Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe (2024)

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Try An Ice Cream Coffee Or “Eiskaffee” For A Sweet Summer Drink/Treat!

If you want a sweet and delicious treat that is also a drink – and you love coffee – then an ice cream coffee is definitely for you.

Made with cold coffee and scoops of vanilla ice cream, this drink is a classic German summer staple that you would get at a café or an ice cream parlor.

While this is a classic German café drink, it most likely originates from the Italian dessert “Affogato al caffè”.

This makes sense since there are many cafés and ice cream parlors in Germany run by people who (or whose parents) immigrated from Italy during the second half of the 20th century.

Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe (1)

Lisa has many great memories sitting in cafes with family or friends in different German cities sipping on this drink!

There are few better things than enjoying an ice cream coffee or “Eiskaffee” in German old towns and watching the people pass you by.

The good thing is that it is also super easy to make at home and a great way to bring those classic summer vibes into your home!

Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe (2)

Traditionally, when you see ice cream coffee in public, it is served in a tall glass. We, unfortunately, don’t have a tall glass for an ice cream sundae so we just used shorter ones and a mason-type jar. It worked perfectly fine, too!

To enjoy ice cream coffee, you typically drink the coffee (sometimes with a straw) and then eat the ice cream with a spoon. Of course, there is no “right way” to eat/drink it – as long as you enjoy it.

Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe (3)

If you want to make this drink for the kids, you can make an “Eisschokolade” and use cool “hot chocolate” instead of coffee.

On the other hand, if you want more of an adult version, you can add egg nog or even Baileys Irish Cream either to the coffee or as a drizzle on top of the whipped cream!

Related Recipes

If you’re searching for more German drinks, here are a few classics you may want to try next:

  • Kinderpunsch – A German sweet punch served warm when it’s cold out
  • Apfelschrole (German Apple Spritzer)
  • German Mulled Wine (Glühwein)
  • Eierpunsch (German Egg Punch)

Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe (4)

Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee)

This sweet and cold treat/drink is great for a hot summer day. Made from cold coffee and ice cream, this ice cream coffee is much more than just "iced coffee". Top it off in a tall glass with whipped cream and chocolate shavings!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 ice cream coffee

Ingredients

  • black coffee
  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • whipped cream, to garnish
  • chocolate shavings/sprinkles or cocoa powder, to garnish; optional

Instructions

  • Make enough black coffee for the glass you want to use. After brewing, let the coffee cool completely. A quick way to do this is to pour the hot coffee into a bowl and then fill your kitchen sink with very cold water and place the bowl full of coffee in the sink. Your coffee should be cold enough in around 15 minutes.

  • If you make your own whipped cream (and don’t use a bottle of whipping cream), you can use this "coffee cooling time" to whip the cream with an electric hand mixer.

  • Add two scoops of vanilla ice cream into your glass and fill up the rest of the glass with cold coffee. Top it off with whipped cream (as much as you like!). You can then garnish it with chocolate sprinkles or shaved chocolate (take a bar of dark chocolate and grate it on a kitchen grater). You can even sprinkle on a bit of cocoa powder (optional).

Notes

  • Traditionally Eiskaffee is served in a tall glass but any other glass works fine as well (we didn’t have a tall glass available so we used different ones). In that case, you might have to adjust the amount of coffee and/or ice cream you are using.
  • If you want a slightly less heavy version of this cold coffee drink, you can always reduce the amount of ice cream and/or whipped cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 116mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.

Course Drinks

Cuisine German

Author Recipes From Europe

Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe (2024)

FAQs

Classic Ice Cream Coffee (German Eiskaffee) - Recipes From Europe? ›

In many countries, like Germany, Italy, and Australia, iced coffee often first appeared specifically as a dessert that was mixed with fresh ice cream. The Germans called their invention Eiskaffee, a float-style drink with a cup of drip coffee poured over a large glass of ice cream.

What is the history of Eiskaffee? ›

In many countries, like Germany, Italy, and Australia, iced coffee often first appeared specifically as a dessert that was mixed with fresh ice cream. The Germans called their invention Eiskaffee, a float-style drink with a cup of drip coffee poured over a large glass of ice cream.

