How to Make Vietnamese Salted Cream Coffee at Home

What Is Vietnamese Salted Cream Coffee?

Cà phê kem muối — salted cream coffee — is one of the most talked-about Vietnamese coffee drinks of the past few years. Originating in Hội An and quickly spreading to cafés across Vietnam and the Vietnamese diaspora, it layers strong phin-brewed coffee with a thick, lightly salted whipped cream that slowly melts into the drink as you sip.

The salt doesn't make it taste salty. Instead, it acts as a flavour enhancer — amplifying the coffee's natural sweetness, softening any bitterness, and creating a contrast that makes every sip more interesting than the last. It's the same principle behind salted caramel, but applied to coffee in a way that feels distinctly Vietnamese.

What You'll Need

This recipe makes one serving. You'll need a Vietnamese phin filter (available at any of our three locations for under $10), coarsely ground Vietnamese robusta coffee, heavy whipping cream, condensed milk, and a small pinch of sea salt. That's it.

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Vietnamese robusta coffee (coarse grind)	18–20g	Hanoi Drip Signature Blend or Saigon Smooth work well
Hot water (93–96°C)	120ml	Just off the boil
Sweetened condensed milk	2 tbsp	Adjust to taste
Heavy whipping cream (cold)	60ml	Must be cold for best results
Sea salt	1 small pinch	Flaky sea salt preferred
Ice	A generous handful	For iced version

Step 1: Brew the Coffee

Place 18–20g of coarsely ground Vietnamese robusta in your phin filter. Press the inner filter down gently — not too tight, or the water won't flow through. Place the phin on top of your glass and pour about 30ml of hot water over the grounds to bloom them. Wait 30 seconds, then pour the remaining 90ml. Cover with the phin lid and wait 4–6 minutes for the coffee to drip through.

You're looking for a concentrated, dark brew — about 100–120ml of coffee in the cup. If it drips faster than 4 minutes, your grind is too coarse. If it takes longer than 8 minutes, it's too fine.

Step 2: Make the Salted Cream

While the coffee brews, pour the cold heavy cream into a small bowl or jar. Add a small pinch of flaky sea salt — we're talking a quarter teaspoon at most. Using a hand frother, small whisk, or the jar-shaking method, whip the cream until it thickens to a soft, pourable consistency. You want it thick enough to float on top of the coffee, but not so stiff that it sits like a solid cap. Think: slightly thicker than heavy cream, but not yet whipped cream.

Taste it. It should taste lightly salty and rich, with no sweetness of its own — the sweetness comes from the condensed milk in the coffee below.

Step 3: Assemble

Add 2 tablespoons of condensed milk to a tall glass. Fill the glass with ice. Pour your brewed phin coffee over the ice and condensed milk — it will swirl and mix as it hits the cold liquid. Then, using the back of a spoon to slow the pour, gently float the salted cream on top. The cream should sit in a thick layer above the coffee.

Do not stir immediately. Part of the experience is the gradual melting of the cream into the coffee as you drink. Take the first few sips through the cream layer to get the full contrast of salty-sweet foam and bold coffee underneath.

Tips for the Best Result

The quality of your coffee beans matters more here than in almost any other recipe, because the drink is so simple. The coffee needs to be bold enough to stand up to the cream and condensed milk without getting lost. Vietnamese robusta — particularly a medium-dark or dark roast — is ideal. Our Signature Blend and Saigon Smooth are both excellent choices for this drink.

Keep your cream cold until the moment you whip it. Warm cream won't hold its texture. If you're making multiple servings, whip the cream in a chilled bowl.

Adjust the condensed milk to your sweetness preference. Two tablespoons is a good starting point, but some people prefer one, and some prefer three. There's no wrong answer.

The Café Version

If you'd rather let someone else do the work, Hanoi Drip's Salted Cream Coffee ($7.45) is available at all three Vancouver locations. It's made with our house-brewed phin coffee and a freshly whipped salted cream that we make in-house daily. It's one of our most popular drinks, and the one we recommend most often to first-time visitors who aren't sure what to order.

Try our house-made salted cream coffee at any of our three Vancouver locations, or explore our full drinks menu for more Vietnamese coffee specialties.