI – This substitutes 2 Tbs of instant coffee + 2 Tbs hot water.
To a cup, add 3 1/2 Tbsp coffee ground powder and 5 Tbsp of HOT water. Let it steep for 2-3 minutes – like below:
** I have to say using drip coffee is quite tricky. Please note, the results may vary depending on the type of coffee ground powder you have. And I know this is a LOT of coffee so it’s pretty expensive as far as cost goes.
And using a coffee filter (I have these cute cup size filter I bought in Korea), pour out the coffee liquid. You may need to squeeze out some remaining liquid.
This should make about 2 Tbs of very strong coffee. Now, all you need to do is to add sugar and then whip it up! BTW, you will need to whisk longer when using drip coffee – about 8 – 10 minutes using a stand mixer using a whisk attachment. And by hand.. well, it will probably be like 13 minutes or more… I know.. which is just too long but just letting you know it’s doable.
Above is the foam made with concentrated drip coffee using my stand mixer. I used my favorite Philz coffee grinds and personally, I really prefer this version had a less bitter taste and of course much better flavor. BTW, you will probably not get a very stiff peak with drip coffee but somewhere between a soft and a stiff peak.
The point is to make very concentrated strong coffee (more for flavor than anything else). I’ve tried making it with just a Starbucks brewed coffee (LEFT in the picture below) and it worked similarly (softer peak) but the coffee taste was really weak for whipped coffee.
But whether you get a stiff peak or not, the drip coffee version of Dalgona whipped coffee does taste better than the instant coffee version in my opinion.
STORAGE – you can store leftover whipped coffee foam in the refrigerator. The instant coffee foam is quite stable and will keep for couple of days at least. The drip coffee version will start to separate and you will see the coffee liquid accumulating on the bottom after a day or so but the flavor will still be good.
Well, that’s it! Enjoy!!!
XOXO ❤️
JinJoo
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp instant coffee
- 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp water (hot)
- 1/2 cup milk (low fat, regular, almond, soy, goat's milk)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add coffee, sugar and HOT water in 1:1:1 ratio.
- Whisking by hand – using a whisk, first mix the coffee, sugar and water until everything is melted. Then start whisking!!! It should form a hard peak in about 2 minute and 30-40 seconds OR do the challenge and whisk about 400 times.
- IMPORTANT – use large mixing bowl (having enough space for your whisk to whip air in) and round whisk (fork or spoon will be too hard). Tilt at an angle. Watch video.
- Whisking using a hand mixer or stand mixer – first mix at lowest speed until all the coffee and sugar are dissolved. Then turn the speed to highest setting and mix for 1 min 30 seconds or until hard peaks form. I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer and on it, it takes about 1 min and 30 seconds on highest speed. Handmixer probably is going to be a little longer since it’s not as powerful but should work fine. Set aside.
- OPTIONAL – make some Dalgona (Korean sponge candy) by following my recipe HERE. This adds a great crunchy and sweet topping to the foam.
- Fill 2/3rd of a cup with cold milk (about 1/2 cup) and add some ice.
- Spoon the foam and add it to the top of the cup. Top it with Dalgona pieces or try sprinkle the top with some hot cocoa powder or cinnamon. Mix it with a spoon to enjoy it as a latte or just as it is as you get a little bit of milk and foam in one sip. ENJOY!!!
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- whisk
Tips & Notes:
- To a cup, add 3.5 Tbsp of FINE coffee ground powder and 5 Tbsp of HOT water. Let it steep for 2-3 minutes
- Use a coffee filter to filter coffee from the soaked coffee. This should make about 2 Tbs coffee. Add 2 Tbsp sugar to this and then whip using a machine because it will take too long by hand. It takes about 8-10 minutes using a stand mixer at highest speed.
- You can use just regular drip coffee but the flavor will not be right. Too little coffee flavor and too sweet.
- Too sweet?? You can use just 1 Tbs sugar and it will still work! You can also use sugar substitute like stevia but you may not get a stiff peak.
- If you drink decaf, just use decaf coffee instead.
- Store leftover foam in the refrigerator, it should keep for few days.
- For a HOT Dalgona coffee, warm up your milk and add foam on top.
I learned this same recipe from my Korean Teacher and it is definitely worth trying. It gave me a whole new look on coffee, I used instant and add the foam according to my taste.
Nice!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this coffee. Take care!
Can I increase sugar? What is the maximum I increase it to?
Sure, you can increase the sugar but to a certain level. I’m not sure what the maximum would be, I guess the point where the sugar will no longer fully dissolve in water in which case, the foaming cannot happen. Hope that helps.
You said at the top of the article that you would give the directions for a French Press, but you didn’t. For drop coffee, it says to use 3 1/2 if coffee powder (grounds?). But doesn’t say 3 1/2 WHAT?
Oops.. sorry about that. Tbsp somehow got omitted. It should be 3 1/2 Tbsp of fine coffee grounds. It was properly written in the recipe card.. Thank you for pointing that out. I don’t think I said I would give directions for French Press but for drip coffee (I believe drip coffee is different from a french press?). French press doesn’t use a filter like drip coffee and I am afraid that doesn’t lend itself well to foaming. Little bits of coffee grounds and more oil will probably be in french pressed coffee and that interferes with foaming. I think you can try using a french press to make strong coffee then filter it through using a paper filter. That may work. Well, hope that helps and thank you so much for asking.
Followed this recipe and I’M HOOKED. I added a little drizzle of chocolate over the top and it’s delicious!
Yay!!! That drizzle of chocolate sounds amazing too! Thank you soo much for the 5 star rating and taking time to comment. Stay well!
I used a hand mixer, instant coffee and white sugar – exact measurements in the recipe. It was so easy and so delicious. To me, more like dessert so I may reduce the sugar but wonder if that’s going to change the outcome.
Hi Susan, I am so happy to hear that! Yes, if you follow the recipe exactly and use a mixer, you should succeed pretty easily. You can reduce the sugar – the foam will be a little less firm but you should still be able to get similar outcome with instant coffee. Thank you!