Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Float

A hot summer morning calls for a cool Coffee Float. This very simple recipe for a Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Float packs a punch of flavor and energy with only five ingredients.

A hot weekend (or hot summer) morning calls for a cool coffee float! This very simple recipe for a Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Float packs a punch of flavor and energy. It’s the perfect companion to laze around with on a hot summer morning and it’s incredibly simple to make with only five ingredients.

You can say this recipe takes a lot of inspiration from the Italian affogato — a scoop of vanilla gelato “drowned” in a shot of hot espresso. Or you can say this recipe takes inspiration from a root beer float — a scoop of ice cream in soda. However this recipe came about, when you combine ice cream and fizz and coffee together, you get a drink that is bound to put a spring in your step.

A Coffee Float is easy to make and delicious

I almost felt like I didn’t need to write out a proper recipe for this post because surely you can figure out how to combine ice cream, coffee and fizz together, but it turns out there was some trial and error involved. There are two ways to do this – you can pour the espresso over the ice cream, or you can plop the ice cream into a glass of espresso.

The best way I’ve found is to chill a glass with espresso in it. Plop the ice cream into it when you are ready to serve. And as a finishing touch, top it with fizzy water and a pinch of sea salt.

When you combine ice cream and fizz and coffee together, you get a drink that is bound to put a spring in your step.

When I pour the coffee over it, you can see in the above picture that it creates a bit of dent in the ice cream. It’s not a big deal because the foam that is caused by the sparkling water will likely cover up any imperfections in the ice cream scoop. However, you do get a bit more control over the appearance of the ice cream if you scoop it in after the coffee is already in the cup.

Save the pour of sparkling water for the end. When the sparkling water hits the coffee and ice cream, it will kick up a burst of fizz, leaving a thick creamy layer of foam on top. And to give your tastebuds a bit of a surprise and to temper the sweetness of the ice cream, sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top.

The caramel burnt sugar taste in the ice cream works beautifully with coffee in this recipe. Some brands of caramel ice cream will also include bits of  chewy texture from fragments of caramel. Those bits are delicious when you bite into it, so don’t shy away from a caramel ice cream that has add-ins.

When the sparkling water hits the coffee and ice cream, it will kick up a burst of fizz on your Coffee Float.

The vanilla syrup gives this Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Float a fragranced sweetness. Any sort of espresso will work in this recipe, but it’s best to use one that goes well with milk.

5 from 4 votes

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Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Float

This Sea Salt Caramel Coffee Float packs a punch of flavor and energy. It's the perfect companion to laze around with on a hot summer morning. Incredibly simple to make with only five ingredients.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Calories 294 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 shots espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup
• 2 big scoops caramel flavor ice cream
• 2-4 ounces sparkling water
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Mix the espresso and the vanilla syrup together in the serving cup. To cool it off quickly, set the cup inside a bowl of cool water. If you have time, set the cup in the refrigerator and chill. The recipe will work as long as the espresso is not too hot.

2. When you are ready to serve, top the espresso with 2 scoops of caramel ice cream. Gently pour in the sparkling water. Top with a pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

If you don't have an espresso maker, you can also use this cold brew coffee concentrate.