There’s no doubt that coffee permeates our culture, and for good reason. Not only does it provide the energy boost that so many need in the morning, but the flavor potential and variety are incredible.
Whether you enjoy it black or like lots of extras, drinking coffee is an experience. It’s also fun to experiment with and try new things. There’s a whipped coffee trend going around right now, and it’s worth examining.
Learning how to make whipped coffee might just transform your mornings!
What is Whipped Coffee?
While the sweet treat itself is far from new, the infamous whipped coffee TikTok trend swept in hard and fast just recently. Whipped coffee originates in South Korea and is officially known as dalgona coffee. It’s named for the popular dalgona candy with a similar appearance and sweet flavor of its own. The coffee is made with a simple combination of instant coffee, milk, and sugar.
So, what’s the hype all about? When executed well, the result is delicious and versatile. It’s most often placed over a glass of milk and enjoyed with a straw. However, that’s not to say you can’t drum up your own fun ways of using the sweet, creamy mixture.
It’s yummy, and it’s aesthetically pleasing when placed in the right light, which would explain why it’s a popular feature on social media profiles. It was spotted on TikTok and soon one cute video became thousands.
What Does It Taste Like?
It tastes like a coffee mousse in beverage form… but also like a yummy coffee milkshake. The coffee foam its self is quite bitter and sweet, but when mixed in with some milk, it’s tastes fantastic and so easy to make.
How to Make Whipped Coffee
There are many whipped coffee recipes in existence, but the basic process is pretty straightforward. This whipped coffee is easy to make with no prep time making it perfect for your morning coffee routine.
First, get the ingredients together:
Sugar - It’s best to use granulated sugar but it can be any variation - white sugar, brown sugar, or even coconut sugar if you like!
Instant coffee - Any instant coffee is fine, so use your favorite. Keep in mind, though, that a dark roast may create too bitter of a flavor.
Milk - It can be hot or cold, depending on your preference. Almond milk and cashew milk are common choices, but it’s up to you. If you are looking for a Keto whipped coffee beverage use heavy cream for a whipped cream treat.
To begin, boil some water. You can experiment with ratios as you please, but the consensus is 1:1:1, so equal parts water, sugar, and coffee.
Once the water is boiling, add the sugar and instant coffee, and start whisking! You can do this in many ways, either by hand or with an electric mixer. To whisk the coffee by hand should take between two and five minutes depending on your desired thickness.
Pro tip: beat until peaks form when you lift the whisk or beater.
Once you’ve beaten the coffee, sugar, and water to perfection, you’re all set! Pour your milk of choice into a glass and spoon the fluffy coffee on top. How to drink dalgona coffee is up to you, but many choose to stir and combine the whole thing right away.
Whipped Coffee Without Sugar
Despite its ingenuity, the original fluffy coffee recipe doesn’t account for those who don’t want to (or perhaps even can’t) have such a sizeable chunk of sugar.
If you want to make whipped coffee without sugar, don’t fret - it’s possible! An easy substitute is a granulated sweetener like Nativia or Stevia. While it may not yield the exact same results in terms of sweetness or taste, these options make the now-famous Korean dalgona coffee recipe accessible to a wider range of people.
If you want something more natural, many see success with honey or agave. The downside here is that the whipped texture won’t last as long. All this means is you must mix the whisked coffee with your milk right away instead of letting it sit on top, making this method less than ideal for that Instagram worthy photo-op.
Whipped Coffee Without Instant Coffee
We’ve covered the sugar issue. Now, what if you want to know how to make whipped coffee without instant coffee? Not everyone has this on hand, first of all. Others are morally opposed to the idea, seeing it as an insult to “real” coffee. Whatever the reason, many want to know - can I make dalgona coffee without instant coffee?
You’ll be happy to know that yes, you can!
The best and most effective substitute is espresso. If you have instant espresso instead of regular instant coffee, use this in the same way you’d use instant coffee.
Or you can use brewed espresso. Here, use two parts brewed espresso to one part sugar (or sugar substitute). No boiling water is needed for this method.
DIY Instant Coffee
If you don’t have espresso on hand either, don’t worry. You can still create the whisked coffee delight, but with a few more steps. Unfortunately, dalgona coffee with regular coffee grounds won’t do. With a little effort, however, you can make them work for you.
You’re essentially creating a DIY instant coffee recipe with your regular beans. You’ll need a coffee grinder, even if you buy your coffee pre-ground. To start, either grind up your beans as normal or scoop out some coffee grounds, and put them back in the grinder.
Keep grinding them until you have a very fine powder - finer than if you were brewing regular coffee. Then put the grounds through a sieve. Keep only the finest powder that separates from the larger chunks - this is now your “instant coffee” for your DIY dalgona coffee recipe. And fear not - you can still use the leftover coffee for regular brewing.
Once you’ve created enough of this fine powder for your chosen whipped coffee recipes, proceed as usual!
The Whipped Coffee TikTok Trend is Worth a Shot
With its unique flavor and soft, inviting texture, this newly beloved whipped coffee trend is a bandwagon worth jumping on. Not only can you experiment and find different ways to enjoy it, but you can alter the process to suit your dietary needs - like forgoing white granulated sugar. Lots of people love putting whipping cream in coffee - this is just that but in reverse! Pair it with a cute cup, matching straw, and interesting background and you’ve got yourself a top-notch, on-trend social media appearance, too.
Whipped Coffee Final Tips
Use silicon whisk instead of metal one in the coffee mixture.
Make it Mocha! Use the base recipe and make the whipped coffee. Once you get it whipped, add in 1/2-1 tablespoon of cocoa powder depending on how you like it, and whip the coffee.
