How to Make Iced Coffee: German Eiskaffee – Delicious and Easy

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

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Iced Coffee, German-style! Made with coffee AND ice cream! Can you taste the deliciousness already?

Learn how to make iced coffee, aka eiskaffee, the way it’s served in Germany. Unlike the iced coffee common in the United States, this isn’t simply coffee poured over ice cubes.

German eiskaffee is part cold drink, part dessert. It combines chilled coffee, creamy ice cream, and freshly whipped cream in one delicious, scoopable treat.

It’s also wonderfully easy to make. Brew a little extra coffee in the morning, chill it in the fridge, and assemble your eiskaffee just before serving.

A good, strong coffee will give you the richest flavor. If you can find a German brand of coffee, even better!

German Iced Coffee Variations

For a fun twist, brew a flavored coffee such as Hazelnut Cream, Amaretto, Chocolate Mint, or Double Vanilla Cinnamon. Any of these can turn your iced coffee into an extra-special dessert.

You can also switch up the ice cream. Try chocolate instead of vanilla, or choose a rich double vanilla for a subtle change in flavor.

Whichever flavor you use, choose a good-quality ice cream. It makes a noticeable difference in the finished drink.

Your eiskaffee can also be served all dressed up. Instead of stopping at whipped cream, add a topping that complements the coffee or ice cream flavor.

• Put a chocolate wafer if there's chocolate in the coffee or ice cream.
• If you used Hazelnut Cream coffee, add a hazelnut or a hazelnut chocolate on top.
• If you used Chocolate Mint coffee, add some mint leaves on top of the whipped cream.

Be adventuresome. Get creative!

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Eiskaffee (German Iced Coffee) versus Affogato (Italian Iced Espresso)

Italy has a dessert similar to eiskaffee, but it’s served hot. Instead of chilled coffee, hot espresso is poured over a scoop of vanilla gelato (or ice cream).

It’s called Affogato al Caffè. The word affogato means “drowned,” which describes the gelato being covered with hot espresso.

As the gelato begins to melt, it creates a rich, creamy foam. Only a small shot of espresso is needed, though, or you may end up with coffee soup!

German eiskaffee uses cold, strong coffee poured over ice cream instead. The two desserts are similar, yet the hot and cold versions are quite different.

Eiskaffee is especially refreshing on a hot summer day. Finished with a generous topping of whipped cream, it’s wonderfully decadent and so very German.

Eiskaffee mit Schuss

Simply translated as "Coffee with a Shot", Eiskaffee mit Schuss is usually made by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of cognac to the coffee in each cup. I suppose one could call it a "Spiked Coffee" :)

Eiskaffee in Germany

You can imagine my surprise when I had my very first eiskaffee in Germany on my first trip back to Germany after immigrating to Canada 50 years earlier. 

I was expecting cold coffee poured over ice cubes, like the kind I had when I visited the United States. Really nothing exciting. So, when my hostess suggested that eiskaffee would be a treat on that hot summer day, I wasn't really sure.

I'm glad I took her suggestion, though!

A glass of iced coffee with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and coffee, German-style

I certainly didn't expect the above! With that whipped cream (there's just something about whipped cream in Germany), it was such a delightfully satisfying drink. One I've had many times since then.

I'm glad that it's so easy to make at home. It always brings back such lovely memories of our times in Germany.

Ready to make some Iced Coffee

Print Recipe

How to Make Iced Coffee: German Eiskaffee – Delicious and Easy

Eiskaffee, the kind of iced coffee that they serve in Germany, is not just iced coffee, meaning coffee served over ice cubes.

This is dessert because it combines both coffee, ice cream, and whipped cream. Try different flavors of coffee and ice cream. You can even add some cognac!

Prep Time:

5 minutes

Cook Time:

none

Total Time:

5 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) granulated sugar
• 8 small scoops vanilla ice cream
• 3-4 cups (720-960 milliliters) cold strong coffee
• chocolate shavings or sprinkles, to garnish
• 4 rolled waffle cookies, to garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff.
2. Into 4 tall glasses, put 2 small scoops of ice cream each.
3. Pour the cold coffee over the ice cream.
4. Top each glass with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings and a rolled waffle cookie, if using.
5. Serve immediately with a long-stemmed teaspoon and a straw.

Hints/Tips:

• To make this extra quick, brew some extra coffee in the morning and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to put it all together.
• This works best with a really good, strong coffee. If you can find a German brand of coffee, that would be ideal.
• Use the best quality ice cream you can get.
• Top with a cherry and/or fresh mint leaves.
• Chocolate ice cream would make a yummy mocha eiskaffee. Use coffee ice cream for an extra special dessert.
• Adding some amaretto, cognac, or BAILEYS is a yummy addition.
• Sprinkle with slivered almonds or shredded coconut.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

05.13.2023 revision update

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.