Whipped Coffee (Dalgona Coffee)

Name: Whipped Coffee (Dalgona Coffee)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients: 1 part // 2 tbsp instant coffee; 1 part // 2 tbsp granulated sugar (see notes above for the types of sugars that work); 1 - 1.5 part // 2 - 3 tbsp hot water or milk (see tip #2 in the notes above for different ratios of water you can use that changes the texture); milk of choice (about 1 cup per serving // I find cashew milk the best); 1/2 tbsp: vanilla extract; 1 tsp: hazelnut extract, almond extract, maple extract; 2 tbsp cocoa powder + extra 2 tbsp of hot water; 1 tsp cinnamon; pinch of salt

March 29, 2020 By Lisa Kitahara 67 Comments

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cashew milk in a cup with coffee foam on top

Learn how to make super fluffy dalgona whipped coffee easily at home with the best tips, tricks and just 3 pantry staple ingredients! (Vegan)

Have you been bit by the TikTok bug? Yeah, me too.

If you have, you've probably also come across this trending beverage that has gone viral: dalgona coffee (official name) also known as whipped coffee (TikTok name).

It's visually aesthetic, super tasty and (kinda) fun to make. Plus, it can also be a pretty great arm workout to start your mornings off.

Since coming across this fancy coffee (literally a week ago), I've probably gone through 2 containers of instant coffee and I'm still amazed by how dang good it is. You could say I'm a little obsessed with it.

Along the way after many (many x 10) cups of whipped coffee, I've picked up some tips, tricks and variations to making this fancy coffee shop worthy drink. After posting it on my Instagram, I also got many questions about it so I thought I'd make a post answering them all.

dalgona whipped coffee ingredients on a marble countertop

What is Whipped Coffee?

Whipped coffee is a magical whipped coffee beverage made from whipping instant coffee, sugar and liquid together and stirred into either iced or hot milk. I've also seen this drink referred as fluffy coffee, frappe coffee, frothy coffee, whipped coffee and cloud coffee. Beaten Coffee

Where did it come from?
After doing a bit of research, it seems that this concept of whipping instant coffee and sugar comes from many places with different names:

Dalgona in Korea: It's called Dalgona because the foamy coffee resembles a Korean honeycomb toffee called dalgona candy.
Frappé Coffee in Greece: Greek iced coffee.
Indian Cappuccino / Beaten Coffee in India

What does it taste like?

It tastes like a coffee mousse in beverage form... but also like a coffee milkshake. The coffee foam its self is quite bitter and sweet, but when mixed in with some milk, it's honestly just an incredible experience.

step by step how to make whipped coffee using a hand frother

How to Make it at Home

Whipped coffee is made by mixing instant coffee with sugar and a bit of liquid. Most people use hot water, but I like to use warmed up non-dairy milk because I find it holds the foam a lot better, especially overnight.

Best Equipment for the Job

Making whipped coffee is super easy but can take some time depending on what equipment you have. After doing some experimenting, here's what I found:

#1: Electric Hand Mixer: This is by far the best method in my opinion. It took about 2 minutes of letting the machine go and it created the most foam. I used a silicon whisk instead of metal as well.
#2: Stand Mixer: Love this method because it's hands free BUT you do have to make a bigger serving to get it going because of how big the actual bowl is.
#3: Hand Held Frother: You have to use a strong hand held frother for this. First I used a cheap one and the 'whipping' was not efficient enough and once it was foamy, it wasn't able to whip anymore for stiff peaks.
#5: Mason Jar: Add all the ingredients into a jar and shake until foamy. You get softer peaks but I did find it much easier than whisking by hand.
#6: Matcha Whisk: I found it to be the best equipment when doing it by hand.
#4: Small Whisk > Fork: If you don't have any of these appliances, you can make it with muscle work but it does take quite a bit of time. I do recommend using a small whisk over a fork.
#5: Milk Frother
Things that COULD work but I haven't yet tried: small blender, milk frother machine

whipped coffee in a jar with a electric hand mixer

Variations

I tested a couple different variations that I thought could work and I was surprised to find that there are a lot of ways to change up the flavour!

Mocha: Make the base recipe and then whip it up. Once you get it frothy, add in ½-1 tablespoon of cocoa powder depending on how much of a chocolate flavour you like and whip for another minute
Matcha: You can replace the matcha with the instant coffee but note that it does not become as fluffy. UPDATED (April 1st): After a lot of people requesting a way for the matcha and chocolate version to fluff up more, I experimented with aquafaba since I have seen a lot of people use egg whites. A detailed blogpost will be coming soon but it came out very well! We're basically making a meringue here without the almond flour. Whip up aquafaba (about ⅓ of a cup) until stiff peaks form. Then sift in 3 tablespoon powdered sugar OR 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon matcha powder and ¼ teaspoon of cream of tar tar and continue whipping until everything is incorporated.
Maple Flavoured (My Favourite): Substitute the sugar with the same amount of maple syrup and you get a maple flavoured whipped coffee! I find it easier and quicker to whip up and the texture is more light and fluffy.
Chocolate (Caffeine Free!): The ratio for the chocolate version is 1 part cocoa powder : 1 part sugar : 1.5 parts canned coconut milk. Using canned coconut milk here will help fluff up much better than cartoned milk. For example, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder + 2 tablespoon sugar + 4 tablespoon hot milk or water. UPDATED (April 3rd): Many of you have been having trouble whipping up the chocolate version so after trying the matcha using aquafaba, this may be a better option that does fluff up much better. Whip ⅓ cup of aquafaba until stiff peaks. Then sift in 3 tablespoon powdered sugar or 2 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1-1.5 tablespoon cocoa powder and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and whip until incorporated and fluffy.
Extracts: add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to every 2 tablespoon of instant coffee. Add ½ teaspoon of hazelnut, almond, caramel or maple extract for every 2 tablespoon of instant coffee.
Salted: Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavour (salted caramel?! yes please!!).
Less Sugar: You can reduce the amount of sugar by half but note that the foam is not as thick.
Less Caffeine: You can reduce the amount of instant coffee by ⅓ and replace it with more sugar or cocoa powder. For example, 2 tablespoon instant coffee + 4 teaspoon sugar + 2 tablespoon hot liquid

