Cà Phê Dừa

Cà Phê Dừa is a modern Vietnamese iced coffee beverage served inside a hollowed-out coconut shell. It combines espresso or strong Vietnamese coffee blended with coconut milk and coconut flesh. The drink has become a popular café item across Vietnam.

While traditional Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá) uses sweetened condensed milk and is brewed with a phin filter, Cà Phê Dừa incorporates coconut milk and is served in a coconut shell rather than a glass. The coconut adds a tropical sweetness and creamy texture that standard Vietnamese coffee does not have. Both share a strong coffee base typical of Vietnamese café culture.

Cà Phê Dừa is served at many cafés throughout Vietnam, particularly in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It has also appeared at Vietnamese coffee shops in diaspora communities worldwide. The drink is especially common at trendy urban cafés rather than traditional street-side coffee stalls.

To make Cà Phê Dừa, a fresh coconut is hollowed out and its water and flesh are used alongside espresso or strong brewed coffee, coconut milk, and typically condensed milk. The ingredients are blended and served over ice inside the coconut shell itself. Some variations include a layered topping of whipped coconut cream.