Vietnamese Egg Coffee {Paleo, Dairy-free}

This Paleo-friendly and dairy-free version of thick, sweet, and delicious Vietnamese Egg Coffee will be your new favorite morning treat.

The sky opened up as I was maneuvering my way through the bustling streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, and I had little more than a plastic bag to protect myself from the deluge. The question wasn’t if I’d get wet, the question was if I’d ever know the feeling of being dry again.

Weather be damned, I was on a mission to reach Giang Café. The restaurant’s egg coffee was the stuff of legend, and I was determined to experience it for myself before I left Vietnam.

After jumping puddles and dodging motorbikes for several blocks, I skirted around a corner onto a quiet side street and came to my destination.

I was disheartened. A small nondescript sign hung above a dark empty corridor. This wasn’t exactly the bougie bistro that I had been imagining.

Desperate to get out of the downpour, I walked in.

I was greeted by a blast of steam and the sounds of frantic commotion. Cafe workers rushed about a cramped kitchen area, engulfed in a sea of tiny stainless steel coffee pots that glistened in the overhead florescent lights.

I stood in front of the door disoriented. A waiter kindly motioned that I should go up the stairs.

The second floor opened up to an expansive sitting area. Customers perched on tiny stools at tiny tables sipped frothy drinks from white porcelain mugs.

Soon I was doing the same. Sweet, thick egg cream layered on top of bitter robusta coffee was unlike anything I had ever tasted.

Heavy rain drops pounded the corrugated plastic roof above me, the sound intermingling with surrounding conversations. I took another sip of egg coffee and leaned back against the wall. I closed my eyes.

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Vietnamese egg coffee is traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk. For this Paleo-friendly version, I substitute with some coconut cream and coconut sugar and the results are quite tasty.

For the full experience, you will need to brew some dark and delicious Vietnamese coffee.

I am a big fan of Trung Nguyen, which you can pick up on Amazon here. Also grab a Vietnamese coffee filter while you’re at it.

Placing the coffee in a bowl of hot water will help keep it warm as it brews.

Combine the egg yolks, coconut cream, coconut sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

Using a hand mixer, blend the ingredients for a minute or two until thick and frothy.

Spoon the egg mixture on top of the coffee and enjoy!

For more coffee fun-times, check out this recipe for Cardamom Coffee.

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