Affogato

Share Post:

top shot of ice cream with espresso poured on top and ice cream is melting, aka affogato

Affogato—pour espresso over vanilla gelato or ice cream, and you’ve got coffee, dessert, and an after-dinner drink all in one!

Are you looking for a fantastic dessert for your next gathering or party? Affogato is just that! This post is more of a ‘how-to’ than an actual recipe, which is why I’m sharing it. Getting in the kitchen doesn’t have to mean following hard-to-follow recipes or taking hours of your time. Spend your time with your guests and enjoy the celebration. This simple dessert takes no time at all!

If you’re new to affogato, it’s a traditional Italian dessert where you pour hot espresso over gelato or ice cream. You can also add a splash of liquor, but just the gelato and espresso are perfect. The contrast between the bitter espresso mixed with the creamy gelato is seriously perfection. Not to mention how simple it is to throw together, and the option of adding extras to make it individualized!

Ingredients: Affogato

All you need for affogato is an espresso, gelato, or ice cream and an optional shot of liquor (amaretto, rum).

  • Espresso – is a concentrated shot of hot coffee. A standard shot of espresso is 30 ml (1 ounce). Some will say you can use strongly brewed coffee, however, remember that the better your coffee, the better your affogato!
  • Vanilla Gelato or Ice Cream—In traditional Italian desserts, affogato uses gelato. However, I’m going with vanilla ice cream. Similar to coffee, the better your ice cream, the better your affogato.
  • Liquor (optional)—The liquor is optional, and the affogato with just the espresso is superb all on its own. Amaretto (almond flavor) and Frangelico (Hazelnut flavor) are the more popular flavors used. Rum and Kahlua can also be used. And if you’re into more citrus flavors, Grand Marnier and Cointreau could even pair well. Really, you can add anything you think will go well with coffee!

Optional Extras

As mentioned, traditional Italian affogato is nothing more than espresso, gelato, and/or optional liquor. If you’ve been to an Italian restaurant lately, you might have noticed that they sometimes add extras to make theirs stand out. This would make a great DIY affogato bar at your next party/get-together, where people can mix and match to make it all their own!

  • Whipped cream—The gelato or ice cream is creamy enough, but you could add a dollop for even more creaminess!
  • Cookie – Biscotti or an Italian Almond cookie would go great for dunking into your affogato.
  • Chocolate – Either grate or shave chocolate on top OR drizzle a little melted chocolate on top for a more mocha flavor.
  • Nuts—Crushed or chopped nuts add a little texture to the affogato. Pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts (similar to the liquor flavors) would draw out the flavor nicely.

How To Make Affogato

  1. Brew your espresso using your coffee-making appliance of choice. Alternatively, you can purchase espresso; however, it will not be hot unless you serve it right away. 30 ml/1 ounce for a single shot of espresso.
  2. Scoop two scoops of ice cream in a glass.
  3. Pour the espresso over the ice cream in a glass. The ice cream will swirl and melt into the hot coffee!
  4. Add the liquor next. Pour over the espresso and ice cream.
  5. Enjoy and eat!
  6. Serving—For practical reasons, serve the ice cream in a serving dish with the espresso on the side. This way, the person enjoying the ice cream can pour their own espresso over the ice cream before it fully melts.
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
top shot of ice cream with espresso poured on top and ice cream is melting, aka affogato

Affogato

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Affogato—pour espresso over vanilla gelato or ice cream, and you’ve got coffee, dessert, and an after-dinner drink all in one!

  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large or two smaller scoops of vanilla gelato or ice cream
  • 1 shot (3o ml/1 oz) hot espresso
  • 1 tbsp Amaretto, Frangelico, Rum, Kahlua, *optional
  • Optional toppings: shaved chocolate, whipped cream, melted chocolate, nuts, biscotti

Instructions

  1. Brew your espresso using your coffee-making appliance of choice. Alternatively, you can purchase espresso; however, it will not be hot unless you serve it right away—30 ml/1 ounce for a single shot of espresso.
  2. Scoop two scoops of ice cream in a glass.
  3. Pour the espresso over the ice cream in a glass. The ice cream will swirl and melt into the hot coffee!
  4. Add the liquor next. Pour over the espresso and ice cream.
  5. Enjoy and eat!
  6. Serving—For practical reasons, serve the ice cream in a serving dish with the espresso on the side. This way, the person enjoying the ice cream can pour their espresso over the ice cream before it fully melts.

1 thought on “Affogato”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Related Posts

Scroll to Top