Photo: Instagram
This trend is all over the 'Gram.
By Nicole Pomarico — Written on Apr 09, 2020
With driving through Starbucks becoming less and less of an option lately thanks to social distancing and self-isolation, people are looking for fancy ways to make yummy coffee drinks at home. Cue the dalgona coffee trend!
Lately, the fluffy, pretty drink has been blowing up all over TikTok and Instagram, and not only does it look good in pictures, it also looks delicious — and according to those who have given into the trend, it's perfect for anyone who needs their sweet fix.
What is dalgona coffee? Everything you need for how to make whipped coffee, your next caffeine-fueled experiment in the kitchen.
What is dalgona coffee? It's basically whipped coffee and milk.
The trend originally began in Asia, and has recently exploded in the United States. It's basically coffee, sugar, and milk, with the top part of the drink being whipped coffee and the bottom part being a glass of the milk of your choice. It's almost like making a Frappucino at home ... except not quite, because it's not frozen. Some people have noted it's a bit too sweet for them, though, so keep in mind that if you typically drink your coffee black, this may not be the drink for you (but it's still a fun activity!).
Whipped cofffe has become a massive Internet sensation.
If you're wondering where this coffee trend came from, you can pretty much thank TikTok for that. The #DalgonaCoffee tag has over 165 million views, and people from all over the world are sharing videos of themselves making the drink ... and it doesn't take long to get inspired to try to make it yourself. The same kind of thing is happening over on Instagram, too; this is an extremely 'Grammable drink, so it's easy to see why, especially with everyone stuck at home way more than usual. Some people are even calling it "Quarantine Coffee."
You'll need to have a few ingredients on hand to make it.
These may be things you have on hand, or they may be things you need to add to your next grocery order, but either way, they're necessary. The ingredients include instant coffee, granulated sugar, the milk of your choice (yep, this will work with soy or almond milk or any other variety — it's all about preference here!) and boiling water. You'll also need a glass to drink out of (duh) and a way to whip the coffee, whether that's with a handheld milk frother or even just a whisk.
First, you need to whip the top part of the drink.
Add two tablespoons of instant coffee, two tablespoons of boiling water and two tablespoons of sugar to a bowl. Now, whisk or whip the ingredients together until it looks nice and fluffy, like all those Instagram photos we've seen — this should take about two minutes to accomplish, but possibly a little longer.
Then, pour it over a glass of milk.
Fill a glass with milk (about a cup, more or less) and add Ice if you're a fan of iced coffee. Then, pour the fluffy mixture on top, stand back, and admire your hard work ... and don't forget to take a picture for Instagram, because that's the whole point of this (you know, besides drinking an exciting new coffee drink).
Stir together before drinking.
Obviously, the top layer of the drink is all coffee and sugar, so if you try it, you might be turned off by how sweet the taste is. That's why mixing the fluff and the milk together before enjoying this drink is absolutely vital, and you'll want to drink this one with a straw for the full effect. Yum! It's definitely not for everyone, but it will probably help you get through the day a whole lot easier ... and more caffeinated.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.