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Dalgona is a Korean candy made popular by the Netflix show Squid Games. As a candy, how does it compare to other desserts and candies in terms of its impact on weight loss?
Let’s see if dalgona is a good dessert to have on your weight loss diet.
What is dalgona?
Dalgona candy is made of two primary components: sugar and baking soda. The sugar is melted, and baking soda is added. The baking soda breaks down and creates many tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide in the melted sugar.
The result is a sweet, crunchy, sponge-like treat when the sugar is flattened into disks and cools down.
Dalgona candy vs coffee
Dalgona candy and Dalgona coffee are two different things, although they share the same name and some similarities.
Dalgona candy is a type of Korean traditional candy that is made by melting sugar and baking soda together to create a light, airy texture. The mixture is then poured into molds and allowed to cool and harden into individual pieces of candy. The candy is often flavored with honey, ginger, or other spices.
On the other hand, Dalgona coffee is a whipped coffee drink. It is made by whipping equal parts of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water together until it becomes thick and creamy. The mixture is then spooned over milk, which can be hot or cold, and served as a frothy, creamy coffee drink.
Nutritional info of dalgona candy
Any calories that come from dalgona is going to come from the sugar. The baking soda, especially the amounts used in the creation of dalgona, doesn’t contribute anything significant.
The average candy uses 1 to 1.5 tbsp of sugar or brown sugar. This yields anywhere from 36 to 72 calories per candy.
Brown sugar does have slightly less calories per weight than regular white sugar, so you could use brown sugar if you wanted to reduce your calorie intake.
Dalgona candy recipe
Here is a typical recipe for dalgona candy that I used:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- Vegetable oil (for greasing)
Instructions:
- Grease a large baking sheet with vegetable oil and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, without stirring, for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture turns a light amber color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up, so be careful.
- Quickly pour the mixture onto the greased baking sheet and spread it out into a thin layer using a spatula.
- Let the candy cool for 10-15 minutes, until it has hardened but is still slightly warm and pliable.
- Using a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut the candy into small disks or shapes.
- Wrap each piece of candy in a small piece of wax paper or candy wrapper.
- Store the dalgona candy in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Note: Be careful when working with hot sugar, as it can cause severe burns.
Compared to other candies
The average Skittle contains around 4.3 calories per candy. However the weight and size of the Skittle is far smaller than the average dalgona.
But we can compare the two by calculating their calorie densities, and see how many calories 1 gram of Skittles would provide, compared to 1 gram of dalgona.
A small 20 gram pack of Skittles contains about 81 calories. That’s about 4.1 calories per gram of Skittles.
A dalgona candy that uses 1 tbsp of sugar contains around 50 calories in a 13 gram disc. That’s 3.9 calories per gram of dalgona.
A dalgona candy that uses 1 tbsp of brown sugar comes out to slightly less, at around 3.8 calories per gram of dalgona.
Now let’s calculate the calorie densities of other candies and desserts:
- A 24 g brownie square has about 112 calories. That comes to 4.7 calories per gram of brownie.
- A small 15 g bar of Snickers is about 73 calories. That comes to 4.9 calories per gram of Snickers.
- An 11 g Oreo cookie has about 57 calories. That comes to about 5 calories per gram of Oreo.
- A 17 g Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have about 87 calories. That comes to 5.1 calories per gram of Reese.
Interestingly, it seems that compared to some candies popular in North America, dalgona appears to be on the lower end in terms of calorie density.
Summary
Compared to some other candies and treats, dalgona appears to be slightly lower in calorie density.
So it’ll be better in that it’ll likely have less overall calories than an Oreo cookie, or Snickers bar. However, this doesn’t mean it should be OK to eat more dalgona.
Like any dessert or sugary treat, candies like dalgona should be limited during a weight loss diet.
This doesn’t mean you need to completely eliminate them, but you should be tracking and managing their intake to prevent yourself from overeating.
Another benefit of snacking on dalgona is the avoidance of preservatives or artificial coloring typically found in other pre-packaged candies.
But if you’re like most people and just trying it once or twice in your life to complete the dalgona challenge for fun, just go ahead and do it! It’s not going to have an impact on your weight in the long-run.
Have you eaten dalgona? And have you completed the dalgona challenge? Let me know in the comments down below! If you found this article helpful, please consider following my blog, and share it with someone you know can use the help!
Learn more about
Citations
Dalgona (Korean Sponge Candy) https://www.koreanbapsang.com/dalgona-spongy-candy/
How to Make Dalgona Candy! Play Ppopgi from Squid Game https://www.honestfoodtalks.com/dalgona-candy-honeycomb-toffee-ppopgi-recipe/
Dalgona – Korean Sponge Candy Recipe https://kimchimari.com/dalgona-sponge-candy-korean-street-food/
USDA https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
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Disclaimer: Dr. Brian Yeung, ND received his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2013. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Yeung is currently a practicing Naturopathic Doctor with additional prescribing authority and IV therapy certification in Ontario. This article is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Yeung and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. BrianYeungND and Dr. Brian Yeung, ND are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any conclusions drawn, services or product you obtain through this article or site.