A creamy and delicious Korean drink: Dalgona Latte with Honeycomb Toffee Candy! Big chunks of crisp, crunchy honeycomb toffee are added to cold milk. A shot of espresso combined melts the toffee chunks for a delightful coffee treat. Enjoy this refreshing and popular South Korean cafe drink!
What is a Dalgona Latte with Honeycomb Toffee?
A Dalgona Latte is a popular South Korean iced drink. It highlights crisp and crunchy Dalgona Candy or Honeycomb Toffee. Cold milk is topped with chunks of Korean toffee that slowly melts into the drink. Served with a shot of espresso, it’s essentially a cold latte with toffee candy chunks. Such a delightful summer treat!
Similar to Cinder Toffee or Sponge Toffee — Dalgona Candy is a honeycomb toffee. The texture comes from the addition of baking soda, which makes it appealingly light, brittle, crunchy, and crisp. The burnt sugar flavor is also complex, deep, and charmingly not-too-sweet.
If you watched the South Korean series Squid Games, you’ll remember Dalgona Candy or Ppopgi as the toffee candy discs stamped with different shapes (umbrella, star, heart, etc.). A Dalgona Latte is especially popular because of its roots as a nostalgic childhood treat!
Dalgona Latte vs Dalgona Coffee
Dalgona Coffee is a drink made from instant coffee whipped into a thick, foamy texture. A few years ago, Dalgona Coffee had its moment. Everyone seemed to be making it! The name comes from its color and texture which is similar to Dalgona Candy.
A Dalgona Latte is different because it’s a coffee drink topped with actual pieces of Dalgona Honeycomb Toffee Candy. There’s no whipping or instant coffee involved at all. Instead, it’s a cold latte with crunchy Dalgona candy with that appealing burnt sugar flavor – YUM!
Ingredients:
- Sugar. Regular white sugar is all you need.
- Baking soda. To provide lift and that honeycomb texture!
- Corn Syrup. Optional but a little bit will prevent crystalization. I recommend it especially for when the weather is hot and humid.
- Milk. Whole milk or 2% provides the ultimate creamy, milky flavor. But 1% or skim milk is good, too. For plant-based options, I prefer oat milk because of its creamy richness. Soy and Almond milk are good options too, although a little thinner.
- Espresso. In Korean cafes, it’s common to add a shot of espresso right before serving. For my kids, I don’t add the espresso and it’s still very tasty. Either way, it’s up to you. Swap the espresso with regular coffee or cold brew coffee if you’d like a less intense coffee flavor.
Instructions:
- Make Dalgona Honeycomb Toffee Candy.
- When cool, smash into pieces.
- Pour milk and ice cubes into a glass.
- Top with Honeycomb candy pieces and crumbs.
- Optional: add espresso.
- Serve Dalgona Honeycomb Latte and enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Sift baking soda. To avoid clumpy chunks of baking soda, run it through a fine mesh sifter. Biting into a chunk of baking soda is a very unpleasant experience.
- Leave caramel undisturbed during the cooking process. When cooking the sugar into caramel, it’s best to leave it undisturbed. Stirring or shaking the pan can form crystals and ruin the caramel. Once the sugar turns light yellow, it’s safe to handle with a spatula.
- Add corn syrup to make it easier. The corn syrup is optional but if you’d like to make things easier, the corn syrup will prevent crystalization. Make sure to add on hot and humid days, as the extra moisture in the air will encourage crystals to form in the caramel.
- Be careful! The caramel is very hot — do not touch! Be careful that it doesn’t come into contact with skin! Use metal or silicone tools (not plastic, as they will melt). Be especially careful when mixing in the baking soda so the caramel does not splash onto skin.
- Prep the baking sheet in advance. The cooking time is very fast and you’ll need to transfer to the silpat immediately — the longer the toffee sits in the cooking pot, the more likely it will burn. Set up in advance for ease and convenience.
