Dalgona is Korean sugar candy — melted sugar puffed up with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, flattened into a disc and stamped with a shape. It is sold from street carts across Korea and it became familiar to a much wider audience a few years ago through television. It costs about ten pence to make and it is the sort of thing that keeps children occupied for an hour.
It tastes of burnt sugar and honeycomb, slightly bitter at the edges in a good way, and it snaps rather than chews. It is easy in principle and does need care in practice, because molten sugar is genuinely dangerous. Around 15 minutes for a batch of four. This is our home version of the Dalgona Cookie from the Other Cool Stuff menu at The Cozy Bowl.
Why This Recipe Works
- Sugar with a splash of water melts more evenly. A tiny amount of water helps the sugar dissolve before it caramelises, which prevents the gritty, half-crystallised patches you get from melting sugar dry.
- The bicarbonate of soda is the whole trick. It reacts with the hot sugar and releases carbon dioxide, which puffs the mixture up into a pale foam. That foam is what makes the candy light and snappable rather than a solid glass toffee.
- It is stirred for only a few seconds after the bicarb goes in. Just enough to distribute it. Over-stirring knocks the gas out and you end up with a dense disc.
- It is worked on greased baking paper. Sugar sticks ferociously to everything. Oiled paper releases cleanly.
- Pressing and stamping happen fast. You have perhaps fifteen to twenty seconds while the sugar is pliable. Having the greased press and cutter already in hand is what makes it possible.
- Small batches, one at a time. Melting sugar for four discs at once means three of them set solid before you get to them. One ladle at a time is the only way.
Ingredient Notes
Caster sugar. Fine granules dissolve fastest and most evenly. Granulated sugar works but takes longer and is more prone to crystallising in patches.
Bicarbonate of soda. Not baking powder, which contains acid and will not give the same reaction. You need a very small amount — about a quarter of a teaspoon per two tablespoons of sugar, or even less. Too much and the candy tastes soapy and bitter.
Water. Half a teaspoon per portion. Just enough to help the sugar dissolve.
Oil. A flavourless oil for greasing the paper, the press and the cutter. Do not use butter, which contains water and milk solids and will make the sugar spit.
Equipment as ingredients. You need a small heavy ladle or a very small pan, something flat and heatproof to press with (the base of a greased metal mug or a small pan lid), and a metal cookie cutter or a small biscuit cutter for stamping the shape.
Substitutions and Variations
Different shapes. A star, a heart, a circle, an umbrella. Small, simple shapes with thick outlines are much easier to release intact than intricate ones.
On a stick. Lay a lolly stick on the paper and pour the sugar over the end before pressing. Much easier for children to hold.
Salted dalgona. A few grains of flaky sea salt pressed into the surface. It cuts the sweetness very effectively.
Sprinkles. Pressed into the surface while still soft. Purely for looks and children love it.
Honeycomb version. Use four times the quantities, do not press it flat, and let the puffed mixture set in a tin. Break it up and you have honeycomb, or cinder toffee. Same chemistry, different format.
Chocolate dipped. Dip half of each cooled disc in melted chocolate and leave to set on paper.
Coffee flavoured. A quarter teaspoon of instant coffee added with the sugar, which is a nod to the fact that dalgona coffee is named after this sweet. Our dalgona coffee frappuccino is the drink version.
This recipe contains no dairy, egg, gluten or nuts as written, but we have not tested it against any specific dietary requirement and cannot describe it as suitable for any particular diet. Check your bicarbonate of soda packaging for any may-contain warnings.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Full method in the card, and please read the safety notes before you start. This is the recipe on our blog with the highest burn risk and it deserves respect.
Setting up before you turn the heat on
Lay a sheet of baking paper on a heatproof surface and brush it lightly with oil. Grease the base of whatever you are pressing with and grease the inside of your cutter. Have both within reach of your working hand. Measure the bicarbonate of soda into a small dish. Have a bowl of cold water on the side for dropping the hot ladle into afterwards. Do all of this first, because once the sugar is molten you will not have time.
Melting the sugar
Two tablespoons of caster sugar and half a teaspoon of water in a small heavy ladle or tiny pan, over a medium heat. Stir gently with a metal skewer or the handle of a teaspoon as it melts. It will go clear, then pale straw, then light amber. Take it off the heat at light amber, roughly the colour of clear honey. Sugar continues to darken from residual heat, and dark amber means burnt and bitter. This takes about two to three minutes.
Adding the bicarb
Off the heat, add the tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda and stir for three or four seconds only. It will bubble up, lighten in colour and roughly double in volume. Stop stirring the moment it is mixed.
Pouring, pressing and stamping
Pour the foam straight onto the oiled paper in a single blob. Wait about five seconds, then press down firmly with the greased flat base to flatten it to around 4 mm thick. Lift the press away. Immediately place the greased cutter on top and press it down about halfway through — not all the way, or the shape will fall out. Lift the cutter straight up. Leave to cool completely for about two minutes, then peel it off the paper.
