For Vietnamese egg coffee (cà phê trứng), whisk 1 room-temperature egg yolk with 1½ tablespoons (30 g) of sweetened condensed milk, a pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla for 8–10 minutes by hand (3–4 with a mixer) until it triples in volume and turns pale. Pour about 3½ oz (100 ml) of strong coffee into a warm cup and spoon the cream on top.
Egg in coffee sounds odd until you know what it becomes: a thick, custard-like foam that tastes more like tiramisu than breakfast. Hanoi has been making it since 1946.
Key facts for this Vietnamese egg coffee
| What | Value | Unit | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yield | 1 | cup | Grevista recipe, October 6, 2026 |
| Total time | 15 | minutes | Grevista recipe, October 6, 2026 |
| Whisking time | 8–10 by hand; 3–4 with a mixer or frother | minutes | Grevista method note, October 6, 2026 |
| Egg yolk | 1 | large yolk, room temperature | Grevista recipe, October 6, 2026 |
| Sweetened condensed milk | 1½ tbsp (30 g) | tbsp (g) | Grevista recipe, October 6, 2026 |
| Typical caffeine, robusta vs arabica beans | 2.2–2.7 vs 1.2–1.5 | % of dry weight | Coffee-industry references, e.g. Seattle Coffee Gear; checked October 6, 2026 |
| Origin of the drink | 1946 | year, Hanoi | Mental Floss, “A Brief History of Vietnamese Egg Coffee”; checked October 6, 2026 |
How do you make Vietnamese egg coffee?
Makes: 1 cup · Total: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground Vietnamese robusta coffee
- 3½ oz (100 ml) water, just off the boil
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1½ tbsp (30 g) sweetened condensed milk
- A few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
- A pinch of fine salt
Instructions
- Brew strong. Brew through a phin filter, or pull a double espresso. Weak coffee disappears under the yolk cream.
- Separate carefully. Use only the yolk. Any trace of white brings a sulphurous note with it.
- Whisk 8–10 minutes. Whisk the yolk with the condensed milk, salt and vanilla in a small deep bowl for 8–10 minutes by hand, or 3–4 minutes with a hand mixer or milk frother. It is done when it has tripled in volume, turned pale and holds a soft ribbon off the whisk.
- Warm the cup. Rinse the cup with hot water and dry it. A cold cup makes the cream collapse into the coffee.
- Assemble. Pour the coffee in, then spoon the yolk cream gently on top so it stays a distinct layer.
- Keep it warm. In Hanoi it is served in a small cup sitting in a bowl of hot water, which keeps the cream soft to the last spoonful.
What is cà phê trứng?
Cà phê trứng is strong Vietnamese coffee under a thick, warm foam of egg yolk whipped with sweetened condensed milk. It is closer to a drinkable tiramisu than to a latte, and most cafés hand you a small spoon.
It is credited to Nguyễn Văn Giảng, who in 1946 Hanoi, with fresh milk scarce, whisked egg in place of dairy; he went on to found Café Giảng. The shortage ended; the drink did not.
Why does my egg coffee taste eggy?
| Cause | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Under-whipping | A stirred yolk still tastes like raw yolk; a properly whipped one tastes like custard | Whisk until pale and tripled in volume |
| Cold yolk | A fridge-cold yolk resists aerating, so people stop early | Let it sit out 20 minutes first |
| Egg white got in | Most of the sulphurous note lives in the white | Separate carefully; discard any yolk with white attached |
A pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla also help, the same way they do in custard.
How long do you actually have to whisk?
By hand, 8 to 10 minutes. With an electric hand mixer or milk frother, 3 to 4. The volume is the recipe: if it has not tripled, it is not finished, however long you have been at it.
Is the raw egg yolk safe?
The yolk is warmed by the coffee underneath 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. Pasteurized in-shell eggs, sold at many US supermarkets, whip the same way.
What coffee should you use?
Vietnamese robusta, brewed in a phin. Robusta is more bitter and typically carries roughly twice the caffeine of arabica by dry weight, which is what you need under something this rich. A double espresso is the closest substitute; drip coffee is too thin.
Can you make it with cocoa instead of coffee?
Yes. The same whipped yolk cream over hot cocoa is Hanoi’s egg cocoa (cacao trứng), and it works well because cocoa meets the sweetness of the cream where coffee fights it. It is also caffeine-light, so you can serve it in the evening. Use the same technique and ratios, with unsweetened natural cocoa rather than a pre-sweetened drinking mix, because the cream is already sweet. The full method is in our Vietnamese egg cocoa (cacao trứng) recipe.
Cocoa also takes the other classic Vietnamese cap: if you prefer a salty-sweet drink, try our Vietnamese salted cocoa (cacao muối). For why a natural, non-alkalized cocoa suits these drinks, see Dutch-process cocoa powder, and for the cocoa itself see what to know about Vietnamese cocoa.
Worth it, or not?
| A good fit if you… | Skip or change it if you… |
|---|---|
| Like rich, dessert-style coffee and have 15 minutes | Are pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised: use pasteurized in-shell eggs, or skip the raw yolk |
| Want a Hanoi café drink at home | Want a light, low-sugar coffee: this is sweet and rich by design |
| Prefer a caffeine-light version (use the cocoa base) | Cannot get a robust coffee base: a weak brew vanishes under the cream |
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
Why does my egg coffee taste eggy?
Usually under-whipping. Whisk the yolk with condensed milk until it is pale and tripled in volume. A cold yolk or any trace of egg white will also cause it.
How long do you whisk egg coffee?
Eight to ten minutes by hand, or three to four minutes with an electric mixer or milk frother. Stop when the mixture has tripled in volume.
Is the egg in Vietnamese egg coffee raw?
Effectively yes: the coffee warms it but does not cook it through. USDA guidance advises against raw eggs for everyone and says pasteurized in-shell eggs can be used safely without cooking.
Where was egg coffee invented?
In Hanoi in 1946, credited to Nguyễn Văn Giảng, when fresh milk was scarce and whipped egg yolk stood in for it.
Can you make egg coffee with cocoa instead?
Yes. The same whipped yolk cream over hot unsweetened cocoa is called cacao trứng, or egg cocoa. The technique and ratios are the same.
More to make and read
- Cocoa powder in coffee — the quick chocolate version: a homemade mocha with just cocoa, sugar and hot water.
- Vietnamese egg cocoa — the chocolate version.
- Vietnamese salt coffee — the other Vietnamese favorite.
- Vietnamese salted cocoa — a salted cap on cocoa.
- What to know about Vietnamese cocoa — where the cacao comes from.
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.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. Shell Eggs from Farm to Table, checked October 6, 2026.
- Seattle Coffee Gear. Arabica vs. Robusta: What’s the Difference?, caffeine by dry weight, checked October 6, 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.