All this social distancing over the past year has given birth to a lot of trends – and out of all these trends, making Dalgona coffee is probably one that’s going to permanently stick around.
Though this whipped coffee drink has been around long before it became viral on social media, recent Instagram and TikTok videos have inspired more and more people to get up and whip their own coffee.
And though it’s easier and more convenient to create this delicious drink with an electric helper, you can still make Dalgona coffee without mixer.
What is Dalgona Coffee?
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to work-from-home schedules and social distancing, and to keep themselves busy and distracted, a lot of people have started to experiment, get creative, and take up all sorts of things.
Among these is the new trend of Dalgona Coffee. But, what is it exactly?
Dalgona coffee is prepared by whipping equal proportions of instant coffee, hot water, and sugar whipped in a creamy, caramel paste and is then added on top of a glass of cold or hot milk. It can also be topped with cocoa, honey, or coffee powder.
The result? It looks like a tall drink in two colors – white and brown. It is also said to resemble melted candy just before it hardens.
Dalgona coffee was popularized on social media amid the COVID-19 pandemic when people refraining from going out started making videos of whipping the coffee at home.
Others even started making it by hand and prepared Dalgona coffee without mixer.
The name comes from dalgona, a Korean sugar-sweet, due to its resemblance in appearance and taste, though most dalgona coffee doesn’t actually contain dalgona.
History of Dalgona Coffe
Dalgona coffee has been around for a while now, but recent Instagram and TikTok videos have inspired more and more people to get up and whip their own coffee.
The viral trend of sharing recipes and photos of DIY coffee first gained popularity during the social distancing orders in South Korea.
For this reason, Dalgona coffee is also dubbed as ‘quarantine coffee’ or ‘quarantine drink’.
Jung Il-woo, a South Korean actor, is credited for coining the name ‘Dalgona coffee’.
In Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant (신상출시 편스토랑), Jung Il-woo traveled to Macau and tasted this ‘local’ coffee in a hole-in-the-wall cafeteria, where the middle-aged owner stirred two spoons of coffee and sugar 400 times.
He likened the taste to that of dalgona, a type of Korean honeycomb toffee.
In 2020, search counts of ‘dalgona coffee’ in Google skyrocketed to 1,800% in March and reached their peak on April 5.
Further, click counts on YouTube about it increased to 5,000% in April compared to January – March.
The countries that searched for ‘dalgona coffee’ the most were the Philippines, followed by Singapore, Brunei, and Mauritius.
How to Make Dalgona Coffee without Mixer
The main point of Dalgona coffee is getting that perfect whipped texture. One of the easiest ways to achieve that is using an electric mixer, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry!
There are other ways you can whip up this drink and you can make Dalgona coffee without mixer.
Note that you might have to spend slightly more time mixing the ingredients to get the right result.
Below, we highlight different ways to make Dalgona coffee without mixer.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. instant coffee
- 2 tbsp. cold water
- Ice, for serving
- Milk, for serving
Directions (how to Dalgona coffee without mixer):
- In a medium bowl, combine instant coffee, sugar, and water. Using a spoon, fork, or whisk, vigorously combine the ingredients until the mixture turns shiny and silky smooth. Then, continue mixing until it thickens and holds its foamy, loft shape. Note: If you are making Dalgona coffee without a mixer, it will take around 8 – 12 minutes to get the ideal fluffiness.
- Using a whisk. A lot of Dalgona coffee videos on TikTok show people using a whisk to whip the ingredients together. While this may take longer than an electric mixer and require a bit more elbow grease, you should still get a satisfactory result.
- Using a spoon and fork. Don’t have a whisk? Some users have had success mixing their Dalgona coffee together using a spoon or fork. This might take a little more time and effort than using a whisk, but it’s still possible to get the same end result.
- Shake it. If you want to get creative and make Dalgona coffee without mixer, you should know that some people have successfully made Dalgona coffee by shaking it up instead of whipping it! Some people did it by pouring the ingredients into a plastic bag and shaking it until it reached a frothy consistency.
- Fill a glass most of the way full with milk and ice, then dollop and swirl the whipped coffee mixture on top. Mix before drinking, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
It is definitely possible to make Dalgona coffee without mixer – there are plenty of ways to get the fluffy texture of the coffee, so give them a try if you’re craving this viral drink.
Dalgona Coffee Without Mixer Tips
Here are some tips and reminders when making Dalgona coffee without mixer.
- Be careful when adding water in the beginning! If you add too much water in the beginning, you will not be able to whip it.
- Be careful while adding water. Start by whipping the coffee with sugar by adding 2 tablespoons of water. After some time, the mixture will be thick. Now, slowly add 1 teaspoon of water at a time and whip until the consistency of the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- You can use either hot or cold milk to make Dalgona coffee. It really depends on your preferences.
- If possible, use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar. When you whip the coffee, granulated sugar takes a little longer to dissolve but it makes the coffee creamier and fluffier.
- If you prefer your drink to be less sweet, you can make it with an equal proportion of coffee to sugar.
- Patience is key! When making Dalgona coffee without mixer, you will need a little more time and effort to get the consistency and fluffiness just right. Usually, it takes around 8 – 12 minutes to get the ideal fluffiness.
Dalgona Coffee FAQs
Now that we’ve answered the question, ‘Can you make Dalgona coffee without mixer?’, we answer some other frequently asked questions when it comes to Dalgona coffee.
Can I make a vegan version of Dalgona coffee?
Yes, you definitely can! Instead of using regular milk, you can use non-dairy milk such as oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or almond milk. It works with most granulated sugars, including coconut sugar, white sugar, or brown sugar.
Can I make Dalgona coffee without the sugar?
Yes. However, while the coffee will still whip up without the sugar, the results will not be as fluffy. If you want a sugar-free Dalgona coffee, maybe you can use granulated sugar substitutes such as those listed above.
Can you still make Dalgona coffee without instant coffee?
Yes! To make Dalgona coffee without instant coffee, you can pour a scoop of coffee beans into a blender or coffee grinder. Once it is finely ground, sift it through a fine-mesh strainer. You can then use the resulting fine powder in the Dalgona coffee recipe.
Aside from coffee, people also found that you can get similar whipped results with matcha powder, cocoa powder, or strawberry powder.
How should I drink Dalgona coffee – hot or cold?
Either! You can serve it over cold or hot milk of your choice – with or without ice. This really depends on your preferences. You can even blend the whipped coffee with ice and milk for a frozen frappe drink.
How long does Dalgona coffee take to make?
If you make Dalgona coffee without mixer, it will take a bit more time compared to having electric assistance. Without a mixer, it will take around 8 – 12 minutes to get the ideal fluffiness.
The Bottom Line
Making Dalgona coffee without mixer may take a little more time, effort, and patience, but it is still possible!
If you’ve got instant coffee, water, and sugar on hand, you can still whip up this delicious drink.
It will go by faster if you have a hand mixer, but a humble whisk (or a spoon or fork), a powerful arm, and a good dose of endurance and patience will get you there too – just make sure you’re prepared to feel the burn in your biceps and triceps and you will be rewarded with a nice, tall glass of creamy coffee that’s sweetened just right!
