National Coffee Ice Cream Day

Anyone who has a love for both coffee and ice cream will probably be excited to learn that this day combines the best of both of these worlds! Coffee Ice Cream Day is just what it sounds like: a day dedicated to the combination of coffee and ice cream.

Coffee and ice cream have both been around for centuries, so it would make sense that combining the two would create ultimate deliciousness. For those who are curious about how the combination got started, go ahead and read further to learn about its history and the best possible ways to celebrate this holiday.

It’s time for National Coffee Ice Cream Day!

History of National Coffee Ice Cream Day

When looking at the histories of both of our featured food and beverage items, coffee has obviously been around for a longer amount of time. It is believed to have been part of the culture in the Middle East and is believed to have been used as a drink beginning between the 7th and 9th centuries.

Even so, as long as it has been around in other parts of the world, coffee wasn’t introduced in Europe until the 1600’s when the people of Venice would bring back coffee from their travels and start their own coffee shops. However, although half of the 17th century was part of the coffee craze, it wasn’t until the British made it a staple in their homes that coffee became a popular drink to have.

High society (the wealthy and the royals) brought coffee into the world through the French relationship with the Ottomans. Then, once the Venetians created a way to make the ground beans sweeter, history took over from there.

The origins of eating treats that were similar to ice cream probably go as far back as the first century AD when a Roman leader would send runners up the mountains to get snow that would then be flavored with honey, nuts and fruity toppings. They may even go back as early as 3000 BC China. But, what we know as modern ice cream began in the 18th and 19th centuries when fruit iced creams were becoming a popular treat in Britain and America.

So how did coffee become a flavor in ice cream? The addition of coffee into the ice cream mixture became popular in 1869 when coffee ice cream was used in a parfait. It also appeared in a recipe from a 1919 cookbook for a specific kind of ice cream called Egg Coffee, consisting of cream, crushed ice, and coffee syrup.

Since then, the coffee craze has introduced many creations, including coffee ice cream, which is now a stable part of any ice cream shops’ flavor list.

How to Celebrate National Coffee Ice Cream Day

Celebrating National Coffee Ice Cream Day is no sacrifice, that’s for sure! People who love coffee and/or ice cream can get a ton of enjoyment out of the day by using these tips for ways to enjoy it:

Eat Coffee Ice Cream

If you want to know how to celebrate this amazing combination of coffee and ice cream, obviously the most basic way to start is by buying a favorite brand of coffee flavored ice cream at any store and digging in. Or, go to your favorite ice cream shop and order a creative combination of coffee ice cream in a cup or a cone.

Make Coffee Ice Cream at Home

If you’re really creative, then try out a homemade coffee ice cream recipe that can be made for friends and family. Making ice cream at home can be a bit complicated and time consuming. Many people like to use a traditional ice cream maker, while others prefer the ice cream attachment that goes along with high end kitchen mixers. Ingredients include heavy cream, egg yolks, milk, vanilla extract and (of course!) coffee. Some people like to use decaffeinated coffee so that their evening ice cream binge doesn’t keep them up the rest of the night!

Host a Coffee Ice Cream Party

Friends who are coffee lovers or ice cream lovers can unite together on this day when invited to a Coffee Ice Cream Party! For those who want to have a fun event, plan ice-cream making as an activity so that guests can help to make and then enjoy eating the delicious product when it is ready.

Ice cream made in a machine can take about 30 minutes, sometimes more, depending on the machine. It will be rather soft at this point, however, so some people like to let it freeze for an hour or two before eating, just to get a better consistency.

Have a Coffee Ice Cream Taste Test

For those who aren’t feeling up to making ice cream, host a coffee ice cream taste test with friends at home or coworkers at the office. Buy various brands of coffee ice cream and host blind taste tests to see which is better.

Pro Tip: Haagen Dazs is made with only 5 ingredients, including cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar and coffee.

Try an Affogato

Literally translated, the word “affogato” means “drowned”. This coffee drink usually consists of a shot of espresso and then a dollop of ice cream (or gelato). It was invented in Italy and became popular sometime around the 1920s. While some people categorize it as a drink, many people think of this coffee ice cream treat as a dessert. This is probably correct, since the largest portion of it is solid and it is eaten with a spoon!