Professional Tips
- Everything greased and within reach before you start. You have about fifteen seconds of working time and no opportunity to go looking for the cutter.
- Take the sugar off at light amber. It keeps darkening in the pan. If you wait for the colour you want, you will overshoot every time.
- Use less bicarb than you think. A genuine pinch. Too much gives a soapy, bitter, chemical taste that ruins it.
- Do not stir after the bicarb. Three seconds, then stop. Stirring knocks the gas out.
- Press, do not squash. Firm and even, then lift straight up. Twisting will tear it.
- Stamp only halfway through. The shape needs to stay attached, since the whole game is removing it without breaking it.
- One at a time. Do not try to melt a big batch. Four separate ladles is faster than one failed attempt.
- Soak the ladle immediately. Hot water dissolves sugar; cooled sugar sets like cement.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Solution | Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tastes burnt and bitter | Sugar taken too dark | Nothing will fix it; start again | Off the heat at light amber, the colour of clear honey |
| Tastes soapy or chemical | Too much bicarbonate of soda | None | A genuine small pinch, around 1/4 tsp or less per 2 tbsp sugar |
| Did not puff up | Baking powder used instead of bicarb, or bicarb is old | None | Use fresh bicarbonate of soda, not baking powder |
| Dense and hard, not snappy | Over-stirred after adding the bicarb | None | Stir for 3 to 4 seconds only |
| Gritty and crystallised | Sugar not fully dissolved before caramelising | Start again | Add 1/2 tsp water and stir gently as it melts |
| Stuck to the paper | Paper not oiled | Warm briefly in a low oven to release | Brush the paper lightly with flavourless oil |
| Stuck to the press | Press not greased | Soak in hot water | Grease the press and the cutter every time |
| Set before pressing | Waited too long after pouring | Reheat briefly in a low oven to soften | Press within about 5 seconds of pouring |
| Shape fell out while stamping | Cutter pressed all the way through | Enjoy the pieces | Press the cutter only about halfway down |
| Cracked when peeling off | Not fully cooled | None | Leave 2 minutes to cool completely before lifting |
Serving Suggestions
Dalgona is a novelty as much as a sweet, and the point is the game: try to remove the stamped shape intact using only a needle or a toothpick, without cracking the surrounding disc. It is much harder than it looks and it will occupy children, and a fair number of adults, for a surprisingly long time.
Serve them alongside a drink rather than as a pudding — a karak chai, a dalgona coffee frappuccino for the pleasing name match, or a bubble shake for children. Crushed up, they are excellent scattered over vanilla ice cream, and a broken disc pressed into the top of the chocolate dream cake tin looks very good. More in desserts.
Storage and Reheating
- Airtight, at room temperature. Layer them between squares of baking paper in a tin or tub. They will keep well for several days.
- Keep them dry. Sugar candy is hygroscopic, which means it draws moisture from the air. Humidity will make them tacky and eventually soft, so a properly airtight container matters.
- Never refrigerate. The fridge is humid and will turn them sticky within hours.
- If they go tacky. Five minutes in a 100°C oven will dry them out, then cool completely before storing again.
- Freezing. Not suitable. They will sweat and go sticky as they thaw.
- Cleaning up. Fill the ladle and any sugary pans with hot water and leave them. The sugar dissolves completely. Do not attempt to chip it off.
These are pure sugar and should be treated as an occasional treat. Hard candy is also a choking risk for young children, so supervise and consider breaking discs into smaller pieces for younger ones. We have not carried out shelf-life testing on this recipe, so please use your own judgement on storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dalgona cookie made of?
Just sugar and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, with a tiny amount of water to help the sugar melt evenly. That is genuinely all. It is sometimes called ppopgi in Korea.
Can I use baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda?
No. Baking powder contains acid alongside the bicarbonate and will not produce the same reaction with hot sugar. You need plain bicarbonate of soda.
Why does mine taste bitter?
Either the sugar was taken too dark, or there was too much bicarbonate of soda. Take the sugar off the heat while it is still light amber, and use a genuinely small pinch of bicarb.
How long do I have to press and stamp it?
About fifteen to twenty seconds in total. Pour, wait five seconds, press flat, then stamp immediately. Have everything greased and to hand before you start heating the sugar.
Why won’t my stamped shape come out?
That is rather the point of the game. Traditionally you use a needle or a toothpick and a lot of patience, sometimes licking around the edges to weaken the sugar. If you actually want it to come out easily, press the cutter slightly deeper.
Is it safe to make with children?
Children can help with the shapes and the stamping, but molten sugar reaches well over 150°C and causes serious burns that stick to skin. An adult should handle every stage involving heat, and children should stand back from the hob entirely.
Can I make a lot at once?
Not in one pan. Melt the sugar one portion at a time, because the second and third discs will set solid before you can press them. Making four separate small batches takes about fifteen minutes in total.
Is this the same as honeycomb or cinder toffee?
Chemically, yes — caramelised sugar aerated with bicarbonate of soda. The difference is entirely in the format: honeycomb is left to puff up and set thick in a tin, while dalgona is pressed flat into a thin disc.
