This white coffee recipe takes Vietnamese white coffee, Bạc xỉu, as its starting point for a sweet, milk-forward drink with a small but noticeable coffee layer. The proposed proportions below combine strong coffee, sweetened condensed milk, regular milk, and ice for one generous serving.
This is a practical home recipe rather than a claim to a historically authentic formula. It uses a small saucepan to prepare the coffee, so you do not need a particular coffee maker. The balance is easy to adjust: begin with the suggested quantities, then change the sweetness or coffee strength a little at a time.
Recipe Overview
- Yield: 1 serving
- Preparation time: About 5 minutes for measuring, mixing, filtering, and assembling
- Cooking time: About 5 minutes for heating the water and gently simmering the coffee
- Additional cooling: Let the filtered coffee stand for 1–2 minutes before pouring it over ice; this is separate from the preparation and cooking estimates.
The finished drink should taste more milky than a plain iced coffee, with enough coffee flavor to keep the condensed milk from being the only thing you notice. These quantities are a suggested starting point, not a fixed rule.
Ingredients
- 2 level tablespoons ground coffee, approximately 10 grams: A medium grind is convenient for the saucepan method.
- 1/3 cup water, approximately 80 milliliters: Some liquid will remain in the grounds, so expect less filtered coffee than the starting volume.
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, approximately 30 milliliters: Use sweetened condensed milk, not unsweetened evaporated milk.
- 1/2 cup cold milk, approximately 120 milliliters: Whole milk is the suggested starting choice, although another milk can be used.
- 3/4 cup ice cubes: Use enough to chill the drink without packing the glass completely full.
You will also need a small saucepan, a spoon, a heatproof cup, a fine-mesh strainer, and a serving glass with a capacity of at least 12 ounces. A paper coffee filter placed inside the strainer is useful if your grounds are fine or you prefer less sediment.
How to Make White Coffee
- Measure and set up. Measure the coffee, water, condensed milk, cold milk, and ice. Set the strainer over a heatproof cup. If using a paper coffee filter, place it inside the strainer. Keep the ice aside until assembly.
- Heat the water. Pour the water into the smallest suitable saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, allowing about 3 minutes. Watch closely: this is a small volume, and it can evaporate quickly. Lower the heat as soon as it reaches a simmer.
- Cook the coffee gently. Stir in the ground coffee and maintain a very gentle simmer for 2 minutes. Avoid a vigorous boil. Remove the pan from the heat promptly; the heating and simmering stages should take about 5 minutes altogether.
- Filter the coffee. Carefully pour the coffee through the prepared strainer into the heatproof cup. Let it drain without pressing the grounds through the mesh. Aim for roughly 3–4 tablespoons of filtered coffee, although the amount will vary with the grind and evaporation. Let it stand for 1–2 minutes to lose some heat.
- Mix the milk base. Put the condensed milk in the serving glass. Add a small splash of the measured cold milk and stir until smooth, then stir in the remaining milk. Mixing before adding ice helps prevent a thick layer of condensed milk from staying at the bottom.
- Assemble and serve. Add the ice to the milk mixture. Slowly pour the coffee over it. Serve promptly, stirring thoroughly before drinking so the sweetness and coffee are evenly distributed.
Tips for a Balanced Glass
Keep the coffee portion concentrated
The recipe uses a small amount of water because the coffee will be combined with milk and ice. Adding a large splash of water to the finished drink can make the flavor less distinct. If the coffee seems too strong, try adding another tablespoon of milk instead.
Control the heat
A rolling boil is unnecessary for this proposed method. It can reduce the small amount of water too quickly and leave too little coffee to strain. Use a small pan and gentle heat, and remove the pan from the burner once the 2-minute simmer is complete.
Adjust one ingredient at a time
If the first glass is sweeter than you prefer, reduce the condensed milk to 1 tablespoon next time while leaving the coffee and regular milk unchanged. If you want more coffee flavor, add a little extra prepared strong coffee rather than changing every proportion at once.
Stir before judging the flavor
A layered glass can look appealing, but an unmixed sip may contain mostly milk or mostly coffee. Stir from the bottom before deciding whether the drink needs an adjustment. Use the suggested cooling pause as well: very hot coffee poured directly over ice will melt more of it immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this white coffee in a clear glass if you want to show the coffee meeting the pale milk mixture. The layers are only a presentation choice; mixing them produces a more consistent drink.
For a simple pairing, serve it with a plain cracker, an unsweetened piece of toast, or another lightly sweet snack. Because the drink already contains condensed milk, a less-sweet accompaniment keeps the serving from feeling overly sugary.
Suitable Variations
- Less sweet: Use 1 tablespoon of condensed milk instead of 2. Keep the other quantities the same initially.
- More coffee-forward: Add 1 tablespoon of separately prepared strong coffee after stirring and tasting.
- Decaffeinated: Substitute the same weight of decaffeinated ground coffee and follow the same method.
- Dairy-free adaptation: Replace the milk with an unsweetened plant-based beverage and use a dairy-free sweetened condensed milk alternative. Sweetness and texture will depend on the products, so start with less condensed milk alternative and adjust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use coffee that is already brewed?
Yes. Replace the ground coffee and water with 3–4 tablespoons of prepared strong coffee. Skip the saucepan stages. The 5-minute cooking estimate applies to the saucepan version, not this shortcut.
Do I need a Vietnamese coffee filter?
No. This version deliberately uses a saucepan and strainer. If you already have a coffee filter or another brewing device, you can use it to prepare the small amount of strong coffee instead.
Can I replace condensed milk with regular milk?
You can, but it will change both the sweetness and the consistency. For a less-sweet result, first try reducing the condensed milk rather than removing it entirely. Evaporated milk is not an equivalent sweetened substitute.
Can I prepare it ahead?
You can prepare the coffee and the milk mixture separately, then refrigerate them in covered containers once the coffee has cooled. Assemble with fresh ice shortly before serving. Do not add ice in advance, since it will melt and dilute the drink.
