- Dalgona coffee is one of the biggest food trends of 2020.
- And now people all over the world are tweaking the whipped coffee’s recipe to create new Instagram-worthy creations.
- From beetroot and avocado to Nutella and Froot Loops, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
- Insider rounded up some of the best alternatives on social media and asked the creators for their tips so you can create the drinks at home.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
There’s no denying that dalgona coffee is a bonafide hit, taking over the world and turning us all into whipped coffee connoisseurs.
While the delicious treat started out with just three simple ingredients – coffee, water, and sugar – the recipe has since been tweaked to create dozens of new Instagram-worthy creations.
From strawberry and Nutella to Froot Loops and Kool-Aid, there’s now a dalgona drink for everyone’s taste buds – even if they don’t like coffee.
Insider has gathered some of our favorites and asked the creators for their tips and tricks, so you can stop scrolling and start sipping.
Food blogger Valentina Mussi has been behind some of the most creative dalgona alternatives, first capturing Instagram's attention with her whipped strawberry milk creation.
The simple recipe requires one tablespoon of Nesquik strawberry milk powder, and ¼ cup (or four tablespoons) of heavy whipping cream.
http://instagr.am/p/B_I_7MqhDAm
"Mix it until your arm is numb, and serve over cold or hot milk," Mussi advises on her Instagram page @sweetportfolio.
Mussi, who is based in Florida, told Insider that she was inspired to make alternatives to dalgona coffee when many of her followers revealed that they didn't like caffeine.
"I realized that one of the top comments I got were from people who aren't coffee drinkers, but still want to enjoy fluffy drinks," she said. "That led me to creating the whipped milk drinks like the Nesquik whipped strawberry milk and the Biscoff version!"
Mussi's Biscoff whipped milk was inspired by Lotus Biscoff, a popular Belgian cookie.
Her recipe calls for "two to three spoonfuls of melted Biscoff spread," as well as ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and one optional tablespoon of sugar.
Whip the mixture together until it's "very fluffy," Mussi advises. Then serve the whip over milk, and don't forget to dip your Biscoff cookies into it!
http://instagr.am/p/B_aMyMUhl9q
"The Biscoff one made so much sense since cookies and milk are such a perfect combination," Mussi told Insider. "So, why not combine them both into a drink?"
Mussi has also created a whipped drink inspired by Froot Loops, her favorite childhood cereal.
All you have to do is crush up some Froot Loops inside a plastic bag (Mussi uses a rolling pin), and add them into a bowl with ⅓ cup of heavy whipping cream and one tablespoon of sugar.
Then, you know the drill, just whip!
http://instagr.am/p/B_fWd39hBH6
Mussi recommends adding this sweet and fruity topping on everything from a glass of milk to a bowl of cereal.
For those who want an alternative drink that tastes a bit more chocolaty, Mussi made a whipped cocoa version as well.
The recipe simply requires ½ teaspoon of cocoa, one teaspoon of sugar, and three teaspoons of heavy whipping cream.
http://instagr.am/p/B_FjXlAhTOp
After you whip everything together, serve it over a glass of ice with milk.
If caffeine is what you're after, have no fear. Mussi created three dalgona alternatives that add flavor to the original without losing its coffee kick.
To create a caramel or mocha whipped coffee, Mussi simply follows the original dalgona recipe and then adds either caramel syrup or cocoa and chocolate syrup.
http://instagr.am/p/B-r44X5Bjx-
Mussi also created a dalgona drink inspired by Vietnamese coffee because she likes her caffeine "on the sweeter side."
The recipe requires two tablespoons of instant coffee and hot water (as with the original), plus one tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk.
http://instagr.am/p/B_V34PNBl4v
"I have definitely had a blast making all these creations and I am working on more variations, like vegan and dairy-free options so that everyone can enjoy!" Mussi said.
Another popular dalgona alternative has been Nutella whipped coffee, which Mussi and fellow influencer Eloise Head both helped popularize.
Head, who is based in London, told Insider that she's "always loved hazelnut lattes and mochas." So when the dalgona coffee trend took off, she wondered if the recipe would work with Nutella.
"Luckily, it did," she said. "Because it was delicious!"
First follow the original dalgona recipe and mix equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water.
http://instagr.am/p/B_IOnRGnZU2
Once the mixture has begun to whip, add a dollop of Nutella. You can also add some Nutella to your glass before pouring in the milk and adding the whip on top, as Head did.
For those who prefer tea to coffee, a chai whipped dalgona is another great option.
Misha Schwarz, who lives in Los Angeles, told Insider that she had seen different versions of the dalgona coffee on her Instagram feed and wanted to create one "with an Indian twist" for a special dinner with her housemates while they were in quarantine.
"I made my housemates a meal inspired by the cuisines of my culture, a Jewish-Indian mix - just like me!" she said. "I wanted to create a meal that felt like we were going out to a restaurant, and this was the perfect yummy dessert drink for the occasion."
Schwarz used instant masala chai tea mix instead of instant coffee, as well as a spoonful of homemade whipped cream. She then lined the rim of her cups in honey and dipped them in the masala chai tea mix, and topped everything off with sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg.
"It was delicious!" she said. "The perfect mix of sweetness and spice, and super refreshing."
Avocado always seems to follow whenever there's a big food trend, and the dalgona coffee has been no different.
Instagram user @moucup, who goes by "C," told Insider that she was inspired to make an avocado dalgona drink because her husband requests avocado juice with his coffee "almost every day."
"When dalgona coffee became a hit, I thought it would be brilliant if I top my avocado juice with this super fluffy whipped coffee on top," she said.
