Sweet and bitter Vietnamese coffee is the flavor of my childhood. The aroma alone instantly transports me back to watching my grandfather sip his coffee from a tiny brown ceramic cup and sneaking a taste of the very last drop, laden with sugary sweetness, from the bottom of the cup. This Vietnamese coffee glaze delivers that same bold, sweet, and slightly bitter flavor in an easy, thick, and smooth glaze that’s perfect for cakes, pastries, and cookies.
Key ingredients
☕ There are only a handful of ingredients you’ll need for this easy coffee glaze recipe (water is not pictured), and instant espresso powder is key to its intense coffee flavor without watering down the glaze.
While you can certainly skip the condensed milk and make a regular coffee glaze, this key ingredient gives the recipe its signature Vietnamese coffee flavor – a rich, creamy sweetness that balances the bitterness of strong coffee.
How to make it + tips
If you can boil water, you can make this coffee icing!
1. First, dissolve the instant espresso powder
You will need hot water to dissolve the instant espresso powder before adding the rest of the ingredients. I use just 2 teaspoons in this recipe for a thick glaze that doesn’t run off the surface of my Vietnamese shortbread cookies. If you prefer a thinner glaze that’s more pourable, you can add an extra teaspoon of hot water. That said, I do prefer this glaze thick so it forms a shiny crust.
2. Finish off the glaze
Now, you just need to stir in the rest of the ingredients: condensed milk, powdered sugar and a few pinches of salt to balance out that sweet sweet glaze.
This glaze sets up fairly quickly, so I would use it immediately. And since it’s easy to whip up, there is no need to make it ahead of time, just mix it up right before you are ready to glaze. It will start to harden if you leave it on the counter for a while or if you store it in the fridge. Simply warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds or so until you can stir it again. It’s perfect for drizzling over banana bread and scones too!
Hungry for more?
Vietnamese Coffee Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (4 g) instant espresso powder
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) hot water
- 2 tablespoon (40 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- A few pinches of kosher salt
Instructions
- Dissolve the instant espresso powder – Add hot water to instant espresso powder and mix to dissolve completely.1 tablespoon instant espresso powder, 2 teaspoon hot water
- Make the glaze – Then add condensed milk, powdered sugar and salt and whisk until smooth. Use immediately.2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup powdered sugar, A few pinches of kosher salt
Notes
- Storage: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Warm it in the microwave in short bursts until the glaze melts and stir until smooth before using.
- Yield: This batch yields half a cup of coffee icing, enough to cover a loaf cake or banana bread, or drizzle over a batch of 2 dozens shortbread cookies partially.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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