Gahwa Sundae

Name: Gahwa Sundae
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Vanilla, pistachio, or chocolate ice cream*; ⅛ teaspoon saffron; 2 tablespoons finely ground medium or dark roast coffee; 4 Medjool dates,* pitted and chopped; 4 tablespoons (30 g) Shelled salted pistachios,* roughly chopped; 4 Maraschino cherries, for serving, optional; Ice cream, use gelato, your choice of flavor; Ice cream, use gelato, your choice of flavor; Whole green cardamom pods, use ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; Whole green cardamom pods, use ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; whole cloves, use ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves; whole cloves, use ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves; Dates, use dried cherries, apricots, or cranberries; Dates, use dried cherries, apricots, or cranberries; Dates, use dried cherries, apricots, or cranberries; Dates, use dried cherries, apricots, or cranberries; Pistachios, use another salted nut

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
10 min

Appears in

Third Culture Cooking

By Zaynab Issa

Published 2025

About

Arabic coffee, called qahwah or gahwa in the Emirati dialect, is a very fragrant black coffee made with spices and traditionally served in small cups, similar to a shot of espresso, with dates alongside.

Inspired by Italian affogato, espresso is replaced by a splash of aromatic, spiced Arabic coffee to add an intriguing twist. You can leave it at just ice cream and qahwah and have a delicious version of an affogato, but this dessert is more akin to the sundaes I grew up eating, than

Ingredients

Europe
Sub-Saharan Africa
Italy
Tanzania
Dessert
Gluten-free
Vegetarian
Low fat
Low calorie

Ingredients

Method