Is affogato 1 or 2 shots?

Affogato means “drowned” in Italian, which is the perfect name for this Italian dessert, as it’s ice cream drowned in espresso. Affogato also makes an impressive, but easy, dinner party dessert if your guests enjoy an after dinner espresso. To me this is a good ratio for one shot of espresso. You could also make these cups ahead for a dinner party and then all you need to do is add the espresso shots, and I make them to serve. Instead of ice cream you could use gelato, sorbet, or frozen custard. Anything that pairs well with espresso (or dark chocolate) will be delicious. Add toppings like you could a sundae for a nontraditional twist: sprinkles, caramel syrup, sea salt, crushed Oreo cookies, etc. Or serve along side biscotti, shortbread or other cookies you love. To make a lightly alcoholic affogato add an liqueur like Kahlua, Amaretto, Frangelico (which taste like hazelnuts) or Bailey’s Irish cream. You could also make these cups ahead for a dinner party and then all you need to do is add the espresso shots, and I make them to serve.

It’s the easiest way to turn coffee into a dessert. That’s why affogato felt like a revelation. Served only after lunch or dinner, it seemed like something Starbucks might’ve dreamed up—two scoops of vanilla gelato “drowned” in a fresh shot of espresso. But in Italy, it’s treated with the same reverence as the coffee itself. After long, wine-soaked lunches, my friend Colleen and I would stroll to Boglione, the bar/cafe hot spot, and order a doppio—a double espresso poured straight over our gelato. It was decadent, buzzy, and perfectly Italian. I’ll be honest: classic Italian desserts don’t always do it for me. But affogato? It’s the rare sweet that hits every note—creamy, bitter, cold, and hot. And with just two ingredients, it’s about as low-effort and high-reward as desserts get.