Chai Affogato (with Honey-Sweetened Coconut Milk Ice Cream)
Chai tea poured over creamy ice cream makes a delicious hot-and-cold dessert. The honey-sweetened homemade coconut milk ice cream is dairy free and egg free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 12, 2024
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This chai tea affogato is such a fun dessert to share with your loved ones. The concept came to me a few weeks ago while answering emails at a local coffee shop. I ordered a chai tea latte and quickly thereafter requested an affogato (because how often do you see affogatos on coffee shop menus?).
Traditional Italian affogato is espresso poured over a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I was thunderstruck by the combination of super strong, hot coffee poured over creamy, cold ice cream. It’s as delightful as a hot fudge sundae but not so decadent that it leaves you with a stomachache.
I went to the trouble of making my favorite honey-sweetened coconut milk ice cream for my affogatos. Buy your favorite vanilla ice cream for a shortcut. Dessert is ready!
Chai Affogato (with Honey-Sweetened Coconut Milk Ice Cream)
Strong, spiced chai tea poured over rich, honey-sweetened ice cream makes a beautiful hot-and-cold dessert. The creamy homemade coconut milk ice cream is dairy free and egg free. For a super simple treat, buy a quality vanilla ice cream and pour extra-strong, freshly brewed chai tea over it.
Ingredients
Honey-Sweetened Coconut Milk Ice Cream (yields 8 small scoops of ice cream)
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) full fat coconut milk
- ⅔ cup honey
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Dash fine grain sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch (see notes)
Strong chai tea (use 4 tea bags per 1 cup water, which yields enough tea for 4 small servings)
- 8 spiced chai tea bags
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or a big, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the coconut milk, honey, water, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat while whisking often. While the mixture warms up, whisk the arrowroot starch with a couple tablespoons of the coconut milk mixture in a small bowl until thoroughly incorporated and no lumps remain.
- Once the coconut milk mixture reaches a gentle simmer, pour the arrowroot mixture into the pot and simmer, whisking constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then place the bowl in the refrigerator until the mixture is completely and thoroughly chilled.
- Before you start your ice cream maker, place your future ice cream container in the freezer to chill. Use a spoon to scoop off the thickened top layer of ice cream and discard it. Whisk together the chilled mixture in case the honey has separated from the rest. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to your manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer it to your chilled container. Freeze for several hours.
- When you’re ready for dessert, bring 2 cups water to a boil and pour the water over 8 chai tea bags. Steep for 4 minutes, then remove the bags (squeeze out some of the water they have absorbed). Scoop your ice cream into small bowls, then pour hot tea into the bowls. Serve immediately!
Notes
Coconut milk ice cream adapted from my chai coconut ice cream recipe.
I like Numi’s organic chai tea and Trader Joe’s chai tea.
Wait, what’s that?: Arrowroot starch significantly improves the texture of the ice cream (by making it less icy and therefore more creamy) so I strongly recommend using it. Look for arrowroot starch near the cornstarch in the baking section of well-stocked grocery/health food stores (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand) or buy it online. Arrowroot is a great thickener in non-dairy sauces and desserts. It’s also used in gluten-free baked goods. A lot of people prefer arrowroot over cornstarch because it has more healthful properties and is a less processed ingredient, but you can probably substitute an equal amount of cornstarch for the arrowroot if you’d like. Both arrowroot and cornstarch must be activated by heat, so that is why the instructions call for heating the ice cream mixture to a simmer before adding the starch.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
P.s. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, here are a couple of methods that might work for this ice cream (I haven’t tried them): how to make ice cream with a food processor (tips from Jeni Britton) and how to make ice cream without a machine (by David Lebovitz).
P.p.s. If you’re in the market for an ice cream maker, I love my 2-quart Cuisinart.
Hi, sounds so good! I have arrowroot starch/flour at home, but that’s something else right? Jennie
Hey Jennie! Nope, we’re talking about the same thing. Arrowroot starch = arrowroot powder. Sorry for the confusion!
Oh my goodness this sounds like a dream. Just stumbled across your blog and I am loving it! Your pictures are gorgeous. Have a great Saturday!
Trish
I love affogato. I recently made mine with coffee, a summer must for us italians :) I have never thought I could make it with tea, sounds like a great idea!
You read my mind…I have been craving affogado lately. I am so excited to try your version! I make my own Chai concentrate from time to time because I like more spice, less tea (favorite recipe here ). I keep it in the fridge to mix with milk and honey. I think it will be dessert tonight!
Kathleen, thank you! I bet it is extra-good with ice cream. I’ve tried a couple other chai concentrates that didn’t quite satisfy so I’m looking forward to trying your favorite.
I’ve neeeeever heard of this before, and am SO into it! Love the recipe!
So gorgeous, this is just what my Saturday needs!
I love affogato! Your versions sounds absolutely delicious. I have got to make that coconut milk ice-cream!
This looks amazing and so simple. Also your pictures are stunning. I feel like I could eat this straight from my screen.
My question: I don’t have an ice cream maker and really don’t want another appliance. Is there a way of making this without a maker?
