Dalgona coffee recipes have flooded the internet!
The craze has taken hold in households all over the world during the COVID-19 crisis due to the lockdowns.
Dalgona coffee was once a beverage to leave home for, but now that most of us are self-isolating, the #dalgonacoffeechallenge has popularized this wonderful drink across social media.
What is Dalgona Coffee?
I had to look this up myself, because as for many people, dalgona coffee is totally new to me!
Dalgona coffee is a whipped coffee drink that originated in Korea. Apparently it is named after a popular Korean sweet called dalgona, because this coffee has a similar honeycomb toffee flavor. The drink contains no actual dalgona though.
It’s kind of a latte with the coffee whip served over the top of the milk. It can be served over either hot or cold milk. In my house, we like our coffee chilled (the Dubai weather might have something to do with that!).
What is the Secret Behind the Dalgona Coffee Recipe?
The secret to a gorgeous, fluffy dalgona coffee is instant coffee.
Regular coffee just won’t give you the froth you achieve with instant. Some sources say this is because there is a gum in instant coffee that helps the frothing. Others say it’s due to the drying process of coffee granules. And still others say that it’s because the instant coffee dissolves with the sugar and water, while regular ground coffee beans do not.
No matter the reason, this is one time where instant coffee is the clear winner!
My Experiments With Dalgona Coffee
So of course, I tried out the dalgona coffee thing for myself. How could I not, with all these photos of delicious-looking whipped coffee showing up all over the place?
I experimented with different ingredients. I got the best results using Nescafe instant coffee and regular white sugar, just as the recipe says.
Unfortunately, no alternative sweetener worked in terms of getting that froth. So if you are going to attempt this with stevia, erythritol, monkfruit or any healthier sugar alternative, be prepared to be disappointed! It might taste ok but you won’t get the impressive foam.
I’d really love to try dalgona coffee with coconut sugar. Although coconut sugar is still very high in carbohydrates just like regular sugar (and still has a big impact on blood sugars), it is a slightly better option in terms of its glycemic index. But the main reason that coconut sugar is a tiny bit healthier than white or raw sugar is that it contains a few nutrients that regular sugar does not. Those who have tried dalgona coffee with coconut sugar say it works really well.
Dalgona Coffee with Less Sugar
A standard recipe for this Korean coffee uses equal proportions of instant coffee granules, sugar, and hot water. That’s the whip. Using electric beaters, you beat it until nice and frothy just like if you were beating egg whites.
However, given that you need 2 tablespoons of coffee, that means you use 2 tablespoons of sugar. For me, that’s too much sugar.
In my experiments, I tried this out with half the sugar. Guess what – it worked! It still came out wonderfully frothy, just not so sweet.
Maybe the froth was a little less stiff than with double the sugar, but that was just fine by me. Once you have taken your pic for Instagram you stir it all together anyway!
Not only is there a lot of carb content in 2 tablespoons of sugar, but I personally found it too sweet in flavor. Halving the sugar worked out well for me, both in flavor and texture.
Is Dalgona Coffee Served Hot or Cold?
Your choice! You can make it with warm milk, but in our house we prefer it as a cold coffee. It is most often served as a cold or iced coffee, but some prefer it as a hot coffee and that works just fine.
The coffee whip itself is usually made with boiling water, but since we were making an iced coffee we used cold water. This worked just fine. Then you just plop your coffee whip on top of either warm or cold milk in your glass.
You get the most aesthetically pleasing results from serving this in a glass as opposed to a mug (so that you can see the delicious layers), so if you’re serving it hot, make sure your glass is still cool enough to handle.
What Type of Milk to Use?
Whatever you like! The great thing about this whipped coffee recipe is that you can go ahead and use the milk you prefer in your regular coffee.
We love almond milk in our coffee, but any plant milk or dairy milk will work.
Serves 2
Dalgona Iced Coffee with Less Sugar Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp instant coffee like Nescafe
- 2 tbsp cold water (use boiling water if you’re making hot coffee)
- 300ml cold unsweetened almond milk (you could use cow’s milk, or any other milk if you like. Just rerun the nutritional information. You can heat up your milk for a hot coffee.
Directions:
- Combine sugar, coffee, and water in a bowl.
- Using an electric whisk or mixer, mix ingredients until they thicken and become a firm whip.
- Transfer your milk into two glasses.
- Top your milk with your coffee whip.
- Take your Instagram photo for the #dalgonacoffeechallenge ! (optional)
- Stir the whip through your milk and enjoy!
Do you have a diabetes-friendly recipe to share? Would you like to see it published here? Submit your recipe to info@diapointme.com. Don’t forget to include a link to your recipe (if published online), a high-res image of the final dish, and your full name and contact details.
