Here’s how to make the trendy whipped coffee (aka dalgona coffee) a little bit healthier with coconut sugar and non-dairy milk.
Have you guys jumped on the TikTok bandwagon? I recently started and it’s been pretty fun to play around with! I honestly try not to get on the app that often because it’s easy to get sucked into watching endless dancing videos.
Anyhow, last week I learned about the whipped coffee trend happening on TikTok and I knew I had to try it. Apparently it all started with this video which has over 10 million views! I think everyone got excited about making it because we’re all missing our fancy coffee shop lattes and we’ve found this drink to be a fun substitute while being quarantined.
Luckily Isaac and I bought ourselves a Jura espresso machine so we’ve still been enjoying oat milk lattes at home, but after seeing the whipped coffee I knew I needed to try it. I broke out my stand mixer to make it last weekend, realized how delicious it is and decided I needed to create a healthier version, which is what I’m sharing here.
If you’re not on TikTok… let me introduce you to dalgona coffee.
What the Heck is Dalgona Coffee?
Basically it’s a latte drink that involves milk (usually iced) with velvety whipped coffee on top. It’s popular in South Korea and became a viral trend on TikTok.
The traditional dalgona recipe calls for equal parts sugar, instant coffee and boiling water — usually 1 tablespoon of each, but I’ve also seen a lot of people doing 2 tablespoons of each to get more volume. I personally like to do 2 tablespoons of each ingredient so there is enough volume for my stand mixer.
How to Make Dalgona Coffee Healthier?
With the original preparation, dalgona coffee is pretty sweet and has 13 grams of sugar for every tablespoon of sugar that you use. Of course, this amount of sugar is totally fine as a treat, but I wanted to see if it was possible to reduce the sugar and still have the whipped coffee turn out. I tried it with no sugar at all and it was a total flop… I whisked it in my stand mixer for over 10 minutes and it never whipped up. But when I tried it with half the amount of sugar, it worked, but just didn’t stay fluffy as long. This coffee drink is easy to drink quickly so that’s not really an issue… just be sure to snap your picture for Instagram before the whipped coffee starts to lose its fluff. 🙂
Ultimately I decided to go with 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut sugar for the version I’m sharing here. It whips up perfectly and tastes sweet, but not overly sweet.
Can You Use Stevia or Another Sugar Substitute?
I tried making whipped coffee using 2 Tablespoons of instant espresso, 2 Tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of granulated stevia and it worked, but didn’t stay as fluffy as long and it also tasted kind of bitter to me. Usually I don’t mind the taste of stevia, but in this context I didn’t love it. Just FYI.
I haven’t tried it with honey or maple syrup yet, but I bet it would work! Let me know if you try it.
Do You Have to Use Instant Coffee?
Yup! Instant coffee or instant espresso is the only thing that works. Regular ground coffee won’t dissolve the way instant does. I’ve tried it with traditional instant coffee, instant espresso (I had this on hand for my almond butter espresso cookies) and the Four Sigmatic adaptogenic coffee as well! I personally loved this drink with the adaptogenic coffee. The added adaptogens are good for stress relief… something we could all use a little of right now.
How to Get the Perfect Whip
The key to this recipe is having the patience and allowing the instant coffee to whip up. You’ll need a stand mixer, handheld mixer or powerful frother to accomplish this! I use my stand mixer and it takes up to five minutes to get light brown in color and perfectly frothy. Stick with it and keep scraping down the sides as needed. I promise the mixture will eventually froth up and the wait will be worth it.
You can use a whisk to whip it up, but it takes a loooong time and your arm will likely get tired before your mixture whips up.
Can You Serve it Hot?
Yes! I really liked it iced and that’s how I’ve seen most people serve it, but it can certainly be served over hot milk for a warm coffee drink.
What Type of Milk to Use?
Any type of milk works great with this recipe since you’re essentially just adding the whipped coffee on top of milk. If you want to keep this dairy-free and vegan, here are my favorite milks to use:
unsweetened vanilla almond milk
unsweetened almond milk
oat milk
cashew milk
coconut milk
All of these would be delicious. If you’re looking for a lighter, lower calorie option, I recommend unsweetened almond milk. If you want a creamy, decadent version I’d recommend oat milk or coconut milk.
The coffee foam is pretty strong on its own so before drinking the whipped coffee you’ll want to stir the mixture together. Once it’s stirred, sit back, relax and enjoy!
If you make this whipped coffee, be sure to leave a comment and star rating letting me know how it turned out! Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
Here’s how to make the trendy whipped coffee (aka dalgona coffee) a little bit healthier with coconut sugar and non-dairy milk.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons instant coffee or instant espresso*
1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut sugar (cane sugar also works)*
2 Tablespoons boiling water
1–2 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
ice
Instructions
Whisk coffee, sugar and boiling water together using a stand mixer, hand mixer or frother. Whisk for 2-5 minutes until foamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl, if needed.
Add ice to a cup, pour in milk and then top with whipped coffee mixture. Take a quick picture to social media, then stir and enjoy!
