You can make dalgona coffee thick like dessert or more like a latte.
Connie Guglielmo/CNET
There are a lot of right ways and very few wrong ones to make dalgona coffee, a pillowy, picture perfect drink that’s taken over the internet — and CNET kitchens. We made over a dozen of variations on the whipped coffee version of a South Korean candy by the same name, which turns into a multilayered drink that’s as photogenic as it is tasty.
The basic recipe includes a mere five ingredients — instant coffee, sugar, water, milk and ice — but we threw variations at it, including almond milk and coconut sugar, lemon zest and mint, attempts with cocoa powder instead of coffee and even one version topped with bologna. See our gallery below for our best and worst dalgona coffee efforts, which, along with banana bread and homemade pizza, has become a favorite item to make during the coronavirus lockdown.
The standard dalgona coffee recipe is easy to prepare at home by yourself or with your kids, and decaf versions won’t keep you up all night. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, here’s how to make your favorite Starbucks coffee drinks at home. We’ll also help you make yourself a cup of drip coffee or the best iced coffee ever.
Read more: The best coffee accessories of 2020
14 successful and terrible attempts to make dalgona coffee at home
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How to make dalgona coffee at home
For the basic dalgona coffee recipe, all you’ll need is:
- 1 tablespoon of instant coffee or instant espresso
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of water
- Milk (dairy or nondairy will work here equally well)
Add the instant coffee, sugar and water to a bowl and whisk vigorously (or use a hand blender if you have one to make it a much easier process) until the mixture becomes superthick — it should hold a similar consistency to whipped cream with somewhat stiff peaks — and turns a subtle golden-brown color.
Pour milk into a glass filled with ice cubes, then scoop the pillowy mixture on top of the cold milk or mix the two parts together if you’re looking for more of a latte situation.
You can also dress it up with variations, like mint in the milk layer, or dalgona coffee foam over a different beverage — like iced coffee or cold chocolate milk — even sprinkles on top. It’s a fun, lighthearted drink, so have fun with it.
Snap a photo (or video the entire thing) and post it online so that you, too, can join the ever-growing dalgona coffee community.
Read more: These coffee makers keep the cold brew flowing at home
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A version of this story was previously posted on Chowhound.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.