Take the traditional Italian dessert to the next level with this decadent version of vegan Affogato served in a cup made of … cookie! A dreamy combination of sweet and salty cookie, crispy chocolate sauce, crunchy toppings, and frozen creamy gelato that melts into hot bitter espresso. Easy to make with a few ingredients. In fact, il doce perfetto!
What is Affogato?
Affogato is a coffee-based dessert, a bit like a cafe gourmand, which is served in most cafes and gelato shops all over Italy. It’s a very simple dessert traditionally made of only three ingredients, espresso, gelato and a shot of liqueur. Affogato means “drowned” in Italian. It’s simply a shot of espresso poured over a scoop of cold vanilla gelato, but trust me this is pure goodness!
The combination of the cold and creamy vanilla bean gelato that slowly melts under the hot espresso, creates a magical experience where cold and hot, sweet and bitter, meet in perfect harmony. In other words, it’s a super simple but very delicious single-serve dessert to finish a meal. For more information about Affogato, check out this article on The Kitchn.
Vegan Affogato cookie cups
While the traditional Italian Affogato is made of just three ingredients and topping-free, I took some liberties her with my Affogato cookie cups! I was looking for something to add a touch of crunchy and extra flavor, then I remembered these incredible Caramel stuffed Cookie Cups I shared a few months ago. And BOOM! Serving the Affogato in a cookie cup appeared so obvious! I mean, what is more decadent and satisfying than eating the container after you have finished your coffee? Especially when this container happens to be a scrumptious gluten free cookie. And because toppings are everything, I allowed myself to add a quick chocolate sauce and some crunchy nuts and buckwheat for extra texture.
It’s very easy to make Vegan Affogato cookie cups. Simply use a dairy-free ice cream and follow the recipe for the rest! The cookie cups are naturally vegan and gluten free, as well as the homemade chocolate sauce.
How to make the best vegan Affogato in a cookie cup
Ingredients for the cookie cups
Despite these little additions, these vegan Affogato cookie cups are still very easy to make! All you need are these few simple ingredients:
- Hazelnut meal – is made of finely ground hazelnuts. Hazelnut meal is rich in healthy fats, adds softness to your recipes and a delicious nutty flavor. You can replace with almond meal.
- White rice flour – is a very fine and light flour made of ground white rice. White rice flour is naturally gluten-free, lighter and easier to digest than wheat flour.
- Baking powder – if you follow a grain-free diet, be careful as most commercial baking powders contain a grain-based starch, like cornstarch. Else you can use whatever baking powder you have on hand.
- Lucuma powder – is made of dehydrated ground lucuma, a fruit native to South America. Lucuma is high in fibre, antioxidants and packed with vitamins and minerals. It can be used as a low-sugar natural sweetener, and have a pleasant caramel flavor. You can find lucuma powder in health stores and online. But if you can’t find lucuma, no worries as it’s optional in this recipe!
- Maple syrup – is a brown syrup usually made from the sap of maple trees. Maple syrup adds sweetness and moisture to recipes, and act like a bidding ingredient. There are different varieties, always make sure to use a good quality, Grade A labeled one.
- Coconut oil – is extracted from the meat of mature coconuts and is a very versatile product. It can be used in many recipes to replace other oils. Coconut oil can have a strong coconut flavor, so if you don’t like it you can also use deodorized coconut oil.
- Vanilla extract – typically made by infusing vanilla beans in alcohol and water, vanilla extract is a very popular ingredient in countless desserts. It brings a delicious vanilla flavor.
Make the cookie cups
First thing before you can enjoy your vegan Affogato is to prepare the cups. And you will be amazed to see how ridiculously easy and funny it is!
For these cookie cups just like for most of my cookie recipes, I simply combine all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Then I pour the wet preparation into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. You can’t go wrong with this technique.
Mixing only the dry ingredients together first helps to spread the baking powder evenly in the preparation, and avoids to end up with lumps in your cookie dough.
This is not a classic cookie dough, so it might look a little bit dry and crumbly at first. But press a piece of dough between your fingers and you’ll see how it is malleable and easy to work with!
