The perfect summer dessert needs to be refreshing and delicious. And if you want to make it yourself, it has to be simple, too. These three desserts have all of those, and something else: they’re made with coffee so you can enjoy your coffee and stay cool!

If acid in coffee is a problem for you, try a low acid coffee such as Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee. It’s easier on the stomach and the low acid content means it has less of a bitter taste. That makes it perfect for desserts. If you’re eating it later in the day, you might want to consider using Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Decaffeinated Coffee, but you can use regular if you want a bit of caffeine with your dessert.

These three desserts can satisfy a variety of tastes and are made with three different forms of coffee. First, there’s Affogato, which can be a beverage or dessert and has espresso. Then, there’s Cookies ‘n’ Coffee Ice Cream, which is as good as it sounds and has ground coffee in it. Finally, there are Banana Coffee Protein Popsicles without any added sugar for the health nuts who want and deserve a treat. They’re made with cold brew coffee.

The Best Affogato Ever

Is affogato a dessert? Is it a beverage? Who cares? It’s decadent, delicious, and so easy to make! This recipe makes two servings, but you can definitely make more to feed a crowd. 

Once you brew the coffee, it’s easy to customize each person’s affogato to their tastes. They might want different flavors of ice cream or a shot of liquor, for example. And some may want it with whipped cream, syrup, or a cookie in it. If you are entertaining a crowd, it could be fun to have everyone make their own affogato with ingredients that you set out.

“Affogato” literally means “drowned.” The name refers to drowning the ice cream in coffee, or in this case, espresso.

Makes 2 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup of strong brewed coffee or espresso made with Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee
• 4 small scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 2 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place 2 scoops of ice cream in each beverage cup or bowl.
2. Pour half the espresso over each bowl.
3. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Variations

• Try different flavors of ice cream, such as chocolate, coffee, or mint chocolate chip.
• Top your affogato with shaved chocolate, coconut flakes, hazelnuts or other nuts, or whipped cream.
• Serve it with biscotti or other hard cookies.
• Add a splash of liquor such as amaretto or Kahlua.

Cookies ‘n’ Cream Coffee Ice Cream 

Making ice cream is a blast, and it’s even “cooler” when it tastes amazing like this recipe does. Don’t forget to freeze the ice cream maker ahead of time if the manufacturer’s instructions say to do so.

No worries if you’re not up for making homemade ice cream. Just use your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream, let it thaw slightly, and mix it with the coffee grinds and crushed cookies. Then refreeze it and nobody will know the difference!

Makes 8 servings

Prep time: 90 minutes

Total time: 12 hours

Ingredients

• 3 cups of heavy cream
• ½ cup of whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 8 egg yolks
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 4 to 5 tablespoons of medium grind coffee
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 to 2 cups of crushed chocolate sandwich cream cookies, such as Oreos

Instructions

1. Simmer the milk and cream in a saucepan. Turn off the heat. Add the vanilla bean, stir, cover it, and let it steep. 
2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and coffee. Add about ⅓ of the cream mixture, continuing to whisk, and add the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until it reaches 170 degrees. Add the salt and stir.
3. Strain the cream mixture, which should be thick, and put it in the fridge. Make ice cream according to the manufacturer’s directions. Add the cookies in the last minute of churning.
4. Freeze the ice cream for 6 hours or overnight.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Variations

• Try chocolate chip cookies instead of Oreos, swap ¼ cup of white sugar for ¼ cup of brown sugar, and add ½ cup of chocolate chips.
• Use lemon cream sandwich cookies and add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest when you add the cookies.
• Use peanut butter sandwich cookies instead of Oreos, and add ⅓ cup of chopped peanuts and another ¼ teaspoon of salt.
• Use oatmeal or oatmeal raisin cookies and add ½ cup of raisins and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Use 1 cup of graham cracker pieces and add 1 cup of mini marshmallows and ½ cup of chocolate chips.

No Sugar Added Banana Coffee Protein Popsicles

These popsicles can give you a delicious and diet-friendly summer treat without a hassle. Just add the ingredients to a blender and give it a whirl! Then freeze.

The banana is a natural source of sweetness, and you can make it sweeter, if desired by adding a packet of stevia or choosing sugar-free flavored protein powder. You can use small plastic cups if you don’t have popsicle molds. 

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cold brew coffee
• ⅓ cup of milk
• ½ cup of protein powder
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder (baking cocoa)

Instructions

1. Add the ingredients to a blender. Pulse it until everything is blended.
2. Pour the mixture into the popsicle mold or plastic cups. Stick a popsicle stick in each one. 
3. Freeze the popsicles overnight.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Variations

• Use any kind of flavored protein powder that you like, such as vanilla, chocolate, or something else.
• Add vanilla extract or a dash of cinnamon.
• Sprinkle chopped peanuts, shredded coconut, or rolled oats in the bottom of the popsicle mold or plastic cups before pouring the mixture into them.
• Add chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips.
• Stir in blueberries before pouring the mixture from the blender.