For Vietnamese egg cocoa (cacao trứng), bloom 2 teaspoons (5 g) of unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa with 2 tablespoons of just-boiled water, stir in ¾ cup (180 ml) of hot milk, then float a cream made by whisking 1 egg yolk with 1½ tablespoons (30 g) of sweetened condensed milk for 8–10 minutes by hand until tripled. Drink it through the cream. It makes one cup.
If you have tried Vietnamese egg coffee, this is its chocolatey cousin: a mug of hot cocoa under a spoonful of cloud-like yolk cream. It is the dessert drink you will want on a cold evening.
Key facts for this Vietnamese egg cocoa
| What | Value | Unit | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yield | 1 | cup (240 ml) | Grevista recipe, October 6, 2026 |
| Total time | 15 | minutes | Grevista recipe, October 6, 2026 |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 2 tsp (5) | tsp (g) | Grevista recipe; teaspoon weight from USDA FoodData Central FDC 169593 (1 tbsp = 5.4 g), checked September 15, 2026 |
| Caffeine per cup (from cocoa only) | ≈11 | mg | USDA FoodData Central FDC 169593 caffeine value × cocoa per cup, checked September 15, 2026 |
| Whisking time for the yolk cream | 8–10 by hand; 3–4 with a mixer | minutes | Grevista method note, October 6, 2026 |
| Hot milk temperature | 160 (70) | °F (°C), steaming not boiling | Grevista method note, October 6, 2026 |
| Origin of the drink family | 1946 | year, Hanoi | Mental Floss, “A Brief History of Vietnamese Egg Coffee”; checked October 6, 2026 |
How do you make Vietnamese egg cocoa?
Makes: 1 cup (240 ml) · Prep: 10 minutes · Total: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tsp (5 g) unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water, just boiled
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1½ tbsp (30 g) sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk, hot (about 160°F / 70°C)
- A few drops of vanilla extract (optional) and a pinch of fine salt
Instructions
- Bloom the cocoa. Put the cocoa and the pinch of salt in a mug, add the just-boiled water and stir hard into a smooth, glossy paste with no dry lumps.
- Add the hot milk. Heat the milk until steaming but not boiling, pour it into the paste and stir. Keep the mug warm.
- Whip the yolk cream. In a small deep bowl, whisk the yolk with the condensed milk (and vanilla) for 8–10 minutes by hand, or 3–4 minutes with a frother or hand mixer, until tripled in volume, pale, and holding a soft ribbon.
- Float the cream. Spoon it gently over the hot cocoa so it sits as a distinct layer.
- Serve warm. Traditionally the cup sits in a small bowl of hot water so the cream stays soft to the last spoonful.
What is cacao trứng?
Cacao trứng is a Vietnamese hot drink in two layers: unsweetened cocoa at the bottom and a thick foam of egg yolk whisked with sweetened condensed milk on top. You drink it through the foam, so each mouthful is part bitter cocoa and part sweet custard. It belongs to the family of drinks that began in 1946 Hanoi, when fresh milk was scarce and Nguyễn Văn Giảng whipped egg yolk as a substitute in his coffee. One visitor review of Café Giảng, the café he founded, reports being served an egg-and-chocolate version alongside the coffee. For the original, see our Vietnamese egg coffee (cà phê trứng) recipe.
Why does non-alkalized cocoa work better in egg cocoa?
The yolk cream is rich and sweet, so a mild cocoa beneath turns the whole cup flat and cloying. Natural, non-alkalized cocoa keeps its acidity and fruit notes, which stop the drink tasting like melted ice cream. Dutch-process cocoa is treated to raise its pH, which softens exactly the edge you want here. See Dutch-process cocoa powder for the difference.
How do you stop egg cocoa tasting eggy?
| Cause | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Under-whipping | A stirred yolk still tastes like raw yolk; a whipped one tastes like custard | Whisk until pale and tripled in volume |
| Cold yolk | A fridge-cold yolk resists aerating | Let it sit out 20 minutes first |
| Egg white got in | Most of the sulphurous note lives in the white | Separate carefully |
A pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla help, as in any custard.
Is the egg yolk safe?
The yolk is warmed by the cocoa beneath but never cooked through. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advises everyone against eating raw or undercooked eggs and says infants, young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are especially at risk. It notes that pasteurized in-shell eggs can be used safely without cooking, and they whip the same way.
Can you make egg cocoa iced?
Yes. Make the cocoa base with half the milk so it is concentrated, chill it, pour it over ice, then float the yolk cream, whipped slightly stiffer so it does not slide straight through the ice.
Which one fits you?
| A good fit if you… | Skip or change it if you… |
|---|---|
| Want a dessert-style hot cocoa with a Hanoi story | Are pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised: use pasteurized in-shell eggs or skip the raw yolk |
| Want a lower-caffeine version of egg coffee | Want a light drink: the cream is rich and sweet by design |
| Already keep unsweetened natural cocoa | Only have pre-sweetened drinking mix: the cup will turn cloying |
Want to make it with our cocoa?
This drink is made with unsweetened, non-alkalized cocoa. Ours is single-origin Vietnamese Trinitario with nothing else in it, and its third-party heavy-metal reports are public on Lab Results & Awards. Check price: 200 g box
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a whole egg instead of just the yolk?
No. The white will not aerate into the same custard, and it is where most of the eggy flavor lives. Save it for something else.
What can I use instead of condensed milk?
Condensed milk sweetens and thickens at once. If you swap in sugar and cream you will need to whip longer and the foam will be looser. It works, but it is a different drink.
How much cocoa powder should I use?
Two teaspoons (5 g) per cup is the balance for most people. For a stronger cup go up to a tablespoon, but taste the sweetness first because the cream is already sweet.
Is egg cocoa the same as egg coffee?
Same technique and same cream, but cocoa replaces coffee as the base, so it is much lower in caffeine and a gentler match for the sweet foam.
Can I make it without raw egg?
Use pasteurized in-shell eggs, which whip the same way, or leave out the yolk cream and top the cocoa with a sweetened whipped cream instead.
More to make and read
- Vietnamese salted cocoa — a salted cream cap.
- Vietnamese egg coffee — the original.
- Vietnamese salt coffee — the other Hanoi-and-beyond favorite.
- How to use cocoa powder — blooming for a smoother base.
- Five checks for cocoa quality — what to look for in a cocoa.
Want a plain, unsweetened cocoa for egg cocoa? Grevista’s 200 g (7 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder box. Commercial relationship: Grevista distributes this cocoa and earns revenue from sales on Amazon. See our Affiliate & Commercial Disclosure.
Sources
- Mental Floss. A Brief History of Vietnamese Egg Coffee, checked October 6, 2026.
- The World of Street Food. The original Vietnamese egg coffee by Cafe Giang, June 2018, checked October 6, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. Shell Eggs from Farm to Table, checked October 6, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC ID 169593), portion weights and caffeine, checked September 15, 2026.
- TSL Science Co., Ltd. Test report TSL1220400349-1, April 2022. Published on our Lab Results & Awards page.
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated October 6, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.