The affogato recipe
for your table
Put the coupe and spoons in the freezer half an hour in advance. An ice-cold coupe keeps the ice cream firm while you pour; in a room-temperature glass, the bottom will already melt away before the coffee is poured over it.
Fill the coupe with the ice cream: two small scoops of about thirty grams each, snugly together in the centre. Keep the scoops round and compact, as a spread-out layer runs much faster. Then return the coupe to the freezer until you’re ready to pour.
Only make the espresso once everyone is seated at the table, and warm the espresso glass with hot water, then discard the water. A single espresso of twenty-five millilitres is enough; a double brings twice as much heat and makes the ice cream sink too quickly.
Pour the espresso over the ice cream at the table in one go and immediately serve it with a long spoon. If you like, pour the amaretto over it and sprinkle the chocolate shavings on top. Eat it within a few minutes, while you still have cold ice cream and hot coffee side by side.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll review it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the affogato recipe to your own email so you have it at hand when you’re about to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code on orders from €50 for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Affogato literally means drowned, and that is exactly what happens: the ice cream disappears beneath the coffee. In Italy, it is usually listed with the coffee rather than the desserts, because it is just as much the end of a meal as an espresso with something alongside it. That is also why it is not an ice cream coupe with sauce: there is no whipped cream, syrup, or caramel on top to overpower the coffee. Two ingredients, each at its own temperature, and the contrast between them is what matters.
The right glass
An affogato calls for a footed glass of around twenty-five centilitres. Wide enough to fit two scoops side by side, and deep enough to hold the espresso without it spilling over the rim. The foot means you do not touch the bowl with your hand, keeping the glass cold, while clear glass shows the coffee flowing through the melting ice cream. A small spoon should fit easily all the way to the bottom. More models can be found among the dessert glasses.
Royal Leerdam Desserts Ice Cream Coupe 25 cl (6 pieces)
La Rochère Zinc Espresso Glass 10 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
For an affogato, you need little besides the glass: a jigger to measure the splash of amaretto precisely and a long bar spoon that reaches the bottom of the glass. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 59,85.
What do you serve with an affogato?
An affogato is already coffee, so you serve something small alongside it or stir it in. Traditionally, you add a splash of liqueur to the glass, with amaretto being the best-known choice. In Italy, a small glass of moscato is just as often served alongside it. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Replace the vanilla with hazelnut, stracciatella or pistachio and otherwise keep the recipe the same. A splash of amaretto turns it into an affogato al liquore, Frangelico adds hazelnut notes and sambuca gives it a sharp anise flavour. Without alcohol, shave some dark chocolate or sprinkle a few roasted hazelnuts over it. If you want to keep everything cold, see the iced coffee. Need more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Put the coupe with the ice cream on the table and pour the espresso over it in front of your guests; that moment is half the dish. Serve it with a long spoon and, if you like, a small glass of cold water. Serve immediately, because after five minutes you will be left with lukewarm iced coffee.
Good to know
Why the ice cream goes into the coupe first
The ice cream forms the base and the coffee goes over it, never the other way around. If you pour the espresso into the coupe first and then add the ice cream, the scoop floats and melts from underneath while you are still scooping. With the ice cream first, the scoop stays intact and the coffee runs down around it.
How firm the ice cream should be
Take the ice cream straight from the freezer and scoop it only once the coupe is cold. Ice cream that has stood on the counter for ten minutes is already soft on the outside and immediately falls apart under hot coffee. If necessary, put the filled coupes back in the freezer for another fifteen minutes; then all you have to do at the table is pour.
One espresso, not a double
Twenty-five millilitres of coffee is enough for sixty grams of ice cream. A double shot of fifty millilitres brings twice as much heat and makes the scoop collapse within half a minute. If you want more coffee, have a second affogato instead of pouring more into one. How to make the espresso is explained on the espresso page.
The difference from iced coffee
With iced coffee, everything is cold: cooled coffee, cold milk and ice cubes, and you drink it with a straw. An affogato is all about the contrast between hot coffee and frozen ice cream, and you eat it with a spoon. If you leave an affogato standing, it will naturally become iced coffee, just weaker. The recipe for the cold version is on the page about iced coffee.
Where the splash of liquor fits in the order
The amaretto goes into the coupe after the coffee, not before. If you pour it onto the bottom first, it stays there and you only taste it in the last bite. Two centilitres is enough; with more, the drink goes over the coffee. Amaretto brings almond, Frangelico hazelnut and sambuca anise.
How much ice cream per person
Allow sixty grams per person, which is two small scoops or one generous scoop. If you are making six, scoop all the coupes in advance and put them back in the freezer. Brew the espresso in two rounds and pour it out all at once at the table, so no one is left with melted ice cream.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is an affogato?
An affogato is a scoop of vanilla ice cream with fresh espresso poured over it. Affogato means drowned, and that is also how it is served: the ice cream sits in the coupe and the coffee is poured over it at the table. You eat it with a spoon, not a straw.
Which glass do you use for an affogato?
A footed coupe of around twenty-five centilitres. Wide enough for two scoops side by side, deep enough to hold the espresso, and with a foot so you do not warm the glass with your hand. Put it in the freezer half an hour beforehand.
What is the difference between an affogato and iced coffee?
An affogato is hot over cold and is eaten with a spoon; iced coffee is completely cold and is drunk. With iced coffee, you use cooled coffee or coffee ice cubes, while an affogato uses espresso that has just been brewed.
What drink goes into an affogato?
Classic two centilitres of amaretto, or Frangelico for hazelnut and sambuca for anise. Pour the drink into the coupe after the coffee, so it does not stay at the bottom. An affogato tastes just as good without alcohol; the essence is hot espresso over cold vanilla ice cream.
Also delicious
Everything for your bar,
at one address
Horeca-quality glasses, supplied as a set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →