Affogato is a quick Italian dessert made with vanilla ice cream and hot espresso or strong coffee. The hot espresso melts the ice cream slightly, creating a creamy and smooth coffee dessert. This easy recipe can be made with espresso or instant coffee and takes only a few minutes to prepare. It is perfect for serving as a simple café-style dessert at home.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: Not specified
  • Total time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: Italian, World

Ingredients

  • ½ cup or 1 scoop ice cream (or gelato, vanilla flavor)
  • 25 to 30 ml hot espresso (or strong hot coffee - see point no 1 in notes section below)

Method

  1. Add vanilla ice cream or gelato to a serving glass or dessert bowl.
  2. Brew espresso or prepare strong instant coffee by mixing instant coffee with hot water. Check point no 1 in notes below for making the instant coffee.
  3. Pour the hot espresso or instant coffee over the ice cream.
  4. Serve affogato immediately.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.