Sprig Originals's kitchen / Whipped Dalgona Coffee (Iced Cloud Coffee)
Whipped Dalgona Coffee (Iced Cloud Coffee)
By Sprig Originals · cooked up in Sprig
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
The viral Korean-style coffee that turned three pantry ingredients into a café drink: equal parts instant coffee, sugar and boiling water whipped until it's a glossy, cocoa-colored cloud, then spooned over cold milk and ice. The trick is the whipping itself — instant coffee is packed with soluble proteins and carbohydrates that trap air like a meringue, so you get a stiff, spoonable foam with no cream, no machine and no espresso shot. Stir it down as you drink and it melts into a sweet, slightly bitter iced latte.
Ingredients
Whipped Coffee Foam
- 2 tbsp instant coffee granules (not espresso powder, not fresh ground)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp boiling water
- 1 pinch fine sea salt (optional, sharpens the coffee flavor)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
To Serve
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, very cold (or oat milk)
- 2 cups ice cubes
- cocoa powder or cinnamon, for dusting
Instructions
- Chill two 12-ounce glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes while you work — the foam holds its shape much longer on a cold glass. Bring a small kettle or pot of water to a boil.
- In a medium bowl (metal or glass, and larger than you think you need — the mixture triples in volume), combine 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and the pinch of salt. Whisk them together dry so the sugar coats the granules evenly.
- Pour in exactly 2 tablespoons boiling water and stir with a fork for 15 to 20 seconds until the granules and sugar fully dissolve into a dark, syrupy liquid with no grit left. If you see undissolved crystals, wait 30 seconds and stir again — grit will keep the foam from stiffening.
- Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed. At 1 minute the mixture will be frothy and pale caramel; at 2 minutes it will be light mocha and starting to hold ribbons; at 3 to 4 minutes it will be pale tan, thick, and glossy. Stop when the beaters pull up a peak that holds its shape and only slightly droops at the tip — like soft-peak meringue. Beat in the vanilla for the last 5 seconds if using. By hand with a balloon whisk this takes 8 to 12 minutes of vigorous whisking; switch arms and don't quit early.
- Fill each chilled glass about two-thirds with ice, then pour in 3/4 cup cold milk per glass, leaving 1 1/2 inches of headroom at the top.
- Spoon the whipped coffee over the milk in generous dollops, mounding it slightly above the rim. Use a spoon, not a pour — the foam should sit on top rather than sink. Dust with a little cocoa powder or cinnamon.
- Serve immediately with a long spoon or a wide straw. Instruct drinkers to stir the foam down into the milk before sipping; undisturbed, the foam alone is intensely sweet and bitter.
Chef's tips
- Instant coffee is non-negotiable — freeze-dried granules or powder both work, but real ground coffee has no soluble proteins and will never whip. Cheap supermarket instant actually whips better than premium instant espresso powder, which is too fine and often collapses.
- The 1:1:1 ratio by volume is the whole recipe. Scale it up or down freely, but don't reduce the sugar below equal parts on your first try — sugar is structural here, not just sweetener. If you want it less sweet, keep the full sugar in the foam and use unsweetened milk plus a bigger glass.
- A stand mixer with the whisk attachment gets there in about 2 minutes on medium-high; a milk frother wand works for a single serving in a narrow jar in about 90 seconds. A blender does not work — the blades cut air out instead of folding it in.
- If the foam won't stiffen, your water was probably not hot enough or you added too much. Add another 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee and keep beating; the extra solids usually rescue it.
- Leftover foam keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It deflates slightly but re-whips in 20 seconds. It's also excellent spooned onto vanilla ice cream or folded into whipped cream for a coffee mousse.
- For hot dalgona, warm the milk to 150°F and spoon the cold foam on top; it will slowly melt into the milk like a cappuccino cap.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
121calories
4gprotein
18gcarbs
4gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
Made with Sprig
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