What is a Dalgona coffee?
Instant coffee whipped with sugar and hot water into a creamy topping, then spooned over cold milk. The trend went viral from South Korea in 2020. It works exclusively with instant coffee — not with real espresso.
Why that is
Dalgona coffee became a social media phenomenon in 2020 — millions of people whipped instant coffee during lockdown and posted the results. The drink is named after dalgona, a Korean honeycomb toffee whose colour and texture the whipped coffee cream resembles.
Preparation:
- Mix in equal parts: 2 tbsp instant coffee, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp hot water.
- Whip with a whisk, hand mixer, or milk frother for 3–5 minutes until a firm, light brown cream forms.
- Fill a glass with cold milk (or plant-based milk) and ice.
- Spoon the coffee cream on top.
- Stir before drinking, or enjoy the layers as they are.
Why only instant coffee works: Instant coffee is spray-dried — it contains compounds that form a stable foam when whipped with sugar and water. Freshly brewed or ground coffee does not have this property. The combination of the specific proteins and carbohydrates in instant coffee plus the sugar creates the creamy, almost meringue-like texture.
On taste: Sweet, creamy, intensely coffee-like. Anyone who dislikes sugar in coffee will not enjoy dalgona — without sugar, the cream cannot be whipped. Sugar-free versions with erythritol exist, but the consistency is less stable.
From a specialty coffee perspective: Dalgona is a fun drink rather than a quality coffee. Instant coffee has a very limited flavour profile — the creamy texture and the sweetness take centre stage, not the coffee aromas. But as an entry point into the coffee world, or as summer fun, dalgona certainly has its place.
In practice at Green Wall Coffee
At Sophienstraße 27 we don't serve dalgona coffee — we don't use instant coffee. But I appreciate the trend, because it got many people to engage with coffee preparation for the first time.
Feel free to drop by for a coffee — Green Wall Coffee, Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Mon–Fri 8am–5pm and Sat 10am–5pm.
Further reading
Related questions:
- What is Turkish coffee and how is it prepared?
- What is the difference between cappuccino, latte macchiato, and flat white?
- What distinguishes espresso from regular coffee?
Also relevant:
- Which milk is best for cappuccino? — Milk, Milk Foam & Latte Art
- How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? — Health & Caffeine
All questions in this topic: Coffee Drinks & Specialties