Dalgona coffee is instant coffee whipped into a thick, toffee-coloured foam and spooned over cold milk. With an electric beater it takes about 5 minutes from start to glass.
It's one of the types of coffee you can make with no machine at all, just three things from the kitchen shelf.
What is dalgona coffee?
Dalgona coffee is equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water, whipped until thick and pale, then spooned over a glass of cold milk. The foam floats on top, and you stir it into the milk before drinking. You need no machine, only a bowl and a whisk or beater.
Dalgona is the name of a Korean honeycomb toffee that the foam looks like. The drink spread around the world in 2020, when people stuck at home during lockdowns started making it. It wasn't new to India, though. Whipped coffee like this has long been made in India and Pakistan, where it's called beaten coffee or phenti hui coffee, according to The Business Standard.
Dalgona coffee recipe
For one glass:
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp hot water
- A glass of cold milk, about 240 ml (1 cup)
- A few ice cubes
- Cocoa powder to dust, if you like
You'll need a deep bowl and an electric beater, a whisk or a spoon.
How to make dalgona coffee
- Put the instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a deep bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
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Whisk until the mix is thick, pale and holds soft peaks, like whipped cream. With an electric beater this takes about 2–3 minutes. By hand with a whisk or spoon, allow about 5 minutes.
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Fill a glass with ice and pour in the cold milk.
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Spoon the whipped coffee on top of the milk.
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Dust with cocoa if you like, then stir the foam into the milk before you drink it.
Why won't my dalgona coffee whip?
Foam that stays flat is common, and usually one of these is the reason:
- The coffee isn't instant. It only works with instant coffee.
- There isn't enough sugar. Sugar helps the foam hold its shape, so cut it only a little.
- There's too much water. Measure it, because too much water and it stays thin.
- It needs more time. By hand, it can take several minutes before the mix turns pale and thick. Keep going.
Hot dalgona and other variations
- Hot dalgona: spoon the foam over hot milk instead of cold. It makes a frothy, cappuccino-style coffee, the way many Indian homes serve beaten coffee.
- Less sugar: use a little less sugar if you find it too sweet. The foam comes out softer.
- Chocolate: dust the top with cocoa, or stir a spoon of cocoa into the milk.
- Dalgona cold coffee: blend the foam with the milk and ice for a frothy drink, like a quick cold coffee.
Dalgona coffee FAQs
Is dalgona Korean or Japanese?
Korean. It got its name in January 2020, when South Korean actor Jung Il-woo tried a whipped coffee in Macau on a TV show and said it reminded him of dalgona, a Korean honeycomb toffee.
What is special about dalgona coffee?
The thick whipped foam that floats on the milk. It needs only three pantry ingredients and no machine.
Can I make dalgona with filter coffee?
No. It only works with instant coffee.
Make your first glass
Start with equal parts and an electric beater if you have one. Next time, adjust the sugar until it's just sweet enough for you.