Notes
You can also use two packets of Four Sigmatic adaptogenic coffee instead of the instant ground coffee.
You can cut back to 1 Tablespoon of coconut sugar if you’d like to make the drink less sweet.
Thank you for the recipe! It didn’t turn out that great for me on the first attempt, but I think I know why: – I followed the recipe for 1 serving, so the stand mixer is definitely not ideal for it – it wouldn’t froth since the liquid mass was simply too much at the bottom of the bowl…I’ll try my hand-blender next time, which should hopefully help with the foam. – A wee too sweet for my taste, even though I did use coconut sugar and unsweetened almond milk – I’ll try putting just half TBs on my next attempt. Hoping for a spot-on (to my taste at least) Dalgona next time!
The recipe looks amazing and I’m sure if made with sugar it will work out beautifully! Unfortunately we have some dietary restrictions and tried to make it with Splenda ..it wouldn’t froth up after 10 mins on high on the kitchen aid mixer! we even added 2 tbsp of whipping cream to see if that would make a difference but nothing unfortunately! Any tips please?
Hey Rosie! So sorry to hear that it didn’t work with splenda. I’ve never tried splenda before, so I can’t speak to if it works or not. I know some people have tried maple syrup and monkfruit and it worked! Did you use instant coffee?
This is exactly the taste and ratio I was looking for, it’s spot on. It has just the right of amount of sweetness for me without the aftertaste of stevia and the overly sweet taste of cane sugar. This recipe is far better than the original whipped coffee. Glad I tried it because the coffee shop lines are extremely long these days. Thank you
I will admit, I was skeptical. But OMG, this drink is amazing! I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk just 1 T of coconut palm sugar and it added the perfect amount of sweetness. Thanks, Brittany 🙂
I made this using Truvia as a sugar substitute. Modified recipe by using just 1 tablespoon of Truvia instead of 2 tablespoons of sugar. Kept the coffee and water at 2 tablespoons and it turned out perfectly. Not quite as sweet as with sugar, but sweet enough. YUM
Oh yay!! I’m so glad the whipped coffee turned using Truvia. Thanks for letting us know and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It’s super helpful to other readers!
Ahh yay!! Good to know it worked well with monk fruit, thanks for letting us know and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other EBF readers. 🙂
Made this! Love it! I miss my fancy coffee now that we can’t leave the house and this does the trick! So easy to make! I made it the first time and it didn’t come out fluffy but that was user error. Second time around I whipped it on highest speed and it came out with a nice caramel color and super fluffy!
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad you tried and enjoyed this coffee drink, Nicole!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this coffee drink, Morgan. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I’m lucky enough to have an espresso machine at home but had to try this. I love the caramel-y taste of coconut sugar. It was perfect! This recipe made enough for 2 coffees since we each normally only use 1/2 cup milk in our lattes. I had it with iced unsweetened chocolate almond milk and my boyfriend had it with regular chocolate milk. Great both ways!
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this coffee drink, Molly! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Amazing!! Good to know it worked in your immersion blender. Thanks for trying this drink and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, I appreciate it. 🙂
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this coffee drink, Kelly. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed the whipped coffee, Kristen. 🙂 Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Just made this and it’s so easy and so good! I used brown sugar, instant coffee, water and iced milk as that’s all I’ve got, and it turned out great! If I can get my hands on the healthier options, I’ll try that version 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
This really looks and sounds so incredible! I’ve been hearing so much about this type of coffee and have been eager to try it for myself! Thank you so much for sharing a healthier version!
My mother used to make a lovely drink with instant coffee, hot water and skim milk powder. She would do it in the blender. It was foamy, but not as thick as your picture, but since the skim milk powder makes the foam, you don’t have to overload on sugar. I haven’t tried it with coconut milk powder, but that might be an interesting experiment. Just another option for those of us missing our favourite barista.
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Thank you for the recipe! It didn’t turn out that great for me on the first attempt, but I think I know why:
– I followed the recipe for 1 serving, so the stand mixer is definitely not ideal for it – it wouldn’t froth since the liquid mass was simply too much at the bottom of the bowl…I’ll try my hand-blender next time, which should hopefully help with the foam.
– A wee too sweet for my taste, even though I did use coconut sugar and unsweetened almond milk – I’ll try putting just half TBs on my next attempt.
Hoping for a spot-on (to my taste at least) Dalgona next time!
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The recipe looks amazing and I’m sure if made with sugar it will work out beautifully! Unfortunately we have some dietary restrictions and tried to make it with Splenda ..it wouldn’t froth up after 10 mins on high on the kitchen aid mixer! we even added 2 tbsp of whipping cream to see if that would make a difference but nothing unfortunately! Any tips please?
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Hey Rosie! So sorry to hear that it didn’t work with splenda. I’ve never tried splenda before, so I can’t speak to if it works or not. I know some people have tried maple syrup and monkfruit and it worked! Did you use instant coffee?
Can you Half the coffee in the recipe? I’d like to use less coffee, 2tbsp is a lot of caffeine..
