Coffee Drink
Eiskaffee Recipe: German Coffee with Vanilla Ice Cream
German-style Eiskaffee is cold coffee served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Spoon the scoops, then sip the coffee as they soften into a sweeter, creamier drink.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 80 mg reference200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) regular brewed coffeeEstimate scales the Mayo Clinic brewed-coffee reference to this serving.
- Calories
- Estimated 310 kcalGeneric vanilla ice cream and the named 35% creamNo extra sugar, chocolate, wafer or syrup is included.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) coffee + 100 g (3.5 oz) vanilla ice cream + 30 g (1.1 oz) whipped cream
- Made with
- Chilled brewed coffee, vanilla ice cream and unsweetened whipped cream
- Sugar
- Estimated 22.2 g total. Mainly from the ice cream; no separate sweetener is added.
- Preparation
- About 5 minutes with chilled coffee and whipped cream ready
USDA vanilla ice cream and brewed-coffee references, Arla Piskefløde 35% label and Mayo Clinic caffeine reference, checked 26 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- Choose Eiskaffee for a longer, fully chilled dessert; an affogato gives you a small hot-espresso pour over ice cream.
- Vanilla ice cream sweetens the coffee as it melts, so taste the two together before adding syrup.
- Start with chilled coffee and serve immediately so the two small ice-cream scoops keep their shape.
On This Page10 Sections
What Is German Eiskaffee?
The ice cream is the defining choice in this German café-style version. REWE's German recipe collection describes a familiar combination of chilled filter coffee, vanilla ice cream and a cream topping. It also uses the word Eiskaffee for other cold-coffee variations, so a menu's ingredients are more useful than a literal translation alone.
Our recipe keeps that recognizable combination and specifies the weights. There is no added milk, blender or water ice. As the vanilla melts, the drink becomes sweeter and creamier; the first spoonful and the final sip will naturally have different balances.
What Does Eiskaffee Taste Like?
Eiskaffee changes as you enjoy it. At first, there is cold black coffee beside firm, sweet vanilla ice cream, with a soft whipped-cream topping. A spoonful combines the coffee’s roasted bitterness with the frozen dessert’s milky sweetness. As the scoops soften, vanilla and cream spread through the glass, leaving a sweeter, fuller coffee drink.
I prefer plain vanilla ice cream because it gives the coffee a gentle, custard-like backdrop while letting its roasted flavor remain distinct. The unsweetened whipped cream adds richness at the top; the ice cream supplies the main sweetness. This is a longer, colder dessert than an affogato, whose small hot espresso pour creates a quicker hot-and-cold contrast.
Eiskaffee Recipe
Chill the coffee and whip the cream before starting the five-minute assembly. Leave room in the glass for the scoops and topping.
Recipe
German Eiskaffee
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- 5 minutes; coffee chilled and cream whipped
Ingredients
- 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) chilled brewed coffee
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vanilla ice cream
- 30 g (1.1 oz) unsweetened whipped cream, made from 35% whipping cream
Equipment
- Scale
- Liquid measure
- Ice-cream scoop
- Small bowl
- 450–500 ml (15.2–16.9 US fl oz) glass
- Long spoon
Method
- Set out a chilled 450–500 ml (15.2–16.9 US fl oz) glass and a long spoon. Pour in the 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) cold coffee.
- Weigh 100 g (3.5 oz) vanilla ice cream and add it to the coffee in two small scoops.
- Weigh 30 g (1.1 oz) prepared unsweetened whipped cream onto the drink. Serve immediately with the spoon.
Estimated nutrition: 310 kcal · 22.2 g total sugar. Per Eiskaffee, using vanilla ice cream and unsweetened 35% cream.
Recipe notes
Contains milk; ice cream may contain egg. Weigh cream after whipping.
Chilling coffee and preparing whipped cream happen before the 5-minute assembly.
For the coffee, follow your usual drip-coffee method, let it cool, then chill it in a covered container. 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) means collected, prepared coffee, not the water poured into a brewer. Avoid adding ice just to cool a warm brew: the extra water changes this recipe's balance.
Prepare the cream separately by whipping cold 35% cream to soft peaks with no added sugar. A larger batch is easier to whip than a tiny portion; weigh only 30 g (1.1 oz) of the finished whipped cream into this serving. The nutrition example uses Arla Piskefløde 35%. Air changes cream's volume, so 30 g (1.1 oz) whipped cream should not be relabeled as 30 ml (1 US fl oz).
Which Coffee and Ice Cream Work Best for Eiskaffee?
