Whipped Dalgona Coffee (Iced Cloud Coffee)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

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

• 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)

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, very cold (or oat milk)
• 2 cups ice cubes
• cocoa powder or cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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