Dalgona Whipped Coffee Almond Frappuccino. Sugar-Free & Keto-friendly. 2g net carbs.
I usually resist succumbing to short-lived internet trends. And as a self-proclaimed first-class coffee snob, I took no interest in this dalgona hype when I realised it involved ghastly instant coffee. But with the entire world buzzing about it, curiosity eventually got the better of me.
Tried it. Didn’t like it much. The taste of the foam is bitter, with a synthetic mouth feel, even with a ton of sweetener added. Plus a big dollop of dense foam on top of a liquid with ice cubes floating about, means that when you insert a spoon or straw into the thing, it spills everywhere.
None the less, intrigued by the magic of the foam, I set about creating a keto version that would be more palatable and slightly more refined. Mission accomplished. My Dalgona Whipped Coffee Almond Frappuccino creation is easy on the eye and easy to spoon into. With a superb favour. You still get an intense coffee hit from the Dalgona foam. But the creamy pudding base mellows each mouthful beautifully. Way more pleasant and enjoyable.
What is the Dalgona Frothy Coffee Craze All About?
It’s basically a concentrated coffee foam floating on top of milk and ice cubes. Apparently, it became popularised on a South Korean TV show during the country’s covid-19 lockdown. And then went viral on TikTok and all over the internet and social media. The craze has even spread to traditionalist Italy, where they call it Caffé Dalgona or Caffé Sotto Sopra (upside-down coffee). It’s very similar to Frappé Coffee.
I think Dalgona, in its original format, is most definitely suited to serious coffee addicts and trend followers, rather than coffee connoisseurs. I’m definitely not a fan of the original recipe.
How to Make Almond Dalgona Whipped Coffee Frappuccino
Make the creamy pudding base first. Whip cream, add sweetener, almond butter and almond milk, then spoon it into serving glasses and pop them in the freezer.
Next, make the Dalgona foam. Just as described everywhere else: equal measures of instant coffee, sweetener and hot water. If you’re not keen on a massive caffeine hit, you can use decaffeinated instant coffee. But it has to be instant. Normal coffee won’t work. Nor will cocoa powder, tea powder, or other alternatives that you may think of. I tested them all, and they were all a waste your time.
You need a lot of icing ‘sugar’, despite the overpowering sweetness it delivers, otherwise the foam will be too loose. I tried reducing the sweetener. It was a massive disappointment.
Whip until the sludge becomes paler and reaches the consistency of whipped cream. Forget doing this manually. You need an electric whisk, or you’ll lose the will to live. Spoon it over the semi-frozen bases and serve.
Dalgona foam deflates over time, so you want to add it only when you’re ready to eat your dessert. You can make the creamy base in advance and keep it in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve it, just leave it out at room temperature to thaw out to spoonable consistency, then make the foam to go on top.
If you’ve tried Dalgona and didn’t like it, have a go at my Dalgona Whipped Coffee Almond Frappuccino and let me know what you think.
Enjoy!
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- Yield: 2 servings
- Serving: 1
- Calories: 352
- Fat: 34.5g
- Net Carbs: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- 120g whipping cream
- 40g unsweetened almond butter (U.S. option HERE)
- 60g unsweetened almond milk
- 2 TBSP Sukrin icing ‘sugar’ (U.S. option HERE) or Swerve (U.S. option HERE) or Make your Own
- 1 TBSP instant coffee
- 1 TBSP hot water
- a little unsweetened cocoa powder - I use THIS
- whisk the whipping cream to stiff peaks (I use THIS, U.S. option HERE), incorporate 1 TBSP icing ‘sugar’ and almond butter, and whisk again until smooth; spoon into 2 small serving glasses or bowls and pop them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- before you remove the puddings from the freezer, dip a teaspoon in one to check the consistency: it should be runny ice-cream consistency; defrost slightly if made ahead).
- put coffee, 1 TBSP icing ’sugar’ and hot water in a small bowl; quickly stir to dissolve the coffee (some coffee may clump), then use your electric whisk to whip the mixture until it changes to a paler colour and assumes whipped cream consistency.
- dust the almond cream bases with cocoa powder and finish by spooning the whipped coffee over the top.
- serve immediately.
Why not try different nut butters for a variety of flavours.
The only way to ensure accurate measurement of ingredients is with Metric Kitchen Scales. Click HERE for U.K. or HERE for U.S. alternative.
I value your feedback! Please leave a comment below. And if you can, please share a photo of your masterpiece on social media with the hashtag #queenketo. Thank you! ♥
