Salted Caramel Affogato
This Salted Caramel Affogato is the magic that is created when you combine ice cream with espresso. The contrast of sweet and cold with bitter and hot is irresistible! It’s coffee, dessert and an after-dinner drink, all rolled into one with the option of adding a splash of liquor.
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Have you ever tried an Affogato? Well, if not, we’re about to change that! Basically, it’s an Italian dessert that’s made by pouring hot espresso over your favorite frozen dessert. I know, right? The Italians are brilliant!
For my fellow coffee lovers with a huge sweet tooth, the Salted Caramel Affogato is pretty much a dream come true. The recipe only requires two ingredients (with the option to add liqueur). When a scoop of ice cream and your favorite brewed coffee collide, VERY good things happen.
Honestly, it wasn’t until recently that I learned about Afogatto. I’m so happy that I found your recipe because it’s my new favorite dessert!
— Carolyn
Recipe highlights
- Super creamy ice cream with bold hot espresso is the best joining of tastes and textures!
- You just need two ingredients and about 5 minutes to throw this treat together!
- Affogatos are super customizable! Use any favorite ice cream with any strong coffee like Italian roast or espresso that you happen to have on-hand.
Ingredients needed
“Affogato,” translated from Italian, means “to drown.” There’s no clear origin story, but it’s likely the affogato appeared in Italy sometime in the 1950s when the ice cream industry modernized. In the early 1990s, it was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Now, many restaurants offer it as a dessert option. In fact, Nobu in Malibu serves an affogato with chocolate biscotti and black honey gelato. Yum! Here’s a note on the minimal ingredients needed to make this affogato recipe:
- Espresso: 1 shot or 1 ounce of hot espresso, or very strong-brewed coffee, is needed per serving.
- Ice cream: Any favorite ice cream or gelato will work. I love the flavor of salted caramel ice cream and pistachio with the bold coffee flavor. However, vanilla ice cream is probably the most popular choice.
- Optional liquor: Feel free to make a boozy dessert by adding in about 1 tablespoon of liquor like frangelico, amaretto, Kahlua, sambuca, rum, Irish cream or Bailey’s.
How to make this recipe
Fire up your espresso machine! This is one of the simplest recipes you’ll ever make! Here’s step-by-step how it comes together:
- Prep: Brew the espresso or strong coffee.
- Scoop out the ice cream: While the espresso is brewing, scoop out your desired amount of ice cream or gelato into a small suitable glass or bowl. A medium, wide glass works best, so you can easily eat out of it.
- Serve: Pour the hot shot of espresso then liquor (if using) over the ice cream. Enjoy immediately!
Helpful tips
- Glass for serving: A medium, wide glass, like pictured, works best, so you can easily eat out of it.
- How to serve: If serving these to guests, do what the restaurants do, and serve the ice cream in a chilled glass and the espresso in another small glass, on the side. Then, the person being served can pour the espresso over the ice cream and start eating immediately, and before the ice cream melts too much.
- Coffee tip: Try to use really good strong coffee or espresso to make the best affogato! Even if you don’t like strong coffee to drink, it’s best when combined with the ice cream.
- Amount of ice cream: I typically serve this with one or two larger-size scoops for one shot espresso or coffee, which is a good balance of the two. However, if using liquor, two large scoops is best.
- What type of liquor: As an option, you can add a half shot of liquor to your affogato. Amaretto (almond flavor) and Frangelico (hazelnut) are the most common. Rum, sambuca, Kahlua and Bailey’s are also great choices.
Recipe tip
Keep in mind when adding liquor, that a shot is 30 ml / 1 ounce so half a shot is 15 ml / 0.5 ounce, which is 1 tablespoon.
Frequently asked questions
An authentic affogato, just like the ones served in Italy, are made with a shot of hot espresso (or strong hot coffee), ice cream or gelato and optionally half a shot of liquor (Frangelico, amaretto, rum).
Once the espresso is poured over the ice cream, grab a spoon and dig in! You can also sip it from the glass, if preferred. The sweetness of the ice cream balances the bitterness of the espresso, while the contrasting temperatures enhance the whole experience. Be sure to eat it immediately, as it will melt quickly! This isn’t something you’ll want to store in the freezer for later.
The most traditional type of ice cream used in affogatos is vanilla gelato. However, any ice cream may be used. Salted caramel is one of my favs and pairs really well with the coffee flavor. I’ve also used chocolate ice cream and it was really delicious!
Variations
Get creative and experiment with toppings and fun add-ins! Here are some garnish ideas:
- Grated or shaved chocolate over the top
- Biscotti or another type of Italian cookie for dunking
- Whipped cream
- Caramel or chocolate drizzle and a sprinkle of sea salt
- Crushed or chopped nuts
More fun dessert recipes
If you try this, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Salted Caramel Affogatos
Ingredients
- 1 shot (30 ml/1 oz) hot espresso, or very strong-brewed coffee
- 1 large scoop (or 2 smaller scoops) ice cream or gelato, salted caramel, vanilla or any favorite flavor
- 1 tablespoon liquor like frangelico, amaretto, Kahlua, sambuca, rum or Bailey’s, optional
Instructions
- Brew the espresso.
- While the espresso is brewing, scoop out your desired amount of ice cream or gelato into a small suitable glass or bowl. A medium, wide glass works best, so you can easily eat out of it.
- Pour the hot espresso then liquor (if using) over the ice cream. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Honestly, it wasn’t until recently that I learned about Afogatto. I’m so happy that I found your recipe because it’s my new favorite dessert!
You and me both! Ha!
This was SO good! The combination of the cold and creamy ice cream with the coffee was simply amazing! I’ll be making these again and again.
It really is the perfect summer treat!