The Dalgona Coffee Recipe - Variations & Tips for Home

Particularly exciting: You can prepare it classically with instant coffee or enjoy it as a modern variation, Dalgona Coffee with freshly brewed espresso. This way, you decide whether your Dalgona Coffee is quick and straightforward or aromatic with high-quality beans in your cup. Either way, you'll get a drink that refreshes, surprises, and provides the perfect summer moment.

Dalgona Coffee Recipe: Summer Delight with Just Three Ingredients

When the trend went global in 2020 via TikTok and Instagram, the idea was as simple as it was brilliant: Three ingredients – instant coffee, sugar, and hot water – whipped in a 1:1:1 ratio until a light, caramel-coloured cream formed. This foam, also known as “Whipped Coffee”, suddenly took centre stage and was whipped, spooned, and celebrated in countless videos.

Even the first clips showed it as a topping on cold milk, often with ice cubes for the perfect summer feeling. Thus, a minimalist idea evolved into a complete coffee drink – a creative alternative to classics like iced coffee, Frappuccino, or iced latte, and at the same time a symbol of modern coffee enjoyment at home.

Make Dalgona Yourself - What You Need for Preparation

Dalgona Coffee is more than just a drink – it's a small ritual. With just a few steps, you can create a creamy foam from simple ingredients that looks like a dessert and is wonderfully refreshing. Whether classic with instant coffee or as a modern version with espresso: with milk and ice cubes, it becomes the perfect summer moment in a glass.

Ingredients for Classic Dalgona Coffee (1 serving)

The viral original from 2020 comes with only three ingredients – whipped in a 1:1:1 ratio, this creates the legendary foam. For the finished Dalgona Coffee version in a glass, it is classically served on milk and ice cubes:

For the foam:

• 2 tsp instant coffee
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp hot water

For the base in the glass:

• 200 ml cold milk or plant-based drink
• optional ice cubes

With ice cubes, it becomes a refreshing Iced Dalgona Coffee – the perfect summer variation, which visually resembles an Iced Latte but gets a special twist with its creamy foam crown.

Step-by-Step Preparation – How to Make Your Dalgona Coffee

With these few ingredients, you're just a few steps away from your own Dalgona Coffee. The principle is simple: first make the creamy foam, then combine it with cold milk – and your summer drink is ready.

1. Put coffee, sugar, and hot water into a bowl.
2. Whisk vigorously with a hand mixer, whisk, or milk frother until a creamy, golden-brown mixture forms.
3. Fill a tall glass with cold milk, add ice cubes as desired.
4. Gently spoon the foam on top – stir only when drinking.

This is how the classic Whipped Coffee is created – the Korean coffee idea that became a global craze via TikTok & Co. and today inspires countless variations under the name Dalgona Coffee.

Equipment for Preparing Dalgona Coffee

Of course, a Dalgona can also be made with a simple whisk – but it's easier with a small hand mixer or an electric milk frother. It's important that the three ingredients (coffee, sugar, water) can be whipped into a light cream. A tall glass for serving and a spoon for stirring complete the experience.

• Hand mixer or whisk (allow for some patience)
  
• optional: milk frother or immersion blender
  
• tall glass for serving
  
• straw or spoon
  

Even without a mixer, it works – with a whisk, it takes longer, but the foam becomes particularly fine-pored.

Serving Tip: How to Make Your Dalgona Coffee a Highlight in a Glass

The wow factor lies not only in the taste but also in the appearance: Serve your Dalgona Coffee in a transparent glass so that the creamy coffee layer stands out clearly from the milk. With ice cubes, it looks particularly refreshing, and a straw or a small spoon completes the enjoyment. If you like, you can also sprinkle cocoa powder, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar over the foam – creating a real coffee shop moment at home.

• Use a tall, transparent glass so that the milk and foam are shown to their best advantage.
• Serve with a long spoon or straw – this way, you can decide whether to stir or enjoy the layers one after another.
• If you want to complete the coffee shop feeling, serve small pastries such as shortbread, almond biscuits, or a mini croissant alongside it.

The foam settles after a while – it's best to serve your Dalgona Coffee immediately after preparation when it's particularly creamy.

