Light, fluffy, and sweet with a bold coffee kick—Dalgona coffee went viral for a reason.
It looks like something straight out of a café, but it takes just minutes to make in your own kitchen.
I spent a lot of time researching and testing this Dalgona coffee recipe to bring you the most reliable version of this trending drink.
I’ve tried different coffee-to-sugar ratios, experimented with both hand-whipping and machine methods, and made dozens of batches to ensure the texture and flavor are just right every time.
Whether you’re making it for the first time or refining your technique, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know—from ingredients and step-by-step instructions to serving tips and fun variations.
Why you will love this whipped coffee recipe:
- Café-Worthy at Home – Looks impressive, tastes amazing, and takes just 5 minutes to make.
- Tested for Perfect Texture – Works with both hand-whipping and machine methods.
- Simple Ingredients – Just instant coffee, sugar, and hot water—no fancy tools needed.
- Customizable – Use your favorite milk, adjust the sweetness, or top with cinnamon, Nutella, or chocolate.
Ready to whip up your own Dalgona coffee? Let’s get started!
What is Dalgona coffee?
Dalgona coffee is a whipped coffee beverage that gained global popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The drink is made by whipping equal parts of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water until it becomes creamy, then adding it to cold or hot milk.
According to Vice, Dalgona coffee became one of the most prominent food trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining global popularity in early 2020.
The trend originated from a January 2020 Korean TV clip featuring actor Jung Il Woo trying a whipped coffee drink in Macau.
He likened its taste to dalgona, a Korean honeycomb candy, leading to the beverage’s name.
Subsequently, Korean YouTubers popularized the drink, which quickly went viral as people worldwide, confined at home, began making and sharing their versions on social media platforms like TikTok!
Here’s a quick overview of the details:
| Feature | Details |
| Origin | South Korea |
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Key Ingredients | Instant coffee, sugar, hot water, milk |
| Best Served | Cold with ice or hot |
| Variations | Cinnamon, Nutella, chocolate curls |
What is Dalgona coffee made of?
This Korean coffee is made using instant coffee, boiling water, sugar, a few ice cubes, and milk or milk alternatives.
To make your perfect Dalgona coffee, you can also add a few extras, like chocolate curls, cinnamon, or even Nutella, but I will get into this a bit later on.
Below, I have a recipe card where you can find the perfect ratio to make a delicious Dalgona coffee. This way, you can make this delicious whipped coffee at home!
What is instant coffee? And why is it so popular?
What is this magic coffee made of instant coffee, and why is it so popular? To answer this question, we will first need to find out how instant coffee is made.
Instant coffee, is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans that enables people to quickly prepare hot coffee by adding hot water or milk to the powder or crystals and stirring.
Wikipedia
Instant coffee is already a few years old, to say the least. Instant coffee was invented in 1881 by Alphonse Allais.
For this recipe, I am using instant coffee from the brand Douwe Egberts, a Dutch coffee brand.
I remember having this coffee at home when I was younger. Up until recently, I didn’t know that you could make more than just a cup of joe using instant coffee.
How to make Dalgona coffee at home
But enough about that; it’s time for the recipe so you can try this coffee at home!
Don’t forget to save this recipe for later so you can enjoy this homemade coffee anytime:
Dalgona Coffee
Make yourself amazing whipped coffee! Great for those summer days when you want to enjoy some ice-cold coffee.
Ingredients
- This will make 5 servings of Dalgona mousse, you can multiply these numbers to make the serving you need.
- Instant coffee: 40 grams
- Fine sugar: 120 grams
- Boiling water: 100 grams
- What you are going to need for 1 serving of Dalgona coffee:
- Ice cubes, about: 100 grams (or 7 ice cubes)
- Milk (or milk alternative): 100 grams
- Dalgona mousse: 45 grams
Instructions
How to make the Dalgona mousse
- You will start by adding sugar, instant coffee, and boiling water to a kitchen machine to make the mousse.
- Whip the Dalgona mousse until stiff peaks appear; this will take about 3 minutes when the machine is put on full blast.
How to serve the Dalgona coffee
- Start by adding your milk to your desired glass.
- Then add the ice cubes, and let it chill a bit.
- Next up is adding your Dalgona mousse to the top.
