Make Your Mornings Trendy with Dalgona Coffee
Aesthetically pleasing beverages and snacks go viral on social media all the time – take cronuts, which spawned hours of waiting in NYC circa 2013, Starbucks' "Unicorn Frappuccino" introduced in 2017, and, more recently, monster milkshakes piled high with a sugar crash waiting to happen. As good as they look on our Instagram feeds after we buy them, most of these food and beverage trends are basically impossible to recreate in our home kitchens. But during the COVID-19 crisis, while most Americans found themselves self-isolating in their homes, the internet discovered a new hero: dalgona coffee.
What is Dalgona Coffee?
Also known simply as whipped coffee, dalgona coffee is made with instant coffee, sugar, boiled water, milk, and ice. Topping a glass of milk and ice with instant coffee, sugar, and boiling water that has been whipped together transforms it into a morning treat that's delightfully thick and foamy with just the right amount of sweetness to kickstart your day (or pick you up in the afternoon).
Dalgona coffee became a viral hit on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms throughout March and April, as concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and increasingly common stay-at-home orders led stir-crazy coffee lovers to recreate the beverage themselves. Variations of the drink can be found in several countries, but in South Korea, where it first started going viral, the word "dalgona" refers to a type of toffee candy (which you may know as "honeycomb toffee").
How to Make Dalgona Coffee
Although it looks like a million bucks (or a million likes), dalgona coffee is way easier to make than you might expect. Check out the recipe below and let us know how your own #dalgonacoffeechallenge turns out.
What You'll Need:
- 2 tablespoons boiled water
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup of milk (iced)
What You'll Do:
- Combine 2 tablespoons of instant coffee with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of boiled water in a mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer (or a whisk and some elbow grease, if you want the extra arm workout), whip the ingredients for a few minutes until they're sufficiently fluffy and light brown.
- Put your preferred amount of ice and milk into a glass and top it with your whipped coffee mixture. Snap a pic for your social media feed, stir it up, and enjoy!