PrintDalgona Cookie (Korean Sugar Candy)
- Total Time15 minutes
- Yield4 candy discs 1x
Korean sugar candy made from just caster sugar and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, puffed into a pale honeycomb foam, pressed flat and stamped with a shape. Two ingredients and about 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Per candy disc (makes 4 in total)
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp cold water
- 1 small pinch bicarbonate of soda, about 1/4 tsp or less (not baking powder)
For the total batch
- 8 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp cold water
- About 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda in total
- 1 tbsp flavourless oil, such as sunflower, for greasing
Instructions
- Set everything up before you turn on any heat. Lay a sheet of baking paper on a heatproof surface and brush it lightly with oil. Grease the flat base of a metal mug or small pan lid for pressing, and grease the inside of a metal cookie cutter for stamping. Put both within reach of your working hand.
- Measure a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda into a small dish. Fill a bowl with cold water and set it by the sink for the hot ladle afterwards.
- Put 2 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 tsp cold water into a small heavy ladle or a very small pan. Set over a medium heat.
- Stir gently with a metal skewer or the handle of a teaspoon as it melts. The sugar will go clear, then pale straw, then light amber.
- Take it off the heat the moment it reaches light amber, roughly the colour of clear honey. It will keep darkening from residual heat, and dark amber means burnt and bitter. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Off the heat, add the pinch of bicarbonate of soda and stir for 3 to 4 seconds only. It will bubble, lighten in colour and roughly double in volume. Stop stirring the moment it is mixed.
- Pour the foam straight onto the oiled paper in a single blob.
- Wait about 5 seconds, then press down firmly and evenly with the greased flat base to flatten it to around 4 mm thick. Lift the press straight up without twisting.
- Immediately place the greased cutter on top and press it down about halfway through the disc, not all the way. Lift the cutter straight up.
- Leave to cool completely for about 2 minutes, then peel the disc off the paper.
- Fill the ladle with hot water immediately and leave it to soak. Repeat the whole process for each remaining disc, melting the sugar one portion at a time.
Notes
Safety, please read first: Molten sugar reaches well over 150°C, sticks to skin and causes serious burns. Keep children well away from the hob for every stage involving heat. Never add water to hot sugar in the pan. Work on a heatproof surface, keep a bowl of cold water by the sink, and if you do burn yourself, run the area under cool running water for at least 20 minutes and seek medical advice for anything more than a very minor burn.
Set up completely before heating: You have about 15 to 20 seconds of working time once the sugar is poured. Oiled paper, greased press and greased cutter all within reach, and the bicarb measured out.
The mistake to avoid: Waiting for the colour you want before taking the pan off the heat. Sugar keeps darkening from residual heat, so remove it at light amber, the colour of clear honey, and it will settle at the right shade.
Use less bicarb than you think: A genuine small pinch. Too much gives a soapy, bitter, chemical taste. And it must be bicarbonate of soda, not baking powder, which contains acid and will not produce the same reaction.
Do not over-stir: Three to four seconds after the bicarb goes in, then stop. Stirring knocks out the gas that makes the candy light and snappable.
One at a time: Melt the sugar in single portions. A larger batch will set solid before you can press and stamp the later discs.
Storage: Airtight at room temperature, layered between baking paper. Never refrigerate, as the humidity turns them sticky within hours. If they go tacky, dry them in a 100°C oven for 5 minutes and cool completely before storing.
Variations: Lay a lolly stick on the paper and pour over the end before pressing. Press flaky sea salt or sprinkles into the surface while soft. Dip half of each cooled disc in melted chocolate. Add 1/4 tsp instant coffee with the sugar. Use four times the quantity, skip the pressing, and let it set thick in a tin to make honeycomb instead.
Equipment: A small heavy ladle or very small pan, baking paper, a greased flat metal base for pressing, a metal cookie cutter, a metal skewer for stirring and a needle or toothpick if you want to play the game.
Please note: These are pure sugar and are an occasional treat. Hard candy is a choking risk for young children, so supervise and consider breaking discs into smaller pieces.
Allergen note: Always check the label of every ingredient you use, as recipes and allergen information can change. People with food allergies or intolerances must also consider cross-contamination.
This recipe contains no dairy, egg, gluten or nuts as written, but check the packaging of your bicarbonate of soda and sugar for any may-contain warnings, and note that the greasing oil may be a groundnut oil, which is a peanut product. Allergen information must be confirmed by The Cozy Bowl before it is relied upon.
This is a home recipe inspired by a dish or flavour available at The Cozy Bowl. It is not the restaurant’s exact commercial recipe.
Ten Pence and a Bit of Nerve
Two ingredients, fifteen minutes and a game at the end of it. Just take the hot sugar seriously and it is one of the most fun things you can make in a kitchen. If you would rather buy one ready-stamped, the Dalgona Cookie is on the Other Cool Stuff menu at The Cozy Bowl — 172 Biscot Road, Luton, or order online.