Dalgona Coffee
Dalgona coffee is a creamy, whipped coffee drink made by whipping instant coffee, sugar, and hot water into a thick fluffy foam, then spooning it over hot or iced milk. I’m on a real iced coffee kick at the moment and though I somehow missed this trend when it first took off, this one’s in my regular afternoon-pick-me-up rotation right now!
Quick history lesson: Dalgona coffee exploded in popularity on social media during the 2020 lockdown era, when people started recreating the fluffy whipped coffee drink at home and sharing it everywhere online.
The drink is often linked to Macau-style whipped coffee, but it’s also very similar to the classic Greek frappé and other whipped coffee drinks that have been enjoyed across different countries and continents for years. So while the internet definitely made it famous, the idea of frothy whipped instant coffee has been around long before TikTok got hold of it!
What You’ll Need
You need just three ingredients plus water to make this! Want the printable recipe card to save at home? It’s at the bottom of this post!
- Instant coffee – Key ingredient that creates the signature fluffy whipped texture. Regular ground coffee won’t work the same way!
- Granulated sugar – Helps stabilize the whipped coffee and gives it that creamy, café-style flavor.
- Hot water – Dissolves the coffee and sugar so everything whips up properly.
- Milk of choice – Served underneath the whipped coffee layer. Dairy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or any favorite milk works, either hot or iced.
How To Make Dalgona Iced Coffee
- In a small bowl, combine the instant coffee, sugar, and hot water.
- Whisk until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and fluffy. If you’re using an electric hand mixer, this usually takes about 3 minutes. By hand, it takes closer to 8–10 minutes and definitely counts as a little arm workout.
- Fill a glass with milk and ice if serving cold.
- Spoon the whipped coffee mixture over the milk, then stir everything together before drinking, or leave some of the foam sitting on top if you like that layered coffee shop look.
- You can serve dalgona coffee hot or iced.
Recipe Notes
Instant coffee is super important! Regular brewed coffee or espresso won’t whip into that thick fluffy texture the same way.
The equal ratio of coffee, sugar, and hot water is what helps create the stable whipped foam, so it’s best not to change those proportions too much.
Using an electric hand mixer makes this much faster, but it absolutely can be whisked by hand if you’re patient.
The whipped coffee layer will slowly deflate over time, so dalgona coffee is best made fresh right before serving.
If you like sweeter coffee drinks, add a little extra sugar to the milk itself before pouring the whipped coffee on top.
Serving Ideas
Dalgona coffee is especially good served iced on warmer days with lots of ice and creamy milk underneath the fluffy coffee topping! For colder mornings, serve it with steamed hot milk.
You can also top it with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, cinnamon, chocolate shavings, or caramel drizzle if you want to dress it up a little.
It looks really good served in coffee glasses, if you have them!
Dalgona Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 8 oz milk of your choice hot or cold, which ever you prefer
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the instant coffee, sugar, and hot water.
- Whisk until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and fluffy. If you’re using an electric hand mixer, this usually takes about 3 minutes. By hand, it takes closer to 8–10 minutes and definitely counts as a little arm workout.
- Fill a glass with milk and ice if serving cold.
- Spoon the whipped coffee mixture over the milk, then stir everything together before drinking, or leave some of the foam sitting on top if you like that layered coffee shop look.
- You can serve dalgona coffee hot or iced.
Leave a review and a rating below if you’ve tried this one!