Shape and bake the cups
When the dough is ready, divide into 6 balls of equal size – more or less, depending of the quantity you make and the size of your muffin tins. Place each ball into a greased tin and gently bur firmly press the dough with your thumbs to make a well in the middle and spread the dough evenly in the tin. This step is very important to get pretty and resistant cups, so take your time to carefully distribute the dough evenly in the tin and make a nice finition.
Pop the tins in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F (180°C) for about 10 minutes, or until the cups are slightly golden on the edges and dry to touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tins. Don’t handle or remove the cookie cups immediately from the tins as they are still a little soft and fragile right out of the oven! Then carefully remove the cookie cups from the tins and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling the Affogato. This is very important as the cups will continue to dry out and harden as they cool.
Prepare the toppings
While the cookie cups are cooling, prepare the crunchy hazelnut, buckwheat and cacao nibs mix we gonna add on top of Vegan Affogato! While the traditional Affogato is topping-free, I decided to add a little touch of crunchiness for more interesting texture and complex dessert.
To prepare the toppings, chop raw hazelnuts into small chunks and add to a small-medium skillet over medium heat, together with the buckwheat groats. Heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re browned and fragrant. Adjust the heat during the cooking and be careful as they can burn very fast! Remove from skillet, place on a plate or tray and allow to cool. Then add the cacao nibs, and your topping is ready to sprinkle!
If you don’t have buckwheat, you can replace with any other nuts or seeds, like almond, pecan, macadamia or even sesame seeds whose taste goes well with chocolate and coffee. And if you’re running out of time, simply use crumbled biscotti, speculoos, or crushed hazelnuts.
Easy express Magic chocolate sauce
Everything is better with chocolate on top, am I right? So let’s add a little chocolate sauce on top of Affogato! And this recipe is so easy that you gonna want to add it everywhere. This expresse chocolate sauce is my go-to recipe anytime I need something to pour over pancakes, ice cream, cakes or to make a chocolate coating. I call it “Magic Chocolate Sauce” because it instantly hardens when put in contact with cold ingredients – just like ice cream, to create a crispy chocolate shell.
All you need to make express Magic chocolate sauce are 3 simple ingredients:
- Coconut oil – the magic ingredient that gives chocolate sauce its specific property! Coconut oil is liquid at room temperature and becomes solid when refrigerated.
- Cocoa powder – is made from dried and ground cocoa solids, what’s left over after most of the fat (cocoa butter) is processed out for other uses. Make sure to use good quality, preferably unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Maple syrup – to add sweetness, thickness and a little gooey texture to the chocolate sauce. You can substitute with agave syrup if you don’t have maple.
To make the chocolate sauce, simply melt the coconut oil in a sauce pan or in microwave. Place in a bowl, then add maple syrup and cocoa powder and stir to combine, until you get a smooth and runny sauce. It’s ready!
Choose the best gelato for vegan Affogato
One key ingredient for a delicious Affogato is the ice cream. The traditional Affogato is made with vanilla gelato. Gelato is an Italian-style ice cream that contains almost no air, and thereby is denser and richer than regular ice creams. Vanilla is probably the flavor that works the best with Affogato, as it is subtle and pairs well with espresso and chocolate. So I would say that the best ice cream for Affogato is a dense and creamy vanilla bean ice cream!
However, you can even switch it up to use flavored ice creams for a funky touch! My favorite ones are salted caramel, chocolate, coffee for an extra hit of caffeine, or even mint chocolate chips for this peppermint patty effect!
You can either use a store-bough ice cream OR make your own ice cream from scratch! I have plenty of simple no churn dairy free ice cream recipe on the blog, just pick your favorite one!
- Vanilla banana ice cream
- Cherry Amaretto ice cream
- Brownie Chocolate ice cream
- Peanut Butter and Cookie ice cream
- Snickers ice cream
- Strawberry Coconut and Basil ice cream
As for the ratio of gelato to espresso, a classic Affogato is made with two cups gelato to one shot of espresso. But when you’re making it at home, this ratio is flexible, and can easily be adjusted based on your preferences or who you’re serving. If you love strong coffee, one cup of gelato can be enough. For a kid, just pour a dash of espresso – and a lot of ice cream!
