Though I love a hot cup of coffee when I first wake up in the morning — and then another in the afternoon — I’ve been intrigued by all the social media posts on how to make Whipped Coffee. I didn’t know much about this trend, but when I saw from the community on our Recipe Rescue Facebook page that Whipped Coffee, or Dalgona Coffee, only requires two ingredients plus hot water, I knew this was something this java junkie had to try!
So here are a few quick tips on how to make Whipped Coffee, the sweet, caffeinated treat that’s currently trending everywhere and a snap to whip up at home.
Please note that I’m not a fancy food blogger and I don’t have a culinary arts degree. In other words, if I can do it, you definitely can too — at least if you learn from a few of my own trials and errors.
Related: 8 unexpected and totally delicious ways to upgrade your iced coffee.
What is Whipped Coffee?
Be sure to see my notes below on which kinds of sugar you can use!
Also known as Dalgona Coffee after a spongey Korean honeycomb toffee, fluffy whipped coffee is actually a topping for your favorite milk — cow, goat, almond, coconut, oat milk, soy, cashew, hemp; you get the idea.
It can be enjoyed hot or cold, and requires only instant coffee (yes, really!), sugar, and water. Which is why it’s a perfect drink for these long days at home.
(Though for most of us coffee lovers, we most likely don’t have any instant coffee at home. Personally, it’s something I have not willingly consumed since college.)
While the original video tutorial for Whipped Coffee I first followed on Tasty.com has you adding ice cubes to the milk for a cold treat, I have also made this with hot milk with great success.
How to make Whipped Coffee: An easy tutorial
Normally, I’d select the best instant coffee I could find, but Taster’s Choice French Roast was the only option left on my supermarket’s picked-over shelves. And it was just fine.
And if you’re cutting back on caffeine these days, evidently decaf instant coffee will work just as well.
You can make smaller or larger batches if you keep the ratios the same, but this amount was perfect for me, with a little left over for another day.
1) Get your stand mixer or a large bowl and a hand-mixer, which is my preference. Note that a larger bowl is needed to allow for enough air to be whipped into the “coffee sludge” and create the fluffiness you desire.
2) Combine equal parts each of instant coffee grounds, sugar and boiling water in a large bowl. I recommend 2 tablespoons for a single serving.
3) Using your hand mixer or whisk attachment on your stand mixer, start your engines. I mean, start whisking.
You can also do this step by hand, but you will be whisking for a very long time. Hey, maybe that will be your cardio for the day.
4) After several minutes, your mixture will have changed in color and consistency, from a dark brown sludge to a lighter caramel mousse with stiff peaks that hold their shape.
It really is a science experiment watching it all come together, so grab the kids for a quick science lesson! Just don’t let them lick the beaters unless you know how they handle caffeine. Trust me on this.
5) Dollop generous scoops on top of a glass of cold or hot milk of your choice, stir, and sip.
I’m so proud of myself!
6) Get ready for the caffeine and sugar to hit. Let’s just say I failed on my first attempt, and waited a whole day to try again because I just couldn’t handle two of these in a row.
Tips and notes on sugar vs alternative sweeteners:
– When I first made this using white cane sugar, I declared that the final result tasted like coffee marshmallow: delicious, creamy, and oh-so-sweet. I ate a ton of it right out of the bowl. About an hour later, I felt the effects of too much sugar and caffeine. Mama had to lie down for a while.
– On my second batch, I used coconut sugar, which is still sweet and doesn’t change the taste or results. Interestingly, it didn’t leave me with the same sugar/caffeine “hangover.” Now that may be because of the change in sugar, or could be the fact that I put leftovers in the fridge and not into my belly.
– Note that skipping or reducing the amount of sugar, or using a sugar alternative like Stevia, will change the final texture, but feel free to experiment with your sweetener or tweak the amounts.
– Whipped Coffee leftovers can stay in the fridge for a couple of days, but may need to be re-whisked before drinking to fluff back up.
– Any leftovers that you don’t drink would be great to top a scoop of ice cream or a big square of brownies.
– Once you’ve got this recipe down, check out this recipe for Dalgona Tiramisu from the Los Angeles Times, which I think would make a spectacular dessert after Easter dinner or as a treat to celebrate a teen or adult birthday.
Or really to just celebrate another week of having the kids home from school.
All photos © Christina Burrows Refford for Cool Mom Eats
YUM!!