If you were on social media at all during 2020 then you had to have seen one, if not multiple, people making whipped coffee. Dalgona coffee is the technical name for whipped coffee that originated in South Korea because movie star Jung Il-woo orders a dalgona coffee on the tv show, Stars’ Top Recipe Fun-Staurant. Since social distancing orders were still in high effect at that time, everyone in South Korea had to try to make it for themselves at home. And so, the dalgona coffee quickly was dubbed, the “quarantine coffee”. The hype of this coffee became so large that everyone was posting about this creamy, frothy, and sweet beverage. Not to mention, it’s gorgeous to look at!
What Is a Dalgona Coffee?
A dalgona coffee is essentially a whipped coffee that uses instant coffee as its base. You take equal parts of instant coffee grounds, sugar, and hot water and then mix it (usually with a milk frother) until you get a fluffy and creamy texture. Usually, this cloud-like coffee gets put over cold milk and enjoyed iced but there are plenty of people that drink this hot as well.
The name “dalgona” is derived from its resemblance in flavor to the South Korean candy the dalgona. While there isn’t any candy in this coffee the taste of both has a slight nutty or toffee flavor that they each seem to have.
Is it Hard to Make Dalgona Coffee?
While popular opinion says that the only way to make dalgona coffee is with instant coffee, we love our fresh coffee a little more. Normally to make dalgona coffee you would use a handheld milk frother and mix together instant coffee, sugar, and hot water. For this recipe we are going to go a little different.
Before we start — know that you will need a high powered mixer for this. Whether that be a high powered milk frother or a hand mixer, either one works. But this process, while doable, is not easy to achieve if you are mixing your coffee by hand. If this was using instant coffee then it would be different, but we want to go a little more authentic with our brew so go ahead and grab that hand mixer.
How to Make Dalgona Coffee Without Instant Coffee
Let’s be honest, not very many people just have instant coffee in their pantries anymore. Besides, instant coffee just isn’t that tasty. So we figured out a way for you to make your own dalgona coffee with just your normal Real Good Coffee Co. espresso pods. You are going to be mixing the espresso together with equal parts sugar, so just keep in mind that this cup of coffee is going to be SWEET! So if you like your coffee a little more balanced then you are going to want to use the strongest espresso you can find for this recipe. Now, let's get to brewing!
Ingredients:
4tbsp Real Good Coffee Co. Strongest Espresso
4tsbp Sugar (Cane sugar is recommended)
Milk of choice
Ice
The first thing you want to do is to pour four tablespoons of sugar and four tablespoons of brewed espresso into a bowl.
Using a high power hand mixer, mix together until your coffee and sugar begin to change texture into a fluffy meringue consistency. Your coloring should be a light sand color and the coffee itself should have a cloud-like feel to it.
The mixing process should take about 5-6 minutes to complete.
Once your coffee and sugar have been properly mixed to the right consistency, fill a glass with ice and fill with your milk of choice up to about ¾ of the way to the top.
To finish, you are going to scoop your whipped coffee on top of your glass of milk and enjoy!
If you want to get extra classy then you can add some cacao powder on top for aesthetic.
Dalgona coffee is extremely unique and so much fun to make. This coffee treat might even be better than the frappe! The consistency is like none other and so worth giving it a try to make.
FAQs
Can You Make Dalgona Coffee Lactose Free?
You absolutely can! The base of dalgona is just coffee and sugar so the milk is completely interchangeable. So grab your favorite oat milk, almond milk, or even hemp milk and get to sipping!
That Sounds Like A Lot Of Sugar, Can I Use Less?
You can use less sugar in this but know that you may need to whip for longer to get the desired consistency. The sugar is what helps you get the correct cloud like whip so it may just take you a little longer than normal.
What About A Sugar Substitute?
You can use a sugar substitute in this recipe but know that the results may vary based on what you use. Brown sugar has the same consistency as cane sugar so it would be an easy swap out or even coconut sugar is an amazing substitution. If you are trying to go sugar-free then using a sugar substitute will change how your whipped coffee comes out.
Is a Hand Mixer or a Milk Frother Better To Use?
A hand mixer is ideal to use since it gets up to a faster speed but if all you have is a milk frother on hand then that will work as well.
Can I Whip My Coffee Without A Hand Mixer?
It will not work. Unless you have super muscles and a lot of resilience it is extremely hard to whip your coffee yourself. It would take about 9 minutes of constant stirring at a high speed to achieve the correct whipped texture.
There we go! You are set to try out the famous quarantine coffee, cheers!