Hey Wendy! Great question, and I’m sorry I didn’t answer you sooner. You could, of course, buy a quality ice cream at the store. If you have a food processor, here’s a method that might work. If not, there’s also this option. Good luck!
Thank you! Super helpful!
What a lovely recipe!
I hope you have a memorable experience in MN!
Yowza! These are gorgeous, and right up my alley – anything chai + ice cream! Thanks for sharing. :)
Such a creative and delicious idea!
Thank you, Jenna!
I would definitely eat more ice cream with this recipe. I remember ordering Brandy Ice as a child when we would visit one particular restaurant. It was a vanilla ice cream with brandy poured on top–I wonder if these days you would be carded to eat just a divine pleasure. I don’t know why I never thought to pour espresso or chai over ice cream. Thanks for sharing, always interested in a new ice cream recipe. Happy Nesting!
Vanilla ice cream with brandy on top? That sounds amazing!
I’ve never had an affogato before!! I have heard the term but just didn’t know what it was and now I cannot wait to try it!
Woww… Looks super gorgeous and delicious.. love the presentation too.. first time here.. you have a wonderful blog. Happy to follow you! :)
Thank you, Hari, and welcome!
I have seen the recipes, but never tried making affogato.. Yours looks so delicious and beautiful!
What an amazing combination of flavours! Yum!
Great idea! I love that you switched up an affogato, making it a friendly option for people who don’t drink coffee. I LOVE affogatos. My favorite is at Capogiro’s in Philly, where I get the espresso poured over bacio gelato. Sometimes I order two in a row …
Chocolate hazelnut affogato? Sounds dangerous! Must try ASAP.
My Mom used to put coffee over vanilla ice cream. I loved it as a kid but I had forgotten that memory of my dear Mom. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I think I’ll try your version and make a new sensory memory. Be well
I recently had affogato for the first time a few weeks ago and I adore it! This version sounds even better I love chai and can imagine it tastes so good with coconut ice cream.
I can’t drink coffee in the afternoon/evening because SLEEP, which means I never get to have affogatos! This tea fix is clutch. So clutch.
Seriously this is brilliance! Absolute brilliance. I will be trying this with my homemade chai asap. Great recipe.
Thank you, Beth! I bet it’s especially great with that homemade chai.
Sounds fun. And congrats on the first pie :)
I’ve never ever had an affogato…but yours looks and sounds delicious!
Oooooh that photo of scooping the ice cream is money!! Looks amazing, K!
I love the coconut ice cream. It’s almost nice enough here for this lovely dessert. Enjoy Minneapolis.
Whoa! Mind blown. This looks amazing and I had never heard of it before, but boy do I love me some vegan ice cream and chai tea! :) Thanks for sharing, this is so creative!
Thanks, Katie! It’s a tasty combination, if I can say so myself.
Two of my favorite flavours combined! This looks great, thanks ofr the recipe :)
This is such a great idea, looks divine! Affogatos are regularly on the menus of Sydney cafes, I have to resist not getting one every time. Trying this soon!
This sounds fantastic! I’m curious – what is the reason for scooping away the top layer of the ice cream mixture before freezing in the ice cream maker? Love the idea of using the arrowroot powder for creamier texture.
Hi Mary, I’m sorry I didn’t answer your question sooner. The arrowroot greatly improves the texture, but it adds a weird film to the top of the chilled ice cream mixture. If you’ve made pudding with cornstarch before, it’s like that. I just wasn’t sure the film would mix back in very well.
Oh my god, I absolutely LOVE this combination. Chai is so good all on its own but combined with ice cream and coffee? Holy goodness. You know what, I was actually in Italy just a week ago and was perplexed to find how rare it is to see affogato on the menu. I was really bummed. It’s really the perfect post-dinner treat.
Really? I’m surprised affogato was a rare find over there. I don’t think I even knew what affogato was when I visited Italy in college! Time for another visit. :)
Brilliant. This sounds so delicious! I love how you recreated a traditional affogato and with chai! I’m definitely going to try this, as well as a traditional affogato!
Hi Kate,
Fueled by a sense of victory over the peanut butter version of your coconut milkice cream, I thought I would try this recipe too, but it turned out really icy up to the point where it was inedible. When I had made coconut milk ice cream previously I did not add any water to the coconut milk, and the consistency was definitely much better. Could my failed second attempt have been due to the added water or could it be that the arrowroot didn’t get activated?
Thanks.
Hi, I dont know if you’ll see this, but why do you scoop off the thickened top layer of ice cream and discard it?
Looking forward to trying this
I absolutely love your coconut milk ice cream recipes. I’ve tried the Salted Peanut Butter recipe, and the Chai recipe. After trying other paleo variations, including recipes with gelatin, I think the Arrowroot makes this one creamier and better textured overall. I’m wondering if you’ve tried a berry coconut milk ice cream recipe? I’m going to try replacing the 2/3 cup water with blackberry puree tonight! If you have any tips, please let me know!
Hi Abigail, so glad you enjoyed my ice creams! I haven’t tried a berry version, but I think your idea might work great! Please report back. :)
Can I swap out the arrowroot for another thickener, such as tapioca startch?
Hi Sandra, I found it best written as is. I’m not sure you will have the same result with it. If you try it, let me know.