From Trend to Glass: Recipe, Variations & Tips for Your Dalgona Coffee at Home

A Dalgona Coffee doesn't always have to come in its classic version. If you're looking for variety, you can combine the creamy foam with different ingredients – from chocolate to matcha. And the base can also be varied: with high-quality espresso, the Whipped Coffee becomes a true speciality.

Dalgona Coffee with Espresso: The Speciality Version

If you want to get even more out of your Dalgona Coffee, you can use a strong espresso or a cold brew concentrate instead of instant coffee. This brings the trendy drink into the world of speciality coffee – and gives it the subtle aromas of your favourite bean. For those who value quality, there is this speciality variant: Dalgona Coffee with Espresso. This allows you to combine the creamy foam with the fine aromas of freshly roasted beans.

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1 espresso (30 ml, strong) or 30 ml cold brew concentrate
• 2 tsp sugar
  
• 1 tsp aquafaba (chickpea water) or egg white (optional, for stability)
• 200 ml cold milk or plant-based drink
• Ice cubes

Preparation:

1. Whisk espresso together with sugar and aquafaba/egg white in a bowl until a creamy mixture forms.
2. Fill a glass with milk and ice cubes.
3. Spoon the foam on top and serve immediately.

Aquafaba – the cooking water from chickpeas – is a vegan alternative to egg white. It makes the foam stable and perfectly matches the mild-sweet character of Dalgona Coffee.

Our Espresso Recommendations for Your Dalgona Coffee

For the Dalgona Coffee to not only look good but also taste excellent, the right bean is crucial:

• Espresso Napoli: Dark roast with 80% Robusta, strong and chocolatey. Ideal for intense Dalgona variations that are enhanced with caramel or chocolate syrup.
  
• Espresso Unser Feinster: 100% Arabica, elegant and well-balanced. Perfect for a creamy, milder version – goes excellently with vanilla or light syrup variations.
  

Both roasts are so full of character that they do not lose their expression even with milk and foam – the ideal base for your Dalgona Coffee at home.

Dalgona Coffee Variations for Every Taste

The base of Dalgona Coffee is simple – but its versatility makes it so exciting. Some variations are true classics that almost anyone can make at home, while others are more for the adventurous.

Chocolate Dalgona

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1 serving classic Dalgona Coffee
  
• 1 tsp cocoa powder or chocolate syrup
  
• Optional: chocolate shavings or cocoa powder for garnish
  

Preparation:
Add 1 tsp cocoa powder or chocolate syrup when whipping the foam. Serve the finished Dalgona Coffee as usual and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or a little cocoa as desired. Result: creamy, chocolatey, irresistible.

Caramel Dalgona

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1 serving classic Dalgona Coffee
  
• 1 tsp caramel syrup
  
• Caramel sauce for garnish
  

Preparation:
Add one teaspoon of caramel syrup to the foam and whip everything as usual. Finish the ready-made drink with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Perfect for those who like it sweet and velvety.

Vegan Dalgona Coffee

Ingredients (1 serving):

• 1 serving classic Dalgona Coffee
  
• Plant-based milk (e.g., oat, almond, or soya)
  
• 1 tsp aquafaba (chickpea water) instead of egg white (optional for extra stability)
  

Preparation:
The vegan version turns out just as creamy as the original. Use plant-based milk as the base and incorporate aquafaba when whipping – this keeps the foam stable and airy. The result: 100% plant-based indulgence with full flavour.

Inspiration for Foodies & Experimenters

If you're feeling creative, you can get even more inventive – Dalgona Coffee is playfully easy to adapt:

• Vanilla Dalgona: Enhance with vanilla syrup or vanilla extract.
  
• Matcha Dalgona: Use matcha powder instead of coffee – green, creamy, slightly tart.
  
• Fruity Dalgona: Combine with frozen berries or mango – refreshingly summery.
  
• Dalgona without Coffee: Cocoa powder instead of coffee – ideal for children or caffeine-free moments.
  

This is how your Dalgona Coffee becomes a creative highlight that you can reinvent again and again.

Whether classic or with speciality coffee: Dalgona Coffee is a moment of indulgence that combines dessert and coffee – creamy, playful, and perfect for summer. With just a few ingredients, a hand mixer, and a little imagination, you can easily recreate the viral sensation yourself and vary it repeatedly. A coffee that becomes a dessert. A trend that's here to stay. A moment of lightness – creamy, sweet, playful. That is Dalgona Coffee.