Soft, creamy, strong, and a little caramel-like! This dalgona coffee with oat milk and brown sugar is a twist on a classic whipped coffee. Soft dalgona is just a name I made up because my dalgona coffee didn’t whip up enough, but it was still fluffy enough!

Instead of regular sugar, this dalgona has brown sugar, which works perfectly! This is an easy coffee to make when you’re feeling lazy or just need a fast drink. It only needs 4 ingredients and 5 minutes.

Here’s how to make a soft dalgona oat milk latte with brown sugar at home!

What is Dalgona Coffee?

Dalgona coffee, or whipped coffee, is a fluffy coffee foam made from instant coffee, water, and sugar, beaten with a whisk or fork until it triples in size and is light brown. It’s served on top of a cup of ice and milk, and when mixed into the drink, it becomes a sweet, creamy, and frothy drink.

Initially, this drink was called hand-beaten coffee. In the 90s, a shipbuilder named Leong Kam Hon created whipped coffee at his cafe, Hon Kee Cafe, in Macau to strengthen his arm after a work injury.

It flew under the radar until 2021, when it blew up on social media after a Korean actor, Jung Il-woo, ordered it on a TV show called Stars’ Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant while filming a mukbang in Macau. The actor described it as tasting like the dalgona candy he had as a kid, and the name stuck.

After that, whipped coffee spread virally in South Korea and eventually flooded Tiktok, with thousands of people making this coffee beverage at home in quarantine.

How to Make Dalgona Coffee

As mentioned, dalgona or whipped coffee is equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water whisked until soft, fluffy foam forms.

Start by boiling water, then add all the ingredients into a small cup or bowl.

You can use the original method by using a whisk or fork to try, and hand beat the coffee yourself, but it takes a lot of effort and constant beating to get it frothy. The more convenient way is to use a handheld frother or electric whisk to achieve the same result.

Food Science Break: The instant coffee’s protein plus sugar is the perfect formula for a soft, fluffy foam. Like sweet cream, the protein or structures in the instant coffee trap air when whisked, and the sugar helps stabilize the foam.

While you could use room temperature or cold water to make dalgona, hot water helps incorporate everything easily and quickly. Dalgona is quite fragile; once you make the dalgona foam, it will eventually dissolve into a liquid if you let it sit.

The faster you can dissolve everything and whip, the better!

What Does Brown Sugar Dalgona Coffee Taste Like?

Brown sugar dalgona coffee tastes like coffee candy! It’s sweet and strong, especially from the concentrated instant coffee. The brown sugar offers a hint of molasses flavor compared to the classic regular sugar used in whipped coffee.

The brown sugar pairs really nicely with oat milk, which is super creamy and mild in flavor. I prefer oat milk with dalgona because it’s creamier and adds a little sweetness to balance out the intense bitter coffee.

Dalgona made with brown sugar also tastes really good with a little cinnamon!

Does Brown Sugar Taste Good with Oat Milk?

Brown sugar and oat milk are popular combinations that work well in any drink. Just take Starbucks’ famous brown sugar shaken espresso drinks or a brown sugar oat milk latte.

Honestly, any milk with brown sugar will taste delicious, which adds a nice caramel-like sweetness. The milk helps amplify the brown sugar taste as well, as it is slightly sweet and creamy.

Brown sugar milk is perfect for drinks and desserts, like puddings, mousse, oatmeal, bubble tea (like brown sugar milk tea), and even plain.

How to Froth Oat Milk

Oat milk is one of the best milks to froth! It has a lot of protein, which helps make a really fluffy cold foam that is easy to use in iced lattes or coffees.

You can froth oat milk using a milk frother or a handheld frother, and you’ll get a soft, fluffy, cold foam on top. You could also shake the oat milk in a lidded jar or bottle, creating some cold foam, but the bubbles won’t be as small.

However, my favorite way of frothing oat milk is using a French press. The inside filter in a French press is the perfect machine for aerating oat milk quickly and easily. The mesh filter creates a lot of surface area to aerate milk. You can easily make just as much cold foam as there is milk!

Best Oat Milk Brands

Not all oat milk brands taste the same! Every brand makes their oat milk a little differently, resulting in slightly different oat milk tastes. My personal favorite is Oatly, which is rich and creamy with no weird aftertaste or texture.

I also love Planet Oat, which is a close second to Oatly. There are also other brands out there, like Califia Farms, Chobani, and more.

However, some oat milk brands have a lot of added sugar, which isn’t the best for blood sugar-conscious people. Luckily, there are healthier brands with unsweetened oat milk or less preservatives. Here’s why some oat milk brands have added sugar in them.

How to Make a Soft Dalgona Oat Milk with Brown Sugar Latte

Here’s what you’ll need to make a soft dalgona oat milk latte with brown sugar:

• Instant coffee
• Brown sugar
• Oat milk
• Ice

That’s it!

Soft Dalgona Oat Milk Latte with Brown Sugar Recipe

1. Make dalgona coffee. Dissolve instant coffee, brown sugar, and hot water in a small cup or bowl. Whip the coffee mixture using a handheld frother or whisk until it becomes light and fluffy. The foam should be quite sturdy.
2. Assemble drink. Add ice and milk into a separate cup, then top with the brown sugar dalgona.
3. Mix and enjoy!

Why Is My Dalgona Coffee Not Fluffy?

Dalgona coffee can be really tricky to make if you don’t have the proper ingredient ratios or equipment. Here are some reasons why your dalgona coffee isn’t fluffing properly:

• Not using equal amounts of coffee, sugar, and water: If you use too much of one ingredient, your dalgona coffee won’t work. You need to use the same amounts of each so that it’s balanced. Generally, one tablespoon of each should be enough to work.
• Not whipping fast enough: Whipped coffee can be temperamental and finicky, and you have to work fast for it to work. Make sure you’re whisking fast enough if you’re using a manual fork or whisk to aerate the coffee. If not, consider switching to an electric handheld frother or whisk.

Tips

Here are some tips for making a soft dalgona oat milk latte with brown sugar at home!

• Instead of brown sugar, you can use maple syrup, honey, agave, molasses, vanilla syrup, or condensed milk as the sweetener for your dalgona coffee!
• Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg on top of your drink for a festive flavor!
• Dissolve instant coffee, water, and sugar into ice and oat milk for convenience. There’s no need to whip for the same great taste!