Notes
Make sure to mix all of the coffee together, as this will create the best drinking experience. You can also add a few things on top of your Dalgona coffee, read along, and find out what you can add to your caffeinated drink.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 1,5gSugar: 9gProtein: 1,2g
How to make the Dalgona mousse (explained with photos)
To make the Dalgona mousse the right way, you will need to follow these 5 easy steps.
- Step 1. Add the instant coffee to your mixture
- Step 2. Also, measure your sugar and add it to your mixing bowl.
- Step 3. Pour boiling water into the coffee/ sugar mixture.
- Step 4. Start whipping the coffee together; this will take about 3 minutes.
- Step 5. Stop when the 3 minutes have passed, and the mousse looks like this.
How to serve the Dalgona coffee (explained with photos)
- Step 1. Start by adding the cold milk into your glass.
- Step 2. Add the ice cubes to your glass.
- Step 3. Finish by adding the Dalgona mousse on top.
What does Dalgona coffee taste like?
The flavor of Dalgona coffee is pretty strong but also a bit sweet because of the added sugar.
Because of its fluffy texture, it has a pretty weird mouthfeel. When you have made the coffee, you want to stir it to enjoy it the most.
By stirring or swirling through the mixture, you are forcing the fluffy Dalgona mousse to mix with the ice and milk (or milk alternative), creating a smooth caffeinated drink.
The Dalgona mousse will want to stick to the ice cubes a bit, so you will want to stir your drink every so often.
The ice will slowly dilute, leaving a slightly watered-down coffee drink; by swirling the coffee, you will keep the mixture together a bit better.
Dalgona coffee flavor variations to try
You can play with the flavors a lot by adding spices like cinnamon and pumpkin spice, or you can add some Nutella or even a bit of chocolate curls to finish your coffee.
The variations are endless, so you can make it Your Dream Coffee.
I like to add a few chocolate curls to finish my drink. The chocolate curls give the coffee a bit more texture, which I really dig.
What is the difference between hand whisking and using a kitchen machine?
The whipped coffee can be made using a kitchen machine, handheld kitchen mixer, or whisk.
For the best result, I suggest using a kitchen machine. The coffee mixture needs to be whipped vigorously to incorporate all the air, which creates the full Dalgona mousse.
However, you can achieve the same result by using a handheld kitchen mixer. Grab a big measuring cup that will fit the handheld kitchen mixer.
You will now move the mixer up and down, creating air in the coffee mousse. Keep going until it reaches the same color, as shown above. This will take about 5 minutes to finish.
If you want to be brave, you can also use a whisk to create the Dalgona mousse. However, I must warn you, it will take a while.
It can take up to 15 minutes to create the foamy Dalgona mousse, but you might not achieve the same fluffiness as a machine can.
How long does the Dalgona mousse last?
You can use the Dalgona mousse for a few days. Just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container, as the mousse will extract the flavors from your fridge.
If you want to use the mousse after, say, two days, you need to whip the mousse a bit more as most of the air will have been flying off.
Using the recipe card, you can make 5 Dalgona coffees. I suggest making just a small batch at a time so you have fresh Dalgona mousse whenever you need it.
FAQs about Dalgona coffee
Before I close off this article, here are a few questions people often ask when learning to make a Dalgona coffee at home.
Who knows, maybe this will answer one of the questions you had as well!
Does Dalgona coffee have caffeine?
Yes, Dalgona coffee contains caffeine. The amount of caffeine depends on how much instant coffee you use and which brand you use.
Can I make Dalgona coffee without sugar?
According to Bulletproof, it’s possible to prepare Dalgona coffee without sugar. For a sugar-free version, Bulletproof suggests using keto-friendly sweeteners like monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia.
Does it work with decaf instant coffee?
Yes, you can use decaffeinated instant coffee to make Dalgona coffee if you prefer to avoid caffeine.
Can I store leftover Dalgona mousse?
Yes, you can store leftover Dalgona coffee foam in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before using it again, give it a quick whisk to restore its texture.
Conclusion
That’s everything you need to know to make café-style Dalgona coffee at home.
It’s creamy, fun to make, and endlessly customizable—whether you prefer it with chocolate curls, cinnamon, or a dash of Nutella.
Have you tried this recipe? Did you make it with a whisk or an electric mixer? I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Drop your thoughts or questions in the comments below!
More coffee recipes
Ready to try different kinds of coffee? Check out my other recipes below:
