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Cherries Jubilee is a dessert with deep connections to British royalty. The sweetness of the cherries and light sour notes of the lemon meld with the creaminess of vanilla ice cream so well in this recipe, while the rich sauce brings fruity, zesty, and boozy notes to the tongue.
Cherries Jubilee Recipe
What is Cherries Jubilee?
While its origin is not set in concrete, this cherry-based British dessert is widely credited to French chef and food writer Auguste Escoffier. It is said he made this dish for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, hence the name.
What we do know as an absolute is the magic of that cherry sauce served over vanilla ice cream. The sauce typically includes cherry liqueur, traditionally kirschwasser brandy, among other ingredients.
The sauce is flambéed once the brandy has been added and served hot alongside the ice-cold vanilla ice cream. A scoop of ice cream is usually placed in the middle of the bowl or plate so that the sauce pools around it, like a moat.
Safety Note
Take care when igniting the sauce. Don’t add the liqueur from the bottle, keep your distance, and make sure you don’t have tea towels, loose rags, or anything that could ignite close to the pan.
Ingredients
To make my cherries jubilee recipe, you’ll first need the following ingredients:
For four servings:
- Frozen Cherries – 1lb (450 grams or about 3.5 cups) of frozen cherries
- Sugar – 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Lemon – 1 lemon for the juice and zest (about 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp of the lemon zest)
- Orange – 1 small orange for the juice and zest (about 2 tbsp of fresh orange juice and 1 tsp fresh orange zest)
- Cherry or Orange Brandy – 1/4 cup cherry liqueur or orange liqueur/brandy
- Ice Cream – 1 pint vanilla ice cream (~560 grams)
- Butter – 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Salt – pinch of salt (a touch of salt accentuates the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the dessert)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Over medium heat, to a pan, add the butter, sugar, cherries, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice, orange zest, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the cherries have defrosted and released the water.
Step 2 – Turn the heat to medium-high for about 2 minutes to help thicken the sauce (while stirring).
Step 3 – Add the cherry or orange liqueur/brandy (from a small container, not directly from the bottle – as it can ignite the bottle!)
Step 4 – Light up the brandy in the pan to flambe it. Let it cook until the flame is extinguished (it will take just a few seconds).
Step 5 – Turn the heat off and set it aside.
Step 6 – Scoop up a scoop of ice cream in a bowl or a dessert glass.
Step 7 – Add the cherry sauce around it and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Classic – For a classic cherries jubilee, as described in the “what is” section, place a scoop of ice cream in the middle of your bowl or plate and pour the sauce over and around it. That will create the moat-like effect while the ice cream sits in the center.
Cookies or Wafers – Want to add some texture? Serve it with cookies or wafers to compliment the rich sauce and ice cream with some crunch.
Almond Flakes – Likewise, almond flakes can add a welcome amount of crunch to the creamy texture. You could also add other nuts like pistachios or pecans.
Dessert Glass – If you want to make proceedings a little fancier, serve it in a fancy dessert, ice cream, or cocktail glass with a silver spoon. You could even set up a toppings station for your guests.
Enjoy this rich, creamy, and sweet treat with friends and loved ones, and let me know (in the comments) how you served it in the comments!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen cherries 450 grams or about 3.5 cups
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 lemon for the juice and zest about 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp of the lemon zest
- 1 small orange for the juice and zest about 2 tbsp of fresh orange juice and 1 tsp fresh orange zest
- 1/4 cup cherry liqueur or orange liqueur/brandy
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream ~560 grams
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Over medium heat, to a pan, add the butter, sugar, cherries, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice, orange zest, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the cherries have defrosted and released the water.
- Turn the heat to medium-high for about 2 minutes to help thicken the sauce (while stirring).
- Add the cherry or orange liqueur/brandy (from a small container, not directly from the bottle – as it can ignite the bottle!)
- Carefully light up the brandy in the pan to flambe it. Let it cook until the flame is extinguished (it will take just a few seconds).
- Turn the heat off and set it aside.
- Scoop up ice cream into four bowls or dessert glasses, and then add the sauce around the ice cream. See more serving suggestions in the article.
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