Dalgona coffee recipe: whipped instant coffee over milk
Jack Donnell
At a glance
Make dalgona coffee by whipping instant coffee, sugar, and water, then serving it over milk. Includes measured ingredients, whisking cues, and foam fixes.
Dalgona coffee is a whipped instant-coffee foam served over milk. Equal spoonfuls of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water form the starting foam in this recipe. A hand mixer makes the process quicker, while a whisk gives the same basic technique with more effort.
Use soluble instant coffee, not ground coffee or leftover espresso. The foam is part of the drink’s structure, so this is different from adding ordinary brewed coffee to a glass of milk.
Dalgona coffee recipe
Yield: 1 drink · Prep: about 7 minutes · Cook/brew: about 0 minutes · Total: about 7 minutes
Use these quantities as home starting points and adjust to taste. Times are estimates; allow extra time for an espresso machine to warm up. US volume measures are approximate metric conversions.
Equipment
Medium mixing bowl, hand mixer or whisk, measuring spoon, spatula, and a 16 fl oz glass.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon soluble instant coffee granules (about 5 g; brands vary)
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) hot water
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold milk
- 1/2 cup ice cubes (about 70 g)
Instructions
- Combine the foam ingredients. Put instant coffee, sugar, and hot water into a medium bowl. Stir briefly so the granules become wet.
- Whip. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until pale, thick, and able to hold a soft mound. Allow roughly 3–5 minutes with a mixer or longer by hand; use the texture as the cue.
- Prepare the milk. Add the ice and cold milk to the serving glass, leaving space for the whipped coffee.
- Top and mix. Spoon the foam over the milk. Serve with a spoon and stir the foam into the milk before drinking for a more even coffee balance.
Tips and adjustments
Mixture stays runny?
Check that you used soluble instant coffee rather than ground beans. Measure the water carefully; an extra splash changes the whipping ratio.
Foam collapses?
Whip until it holds a mound and assemble shortly before serving. Substantially reducing sugar can change the foam’s stability and texture.
Coffee flavor too intense?
Use less of the finished foam on the glass and stir well. Keep the original measured foam recipe for the comparison rather than guessing several new quantities.
Common questions
Can I use hot milk?
Yes. Omit ice, warm the measured milk, and spoon the foam over it in a heat-resistant mug. Stir before sipping.
Can I make the foam in a blender?
A hand mixer or whisk in a bowl is easier for this small amount. A large blender jar may not engage such a shallow mixture effectively.
More coffee recipes
- Iced latte recipe with espresso and cold milk
- Coffee frappe recipe
- Vietnamese iced coffee recipe with a phin filter
Browse all coffee recipes or return to our recipe collection.
Further reading: Whipped coffee technique. The measured preparation above is a Chroma home starting version.
Illustrative stock photo: Pexels, used under the Pexels license.