Looking for a dessert that feels special without requiring hours in the kitchen? Cherries Jubilee is a classic restaurant-style treat that combines warm, sweet cherries with a rich sauce and cold vanilla ice cream. It’s an impressive choice for a dinner party, a holiday meal, or any evening when you want to turn simple ingredients into something memorable.
This recipe pairs fresh, ripe sweet cherries with sugar and lemon to create a juicy fruit sauce. Golden rum adds depth and provides the dramatic flambé finish that makes Cherries Jubilee such a conversation starter. The warm cherries and their flavorful juices are spooned over scoops of vanilla ice cream, creating a delicious contrast of temperatures and textures.
The preparation is straightforward. Start by scooping the ice cream into serving dishes and keeping it in the freezer until dessert time. Then wash and pit the cherries, combine them with sugar and strips of lemon zest, and cook until the sugar dissolves and the fruit releases its juices. The rum is carefully ignited to finish the sauce before it is served over the ice cream.
For a safer and more controlled presentation, prepare the flambé away from guests and never carry a flaming pan or dish. Keep a metal lid nearby to smother the flames if necessary, and use a long match or suitable long-reach lighter. If you are not comfortable working with an open flame, prioritize safety rather than attempting the flambé.
Serve Cherries Jubilee immediately, while the sauce is warm and the ice cream is still cold. With its bright cherry flavor and dramatic presentation, this timeless dessert makes an ordinary meal feel like a special occasion.
Not what you are looking for? Try these other great sweet recipes: Mexican Churros, Macerated Strawberries, Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream or the classic Disney Dole Whip.
Related Recipes: Dessert Recipes
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Cherries Jubilee
Cherries Jubilee – This is an old school classic, making use of the woefully underutilized art of flambe. Flambeing caramelizes sugars and deepens flavors; with ripe summer cherries, that’s really all you need.
- Total Time: :26
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Evenly scoop the ice cream into 4 dishes or decorative glasses and put in the freezer until ready to serve (this can be done up to 4 hours ahead).
- Wash and pit the cherries. Put the cherries and sugar in a large skillet. Peel 2 strips of zest from the lemon in wide strips with a peeler and add to the cherries. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the top. Stir to combine evenly. Cover and cook the cherries over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium-high until cherries get juicy, about 5 minutes more.
- To flambe the rum: If cooking over a gas flame, pull the pan off the heat and add the rum. Ignite the alcohol with a long match or one held with tongs. Swirl the pan slightly until the flames subside, about 30 seconds.
- If cooking over an electric stove, put the rum in a small saucepan. Warm it over medium-low heat and carefully light it with a long match or one held with tongs. Pour the lit rum over the cherries, and swirl the pan lightly until the flames subside, about 30 seconds.
- Ladle the cherries and their juices over prepared ice cream scoops. Serve immediately.
Notes
Remember to use extreme caution while dealing with a liquid that is on fire. Do not carry the dish while flaming, this is best done on the kitchen counter away from the table. Keep a large metal lid on hand, to cover the dish in case the flambe gets out of control.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: :11
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Flambe