Dairy-Free Dalgona Coffee and Whip Recipe & Tips

Like many of you, my family and I have spent a lot of time baking and cooking this past year. Some recipes we tried were fun experiments or creative ways to use what we had on hand. But dairy-free Dalgona Coffee is one recipe that we continue to make!

Dalgona Coffee, now dubbed “Quarantine Coffee,” has actually been around in Asia for quite some time. It received its current name from a South Korean celebrity who likened the taste to a type of honeycomb toffee called dalgona. The crux of the drink is the coffee whip topping, which doesn’t require any dairy ingredients or dairy alternatives!

My homemade dairy-free dalgona coffee!

Dairy-Free Dalgona Coffee Whip for Barista-Style Drinks and Desserts

Word of Dalgona Coffee quickly spread on social media, with people making the coffee whip at home and photographing their results. The coffee is made by whipping together equal parts of instant coffee granules, sugar, and hot water. The coffee whip is then served on top of hot or cold milk. But you can also use it as a dairy-free, coconut-free dessert topping, if you are a coffee fan.

Alisa’s Note: In fairness, Sarah was right on trend with her Dalgona experiments. But I got behind on editing, and didn’t get to this marvelous dairy-free coffee whip and dalgona coffee recipe in time for the hype. So I held onto it, and decided to post it in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Because it’s a delicious and fun way to share a little love, with yourself or someone else. It’s also great served hot or cold (iced!), so you can enjoy it any time of year.

Not everyone loves Dalgona Coffee, but I think it is a great way to make an easy, dairy-free coffee drink. I like the taste, too. Sweet and bitter and creamy–just like fancy coffee shop drinks. The coffee photographed here is served on top of plain almond milk. My daughter likes to drink it with chocolate almond milk. I sometimes make it with decaf coffee crystals, which also work. While this recipe is for one serving, I sometimes divide the whipped coffee between two cups of dairy-free milk for smaller servings.

Dairy-Free Dalgona Coffee Whip FAQs

Can You Add Flavors to the Whip? It’s a delicate balance. Liquids like extracts will hurt the whip performance, but you can add them to your milk beverage if making dalgona coffee. A little cinnamon or cocoa powder doesn’t usually hurt the whip too much, but can cause it to be a little less boi
Can Other Powders be Used? Some people have tried matcha, espresso, and other bases in place of the instant coffee. Unfortunately, they have found the need to add aquafaba, egg white, cream, or coconut cream to make it work. They essentially become a different type of whip altogether.

Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Dalgona Coffee Whip

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. It is also coconut-free!

Dairy-Free Dalgona Coffee and Whip

Author: Sarah and Katherine Hatfield

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: Korean

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons hot water

1 cup dairy-free milk beverage (I used plain almond milk), either cold or hot

In a small mixing bowl, whip together the coffee granules, sugar, and hot water until they are light and fluffy. This takes approximately 1 to 2 minutes with a hand mixer, or approximately 5 minutes with a whisk.

Pour the milk beverage into a large glass or mug.
Spoon or pipe the whipped coffee on top of the cup of cold or warm dairy-free milk beverage.
After admiring the whipped coffee on top of the milk, mix the coffee whip topping into the milk if desired.

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