Decadent Pumpkin Spice Affogato Recipe

If you're the type to crave a hit of hot espresso after a long, leisurely dinner, then you might be familiar with the classic Italian dessert affogato. This creamy, dreamy treat involves a shot of hot espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato. The espresso lightly melts the ice cream as you spoon up each bite, with the dark, bitter notes of the coffee blending with the cold sweetness of the cream.

To give this dessert an autumnal makeover, recipe developer Taylor Murray swaps the traditional vanilla ice cream for spiced pumpkin ice cream. A spoonful of decadent caramel sauce at the bottom of each mug gives the dish a depth of flavor, and a final sprinkle of warm pie spices helps bring out the pumpkin flavor in the ice cream. Altogether, it's the perfect dessert for slightly cooler evenings following a rich and hearty dinner, or it can serve as a delightful afternoon pick-me-up.

The most essential ingredient of an affogato is the espresso, so you'll have to find a way to pour a couple of fresh shots if you don't have an espresso machine. Pumpkin ice cream is the next ingredient, which you can find at the grocery store in the fall or make yourself. We also will add some prepared caramel sauce to the bottom of each mug and a final sprinkle of a spice blend that includes ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. 

Combine the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.

Divide the caramel sauce between two large latte cups or mugs.

Scoop 2-3 scoops of ice cream into each cup.

Pour one shot of espresso into each cup.

Sprinkle the affogato with the spice blend.

Serve immediately.

One of the most crucial elements to making a great affogato is hot, fresh espresso. Typically, you can make this by pulling a shot from a traditional espresso machine. If, however, you don't have the funds to shell out for one of these pricey appliances, does that really mean that you can't enjoy affogato at home? You could always run out to your local coffee shop and buy a couple of shots of espresso to make this dessert. There are also a few decent instant espresso products on the market, useful for making all kinds of things (espresso martini anyone?).

Devices like a Moka Pot or an Aeropress are small, cheap, and lightweight tools that can produce decent espresso without the need for a large espresso machine. In a pinch, a French press can even make a strong enough cup of coffee to take the place of espresso to serve in this recipe.

You can absolutely make a dairy-free or vegan pumpkin affogato. Instead of traditional dairy-based ice cream, you can use a plant-based pumpkin-flavored ice cream made from coconut, almond, or oat milk, which are readily available in stores or can be made at home. To make it at home, blend ingredients like coconut milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice and freeze them into a creamy, vegan pumpkin ice cream. You could also swap in a non-pumpkin flavor, like salted caramel or chocolate.

Once you have the ice cream, simply pour a shot of hot espresso or strong coffee over it to create that classic affogato experience. For added indulgence, you can top it with dairy-free whipped cream and the same spice blend used in this recipe. The final ingredient, the caramel sauce, can also be purchased in a non-dairy form that uses coconut or oat cream instead of cow's milk.