step by step how to make whipped iced coffee

Best Tips & Tricks

Use HOT Liquid: Either straight out of the kettle, hot water dispenser or heated over the stove. Anything hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has melted, you can then go ahead and start whisking away.
Increase the Hot Water: Most recipes call for 1:1:1 ratio of all the ingredients but I found that adding a bit more hot liquid helps it froth up even more and it's also more light and airy. I typically now do a 1 part instant coffee : 1 part sugar : 1.5 part liquid ratio.
Whisk in a Jar for Electric Mixer: This prevents ingredients from flying around as your whisking and you can store left overs just by putting a lid on. When doing this, you want to move the electric mixer or hand held frother up and down so air goes into the jar. If using other methods a bowl would be more ideal.
Increasing the Amount of Ingredients: Depending on the size of your bowl (or jar), increase the amount of ingredients to get things going. I found it a lot more difficult whipping a small amount in a large bowl.
Use it For Dessert: Because it keeps its foam so well, I found it to be a super tasty on top of my chickpea cookie skillet, banana icecream, flourless chocolate cake, brownies and banana snacking cake! It's kinda like coffee flavoured whipped cream.
Make it Ahead: I was surprised as just how long it kept its frothy-ness! You can make it in advance by 1-2 days and store it in the fridge. If you notice it does start to get watery, just re-whip with the remaining amount.
Freeze it: You can also make a larger batch and freeze it! I like to scoop them into ice cube trays and add 2-3 cubes into some milk. Also kinda great to snack on...

non dairy milk in a cup with dalgona foam

FAQ

Here are some of the common questions I received when posting about it on my instagram:

What kind of instant coffee should I use? Any instant coffee SHOULD work but I know for sure it works with: Nescafe's Rich, Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Nescafe Gold Blend and Four Sigmatic Instant Coffee.
Can I use decaf instant coffee? Yes, it works with Nescafe's decaf coffee.
What Kind of Sugar Should I Use? I tried this with granulated cane sugar, brown sugar, maple sugar and coconut sugar and they all work! The granulated cane sugar did have the strongest and highest foam peaks.
Is it dairy free/can I make it dairy free? Yes-- whipped coffee it's self is vegan (as long as you use sugar that is vegan). For the milk, use any non-dairy milk like cashew, almond, hemp or soy milk.
Can I use monk fruit sweetener, xylitol, stevia or truvia? I have tried using monk fruit sweetener, stevia and truvia with success. I have not tried xylitol myself but have had people report back saying it does work.
Can I use maple syrup? YES! It works very well and has a delicious maple flavour to it.
Do I have to use instant coffee? No! So I did a little experiment with espresso and it works. All you need is 2 tablespoon of STRONG espresso. Note that it the foam is not peak as much.
Do I have to use a electric hand mixer or stand mixer? Nope! See the notes above for equipment you can use.
Can I make this hot instead of iced? YES. I actually have been loving it hot in the mornings and iced in the afternoons.
How long does dalgona foam last for? It lasts for hours. Seriously, I was amazed at how long it kept its form.
Can I make whipped coffee ahead of time? Yes! The dalgona coffee foam can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
I can't get my mixture to foam as much as yours, what did I do wrong? It could have been the type of instant coffee, adding too much water or the type of sugar you used. Make sure to use the ones I mentioned above for best results. As well, use a bowl that isn't too large because it difficult to whip air into it in the whisk/appliance can't catch all the ingredients. Is your bowl is too large, simply double or triple the recipe (and you can store the leftovers for next time). If everything is right, just keep whipping!! It could take up to 5 minutes depending on what equipment you're using. If you have any more questions feel free to leave them down below!

Favourite Coffee Pairings

Anything with bananas: banana bread, banana protein muffins, banana oatmeal muffins, baked banana oatmeal and banana breakfast cookies!
Coffee and muffins are the ultimate breakfast duo! Try it with blueberry muffins, chocolate chip tahini muffins, carrot cake muffins or even lemon poppy seed muffins.
This would also be super delish with some coffee cake, maple walnuts scones, warm chia pudding or zucchini baked oatmeal.
Not a sweet breakfast person? Go savoury with some corn bread waffles, savory friends tomato toast, bagels with vegan cream cheese , scrambled tofu or vegan egg muffins.

I cannot wait for you to try whipped coffee! It's seriously so satisfying and perfect for all the coffee lovers that are missing their favourite coffee shops during this quarantine time. I wish you many happy mornings to come with with magical cup of whipped coffee ♡.

non dairy cappuccino in a glass cup with frothy coffee on top

If you recreate this Whipped Coffee Recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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