Café Dalgona Recipe: Easy Korean Whipped Coffee Drink 2026

Café Dalgona is the whipped coffee drink that took over the internet, and it is just as good as it looks. A glass of cold milk gets topped with a thick, silky coffee cream that you whip up from instant coffee, sugar and hot water. It is a Korean-style drink, and it comes together in about ten minutes with four simple ingredients.

The best part is that you do not need any special equipment to make it. An electric frother or electric beaters will get you there in two or three minutes, but you can also whip it by hand with a whisk. It takes a little longer that way, but the result is exactly the same fluffy, glossy cream.

Ingredients for Café Dalgona

These amounts make one generous serving of Café Dalgona.

• 2 tablespoons instant coffee
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons hot water
• 200 ml milk

How to Make Café Dalgona Step by Step

1. Add the instant coffee to a bowl

First, put 2 tablespoons of instant coffee into a tall, wide bowl. A wider bowl gives you more surface area to work with, which makes the whipping faster and easier.

2. Add the sugar

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the bowl with the coffee. The sugar is what gives the cream its body and keeps it stable once it is whipped, so do not leave it out or cut it down.

3. Pour in the hot water

Pour in 4 tablespoons of hot water. Use water that is hot but not boiling, and add it all at once so the coffee and sugar start dissolving right away.

4. Whip until peaks form

Whip the mixture with an electric frother or with electric beaters, or by hand with a whisk if that is what you have. Keep going until peaks form in the mixture, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes with an electric tool.

5. Check the texture and set aside

At this point, check carefully that no liquid is left at the bottom of the bowl and that the whole mixture is well whipped and foamy. Once it is ready, set it aside.

6. Pour the milk into a glass

Pour 200 ml of milk into a glass. For an even colder drink, you can add a few ice cubes to the glass first, which is optional but very welcome on a hot day.

7. Top with the coffee cream and serve

Next, cover the milk with the coffee cream, spooning it over the top so it sits in a thick layer. Serve the Café Dalgona immediately, while the cream is still fluffy.

8. Stir before drinking

When you are ready to drink it, stir the coffee with a long spoon to mix the milk with the coffee cream. That way every sip gets both the cold milk and the sweet coffee foam.

Tips for the Best Café Dalgona

Choose the right coffee

The cream only whips up properly with instant coffee, so use that rather than ground coffee or espresso. The coffee, sugar and hot water go in at equal parts, which is the ratio that gives you that thick, stable foam.

Whip it your way

An electric frother or electric beaters are the quickest route, getting you to soft peaks in about 2 to 3 minutes. If you only have a manual whisk, you can still make it, it just takes a bit more time and elbow grease. Either way, keep going until there is no liquid left at the bottom of the bowl.

Serve it hot or cold

For an extra-cold drink, drop a few ice cubes into the glass of milk before adding the cream, which is optional but great when the weather is warm. On cold days, you can serve this coffee with hot milk instead, and it is just as delicious.

30 Favorite Recipes I Keep Coming Back to at Home

Maybe you're a lot like me and like having a stash of cozy comfort dishes, tried-and-true international favorites, and desserts that please a crowd.

On nights when I'm after something indulgent and rich, my picks tend to be this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And whenever a fruity, comforting dessert is calling my name, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I reach for.

For mornings that need to be easy and meals on the lighter side, these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe are a regular at my house, along with a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe or these vibrant Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And when my pantry needs a gluten-free basic, this no-fuss Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe is one I'm happy to whip up.

If tapas and Mediterranean cooking are what I'm craving, I'll cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, a crunchy Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, a smooth Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a bright Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This elegant Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe is another one I love to serve when the occasion calls for something a bit more dressed up.

Come lunchtime or a cozy evening meal, these are the dishes I point people toward: a warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, a time-honored Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, a deep-flavored Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and velvety Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When I'm after something more substantial, I'll bake up this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply satisfying French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Some nights I'm in the mood for street food or party fare, and that's when I'll throw together this saucy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, a crispy Salchipapas recipe, a punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crisp Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These simple Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe also make a great little appetizer or snack.

And when guests are coming and drinks are part of the plan, I'll often serve dinner alongside this cool Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a strong Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, this zippy French Remoulade Sauce recipe works beautifully on the side, or I'll finish the table with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes to Cook for the Family

After years of testing and tweaking recipes in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes are built on simplicity, dependable methods, and serious flavor.

The recipes gathered here are the ones I genuinely keep coming back to—whether I'm putting together a fast meal just for me or making something memorable for friends and family.

When dessert is on my mind, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to for those times I want something elegant without much fuss. The caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake, is another sweet favorite. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

On days when I want something light and fresh, I'll usually make the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For comfort cooking with more heft, the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the creamy Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe are ones I recommend often.

I'm also a big fan of passing along dishes from kitchens around the world, such as the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crunchy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I turn to often, since it cuts down on time without sacrificing texture. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be indulgent, cheesy, and deeply comforting without any gluten.

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