- Soak the saucepan in water. To remove the hardened leftover toffee from the cooking pot, simply fill with water. After a few minutes, the toffee will melt away.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. The heavy bottom stabilizes the heat of the caramel. A thin-bottomed saucepan will not be able to regulate the temperature as evenly — resulting in burnt Dalgona. Also, make sure it’s not a small saucepan as it will rise in volume tremendously.
- Silpat Silicone Mat or parchment paper. For transferring the finished honeycomb toffee candy. Prevents sticking and makes it easier to remove. Parchment paper makes the Dalgona slightly crisper than using a silicone mat.
- Silicone spatula. Do not use plastic as it will melt.
- Kitchen scale. For this recipe, it helps to accurately weigh the ingredients.
How do I store Dalgona Honeycomb Toffee?
Dalgona Honeycomb Toffee only stays fresh for less than 24 hours.
My simple hack for keeping Dalgona crisp and crunchy: add silica packets found in Roasted Seaweed Snack (Gim) packages. These small non-toxic packets absorb moisture and will keep the toffee fresh for up to 2 weeks. I recommend 2 packets for the amount in the recipe card. Without the silica packets, the toffee chunks will melt and lose their crisp texture.
Also, store in an airtight container like a glass container or ziplock baggie. Now it’s available whenever you want a Dalgona Latte!
Variations:
- Dalgona Matcha Latte. Instead of espresso, add a shot of matcha powder mixed with hot water. (1 tsp matcha plus hot water). Delicious!
- Dalgona Popcorn. Add toffee chunks and crumbs to freshly popped, warm popcorn. A sweet and salty combination that’s very snackable and tasty.
FAQ
he Dalgona candy will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to store in an airtight container with several silica packets from Roasted Seaweed Snack packages (Gim). The silica packets are essential in keeping that crisp, crunchy texture.
Yes, the recipe is easy to double. If storing a larger amount, make sure to add more silica packets.
If the flavor is too bitter, the Dalgona candy is burnt. Some tips to ensure non-burnt Dalgona:
Add baking soda when the caramel is light yellow. The caramel will continue to darken and cook throughout the rest of the cooking process so don’t wait until the caramel is brown.
Remove the saucepan from the heat source immediately! I transfer to a quartz countertop to cool slightly and prevent burning the caramel.
Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. The thick bottom will help to moderate the heat and prevent the caramel from turning dark too quickly.
If your dalgona keeps crystalizing, make sure to add corn syrup. It will stabilize the caramel and make it easier to work with.
On hot and humid days, the caramel is especially prone to crystalization. To combat the extra moisture in the air that can ruin the Dalgona candy, make sure to add corn syrup
Do not stir, touch, or shake the sugar and water as it cooks. Instead, leave it be. Otherwise, sugar crystals will form on the edges of the pot and ruin the entire batch.
Brush down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water if you see crystals forming. Or, add corn syrup to ensure a crystal-free toffee.
More Asian drinks:
Dalgona Latte with Honeycomb Toffee Candy
Equipment
- Heavy bottomed medium saucepan
- Silpat Silicone Mat or Parchment paper
- Silicone Spatula
- Food scale
- fine mesh sifter
Ingredients
Honeycomb Toffee Candy:
- 1 cup / 200 grams white sugar
- 1/4 cup/ 50grams water
- 2 tsp/ 8 grams baking soda
- 1 Tbsp/ 30 grams corn syrup *optional but will ensure crystal-free toffee, especially on hot and humid days
Dalgona Latte Drink:
- 1 cup milk whole milk preferred but 2%, 1%, and skim milk also work; for plant-based options, oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk are all nice options
- ice cubes
- 1 shot (1 ounce) espresso optional, coffee or cold brew can also be added for less intense coffee flavor
- 1/2 cup (or more) honeycomb toffee candy chunks + crumbs
Instructions
To make the Dalgona Honeycomb Toffee:
- Prep Silpat. Add a silpat or silicone mat to a rimmed baking sheet. Place next to the stove.
