This Baileys Affogato Cocktail recipe puts a twist on a classic Italian ice cream dessert! It's made with Irish Cream, whiskey, and coffee.

My celebratory drink of choice this year? A Baileys Affogato Whiskey Cocktail! It's a twist on a regular affogato - This cocktail is the perfect Irish/Italian mashup.

Baileys affogato with ice cream and chocolate shavings in glass mugs next to French press.

We're coming up on one of my favorite holidays - St. Patrick's Day. My whole family congregates on St. Patrick's Day in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. You probably won't find this town on most maps.

It's the kind of town where you find two things - a bar and a church. A few years ago the church closed down leaving only the bar. Every year this one bar/restaurant in this tiny little town celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a parade, live music, and an Irish buffet. People come out of the woodwork to celebrate the occasion. The town's population goes up by the thousands on this one day.

Busloads of people have been known to travel for hours just to experience it. Once a year in the middle of March you will find western Minnesotans dancing to thumping music in a bar nestled among the cornfields.

This certainly sounds like something worth celebrating, right?

Jump to:

What Is An Affogato?
How To Make An Affogato
What Kind Of Coffee Is Best?
How To Serve An Affogato Cocktail
Baileys Affogato Coffee Cocktail

What Is An Affogato?

An affogato is an Italian dessert that consists of ice cream topped with hot espresso or coffee. The term affogato means 'drowned' in Italian. Ice cream drowned in coffee? Umm, yes please!

It's kind of a blend between a coffee drink and a dessert. It's both hot and cold, bitter and sweet.

This Baileys Affogato has a nice Irish alcoholic kick as well!

Ice cream in glass mugs next to bottle of whiskey and Baileys Irish cream.

How To Make An Affogato

This is a super easy recipe to make.

To start off, add two scoops of ice cream to a mug. I wrote this recipe using coconut milk ice cream because I prefer it to regular ice cream and the subtle coconut flavor makes the whole thing even tastier.
Next up is to add the liquor. This includes whiskey - My whiskey of choice is Jameson (Irish whiskey for an Irish celebration) and Bailey's Irish Cream.
Add .5 oz. of whiskey to the ice cream and 1 oz. of Bailey's to each mug. The amount of Bailey's is exactly double the amount of whiskey.

Feel free to use dairy ice cream or any other type of ice cream you like!

If you love ice cream don't miss this Cookies & Cream and Peanut Butter Cup No Churn Ice Cream!

And if you like Baileys I think you'll love these Baileys Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts!

Ice cream in glass mugs next to brewed coffee in French press.

What Kind Of Coffee Is Best?

Now let's talk coffee. An affogato is traditionally served with freshly brewed hot espresso or coffee. I went with cold brew coffee for this one, but you can go either way.

Hot coffee will give you that hot/cold combo that an affogato is known for and cold brewed coffee will not melt the ice cream as quickly.

It's your call. If you go the cold brew route, you can use this recipe OR you can simply brew your coffee and let it cool down to room temperature.

Baileys affogato with ice cream, whiskey, and coffee in glass mugs.

Once the coffee is ready simply pour ½ cup of it into each mug. It is now becoming an affogato.

You are drowning your ice cream, whiskey, and Bailey's in coffee (and creating a wonderful festive drink/dessert in the process).

Love Italian desserts? Don't miss this Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, Pistachio Panna Cotta, and Strawberry Honey Panna Cotta!

Looking for some desserts to enjoy with your cocktail? Check out these recipes!

Baileys affogato with ice cream and chocolate shavings next to brewed coffee in French press.

How To Serve An Affogato Cocktail

To finish, grate or shave some semi-sweet chocolate on top. How does it taste? Ice cream + Irish whiskey + Bailey's Irish Cream + Coffee + Chocolate shavings = You do the math. It's delicious!

It's not overly sweet - The whiskey and the coffee cut through the sweetness and create a super balanced boozy treat. It's decadent but not over the top.

No matter how you or your family celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I recommend adding this to your plans. Don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day? You might start after a few of these!

For a great nonalcoholic beverage check out this Virgin Strawberry Mojito and Cranberry Apple Mint Mocktail!

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