Affogato Recipe

This Affogato recipe might just be the easiest dessert ever. All you need are a few scoops of ice cream and a glug of hot espresso.

Eat it with a spoon at first, savoring the hot coffee against the creamy, cold ice cream.

Then, right at the end, you’ll have a velvety smooth coffee and melted ice cream drink.

Italian Affogato Recipe

In the world of coffee desserts, the Affogato is King.

The name of this Italian classic literally translates to “drowned”, because you’ll drown the ice cream in top-quality coffee.

Seriously, just add a scoop of creamy vanilla gelato or ice cream and pour over a shot of hot, strong espresso.

The result? A dessert that’s half sweet treat and half drink.

It’s the perfect balance of richness and creaminess. And you’ll love every mouthful.

Since there are only a couple of ingredients, it’s ready in minutes! Basically, as long as it takes you to brew coffee.

That said, while vanilla gelato and espresso form the classic Affogato recipe, there’s plenty of room for modifications.

So feel free to experiment! And if you need some inspiration, I have a few ideas below.

Ingredients:

This is enough for two drinks.

• Vanilla Ice Cream or Gelato
• Espresso
• Amaretto, Kahlua, or Bourbon (optional)
• Caramel or Chocolate Sauce (optional)

How To Make An Affogato:

1. Chill the glasses for 30 minutes if you have the time. 
2. Drizzle the caramel or chocolate sauce in the glasses, if using. 
3. Add 2 scoops of ice cream or gelato to each glass.
4. Pour the hot coffee and alcohol (if using) over the ice cream. 
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

As mentioned, this recipe is pretty darn perfect. But that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment!

From different ice cream flavors to fun boozy twists, there are so many ways to make this Italian dessert your own.

1. Hazelnut Affogato - Swap the vanilla ice cream for hazelnut if you can find it. Alternatively, add some melted Nutella to the glass.

To make it boozy, add a shot of Frangelico liqueur.

2. Chocolate Affogato - Use top-quality chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla. You could also add some chocolate sauce to the glass to boost the flavor.

3. Caramel Affogato - Drizzle some caramel into the glass before adding the ice cream. Or use good-quality caramel ice cream.

For a boozy twist, add a shot of salted caramel vodka.

4. Peppermint Affogato - Swap the vanilla ice cream for mint chocolate chip ice cream. Then add peppermint schnapps if you want it alcoholic.

This one is ideal for the holidays!

5. Vegan Affogato - Use a dairy-free vanilla ice cream (like almond milk or coconut milk ice cream).

6. Matcha Affogato - Instead of espresso, use a shot of strong, hot matcha.

This green tea version is a wonderful alternative if you want a different type of sweet bitterness with the creamy ice cream.

Homemade No-Churn Ice Cream

Since this recipe is so easy, I thought I’d share my go-to no-churn ice cream recipe. That way, you can always have some on hand when the Affogato craving strikes.

Ingredients:

This recipe makes about 12-16 scoops.

• 480 ml of Heavy Cream (2 cups)
• 1 can (14 oz) of Sweetened Condensed Milk (about 400 grams)
• 1 tablespoon of Vanilla Paste

Method:

1. Place a large metal bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes before starting. 
2. Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl and whip on low until it starts to thicken. Use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer for this.
3. Turn up the speed to medium and whip until stiff peaks form.
4. In a separate bowl, hand-whisk the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla paste until smooth and well-blended. 
5. Gently fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk. I like to sacrifice a spoonful and whisk it well by hand. Then fold the rest in with a spatula, being careful not to overmix and deflate the cream. 
6. Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe, airtight container and spread it evenly so the top is flat.
7. Cover the top of the ice cream with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is sitting on the surface.
8. Freeze for 6 hours, or until firm -overnight is best.

Once the ice cream is set, scoop it out and serve! Though it’s best to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes so it can soften slightly.