I Tried The Dalgona Coffee Trend

Whether you’ve seen it on Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter, right now the quarantine go-to drink is the Dalgona Coffee. Being an absolute coffee fanatic and a sucker for trends, I decided to try this whipped coffee for myself to see whether it deserved all the hype.

Dalgona coffee—if you don’t already know—is a sweet, creamy, cold coffee beverage made with 4 ingredients that most people already possess in their kitchen: instant coffee, sugar, water, and milk. Simple as that. To add to its perfection, it can be enjoyed cold or hot—to warm you up during these never-ending rainy days.

Everybody is quite literally going crazy over this quarantine-chic drink and it has received a lot of attention on all social media platforms, becoming one of the biggest food trends of the Covid-19 pandemic. Especially as we’ve been missing our local cafes and regular coffee runs, the dalgona coffee has become somewhat a much-needed replacement and it’s really no surprise as this pretty, ‘gram-worthy’ drink is very easy to make at home. 

 

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A post shared by Drink Choice Of Mumbai (@drinkchoiceofmumbai) on May 11, 2020 at 8:16pm PDT

So now it’s my turn to give it a go! Although there are hundreds of versions and flavors out there, I decided to try the original Dalgona Coffee, Matcha Dalgona Coffee, Chocolate Dalgona Coffee, and Dalgona Milk Tea. 

Spoiler alert: by the end, I was definitely bouncing off the walls, completely high on caffeine and sugar… 

Dalgona Coffee

Okay, so I must admit that my first attempt didn’t go quite as I had planned. Those who know me would label me as your typical coffee-snob who prefers her coffee extra strong (no Americano for me thank you!). So instead of using instant coffee, I chose an extremely strong espresso and also decided to halve the sugar content (no idea why) thinking it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

But I was completely wrong!

No matter how much I whisked, the mixture would not thicken so all I was left with was a runny mixture plus a sore arm. If we were making “gloopy coffee” and not “whipped coffee”, then I would’ve been successful. All in all, miserable failure. But I wasn’t going to give up just yet. 

The unfortunate result of the first experience

After giving myself a little break, I made a second attempt. And this time, it was a great success! Clearly, the key to the perfect dalgona coffee is the ratio and it’s really not to be messed with. 

As it turns out, it’s also important to use instant coffee to get that whipped texture because instant coffee has a preservative in it called xanthan gum that helps stabilize the coffee when whisked. I used a traditional whisk for my first attempt but due to my impatience and aching arm, I decided to use an electric whisk to help speed up the process. I don’t know why I chose not to do this in the first place…

To make a dalgona coffee, you will need:

• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• About 1 cup (240 ml) milk of your choice

Directions

1. Put the instant coffee, sugar, and boiling water into a bowl and combine with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes, until creamy (it will take slightly longer if you choose to mix by hand).
2. Fill a glass with ice and milk and spoon the dalgona mixture on top of the milk. 
3. Take a picture, mix the ingredients together, and enjoy!

I can understand why everyone has become obsessed with this cold brew drink. As well as being visually appealing, I was also impressed with the taste. It’s the perfect combination of being slightly bitter, but leaving you with a sweet aftertaste and the soft, velvety texture reminded me of a creamy frappucino—but homemade! And now, onto the next! 

Dalgona Matcha

It wouldn’t be quite right not to try the matcha version of the drink. Although you will find many recipes that use egg whites to achieve that foamy texture, I personally wasn’t in love with the idea of eating raw egg. So I chose to use whipping cream instead, and it worked just as well!

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp matcha
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk of your choice (I personally recommend Almond milk!) 

Directions

1. Add cold whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into a bowl. Whisk until it starts to form a fluffy texture.
2. Add the matcha and continue whisking until you get a slightly firmer consistency. 
3. Finally, fill a glass with ice and milk and spoon the matcha cream mixture on top. 

As a matcha lover, this one was goooood. It’s heavy on the matcha flavor plus the vanilla extract really gives it that perfect level of sweetness. If the matcha cream mixture had churned, it was easily resolved by adding roughly 1 tablespoon of milk to get it back to its fluffy, whipped consistency.  Overall, really pleased with this one. 

Dalgona Chocolate

And now, for all you chocolate lovers, here is the dalgona you will fall in love with! Instead of your normal iced cocoa, it’s time to add a touch of sophistication with this chocolate dalgona! 

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk of your choice, or chocolate milk 

Directions

1. Mix the cocoa powder, sugar, and whipping cream in a bowl until thick and fluffy. 
2. Fill a glass cup with ice and milk. 
3. Spoon the chocolate cream mixture on top of the milk and enjoy.

What’s really fun about the chocolate dalgona is that you can go all out: you can opt for chocolate milk instead of your regular milk to make it extra chocolatey. You could also halve the chocolate powder content and add instant coffee for a Mocha Dalgona—the possibilities are endless when playing with Dalgona drinks. If you’re doing it for the likes on Instagram, you may want to decorate it further with some chocolate sprinkles and sauce!

Dalgona Milk Tea

And finally, the Dalgona Milk Tea is another perfect alternative for all the non-coffee drinkers out there who want to satisfy their sweet cravings. Once you’ve tried this, you will probably find yourself replacing your normal cup of milk tea.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp milk tea powder
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk of your choice

Directions

1. Add the milk tea powder, sugar, and whipping cream into a bowl and whisk until you reach a ‘whipped’ consistency. 
2. Fill a glass with ice and milk.
3. Spoon the milk tea cream mixture on top of the milk and enjoy.

For sweet tooths, this drink is a match made in heaven. And if you’re someone who is still slightly obsessed with bubble tea, why not add some tapioca pearls to this drink. You’re very welcome!