Affogatos: How do I make one and what’s the big deal with these?

An Affogato is a simple Italian espresso dessert that traditionally uses Vanilla Sorbet that is doused with Espresso on top. That’s it – two simple ingredients working together in a beautiful harmony. Nowadays, it is more popular to serve Affogatos with Vanilla Ice Cream and Espresso on top. Here’s the rundown on how to make a delicious affogato at home:

How Do I Make an Affogato?

First thing’s first: The ice cream.

It’s best to go simple and choose a Vanilla ice cream that’ll compliment your coffee. We recommend using a mid-tier to higher end ice cream that uses Vanilla bean to really bring out the flavour. Avoid using French Vanilla flavoured ice creams (unless that is your vibe of course!) as they tend to have more of an added flavour taste to them which can potentially hinder the coffee tasting experience. Take one or two (or more if you prefer) scoops of ice cream and place into a small bowl.

And now… Coffee!

Hot coffee right from the espresso machine is what you’ll need – stove top espresso or brewed coffee will also do if you don’t have an espresso machine but the experience may differ slightly. Pull a shot of espresso (make sure that yield and time are measuring up to your recipe standards!) into a shot glass. Once the pour is complete, pour it on top of the ice cream and enjoy!

What Coffee Should I Use to Make an Affogato?

We like to use our Caliber Espresso as its bright complexity compliments vanilla notes well! If you like a more bolder experience, maybe even one closer to an Italian style espresso, then we would recommend our Assembly Espresso with those deeper tones. Be sure to watch our Youtube videos on How to Pull an Espresso shot to make sure all of your espressos are tasting to their max potential.

How do I make enough Affogatos to serve at a Party?

When serving a large group of Affogatos as a dessert at a party, it might be easier to prepare them in advance – at least the ice cream component for them. Prepare the amount of bowls that you’ll need, scoop some vanilla ice cream into those, and then place in the freezer. This’ll also make the bowl cold which can create an interesting contrast with the hot espresso pouring on top of it. Once it’s time to serve, set up an assembly line at your espresso machine or stove top espresso and pour shots right on top of the ice cream and serve to your guests! Easy as that.