We’ve hit the part of summer where it feels so hot, there seems to be only one solution: Buy a plane ticket to Italy and never look back. But while I can dream of curing my mid-summer blues halfway across the world, it’s just not in the cards for me right now.
If you are in the same boat as me, stick around because I have a dessert recipe so good, you’ll forget you didn’t book that spontaneous flight to Florence. Oh, and did I mention? It can be made with only two ingredients. I can confidently say that this is what dessert dreams are made of.
What Is an Affogato?
Just as the word “affogato” literally means “drowned” in Italian, an affogato is gelato drowned in espresso. While its exact origins are up for debate, it is an Italian dessert that is believed to have gained popularity in the 1950s when the ice cream industry modernized.
While bitter, hot coffee and sweet, frozen gelato might seem like polar opposites, that’s exactly what makes this dessert so good. The hot espresso warms some of the ice cream to make a sweet coffee froth, and the ice cream melts slowly enough that you still can spoon your cold dessert in between sips. If “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter wasn’t already your song of the summer, it’s about to be.
Although affogatos are commonly enjoyed after dinner, they’re also a delicious treat for when you need a little caffeine boost. In fact, two Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Gurus have even told me they use pints of vanilla ice cream to make affogatos for their morning coffee almost every day at work. As people who spend their entire day experimenting with ice cream, I’d consider them the experts. So, if they say adding espresso turns ice cream into breakfast, I think I have to believe them.
How To Make the Perfect Affogato
While the recipe may sound simple, some people are very particular about how affogatos are made. As evident on social media, people turn affogatos into an art with perfectly scooped ice cream and expensive espresso.
Many affogato experts will insist that the drink can only be made with vanilla ice cream, I think it’s hard to mess up an affogato. All you really need is any ice cream you can find and a shot or two of espresso. After scooping your ice cream into a mug or bowl and leaving a small well for your coffee, you just let espresso drip on top and prepare to indulge.
Making affogatos was one of my favorite dorm room luxuries during my freshman year of college because I could use any ice cream I had. I didn’t have an espresso maker at school, but, luckily, my friend Sarine did. If it’s possible, her affogato obsession is even bigger than mine. Sarine has taught me everything I know about affogato making, so, of course, I had to consult her for her best tips.
Tips for Making the Best Affogato at Home
Her biggest hot take is that the best ice cream base for an affogato is not vanilla gelato, but actually coffee ice cream. Her other tips include making sure you use a ratio of one scoop of ice cream to one shot of espresso for the perfect amount of each. She also recommends letting the espresso drip directly onto the ice cream to create the frothiest affogato possible. Her final piece of advice is to use a piece of biscotti to “slurp” up the final sips of melted ice cream and coffee. Those are some wise words of wisdom.
How To Upgrade Your Affogato
I might get in trouble with affogato experts for this one, but it would be hard not to acknowledge all of the wonderful ways you can upgrade your affogato. The beauty of this dessert is in its ease, so by all means, keep it simple if you prefer.
The most obvious tip is to treat your affogato like you would any ice cream sundae: Add caramel, sea salt, chocolate fudge, pistachios, brownies, cookie bites, or hazelnut spread. It’s also popular to add a splash of liquor to an affogato, especially when it is enjoyed after a meal. I’ve even seen people go crazy and make “affogatos” with matcha or chai.
It’s hard for me to believe that anything can top the real thing, but I see no harm in trying. If it means eating more of my two favorite things—ice cream and coffee—you can count me in. Turns out I didn’t need to book that flight to Italy, after all.
