--- title: "Chilean Café Helado — Iced Coffee with Ice Cream Recipe" description: "Versión en Español. Chilean café helado is iced coffee made with instant coffee, cold milk, and sugar, topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate or manjar sauce, and wafer roll..." url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-cafe-helado-iced-coffee-ice-cream-recipe/ date: 2026-10-04 modified: 2026-10-04 author: "Carlos Uhart M." image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/chilean-iced-coffee-cafe-helado-featured.jpg categories: ["Beverages"] type: post lang: en --- # Chilean Café Helado — Iced Coffee with Ice Cream Recipe [Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-cafe-helado/) ![Chilean café helado, iced coffee with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and wafer rolls](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/chilean-iced-coffee-cafe-helado-featured.jpg)*Chilean café helado* Chilean café helado is iced coffee made with instant coffee, cold milk, and sugar, topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate or manjar sauce, and wafer rolls. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and makes 1 tall glass. It is a hugely popular treat in Chile, where people eat ice cream in any season, and it is perfect for hot spring and summer days. ## How to Make Chilean Café Helado? Café helado is a simple mix of coffee, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. Instant coffee is dissolved in a little warm water, mixed with cold milk and sugar in a tall glass, and crowned with ice cream, whipped cream, sauce, and wafer rolls. ## Nutritional Information Each café helado contains approximately 250 kcal, 6 g of protein, 12 g of fat, 30 g of carbohydrates, 25 g of sugars, and 70 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes. ## Homemade Chilean Café Helado Recipe **Preparation:** 10 minutes **Servings:** 1 ### Ingredients - 125 ml (½ cup) of cold milk - 1½ teaspoons of instant coffee - 40 ml of warm water - 1 tablespoon of sugar - 1 to 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream - Whipped cream - Chocolate sauce - Manjar (dulce de leche) sauce - Wafer rolls ### Instructions 1. In a cup with about 40 ml of warm water, dissolve the instant coffee. Pour it into a tall glass, add the cold milk and sugar, and stir until dissolved. 2. Add 1 or 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, top with whipped cream, and finish, if you like, with chocolate or manjar sauce. Serve right away with a long spoon and a straw, decorated with 1 or 2 wafer rolls. ## Additional Tips ### Never pour hot coffee over the ice cream The heat melts the ice cream instantly. Dissolve the coffee in very little warm water and let it cool before building the glass. ### Build it in order Milk and sugar first, then ice cream, and finally the cream, so the sugar dissolves properly and the ice cream floats. ### Make a Starbucks style iced latte Pour a shot of espresso over a glass full of ice, stir to chill, then add 200 ml of whole milk sweetened to taste. ![Starbucks style iced latte with espresso, milk, and ice](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/iced-latte-starbucks-style.jpg)*Iced Latte* | Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Instant coffee | Double espresso or cold brew | 1 shot | Stronger, richer | | Whole milk | Barista oat or almond drink | 1:1 | Dairy free, creamy | | Vanilla ice cream | Chocolate or coffee ice cream | 1:1 | More intense | | Sugar | No sugar | Omit | Let the ice cream sweeten it | ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ### 1. Can I use brewed coffee instead of instant? Yes. A double espresso or a concentrated cold brew raises the flavor. Skip the warm water and pour the cold coffee straight over the milk. ### 2. How do I keep the wafer rolls crisp? Add them at the very last moment and rest them on the whipped cream, not in the liquid. ### 3. What is the difference from an Italian affogato? An affogato is a scoop of ice cream drowned in a hot espresso shot in a small cup. Chilean café helado is a long drink in a tall glass with cold milk, ice cream, cream, sauces, and cookies. ### 4. Why add sugar if the ice cream is sweet? It is a matter of balance, since instant coffee is bitter and the milk dilutes the ice cream. Many people skip it and let the melting ice cream sweeten the drink. ## What Is Café Helado? In Chile, café helado means coffee with ice cream rather than simply iced coffee. Served in tall glasses at cafés and soda fountains, it is a dessert and a drink at the same time. ## Chilean Ice Cream Culture Chileans are among the biggest ice cream eaters in Latin America and enjoy it all year round, which is why café helado is ordered even in winter. ## Did You Know? The Greek frappé, an iced instant coffee shaken into foam, was invented by chance in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair, when a Nestlé employee mixed instant coffee with cold water in a shaker. ## Recommended - [Chilean Hot Chocolate Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-hot-chocolate-chocolate-caliente-recipe/) - [Chilean Banana Milk Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-banana-milk-leche-con-platano-recipe/) - [Chilean Cuchuflís Wafer Rolls Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-cuchuflis-manjar-filled-wafer-rolls-recipe/) - [Chilean Maqui Berry Coffee Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-maqui-berry-coffee-cafe-de-maqui-recipe/)