Have you tried adding eggs to your coffee? This decadent Vietnamese Egg Coffee, or Ca Phe Trung, is like drinking warm tiramisu! It’s rich and creamy from the frothy egg topping with a bold kick of coffee for the perfect balance – dessert in a cup!
I first tried egg coffee in Hanoi and became obsessed! It’s a deep and rich coffee topped with a frothy custard topping, and dusted with cocoa powder. It’s an indulgent velvety drink that literally tastes like dessert – liquid tiramisu to be precise.
I took cooking and coffee-making classes while in Vietnam, learning how to make this decadent drink, along with traditional Vietnamese coffee, frothy Coconut Coffee, and Salt Coffee! I even created my oven version of Ube Coffee! It’s surprisingly easy, so let’s get into the tips…
🎥 Video: Watch How to Make the Recipe
What is Egg Coffee?
Egg coffee was created in Vietnam in 1946 during a milk shortage. To replace milk, a bartender named Nguyen Giang at the Metropole Hotel got creative & used egg yolks and sugar instead!
He created a frothy custard topping that was even richer and creamier than their standard coffee, with whispers of vanilla. No eggy flavor!
Giang’s egg coffee, ca phe trung, was so popular with customers, he quit his job to open his own cafe AND it’s still open today! If you’re ever in Vietnam, check out Giang Cafe in Hanoi for his original egg coffee or his other creative variations like egg matcha, oreo, or mung bean!
🥘 Ingredients
- Coffee: Vietnamese coffee is made of robusta beans (not arabica like the majority of the world’s coffee). Robusta is about 3x stronger in caffeine! My fave brand is Cafe du Monde because of the bold flavor without strong acidity (plus it’s SUPER affordable & accessible)! Other popular brands are Trung Nguyen Coffee and Nguyen Coffee Supply. I dive deeper on their individual flavor profiles in my Vietnamese Coffee recipe if you wanna know which one may best fit your palette!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is key to help whip up the eggs & give it the sweet creamy flavor! Don’t be tempted to skimp here because its sugar helps your eggs froth up! If you want a vegan or dairy-free version, swap for coconut condensed milk!
- Vanilla Extract: Just a splash takes your egg coffee to the next level that tastes like dessert!
- Honey: Adds extra sweetness and extra layer of flavor!
- Salt: A little pinch adds flavor complexity in contrast to the sweet condensed milk.
- Egg: I’m using a large egg. If you want to be extra safe to kill off bacteria, you can grab pasteurized eggs or pasteurize eggs yourself. Or do neither & live on the wild side – you do you boo!
For full ingredient list & measurements, see recipe card below.
🔪 How to Make Egg Coffee
Step 1: Make Vietnamese Coffee
For this egg coffee recipe, we’re going the traditional route and using a phin filter.
Place the phin filter on top of your mug, add 3 tablespoons of Vietnamese coffee grounds in the chamber, then place the press on top. Pour about a tablespoon of hot water into the chamber and allow it to “bloom” for about 1 minute to help intensify the coffee flavor!
Fill the chamber with water, cover with the lid, and let the coffee slowly drip while you make your egg topping.
Step 2: Make Egg Topping
In a mug or small bowl, combine the egg, condensed milk, honey, vanilla extract, & salt.
Use an immersion blender with whisk or frother attachment (my fave option because you can go turbo speed lol), hand mixer, or hand-held frother to whisk together.
You’ll know it’s ready when it’s light yellow, voluminous, and has enough air to float on top of liquid. You can test this by dropping a bit in a glass of water. If it sinks to the bottom, whisk the cream longer.
Step 3: Assemble
Once your coffee stops dripping, remove the phone, then drizzle on the egg cream topping. If you’re feeling fancy, dust it with cocoa powder and serve with a spoon!
To enjoy, our patient cooking teacher recommended scooping the layers of coffee and egg cream in one swoop so you can taste each layer. You can continue enjoying it like a dessert like this, or stir everything together to sip. Enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- How to Make Iced Version: Egg coffee is commonly enjoyed hot but you can also make it iced. Pour your coffee into a tall cup of ice, pour egg mixture on top, & garnish with cocoa powder. Serve with a spoon and straw, then mix well before enjoying!
- Test Egg Topping Before Adding to Coffee: Egg cream should float on top of coffee. To test if egg cream is ready, drop a small amount in a glass of water to see if it floats. If it sinks, whisk more.
- For Stronger Coffee use 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds instead of 2 tablespoons.
- For a Large Batch: Use a french press to brew your coffee! Bring water to off the boil, pour coffee grounds into the french press, and pour just enough water to cover the coffee. Allow it to bloom for about a minute, then pour remaining water & steep for about 4 minutes. Divide the coffee into the cups, then follow steps to make egg cream.
💭 Recipe FAQs
☕ What to Serve with Egg Coffee
Treat yo’ self to more satisfying Vietnamese recipes, like a hearty bowl of Thit Kho with a side of Green Mango Salad! Or build-your-own-bowl night with Vermicelli Bowls with Lemongrass Chicken, tangy Vietnamese pickled carrots & daikon, and a drizzle of nuoc cham!
Craving move drinks and desserts? Sip on my frosty Vietnamese Avocado Smoothie too!
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung)
Ingredients
VIETNAMESE COFFEE:
- 3 tablespoons Vietnamese ground coffee grounds
- 2/3 cup boiling water
EGG:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon condensed milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
GARNISH (OPTIONAL):
- Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place the phin filter on top of a mug and scoop the coffee grounds into the filter in an even layer. Be careful not to shake the filter so coffee grounds don’t spill into the mug.
- Gently press the coffee grounds in the filter – don’t pack the coffee grounds too firmly because it turns the coffee bitter. Pour about a tablespoon of boiling water onto the coffee grounds and wait for about 5 seconds to allow the coffee grounds to “bloom”.
- Pour about a tablespoon of boiling water onto the coffee grounds and wait for about 5 seconds to allow the coffee grounds to “bloom”.
- Slowly pour the boiling water over the coffee. Wait for about 5 minutes, or until the coffee finishes dripping. Set aside.
- In a mug or small bowl, add egg yolk, honey, condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until light in color and soft peaks are created (about 5 minutes). You’ll know it’s ready if you drop a small amount in a glass of water & it immediately floats to the top. If it doesn’t, whisk longer.
- To assemble, remove phin filter from coffee mug once it’s stopped dripping, then pour on the egg topping. Garnish with a sprinkle of cocoa powder if you’re feeling fancy. Serve & enjoy immediately with a spoon. Scoop all the layers by the spoonful for a tiramisu-like flavor, or mix then enjoy!
Notes
- Vietnamese Coffee: My fave brand to use is Cafe du Monde because it’s bold in flavor and super easily accessible and affordable! I also list more popular coffee brands & their flavor profiles in my Vietnamese Coffee recipe.
- Condensed Milk: It’s important NOT to skimp on the condensed milk because it helps thicken up the egg topping!
- My Fave Whisking Tools: This immersion blender with multiple attachments is quick & SUPER helpful in the kitchen since it’s multi-purpose! A hand mixer or handheld frother works too.
- Making Bulk Coffee: Use a french press to brew your coffee! Bring water to off the boil, pour coffee grounds into the french press, and pour just enough water to cover the coffee. Allow it to bloom for about a minute, then pour remaining water & steep for about 4 minutes.
- Enjoy Immediately: The egg cream will blend with the coffee over time, so it’s best to enjoy it immediately!
- Iced Version: If you prefer an iced egg coffee, combine the coffee and ice before adding the egg topping.
Tools
- immersion blender with mini whisk/fother attachment, or any hand-held mixer or frother
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
