Not an affogato and not a milkshake

An affogato uses a small amount of hot espresso to melt the outside of ice cream. This float starts with a larger amount of cold coffee, so the scoop lasts longer and gradually turns the drink creamy. There is no blending step, which leaves a useful contrast between the frozen scoop and the liquid underneath.

Use coffee that is ready to drink. A cold-brew concentrate needs dilution before it enters the glass; otherwise the coffee may be much stronger than the recipe intends. If brewing from scratch, cool and chill the coffee in advance and add that preparation time to your plan. The five-minute timing here assumes it is already cold.

Leave space at the top

The ice cream displaces liquid as soon as it goes in. A glass filled nearly to the rim is therefore the wrong starting point, even if it looks elegant before the scoop arrives. Use a roomy glass and keep a small plate underneath if serving at a desk or on a tray.

There is no fizzy ingredient in this float. The name describes the scoop sitting in the coffee, not a soda-style drink. Adding sparkling water is a different variation and can create a large head of foam, so do not make that change in a nearly full glass.

Vanilla keeps the coffee prominent, but a modest scoop of chocolate ice cream can make a mocha-like version. Strongly flavoured ice creams with large chunks may be harder to eat through a narrow glass. Choose a shape that leaves room for a spoon rather than relying on a straw alone.

What you'll need

  • 160 ml chilled ready-to-drink black coffee, not undiluted concentrate
  • 80 g vanilla ice cream
  • 2–3 ice cubes, optional

Let's make it

  1. Choose a glass with at least 350 ml capacity so there is room for the ice cream. Pour in the chilled coffee and add the optional ice cubes if the coffee is not very cold.
  2. Place the scoop of vanilla ice cream gently on the coffee. Do not drop it from a height, which can splash coffee over the rim.
  3. Serve with a long spoon. Eat some ice cream with the coffee around it, then stir gently as the scoop softens. Taste before adding any sugar; the melting ice cream already sweetens the drink.

Make it your own

Use decaffeinated chilled coffee if preferred.

Try a dairy-free vanilla frozen dessert after checking its ingredients and any cross-contact warnings; the scoop may soften at a different rate.

Keeping it fresh

Assemble only when ready to serve. Do not refreeze the partly melted float. Store the remaining ice cream in its freezer container and keep prepared black coffee covered in the fridge according to its preparation or package directions.

Allergen notes

Contains milk and possibly egg in the ice cream. Alternative frozen desserts may contain soya or nuts.