- Weigh the sugar and water. To weigh the sugar and water directly in the saucepan, add the saucepan to the food scale and turn ON. The weight should be 0. Add 200 grams of sugar, making sure it's in an even layer and not mounded in the middle. Press the on button again and tare the scale so it goes back to 0. Gently pour in 50 grams of water. The water will look like it's not enough but do not stir or shake the pan to move around the water. This will encourage crystals to form and ruin the caramel. Instead, gently set the pan aside — the water will continue to absorb into the sugar and cover it completely.
- Add corn syrup. If using corn syrup, add to the sugar and water in a thin drizzle. The corn syrup is optional but ensures an easier Dalgona-making process as it will prevent crystalization.
- Weigh the baking soda. Add a small bowl to the food scale. Press the ON button and tare the scale so the weight is 0. Gently add baking soda to a fine mesh strainer until the scale shows 10 grams. Set aside.
- Cook caramel. Transfer the saucepan to the stove. Cook on medium heat until light yellow in color with multiple bubbles coming to the surface.
- Note: While the sugar and water cook, do not touch! Do not disturb! The entire cooking process can take anywhere from 5-11 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat.
- Add baking soda. Once the color of the sugar and water is light yellow, remove from heat. Add baking soda and using a silicone spatula, mix vigorously to fully combine, about 30-60 seconds. The caramel and baking soda together will puff up and rise dramatically. Be careful when mixing as the liquid is very hot!
- Transfer to Silpat. Once the baking soda is fully incorporated and the mixture is puffy and voluminous, transfer immediately to a Silpat. Scrape every last bit onto a puffy mound in the middle, patting and shaping to to create an even layer that's 1-2 inches thick.
- Cool. Cool undisturbed for 15 minutes. If the honeycomb toffee is thicker than 2 inches, it may need a longer time to cool. The candy is ready when it's cool to the touch and no longer sticky.
- Crack into pieces. Using a rolling pin, tap the honeycomb toffee in several places until it cracks and smashes into different sized pieces. It's okay to create large, medium, and small pieces and not just uniformly cracked pieces.
- Transfer to container. To store long term, transfer all the pieces of toffee candy to a glass container or ziplock baggie. Make sure to add all the small bits as well as the powder. Add 2 silica packets from Roasted Seaweed Snack packages (Gim) and it should stay fresh and crisp for up to 2 weeks. Do not cover until COMPLETELY COOL.
To make a Dalgona Latte:
- Add ice cubes. In a large tall glass, add crushed ice cubes about halfway up.
- Add milk. Pour milk directly on top. The milk should fill about 80% of the glass but leave room at the top for adding the toffee candy.
- Add Dalgona Honeycomb Toffee. Add big pieces of Dalgona Toffee directly on top of the milk until completely filled. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of the crushed toffee bits and powder.
- Optional: Add espresso. If desired, add 1 shot of espresso on top. Try to pour into a corner so all the pieces of toffee are not soaked. For a less intense coffee flavor, add regular hot coffee or cold brew coffee instead.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy! If you'd like, wait a few minutes for the toffee pieces to melt a little.
Video
Notes
- Sift baking soda. To avoid clumpy chunks of baking soda, run it through a fine mesh sifter. Biting into a chunk of baking soda is a very unpleasant experience!
- Leave caramel undisturbed during the cooking process. When cooking the sugar into caramel, it’s best to leave it undisturbed. Stirring or shaking the pan can form crystals and ruin the caramel. Once the sugar turns light yellow, it’s safe to handle.
- Be careful! The Toffee is very hot — do not touch! Be careful that it doesn’t come into contact with skin! Use metal or silicone tools (not plastic, as they will melt). Be especially careful when mixing in the baking soda so the caramel does not splash onto skin.
- Prep the silpat in advance. The cooking time is very fast and you’ll need to transfer to the silpat immediately — the longer the toffee sits in the cooking pot, the more likely it will burn. Set it up in advance for ease and convenience.
- Soak the saucepan in water. To remove the hardened leftover toffee from the cooking pot, simply fill with water. After a few minutes, the toffee will melt away.
