Affogato

Name: Affogato
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 475 ml vanilla ice cream; 120 ml espresso, freshly brewed, hot; 2 tbsp coffee liqueur (optional); 15 g dark chocolate (70–85%), grated (optional)

Vegetarian

Affogato al caffè

A scoop of vanilla gelato 'drowned' in a shot of hot espresso — the simplest Italian dessert, ready in two minutes.

Affogato is an Italian dessert from Italy, ready in about 5 minutes and made with vanilla ice cream and espresso. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

A serving of Affogato — Photo: Ewan Munro from London, UK / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 5 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 137

Ingredients

4 servings

475 ml Vanilla ice cream (opens in a new tab)Vanilla gelato or fior di latte; about 2 scoops per person.Contains milk
120 ml Espresso (opens in a new tab), freshly brewed, hot
2 tbsp (33 g) Coffee liqueur (opens in a new tab) (optional)
15 g Dark chocolate (70–85%) (opens in a new tab), grated (optional)

Equipment

Espresso machine (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Chill four small glasses or cups in the freezer for a few minutes.
- 3 min
2
Step 2
Brew the espresso (opens in a new tab) so it is ready the moment the ice cream (opens in a new tab) is scooped.
- 2 min
- Espresso machine (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Add a scoop or two of ice cream (opens in a new tab) to each glass, then pour a hot shot over each serving at the table, adding a spoonful of liqueur and grated chocolate (opens in a new tab) if you like. Eat at once.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Italy · Well documentedAlso popular in United Kingdom, United States, AustraliaMore food from Italy
Dish: Dessert · Desserts
Cooking method: No-cook
Taste: bitter, sweet, creamy
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredients, Alcohol-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Minimal cleanup
Cook more with: Vanilla ice cream · Espresso

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate (70–85%)
May contain: Eggsfrom vanilla ice cream
May contain: Peanutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
May contain: Tree nutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
May contain: Soyfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

137 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 95 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 7%
Carbohydrate 46%
Fat 47%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	137 kcal	145 kcal
Protein	2.3 g	2.4 g
Carbohydrate	15.9 g	16.7 g
Net carbohydrate	15.4 g	16.2 g
Sugars	13.8 g	14.5 g
Added sugars	—	—
Fibre	0.5 g	0.5 g
Fat	7.2 g	7.6 g
Saturated fat	4.4 g	4.7 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	29 mg	30 mg
Sodium	56 mg	59 mg
Salt equivalent	0.1 g	0.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 164 mg
Calcium: 84 mg
Iron: 0.1 mg
Magnesium: 33 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 77 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 0.1 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.3 µg
Folate (DFE): 4 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: coffee liqueur, dark chocolate (70–85%).
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Strong moka-pot coffee works if you don't have an espresso machine.

Common mistakes

Pouring the coffee in the kitchen — it melts the ice cream to soup before it reaches the table.

Storage

Assemble just before serving.

Variations

Alcohol-free: Skip the liqueur; the classic version contains none.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Vanilla ice cream2 cup · 260 g

Used in step 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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