Prepare the espresso
Last thing, and probably the most important for a very good and well balanced vegan Affogato is the espresso! For this point, I would say that it’s totally up to you, depending on your love and preferences for coffee. If you have an espresso machine at home, then use it. Just brew a shot of your favorite espresso and pour it over your ice cream.
However, if you’re more familiar with another other brewing method or want to push the experience even further, you can use a barista espresso machine, a stovetop espresso maker, or a manual espresso machine. I personally use this Flair Pro2 manual espresso maker that I absolutely love!
Serve and enjoy!
Once all the elements are ready, it’s time to assemble the Affogato! Place the cookie cups in a large serving plate or in individual small plates. Drop about 2 scoops of ice cream into each cup and immediately drizzle the chocolate sauce on the cold ice cream, and sprinkle with the mix of roasted hazelnuts, buckwheat and cacao nibs. Finally pour the espresso shot and enjoy Vegan Affogato immediately! Cheers!
For more cafe gourmand ideas, check out these recipes
- Copycat Vegan Twix Bars (GF)
- No-bake Chocolate Peanut Snickers Truffles (GF)
- Caramel stuffed Cookie Cups (GF)
- Peppermint Patties (GF)
- Black Forest Brownies (GF)
- Coconut Matcha Macaroons (GF)
- No-bake Coconut Chocolate Bounty Bars (GF)
- Mini Chocolate Loaf Cakes (GF)
I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to tag me @alicepages on your photos on Instagram and give your feedback in the comments below if you make this recipe at home! Your opinion is my best reward.
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vegan Affogato cookie cup
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 affogatos 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Affogato is a decadent after-dinner dessert. A scoop of dairy-free ice cream drowning in a shot of warm bitter espresso, topped with chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of crunchy nuts, the whole served in a gluten free cup made of cookie!
Ingredients
Cookie cups
- 90 g hazelnut meal
- 110 g white rice flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp lucuma powder (optional)
- 1 pinch of flaky sea salt
- 70 g maple syrup
- 40 g coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate sauce
- 30 g coconut oil, melted
- 25 g maple syrup
- 15 g cocoa powder
Affogato
- 6 shots espresso
- 12 scoops dairy-free Vanilla ice cream
- 1 tbsp hazelnuts
- 1 tbsp buckwheat groats
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180°C) and grease a small muffin or mini brioche tin with oil.
- To a large mixing bowl, stir together hazelnut meal, white rice flour, baking powder, cinnamon, lucuma powder and flaky sea salt.
- Add maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla, and stir using a wooden spatula or your hands to incorporate all the ingredients, until you get a dough. The dough must be a little dry and crumbly, but must hold its shape when pressed between two fingers.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls of equal size. Place each ball into a greased tin, and gently bur firmly press the dough with your fingers, to spread the dough evenly all around the mold, in the bottom and on the edges. Form a well in the middle with your thumbs to shape the cups. Make sure you get an even thickness everywhere.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until they are slightly golden on the edges and dry to touch.
- Remove the cookie cups from the oven and use the back of a teaspoon to push down the bottoms of the cups if necessary. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tins. Then carefully remove the cookie cups from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to completely cool. The cookie cups are fragile and a little soft out of the oven but they will harden while they cool and dry.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce. Melt the coconut oil in a bowl, then add maple syrup and cocoa powder. Stir to combine, until you get a smooth and runny sauce.
- Chop the hazelnuts into small chunks and add to a skillet over medium heat, together with the buckwheat groats. Heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant. Remove from skillet and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the roasted hazelnuts and buckwheat with cacao nibs.
- Brew the espresso shots using your desired brewing method.
- Place the cookie cups in a plate. Drop 2 scoops of ice cream into each cooled cookie cup. Immediately drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with the mix of roasted hazelnuts, buckwheat and cacao nibs. Pour the espresso shot and serve immediately!
Notes
- Storage – once completely cool, store cookie cups leftovers (without all the garnishes) in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.
- Ice cream – you can use whatever dairy-free ice cream you want, however I recommend to use a light flavored ice cream like vanilla or caramel, that pair well with coffee.