What is the difference between Eiskaffee and Affogato? ›

How is it different from Affogato? Affogato is a traditional Italian dessert usually made by pouring a shot of espresso over a scoop of ice cream. Eiskaffee on the other hand is made with coffee which is not as strong as espresso and a larger amount is used. Think of it as more of a drink rather than a dessert.

What is the meaning of Eiskaffee? ›

iced coffee. (Translation of Eiskaffee from the GLOBAL German–English Dictionary © 2018 K Dictionaries Ltd)

What is ice coffee in Germany? ›

Don't ask a local German for an iced coffee if all you're looking for is a chilled coffee mixed with milk and a little sugar. It's more than that when you're in Germany. A German iced coffee is called Eiskaffee. This is another coffee and ice cream mix that provides a delicious break from the heat in the summer.

What country invented iced coffee? ›

What Is the Origin of Iced Coffee? Historians can trace iced coffee's roots back to 1840 Algeria, a country in western North Africa. The first iced coffee was known as mazagran. This sweet and cold coffee beverage was reportedly developed by the French military during the Battle of Mazagran.

Who invented coffee? ›

An Ethiopian Legend

There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans. The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.

What ice cream is good for affogato? ›

An affogato is most commonly made with vanilla gelato, though a quality vanilla bean ice cream works, too. You can even switch it up to use flavored ice creams such as chocolate or mint chip, or try coffee ice cream or mocha for an extra hit of caffeine.

What is affogato coffee in English? ›

Originally invented in Italy, the word “affogato” literally translates as “drowned” in English. This is fitting, as the affogato is no more than a scoop of ice cream “drowned” in espresso.

Are you supposed to eat or drink an affogato? ›

There's no right or wrong way to enjoy affogato, but many people prefer to eat it with a spoon, ensuring they get a bit of gelato and espresso in each bite. Some may also choose to drink the remaining espresso from the cup once the gelato is finished, savoring every last drop of the delicious combination.

What do Germans put in their coffee? ›

A German Coffee

A “German coffee” is a type of cocktail made with Kirschwasser, coffee and whipped cream.

How is German coffee different? ›

While details vary depending on the producer and variety of the beans used, as a general rule, German coffee is mellow (unlike goosebumps-giving Neapolitan espresso) and has a mild aroma.

How do you order iced coffee in Germany? ›

(I would like…) Here's how you would use it: Ich möchte einen Eiskaffee. (I would like an iced coffee.)

What is dirty ice coffee? ›

Dirty coffee is a drink by pouring espresso over cold milk. The hot espresso sits on top of the milk, and it slowly permeates through it, creating a messy appearance. As the coffee has hot and cold layers, it has a really unique flavour and mouthfeel.

Does Eiskaffee have caffeine? ›

This German recipe for eiskaffee, or coffee and ice cream, attempts to recreate the flavor and feeling of a sidewalk café in Germany. Cold coffee and ice cream never tasted so good, and the caffeine content has a restorative quality.

What is Germany's favorite ice cream? ›

Among Germany's most popular gelato flavors are Stracciatella (vanilla ice cream with little chocolate shavings), pistachio, amarena (a dark sour cherry), hazelnut, and yogurt-flavored. However, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors reign supreme on both sides of the Atlantic.

What is the history of the iced latte? ›

While the original iced coffee can be traced back to Algeria circa 1840, the iced latte is believed to have been invented in the United States, where it is typically made by mixing a shot of espresso with chilled milk and ice.

What is an Mazagran in Portugal? ›

Mazagran (also called café mazagran, formerly spelled masagran) is a cold, sweetened coffee drink that originated in Algeria. Portuguese versions may use espresso, lemon, mint and rum, and Austrian versions are served with an ice cube and include rum.

When was cold brew invented? ›

The first evidence of true cold-brewed coffee, made with cold water, comes from Japan. Kyoto-style coffee, named for its popularity in Kyoto, Japan, is the earliest record of cold-brew coffee. It's clear that the Japanese were brewing coffee this way in the 1600s, although the record prior to that is unclear.

When was coffee invented? ›

Historians are quite certain that coffee beans (actually "pits") were first eaten, not drunk, in Ethiopia, East Africa, around 575 A.D. There are several legends on how coffee was actually first discovered.

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