To make C's avocado juice, you need one ripe avocado, one cup of ice water, one cup of ice cubes, and two tablespoons of sugar. Blend the mixture until it's smooth, then add chocolate milk. Follow the original recipe to make the dalgona whip, and voila! You have an avocado dalgona drink.
C said she also drizzles sweet chocolate condensed milk on the side of the glass to give it something extra special.
"It is super refreshing and our absolute favorite drink in the house," she added.
Strawberry hasn't been the only thing turning dalgona drinks pink. Beetroot dalgona creations have also been popping up all over social media.
Rachael Martland, who owns Rose Tree Tea Room with her mom in the UK, wanted to give a dalgona-inspired spin to her shop's popular beetroot pink latte.
Martland told Insider that she simply used a tablespoon of pink water from a jar of beetroot to give her drink that vibrant pop.
"It doesn't change the taste at all," she said. "But makes the drink look pretty, pink, and special!"
You can also use beetroot powder to give your dalgona drink a beautiful vibrant hue.
Kayla Castillo told Insider that she came up with her beetroot dalgona creation when she ran out of instant coffee one day.
"Being in quarantine has sparked a lot of creativity in the kitchen for me," she said. "There is a lot of working with what you have to avoid trips to the grocery store."
When Castillo couldn't find any coffee, she decided to use the beetroot powder she usually puts in her lattes.
Castillo, who follows a plant-based diet, first made a homemade whip using aquafaba. She strained a can of chickpeas and whipped the liquid for about six minutes. Then, she added a tablespoon of both beetroot powder and sugar into the whip until it all mixed together.
If you still want that strawberry taste but don't have any Nesquik powder — or would just prefer to use fruit instead — all you need is a blender.
Laurel Wayne-Nixon of @lousfoodaffair told Insider that she was inspired to make her own strawberry version of dalgona after she found the instant coffee taste to be "fairly bitter and unpleasant."
"I was wondering if there would be other ways to re-create the trend, and have always had an obsession with strawberry milk as a child," she said. "My partner doesn't like coffee, but loved my strawberry alternative!"
For Wayne-Nixon's version, blend three to four strawberries (they can be fresh or frozen) with two tablespoons of milk and ½ tablespoon of sugar. Whip ¼ cup of whipping cream until "stiff peaks form" and then gently fold in the blended strawberry mixture.
Then just fill half a cup with ice and the milk of your choice, top it off with the whip, and enjoy!
Or you could add a dash of cocoa to create a chocolate-covered strawberry dalgona drink.
Instagram user @yayjoon told Insider that she has been hooked on dalgona coffee since the trend took off and is now making "all sorts of variations" in her kitchen.
To create this alternative, Joon used 1.5 tablespoons of instant coffee, two tablespoons of sugar, two tablespoons of hot water, and ½ tablespoon of cocoa powder.
She blended almond milk with frozen strawberries to get that fruity base and topped it off with her chocolaty whip.
If you want to add even more colors to your dalgona drink, try pink and green.
Zoe Scott of @vibrantlyfree is the mastermind behind this whipped matcha with pink milk.
"My page is all about inspiring people to eat more vibrantly, and so I'm always looking to experiment and create vibrant food and drinks," Scott, who is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, told Insider.
Scott created the pink milk by blending almond milk with frozen raspberries, which she then strained through a nut milk bag. Then she created her whipped matcha by mixing two tablespoons of matcha powder with one tablespoon of coconut sugar and two tablespoons of aquafaba.
"I love using natural ingredients," she said. "It turned out a beautiful color, and tasted even better!"
Matcha dalgona coffees have been a hit on social media thanks to their bright-green hue.
Instagram user @beautyeatz was behind this gorgeous matcha dalgona creation, which is also vegan-friendly.
"I knew I wanted it to be dairy-free and without egg whites," she told Insider. "So I whipped up some coconut cream with powdered sugar until I got a thick consistency."
She added one teaspoon of matcha at the end, turning her whip into a beautiful bright green color.
Pro tip: If you're having trouble whipping your coconut cream, @beautyeatz recommends adding one tablespoon of powdered sugar to help it along.
If you're craving a dalgona drink unlike any other, why not pair it with Kool-Aid?
Shay and Steph of @soflofooodie are behind this unique creation. The food influencers aren't huge fans of milk, but knew they wanted to try the whipped trend. And so, whipped Kool-Aid was born.
All you need is one tablespoon of your favorite Kool-Aid powder and one cup of Cool Whip. Mix them together with a tablespoon of cold water until the mixture becomes thick.
http://instagr.am/p/B_X5ZPhBvBR
Then just spoon the whip on top of a glass of Kool-Aid with ice. You can use the same flavor as the powder you used for the whip or, like Shay and Steph, try a different one for the base to add even more color and variety.
And if you want your dalgona to be a little boozy, there are a number of ways to turn the whipped drink into a delicious cocktail.
Ravin Buzzell, a bartender at CdM restaurant in Newport Beach, California, told Insider that he knew he wanted to make a dalgona cocktail immediately after seeing the drink take off on social media.
"My first thought is always, how can I make that boozy?" he said.
Buzzell recommends pairing the dalgona whip with a combination of vanilla chai black tea, bourbon whiskey, vanilla bean turbinado, and Reese's peanut butter chips.
"The velvety texture of the whipped coffee compliments the hot whiskey tea and vanilla bean, and makes for a perfect quarantine nightcap," he said. "It's definitely a soul-warming cocktail, and just makes you get all the feels!"
- Read more:
- I tried making dalgona coffee, the newest TikTok craze, and it was definitely worth the hype
- Dalgona coffee, the whipped drink that's everywhere on TikTok, has become the perfect quarantine caffeine fix
- Whipped strawberry, chocolate, and Nutella milks are the new, easier dalgona coffee
- Disappointing photos show people's failed attempts at dalgona coffee