Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee)

This is one of the earliest recipes that Aaron and Claire posted on their website. Apparently this interesting whipped coffee went viral during the early days of the pandemic and people started posting lots of videos, challenges, and recipes involving it.

I had completely overlooked it the first few times I went through the blog because I'm not really a big coffee drinker and figured my efforts would be better spent on the food recipes rather than the drinks. But, every once in a while, I do get hit with a hankering for a sweet, milky post-dinner coffee. And this looked like it might fit the bill, so I finally decided to check it out.

The recipe itself is very simple, but quite interesting. It involves combining equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water and vigorously beating them until the mixture becomes light and stiff. Almost like whipped cream or a meringue. The whipped mixture is then spooned over cold (or hot) milk and served.

Based on some quick Googling, this recipe originated in either South Korea or Macau, where it is sometimes served with various toppings. Cocoa, instant coffee crystals, or crushed biscuits are apparently popular garnishes. I'm not really invested enough to try to determine the precise origins. Suffice to say that it is interesting and tasty and, as far as I can tell, popular in both countries.

The coffee foam on its own is quite intense and a bit bitter, but once mixed with the milk, the final result is a bit like a creamy latté or Vietnamese coffee. I quite liked it!

Dalgona Coffee

From Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

Ingredients are per serving. Multiply by the number of servings you'd like to make.

• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee crystals
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. boiling water
• 2-4 ice cubes
• 1-2 c. milk¹

Directions

1. Combine the coffee, sugar, and water and beat with a whisk (or the whisk attachment of a hand or stand mixer) until mixture becomes light, fluffy, and forms soft peaks.
2. Add ice and milk to a large glass.
3. Spoon whipped coffee on top of the milk.
4. Use a straw to mix and drink your coffee.

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¹ Adjust the quantity of milk depending on how strong you like your coffee. One cup of milk per serving is probably sufficient for those who like relatively strong coffee. One-and-a-half or two cups may be more appropriate for those who like a more dilute, mellow flavour. ^Back