- Be very careful when you remove the cookie cups from the tins as they still are fragile and a little soft out of the oven. Allow them cool completely, until they are dry and hard, before assembling the affogatos.
Recette version française
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Cookie cup Affogato gourmand
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 affogatos 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Four
- Cuisine: Italienne
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Redécouvrez le traditionnel dessert Italien dans une version vegan et ultra gourmande! Une boule de glace vanille qui fond lentement sous un shot d’espresso, le tout agrémenté d’une sauce chocolat, de noisettes croquantes, et servi dans une tasse en cookie!
Ingredients
Cookie cups
- 90 g de poudre de noisettes
- 110 g de farine de riz blanche
- 5 g de levure chimique
- 1 cuillère à c. de cannelle en poudre
- 1/2 cuillère à c. de lucuma en poudre (optionnel)
- 1 pincée de fleur de sel
- 70 g de sirop d’érable
- 40 g d’huile de coco fondue
- 1 c. à c. d’extrait de vanille
Sauce chocolat
- 30 g d’huile de coco fondue
- 25 g de sirop d’érable
- 15 g de cacao en poudre
Affogato
- 6 shots d’espresso
- 12 boules de glace vanille
- 1 cuillère à s. de noisettes concassées
- 1 cuillère à s. de gruau de sarrasin
- 1 cuillère à s. de fève de cacao
Instructions
- Préchauffer le four à 180°C et huiler des petits moules à muffin ou à mini brioche.
- Dans un grand saladier, mélanger la poudre de noisette avec la farine de riz blanche, la levure chimique, la cannelle, le lucuma et la fleur sel.
- Ajouter le sirop d’érable, l’huile de coco fondue et la vanille, et mélanger à l’aide d’une spatule ou des mains, afin de bien incorporer tous les ingrédients. La pâte obtenue doit être légèrement sèche et friable, mais elle doit se tenir quand on la presse entre les doigts.
- Former 6 boules de pâte de même taille et les déposer dans les moules. Avec vos doigts, appuyer sur les boules afin de répartir la pâte uniformément dans tout le moule, dans le fond et sur les bords sur environ 3/4 de la hauteur du moule. Assurez-vous d’avoir une épaisseur homogène partout et que la pâte épouse bien la forme du moule.
- Enfourner pour 10 minutes, ou jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit légèrement colorée et sèche au toucher.
- Retirer du four et appuyer délicatement sur le fond des cups pour faire retomber la pâte qui pourrait avoir gonflé. Laisser refroidir 10 minutes dans les moules, puis démouler délicatement et laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille. Les cookie cups sont encore tendres et fragiles à la sortie du four mais vont durcir tout en refroidissant.
- Pendant ce temps, préparer la sauce chocolat. Faire fondre l’huile de coco dans un bol, puis ajouter le sirop d’érable et le cacao en poudre. Mélanger pour obtenir une sauce lisse et fluide.
- Concasser les noisettes. Déposer les noisettes et le sarrasin dans une poêle sur feu moyen, et faire griller pendant 5 à 8 minutes, en remuant de temps en temps. Transférer dans un plat, ajouter les éclats de fève de cacao et laisser refroidir quelques minutes.
- Préparer les shots d’espresso selon la méthode de votre choix.
- Disposer les cookie cups dans un grand plat ou des petites assiettes. Déposer deux boules de glace dans chaque cookie cups, verser immédiatement la sauce chocolat sur la glace et saupoudrer du mélange noisette, sarrasin et cacao. Verser un shot d’espresso dans chaque cup et servir tout de suite!
Notes
- Conservation – une fois refroidis, conserver les cookie cups (sans toute la garniture) dans une boite hermétique pendant 3 jours à température ambiante, ou jusqu’à 1 mois au congélateur.
- Glace – vous pouvez utiliser n’importe quelle glace de votre choix, cependant favorisez des parfums léger comme vanille ou caramel, qui se marient bien avec le café.
- Faites attention lors du démoulage des cookie cups, car ces dernières sont encore tendres et fragiles à la sortie du four. Assurez-vous qu’elles soient complètement refroidies et dures avant d’assembler les affogatos, ou elles risquent de se ramollir rapidement.
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