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You could do 1 TBSP of ground coffee, 1/2 -1 TBSP of sugar and 1 TBSP of water. I just needed 2 TBSP to get enough volume for the standing mixer. 🙂
Sugar is sugar and almond milk is neither healthier or environmentally better than dairy
This is exactly the taste and ratio I was looking for, it’s spot on. It has just the right of amount of sweetness for me without the aftertaste of stevia and the overly sweet taste of cane sugar. This recipe is far better than the original whipped coffee. Glad I tried it because the coffee shop lines are extremely long these days. Thank you
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So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Mia! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
This drink is good! My mother-in-law and I enjoyed it! I think I’ll try a different instant coffee brand though. I used one that’s a bit too bitter.
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I will admit, I was skeptical. But OMG, this drink is amazing! I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk just 1 T of coconut palm sugar and it added the perfect amount of sweetness. Thanks, Brittany 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad you gave the whipped coffee a try and enjoyed it!! 🙂
I made this using Truvia as a sugar substitute.
Modified recipe by using just 1 tablespoon of Truvia instead of 2 tablespoons of sugar. Kept the coffee and water at 2 tablespoons and it turned out perfectly. Not quite as sweet as with sugar, but sweet enough. YUM
★★★★★
Oh yay!! I’m so glad the whipped coffee turned using Truvia. Thanks for letting us know and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It’s super helpful to other readers!
It turned out great, thanks for the recipe. I used monkfruit sweetner & it whipped up well with a hand mixer. It went well with almond milk & ice. 🙂
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Ahh yay!! Good to know it worked well with monk fruit, thanks for letting us know and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other EBF readers. 🙂
Could I use a stick blender or a nutribullit to froth the coffee?
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I haven’t tried it, but let me know if you do and how it turns out!!
Made this! Love it! I miss my fancy coffee now that we can’t leave the house and this does the trick! So easy to make! I made it the first time and it didn’t come out fluffy but that was user error. Second time around I whipped it on highest speed and it came out with a nice caramel color and super fluffy!
★★★★★
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad you tried and enjoyed this coffee drink, Nicole!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
I used maple syrup just now to a fantastic whip! Thanks for helping me believe it could happen♥️
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How much maple syrup did you use? I would love to try this!
Ahh yay, so glad you enjoyed this, Hannah!! Good to know that maple syrup works well. Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
Loved this!! It was so easy to make and so tasty!! 10/10
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Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this coffee drink, Morgan. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Hi! Can you share which coconut sugar you use? I found coconut palm sugar on Amazon and wondering if that’s what you use? Thanks!
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Here’s a few brands I love (Bob’s Red Mill and Madhava), but really any coconut sugar brand would work.
Loved it! And i’m not a coffee drinker!
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Do you know if you can switch out the sugar for zero calorie sweetener like stevia or truvia?
Hey Claire – Yes, you definitely can. It just won’t stay as fluffy as long. 🙂
I’m lucky enough to have an espresso machine at home but had to try this. I love the caramel-y taste of coconut sugar. It was perfect! This recipe made enough for 2 coffees since we each normally only use 1/2 cup milk in our lattes. I had it with iced unsweetened chocolate almond milk and my boyfriend had it with regular chocolate milk. Great both ways!
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Ahh yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this coffee drink, Molly! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Thanks for the inspiration! I got great results using Four Sigmatic coffee, 1.5 Tbsp coconut sugar, and my immersion blender, in a tumbler!
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Amazing!! Good to know it worked in your immersion blender. Thanks for trying this drink and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, I appreciate it. 🙂
LOVED this!! So fun and delicious. I even got the four sigmatic coffee you suggested and it was so light and perfect. Thank you!
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Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this coffee drink, Kelly. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Hi! Can you double the recipe to make two coffees at once? Or do I need to do it twice? Thanks!
You can definitely double the recipe to make multiple coffee drinks!
Absolutely loved it! Felt like a I was drinking a $5 drink from Starbucks. Super yummy!
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Yay!! So glad you enjoyed the whipped coffee, Kristen. 🙂 Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Absolutely loved this!!
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Ahh yay!! So glad you loved it, Alex! 🙂
Just made this and it’s so easy and so good! I used brown sugar, instant coffee, water and iced milk as that’s all I’ve got, and it turned out great! If I can get my hands on the healthier options, I’ll try that version 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
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Ahh yay I’m so glad you tried this and loved it!! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
This really looks and sounds so incredible! I’ve been hearing so much about this type of coffee and have been eager to try it for myself! Thank you so much for sharing a healthier version!
You’re so welcome! I can’t wait to hear what you think if you try it!
My mother used to make a lovely drink with instant coffee, hot water and skim milk powder. She would do it in the blender. It was foamy, but not as thick as your picture, but since the skim milk powder makes the foam, you don’t have to overload on sugar. I haven’t tried it with coconut milk powder, but that might be an interesting experiment. Just another option for those of us missing our favourite barista.
Thanks for the tips, Wendy!!