Dalgona Candy (ppopgi) is popular street snack in South Korea (watch how it’s traditionally made here) – it’s been served there for decades, but has become known worldwide recently from Squid Game (Netflix show). About 3 weeks ago, I missed a night of sleep binge watching the entire season of Squid Game (yes, it was that interesting!) and it reminded me that I’ve been meaning to share this dalgona candy recipe on my blog. Almost every household will already have the ingredients to make dalgona candy, you only need Granulated Sugar + Baking Soda. Watch my 30-second Instagram Recipe Video here
Dalgona candy is similar in texture to honeycomb toffee candy you can find in the U.S., but the ingredient list is much more simple & the flavor of dalgona candy is similar to the sugar topping on crème brûlée
You might have heard of dalgona coffee, which is a whipped coffee drink – but they really don’t have anything to do with each other besides the whipped coffee & dalgona candy having a similar look when whipped / stirred. The version of dalgona coffee that went viral on TikTok originated from Hon Kee Cafe in Macau. It got the name dalgona coffee because South Korean actor Jung Il-woo made the comparison after trying the whipped coffee drink at Hon Kee Cafe.
Tip & Tricks for dalgona candy making:
- Keep a close eye on the sugar while it’s boiling, it’s perfect right when the sugar starts to color, if you let the sugar get too brown, the texture & flavor may be off
- Work very quickly after you add the baking soda, the dalgona will turn dark brown if it sits in the pan for too long
- Baking Soda creates the airy texture in dalgona candy & speeds up the Maillard reaction (browning) with sugar – that’s why it’s important to remove the candy from the pan shortly after you mix in the baking soda
- Make sure you’re using parchment paper (not wax or butcher paper) or the dalgona candy will stick.
- If you have a dalgona candy kit, use the press to flatten the candy. Other kitchen items you can use instead of a dalgona press: Pyrex containers, metal pie tin, burger press, large empty pasta jar
- If it’s sticky when you try to use a cookie cutter to press a shape into the center, it means it’s still too hot, wait a little longer next time and make sure the cookie cutter is cool, if it’s warm it will stick to the candy
- If you want to save the dalgona candy for later, place them into a ziplock bag to prevent them from getting sticky on the surface.
- Soak the pan in hot water to remove any residual candy.
- Watch my 30-second Instagram Recipe Video here
