Make the Perfect Whipped Coffee at Home in Less Than 5 Minutes

There are many things from 2020 we'd like to leave in the past, but whipped coffee isn't one of them. Also known as dalgona coffee, the iced treat first went viral in South Korea when social distancing measures went into effect last spring. Both aesthetically pleasing and easy to make, the drink was embraced as a do-it-yourself alternative to the corner coffee shop. If you missed the trend last year, it's not too late to learn the recipe and mix up your coffee routine—especially as the weather gets warmer. All you need are five minutes and three ingredients to make the refreshing beverage at home.

To prepare a glass of whipped coffee, gather two tablespoons of instant coffee, two tablespoons of sugar, and two tablespoons of hot water, plus ice and milk for serving. Add the coffee, sugar, and water to a medium bowl and beat the ingredients together using a whisk or hand mixer. The final product should be fluffy, creamy, and the color of caramel.

Assemble your beverage by filling a glass most of the way with milk and ice. Top it with a generous dollop of your whipped coffee and transport yourself to a fancy coffeehouse—or the early weeks of quarantine. This recipe packs a lot of caffeine, so feel free to split the whipped topping between two servings or tweak the amount of instant coffee when you make it. You can see how it's done in the video below.

There's no reason to sacrifice presentation or quality when making coffee drinks at home. Here are some tips from experts on becoming an amateur barista.