Iced and sweet
Dalgona coffee
Mostly sweet milk, with a bitter coffee foam on top that mellows as you stir it in.
- Whipped coffee ≈ 70 ml
- Cold milk ≈ 200 ml
- About 270 ml plus ice
Instant coffee, sugar and hot water whipped into a thick, sweet foam and spooned over milk. Everyone was making it during the 2020 lockdowns. It has to be instant, since regular ground coffee won’t whip.
| Ratio | Equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water |
|---|---|
| Recipe | 2 tbsp each, whipped, over 200 ml milk |
| Milk | Cold, over ice (about 75% of the drink) |
| Serve in | 350–450 ml glass |
| Time | 2–5 min whipping |
| How strong it tastes | Medium |
How to make it
- Put 2 tablespoons each of instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a bowl.
- Whip with a hand mixer for 2 to 5 minutes, until thick and pale.
- Fill a glass with ice and 200 ml of cold milk.
- Spoon the whipped coffee on top and stir it in as you drink.
Tip: A whisk works, but it takes far longer than a hand mixer and your arm will feel it.
Common mistake: Giving up too soon. Keep going until it’s pale and holds its shape.
Variations
- Hot: spoon the foam over warm milk
- Less sugar: the foam turns looser and less stable
At a café
Mostly something people make at home. The few cafés that sell it tend to call it whipped coffee.
Dalgona coffee vs. iced latte: An iced latte has the espresso mixed right into the milk. With dalgona the coffee sits on top as a sweet whipped foam. See the iced latte
You’ll need: Kettle and hand mixer or whisk.