Choose vanilla ice cream and coffee you enjoy black at drinking strength. A strongly roasted coffee can remain prominent as the ice cream melts, but extra bitterness is not required. Cold brew works as a variation if it is ready to drink; dilute a concentrate according to its maker before measuring the 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz). Its caffeine may differ substantially from the brewed-coffee reference here.
Vanilla ice cream brings sweetness and dairy without adding a second coffee ingredient. Weigh it instead of relying on a scoop count: two scoops from different tools or different ice creams can have very different weights.
| If you want… | Change to try |
|---|---|
| More coffee and less dessert | Use 60 g (2.1 oz) ice cream instead of 100 g (3.5 oz); keep the coffee portion unchanged |
| Less richness | Omit the whipped cream rather than diluting the coffee with extra water |
| Lower caffeine | Use decaf brewed coffee and plain vanilla ice cream; decaf is not necessarily caffeine-free |
| A dairy-free version | Use plant-based vanilla frozen dessert and a suitable whipped topping |
With the same reference ingredients, 60 g (2.1 oz) ice cream gives about 225 kcal and 13.8 g sugar. Omitting the 30 g (1.1 oz) cream from the original serving gives about 210 kcal and 21.2 g sugar. Both changes leave the coffee's caffeine contribution unchanged.
Eiskaffee vs. Iced Coffee, Affogato and Coffee Floats
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Preparation | What goes into it | How it is served |
|---|---|---|
| German-style Eiskaffee | Cold coffee, vanilla ice cream, often whipped cream | A tall drink and dessert together |
| Iced coffee | Chilled coffee or coffee cooled over ice | Primarily a drink; milk and sweetener are optional |
| Affogato | A small hot espresso pour over ice cream or gelato | Eat immediately while hot and cold still contrast |
| Coffee float | Coffee with floating ice cream | A broad category that can include an Eiskaffee-style serving |
Choose iced coffee for coffee over ice cubes. Choose affogato for a small dessert with a hot pour. The coffee-float guide covers the wider family of coffee-and-ice-cream drinks.
For a coffee-ice-cream dessert with a smaller cold-coffee pour, see café liégeois.
Keep the Scoops Intact Until Serving
Keep the ice cream frozen until the glass and spoon are ready.
I like Eiskaffee while it still has firm vanilla scoops as well as later, when it becomes creamier coffee. Starting with thoroughly chilled coffee gives me time to enjoy both stages instead of melting the dessert immediately.
If the drink seems too bitter, taste a little coffee with the ice cream before adding syrup. If it seems too sweet, reduce the scoop portion next time. More whipped cream adds richness without solving an overly sweet ice cream choice.
For guests, have the chilled coffee, whipped cream and glasses ready separately. Assemble each drink just before serving. Do not freeze the completed drink or leave scoops sitting in the coffee while you prepare the rest of the table.
Eiskaffee Calories, Sugar and Caffeine
One Eiskaffee with 200 ml (6.8 US fl oz) brewed coffee, 100 g (3.5 oz) vanilla ice cream and 30 g (1.1 oz) prepared unsweetened whipped cream has an estimated 310 kcal and 22.2 g total sugar, plus 80 mg reference caffeine. Most of the energy comes from the ice cream and cream. Using a different carton, sweetened aerosol cream or extra toppings changes the estimate.
Serving calculation, ingredient labels and caffeine basis
USDA vanilla ice cream, NDB 19095, supplies 207 kcal and 21.22 g sugar per 100 g. Arla Piskefløde 35% supplies 338 kcal and 3.4 g sugar per 100 g; 30 g contributes 101.4 kcal and 1.02 g sugar. Plain whipping adds air without adding sugar or energy to the weighed cream.
USDA brewed coffee, NDB 14209, lists 1 kcal and zero sugar for its 1 cup (8 fluid ounce) household measure. Using approximately 237 ml for that volume gives a small energy proxy of 200 ÷ 237 × 1 = 0.84 kcal.
The total is 309.24 kcal and 22.24 g sugar, displayed as 310 kcal and 22.2 g. Reducing the ice cream to 60 g gives 226.44 kcal and 13.75 g sugar; omitting the cream gives 207.84 kcal and 21.22 g. Energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, sugar to one decimal place.
Mayo Clinic's brewed-coffee reference is 96 mg caffeine per 237 ml. Scaling to 200 ml gives 81 mg, displayed as 80 mg. Beans, recipe and extraction change actual caffeine. Plain vanilla ice cream has zero caffeine in the USDA reference; coffee or chocolate flavors need a different calculation.
The dairy version contains milk, and vanilla ice cream may also contain egg. Check your carton and any toppings for their full allergen statements. You can finish Eiskaffee with a wafer, chocolate shavings or liqueur.