Coffee and salt go together like horse and carriage, said no one ever but it does! The seemingly contradicting flavors of salted coffee, or ca phe muoi in Vietnamese, come together harmoniously and will awaken your taste buds.
This is a fun way to start your day - with Vietnamese salted coffee! My mom, a Little Saigon foodie, took me to Da Vien when I was visiting there. Da Vien coffee shop has so many specialty drinks and one of them is their salted coffee, cΓ phΓͺ muα»i. It's salty and sweet and it gives me salted caramel vibes. SO, the good news is you don't need to fly to California to make it (but you can). You can also make this at home faster than you can get your food delivered to you! This comes together with 4 ingredients in under 10 minutes.
What is Salted Coffee?
Ca phe muoi, or more correctly cΓ phΓͺ (pronounced "kah fay") muα»i (pronounced "moy" with a rising tone) means salted coffee in Vietnamese. Originating from Hue, Vietnam, it was first started by ChΓΊ (uncle) Long. He has made a name for himself at a now-famous coffee shop chain. If you're ever there visit one of his many stalls called CΓ PhΓͺ Muα»i ChΓΊ Long. They are masters of Vietnamese salted coffee.
Salted coffee is a mixture of salted foam that provides a creamy top to dark, Robusta coffee. It's that simple and magnificent. The dark, bitter coffee turns into a salted caramel-type taste when mixed with the salted milk foam. Just the right amount of salt makes all the difference. When they say salt of the earth, I think they mean salt of the coffee because it does coffee right!
Jump to:
- What is Salted Coffee?
- β€οΈWhy You'll Love This Recipe
- π₯Equipment and tools
- πRecipe Ingredients
- βSubstitutions & Variations
- π©βπ« How to Make Salted Coffee (Ca Phe Muoi)
- Expert Tips
- πββοΈRecipes FAQ
- βοΈStorage Instructions
- πMore Recipes You'll Love
- πRecipe
- Salted Coffee (Ca Phe Muoi)
β€οΈWhy You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is super easy to make at home!
- This recipe does not require any expert skills.
- This recipe is versatile and can be made with your choice of dairy.
- It is super addicting and you'll want to make it again and again!
π₯Equipment and tools
- A handheld egg beater will save you time and energy when whisking up the heavy cream.
πRecipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
- Heavy cream - Heavy cream is perfect for a whipped topping floating above the coffee. This makes it delightful and super beautiful to the eyes.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar is going to be key to giving the foam flavor. It's going to taste very bland and off if you don't use it.
- Coffee - I love the Cafe du Monde brand, but you can use any arabica coffee or instant espresso. You can also make Vietnamese coffee, cafe sua da first, and then add the salted cream on top of it.
- Salt - a pinch of salt goes a long way here. But too little salt and you won't get to taste the magic. So be sure to be very careful when it comes to this.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
βSubstitutions & Variations
- Heavy cream can be substituted with half and half. When using half and half, you won't have a big poofy foam but you will have a nice cup of coffee with just what you need. On the same note has half and half you can use almond milk, soy milk or oat milk as you please.
π©βπ« How to Make Salted Coffee (Ca Phe Muoi)
Step 1: Place salt, sugar, and heavy whipping cream into a deep cup or bowl and whip it up until you get soft peaks.
Step 2: Brew your coffee or use instant espresso coffee. I am using Cafe du Monde and here are instructions to make cafe sua da.
Step 3: Add to the top of your coffee enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Be extra careful when adding salt! A little bit goes a long way. Use a measuring spoon when first starting off so you don't over-add! If no measuring spoon is available add in small quantities and add more slowly!
- Check out your local Asian grocery store to save on Cafe du Monde coffee or any Vietnamese instant coffee. They usually have it for less than online retailers.
πββοΈRecipes FAQ
Yes. The type of salt you use can affect the taste. Because salt varies by texture, size, and salinity levels, always start with a small amount, taste, and add more if needed. Do not use smoked or flavored salt.
βοΈStorage Instructions
- Refrigerator - keep for 24 hours.
- Room Temp - discard by end of day
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a βοΈ review below and tag @teerangathome on Instagram!
πRecipe
Equipment
- 1 hand held mixer
Ingredients
- 4 ounces heavy whipping cream
- ΒΌ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup brewed coffee
Instructions
- Place heavy cream, sugar, and salt into a deep cup. Using an electric whisk mix it up until it forms soft peaks.
- Brew your coffee or use instant coffee
- Add atop the brewed coffee and enjoy!
Phil
Every morning I have my ca phΓͺ muoi at my local coffee shop here in Hoi An and now that I decided to cut on my calories intake, I guess I will have to avoid it. Your recipe is already a whooping 480 kcal. I can't even imagine how much it can be at my place, knowing they fill the bottom with a thick layer of condensed milk... (as all the coffee shop in Hoi An do actually)... I'm heart broken! I love this drink...
Trang Vo
π I feel your pain!!
Liam McDonald
This recipe has single-handedly drained my reserves of heavy whipping cream. Absolutely amazing.
Trang Vo
Cream well spent! Glad it was worth it! π
Elle
For some reason, your recipe keeps coming up on a search for a vegan version of this recipe. Any ideas for maybe a cashew cream or other option?
Trang Vo
Hi Elle! I havenβt tried making a vegan version yet, but there are definitely some great substitutes you could try. Oat milk, coconut milk, or cashew cream would all work well to replace the cream. I canβt give exact measurements since I havenβt tested it myself, but those are the options Iβd reach for. If I end up experimenting with a vegan version, Iβll be sure to update you!
Priya
Thanks.....will make
Am addicted to it ,aft tasting it in Nam
Trang Vo
The addiction is real!! You're so welcome, and enjoy! βΊοΈ
Bart Cheever
Thank you so much for this recipe! I tried Ca Phe Muoi at the original cafe of the same name in Hue and fell in love with it. Perfect for brutally hot Vietnamese afternoons. Isn't the original made with some kind of fermented milk though? I could be wrong and really love your version
Trang Vo
Hi Bart! You're very welcome! There's no better place to have ca phe muoi than in Hue! I've always been told that Chu Long was the original ca phe muoi vendor and he doesn't use fermented milk. I was curious about the fermented milk, so I asked around. It turns out, that some people say that there were coffee shops that used fermented milk before, so you're not wrong! That's news to me! Thank you for that tidbit!
Jimbo
π€©π€©π€©
Trang Vo
It's the best!
Danielle
Such a delicious treat!
Trang Vo
β It's california dreaming in a cup!