Vegan Affogato

This Vegan Affogato is a dairy free twist on a classic Italian treat that combines vanilla ice cream or gelato with freshly brewed espresso! It's absolutely delicious, perfect for entertaining, and couldn't be any easier to make.

🍨 Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: This vegan affogato is perfect for entertaining, because it comes together in less than 5 minutes! It's a great after dinner treat that you can whip up with little to no preparation.
• Unbelievably good: It's such a simple recipe, but it's a classic for a reason! This vegan affogato is simply delectable. It's creamy, melty, rich, and to be honest, it may be the best way to consume coffee.
• Allergen friendly: This vegan affogato recipe is naturally gluten free and can easily be nut and soy free depending on the ice cream you use. Of course, it's also dairy and egg free!

☕ Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan affogato:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Ice cream: Vanilla is the classic choice in an affogato. The traditional Italian way to make an affogato is with vanilla gelato. Since this recipe is vegan, we're actually using our homemade vegan vanilla ice cream. The recipe doesn't require an ice cream machine, and it's super easy to whip up in your blender in just a few minutes! Of course, you can absolutely use store-bought vegan ice cream. There are so many great varieties out there! My personal favorite brand for vanilla is Oatly.
• Espresso: It's absolutely essential to use freshly brewed, hot espresso in this vegan affogato. Since there are only 2 ingredients in this recipe, it's definitely a necessity!
  • If you don't have an espresso machine/espresso beans, use the darkest roast you can. You can also simply make double strength regular coffee. Plus, if you're caffeine sensitive, you can absolutely make this with decaffeinated coffee/espresso.
• Chocolate covered espresso beans: These are completely optional, but we love the crunch they add. Try our homemade recipe here.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Brew 1-2 shots of espresso (depending on how much caffeine you'd like to consume). Add 2-3 scoops of ice cream to a glass jar and pour the hot espresso over the top.

Optional: garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans. Enjoy!

💭 Expert Tips and FAQS

• Chill the glass: If you have time, pop your glass jar in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before serving. This will prevent your affogato from melting too quickly, which is especially helpful if it's super hot out.
• Variations:
  • Add in a splash of amaretto or coffee liqueur: For a bit of boozy flavor, try your favorite liqueur that complements the espresso and ice cream. Amaretto adds a lovely almond flavor, while coffee liqueur will really enhance the coffee.
  • Change up the ice cream flavor: Go for double coffee with your favorite coffee ice cream, or try something unique like hazelnut, mocha ice cream, or even something super decadent like chocolate peanut butter. It's totally up to you and your taste buds!
  • Make it seasonal: Add in a splash of our homemade pumpkin spice simple syrup for an autumn-inspired variation.
• Serve with biscotti: For a super traditional look, serve up your vegan affogato with some homemade biscotti on the side.
• Topping ideas: If you're like me and need a bit of texture with your ice cream, here are some ways you can top this vegan affogato:
  • Chocolate covered espresso beans or chocolate shavings
  • Toasted hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans or almonds
  • Crushed cookies
  • Candied nuts
  • Chocolate sprinkles
  • Whipped cream (why not?!)

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