Matcha Affogato: A Quietly Indulgent Dessert
A scoop of ice cream paired with a warm pour of matcha creates a gentle contrast—cool and creamy against soft bitterness, with a lingering hint of umami.
This matcha affogato is simple to prepare and takes less than five minutes from start to finish. It’s an understated dessert, best enjoyed slowly, perhaps at the end of a meal or as a small indulgence on a special afternoon.
What Is an Affogato?
Affogato is a classic Italian dessert traditionally made with just two ingredients: hot espresso and cold ice cream.
The espresso is poured directly over the ice cream, allowing bitterness and sweetness to meet in a single spoonful. The contrast in temperature and flavor is what defines the dessert—simple, direct, and quietly luxurious.
In this version, we replace espresso with matcha, creating a softer bitterness and a more rounded, tea-forward experience.
Choosing Matcha for a Matcha Affogato
For a matcha affogato, there’s no need to use your most delicate or highest-grade matcha.
The natural sweetness and richness of ice cream tend to soften finer flavor nuances, so using an everyday ceremonial-grade matcha makes more sense—both in balance and in cost.
We recommend versatile blends suitable for daily drinking, such as:
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Superior Ceremonial Matcha
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Organic Ceremonial Matcha
These blends work well with milk-based drinks and naturally pair with the creamy sweetness of ice cream. They’re also approachable for those new to matcha, making matcha affogato a relaxed and inviting introduction.
Matcha Affogato Recipe
This recipe uses only three basic ingredients: matcha, water, and ice cream.
Vanilla ice cream is our preferred choice—it allows the matcha to remain clearly expressed—but other flavors like green tea, chocolate, or even mint can be interesting variations. A light topping can also be added, though we find simplicity works best here.
Ingredients
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Vanilla ice cream (or ice cream of your choice)
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1 tsp matcha powder
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1.5 oz / 45 ml water at 175°F / 80°C
Method
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Add the matcha powder and warm water to a bowl. Whisk until smooth and free of clumps. The texture should resemble melted chocolate.
(If you don’t have a bamboo whisk, a small metal whisk works just as well.) -
Scoop the ice cream into a glass or small bowl.
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Slowly pour the warm matcha over the ice cream and serve immediately.
Watching the matcha flow over the ice cream is part of the experience—simple, fleeting, and satisfying.
