# Eiskaffee Source: https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/eiskaffee/ Last updated: 2026-10-21 > Eiskaffee is German "ice cream coffee": cold, strong coffee poured over a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream in a tall glass, topped with whipped cream and often chocolate. It's a summer favourite in German cafés and ice cream parlours, eaten with a long spoon and a straw. Unlike an affogato, the coffee is cold. ## At a glance - Chapter: Iced and blended - Served: Cold - Origin: Germany - Glass: Tall clear glass, with a long spoon and a straw - Also known as: German iced coffee, ice cream coffee, Eis-Kaffee ## Ingredients - 4–8 oz (120–240 ml) strong coffee, chilled - 1–2 scoops vanilla ice cream - a generous topping whipped cream - to garnish chocolate sprinkles or syrup (optional) ## Steps 1. **Make strong coffee and chill it**: Brew strong coffee, or double-strength instant or espresso, and let it cool. 2. **Chill the glass**: Chill a tall clear glass in the freezer for a few minutes. 3. **Ice cream first**: Put one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the glass. 4. **Pour the coffee**: Pour the cold coffee slowly over the ice cream, until the glass is half to three-quarters full. 5. **Top and serve**: Top with whipped cream and chocolate if you like, and serve with a long spoon and a straw. **Eiskaffee** is Germany's summer coffee, and it's more dessert than drink: **cold coffee** poured over a scoop or two of **vanilla ice cream** in a tall glass, crowned with **whipped cream** and often chocolate. Its name means "ice cream coffee", INeedCoffee explains. International Desserts Blog says you'll find it at practically every German ice cream parlour and café; a German host mother she lived with called it a "calorie bomb". Here's how to make it. ## The short version - **Cold coffee over vanilla ice cream**, in a tall glass. - **Topped with whipped cream**, and often chocolate. - **Eaten with a long spoon**, drunk with a straw. - **A German café classic**, especially in summer. - **Not an affogato**: bigger, colder, and with cream. ## What's in an Eiskaffee? Coffee, ice cream and cream. The recipes differ a little on the coffee: | | INeedCoffee | Methodical Coffee | International Desserts Blog | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Coffee | 4–8 oz of cold, double-strength instant or brewed coffee, or a double espresso | Strong brewed coffee, chilled, about 1:12 to 1:15 | Your favourite coffee or espresso, cold | | Ice cream | Scoops of vanilla, in the bottom of the glass | Two generous scoops of vanilla | A scoop or two of vanilla | | Topping | Whipped cream | Whipped cream | Whipped cream | International Desserts Blog says that as the ice cream melts, it gives the coffee a smooth, silky texture and sweetens it a little. ## How do you make Eiskaffee? 1. **Brew strong coffee** and chill it. Strong matters, Methodical Coffee says, to balance the sweetness of the ice cream. INeedCoffee says a hot double espresso "should be OK" too. 2. **Chill a tall clear glass** in the freezer for a few minutes, so it stays colder for longer. 3. **Put the ice cream in first**, one or two scoops. 4. **Pour the cold coffee slowly** over it, so it mixes a little as it flows. 5. **Top with whipped cream**, add chocolate if you like, and serve with a long spoon and a straw. ## Where does Eiskaffee come from? **Germany**, though its history is thin. Methodical Coffee says it originated in the **1950s and 1960s** as a summer drink in cafés and homes, and has since become a favourite in Germany and abroad. INeedCoffee points to the Italian **[affogato](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/affogato/)** as a similar recipe: both are coffee and ice cream, but the affogato drowns a single scoop in hot espresso, while Eiskaffee fills a tall glass with cold coffee and adds cream. International Desserts Blog adds that decaf coffee or espresso works well if you're having one in the afternoon or evening. ## Eiskaffee vs other iced coffees - **[Affogato](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/affogato/):** hot espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream. - **[Iced latte](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/iced-latte/):** espresso and cold milk over ice. - **[Einspänner](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/einspanner/):** Vienna's hot black coffee under whipped cream. - **[Pharisäer](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/pharisaer/):** North Germany's coffee with rum under cream. Explore every drink in the [iced and blended chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/iced-coffees/). ## FAQs ### What does Eiskaffee mean? "Ice coffee", but the ice is ice cream. INeedCoffee translates it as German ice cream coffee, and International Desserts Blog as German iced coffee, or literally ice cream coffee. ### What is the difference between Eiskaffee and affogato? The coffee's temperature and the size. An affogato is a scoop of ice cream drowned in hot espresso; Eiskaffee is a tall glass of cold coffee over ice cream, topped with whipped cream. ### Should the coffee be hot or cold? Cold, in most recipes: Methodical Coffee and International Desserts Blog both chill it first. INeedCoffee says a double espresso poured on hot "should be OK", though it melts the ice cream faster. ### What coffee works best? Something strong, to stand up to the ice cream. Methodical Coffee suggests brewing it strong with any method; INeedCoffee suggests double-strength instant or brewed coffee, or a double espresso. ### When did Eiskaffee become popular? Methodical Coffee says it originated in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s as a summer drink in cafés and homes. International Desserts Blog says you'll find it at practically every German ice cream shop and café. ## Sources - [Making German ice cream coffee (Eiskaffee)](https://ineedcoffee.com/eiskaffee/) - [What is a German Eiskaffee and how do you make one?](https://methodicalcoffee.com/blogs/coffee-culture/what-is-a-german-eiskaffee-and-how-do-you-make-one) - [Eiskaffee: the best coffee in Germany](https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/eiskaffee-best-coffee-germany)