About This Vietnamese Egg Coffee Recipe
Vietnamese egg coffee is made with a whipped egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk custard. This custard is poured over a cup of very strong coffee, and stirred together to enjoy. The end result tastes like tiramisu, but with lots of coffee and minus the cake!
@hummingbirdhigh GORGINA #vietnameseeggcoffee #coffee #foodtok ♬ original sound – Jeremy Shane
If this kind of creamy, layered coffee is your jam, also check out my dalgona coffee recipe! You can also find even more coffee recipes on Hummingbird High‘s drinks recipe archive.
Let’s Talk Coffee
What kind of coffee do you recommend?
Honestly, whatever coffee you have on hand works! But if you want to be authentic, I recommend getting a Vietnamese robusta coffee. In particular, I especially like the robusta beans by Nguyen Coffee Supply.
I only have an espresso and/or coffee pod machine. Can I still make this Vietnamese egg coffee?
Absolutely! However, 1 shot of espresso usually comes in at 1 ounce. That means you need 3 ounces—or 3 shots—of espresso for this drink.
If that’s too much caffeine for you, I suggest making an Americano to pair with the Vietnamese egg custard instead. Make 1 shot of espresso, and dilute it with 2 ounces of water. If you prefer something strong, make 2 shots of espresso, and dilute it with 1 ounce of water.
Can I use instant coffee or instant espresso?
Absolutely! Just be sure to make it on the stronger side so that it doesn’t get overwhelmed by the egg yolk custard.
All About Pasteurized Eggs
What is pasteurization and why do I need to pasteurize the eggs in this Vietnamese egg coffee recipe?
Pasteurization is the process of gently heating a food product (typically, milk, eggs, wine) to kill any pathogenic microorganisms and make it safe for consumption and storage. However, note that pasteurization is a gentle process—it heats the food product JUST enough to partially sterilize it, but not enough to cook it.
Pasteurizing the egg yolks in this Vietnamese egg coffee recipe makes it safe to drink!
If I use pasteurized eggs, do I still need to cook the egg yolks in a double boiler?
If you managed to find pasteurized eggs at the grocery store, you’re in luck! You do not need to pasteurize the egg yolks. To make this recipe, simply whisk together the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Then, pour it over the coffee. That’s it!
Best Recipe Tip
- The recipe instructs you to use ⅛ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Most measuring spoon sets do not come with a ⅛-teaspoon measure (though you can buy one online). If you don’t want to splurge, simply eyeball it! A light splash of vanilla should do the trick. However, err on the side of caution—too much vanilla can easily overwhelm the subtle custard flavors!
Get the Recipe: Vietnamese Egg Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 ounces (85 grams) freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso
- ground cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
- Pasteurize the egg yolks with the condensed milk and sugar. Place the egg yolks, condensed milk, and sugar in the top pan of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan filled with a few inches of simmering water (be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water).Cook over medium heat, using a whisk to stir the mixture and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and is able to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the mixture should read 160°F.
- Add the vanilla, then whisk the egg yolk custard. Remove the pan or bowl from heat and set on a wire rack.Use a handheld electric mixer to whisk in the vanilla on low speed, about 15 seconds. Turn the mixer to medium-high and whisk the custard for 2 to 3 minutes, until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume.
- Serve immediately. Pour the coffee into a heatproof glass. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the egg yolk mixture over the coffee. Garnish with a dusting of ground cinnamon. Serve immediately with a spoon.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
Only a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding design. “Better by far you should forget and smile than that you should remember and be sad.” by Christina Georgina Rossetti.
If diabetic or eating keto, you can sub stevia for sugar one for one. Also heavy whipping cream for condensed milk. Works perfectly and I cannot tell any difference. Will not spike blood glucose. I drink it everyday. Love it.
Sounds like it could work, will give a go 👍 Dave
Wonderful recipe! Im planning to make a big batch, How do you store remaining egg custard?
I would put the egg custard in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly on top of it (this prevents a “skin”) from forming. then refrigerate it. I probably wouldn’t refrigerate it for longer than 48 hours—it’s still raw egg despite being pasteurized! I would also give it a quick re-whip after it’s been chilled just to lighten the texture up.