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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
My Classic Cherries Jubilee only requires three things – good cherries, good brandy, and the confidence to light them all on fire! Once you master this recipe, you’ll feel like a chef in a five-star kitchen. Not only is this a dazzling dessert, but it takes your vanilla ice cream from simple to spectacular in seconds!
Craving more cherry goodness? Try whipping up some Chocolate Cherry Squares or my sweet Cherry Poppy Seed Loaf Cake next!
Reader Review
This recipe was so simple, so tasty, and one I will be making again and again and again. I also love that it was a really easy recipe to make with my 6-year-old. She LOVES helping in the kitchen. Awesome recipe, total slam dunk. Highly recommend you try this while cherries are still in season.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is so easy to make – just pay a little extra attention when it comes to flambéing the cherries!
- Total Time: You’ll have this Classic Cherries Jubilee ready in about 10-12 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Take your jubilee up a notch with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a touch of orange zest, or a splash of vanilla extract! You can also swap the classic vanilla ice cream for your favorite kind, from chocolate to caramel, or even a berry sorbet. For a twist, serve your Cherries Jubilee over Cheesecake, Waffles, or Pancakes for an extra sweet treat!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need bowls for serving the ice cream, a large lidded saucepan, a spoon for stirring, and a long lighter for the dramatic flambé.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Cherries: This recipe works with almost any cherries you have on hand, but fresh, dark, and sweet cherries are best! Karlynn’s Tip: Stick to the darker, almost syrupy cherries for the richest flavor and juiciest results.
Brandy: The brandy is what gives Cherries Jubilee its signature flair! Karlynn’s Tip: Choose any brandy you enjoy, or if you want a slightly fruitier note, try a cherry or cognac brandy for a fun twist!
White Sugar: Sugar adds the perfect touch of sweetness and helps the sauce thicken slightly as it cooks.
Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the jubilee and adds a subtle zing. Karlynn’s Tip: Fresh lemon juice is ideal, and you can even add a little lemon zest to the jubilee!
Almond Extract: A touch of almond extract really elevates this recipe, adding a subtle nutty note that contrasts beautifully with the sweet cherries.
How To Make Classic Cherries Jubilee
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Serve your ice cream in bowls, and place them in the freezer.
- Put the cherries and sugar in a large lidded saucepan in an even layer.
- Sprinkle lemon juice over the top and stir to mix.
- Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat, covered, for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove the lid and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
- Once the cherries have softened, remove from the heat, stir in the extract and brandy, then gently reheat on the stove.
- Light the cherries with a lighter, gently shake the pan, and swirl the cherries until the blue flame goes out.
- Spoon the cherries over the prepared ice cream.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Cherries Jubilee
- Choose the Right Cherries: Fresh, dark, and sweet cherries work best for this recipe! If you have access to a farmer’s market, though, ask what’s in season and ideal for cooking. You can also use sour cherries for a tangier twist, or frozen pitted cherries if fresh ones aren’t available!
- Pit Your Cherries Easily: A cherry pitter makes things easy, but no worries if you don’t have one! A sturdy straw or even a bent paperclip can help remove pits quickly and safely.
- Flambé Like a Pro: Lighting your Cherries Jubilee is not just for show – it helps burn off excess alcohol from the brandy! Use a long lighter (like one for candles or stovetop burners), keep your pan completely still on the stove, and keep your face and hands back safely as well. If I were you, I’d also keep fire safety tools like a fire blanket or extinguisher nearby. Don’t worry! The flames burn themselves out quickly, leaving you with perfectly cooked, delicious cherries.
Storage Instructions
Classic Cherries Jubilee is best enjoyed fresh and warm, but if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you can easily save them for another sweet treat later on!
Refrigerator: Allow the cherry mixture to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container, then store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, gently reheat the cherries in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through and serve over fresh ice cream.
Freezer: You can also freeze the cherry mixture if needed! Let it cool fully, then place it in a freezer-safe container or bag. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months according to USDA food safety guidelines. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stove, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is warm and smooth again!
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
If you love a good dessert (I know I do!), give these family-favorite Dessert Recipes a try next:
- This Flapper Pie, also known as The Lost Prairie Pie, is a classic Canadian dessert with a creamy custard filling and a light, fluffy meringue topping!
- Rich, sweet, and slightly tangy, my Cream Cheese Pineapple Pie is full of tropical pineapple flavor.
- My Strawberry Puree is a simple, fresh fruit sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or cake!
And just like that, you’ve got a dessert that’s just as fun to make as it is to eat! Give this Classic Cherries Jubilee a try the next time you want to impress your family or add a little excitement to dessert night.
If you try your hand at this recipe, don’t forget to share how it turned out in the comments below! I always love hearing about the little twists you add to make these desserts your own.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Classic Cherries Jubilee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dark sweet cherries , rinsed and pitted SEE NOTES
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice,
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup brandy, warmed
- 4 servings vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Prepare your bowls of ice cream first then place in the freezer. Once the cherries are done, they have to be spooned over the ice cream immediately.
- Place the cherries and sugar in a large lidded saucepan so that they are all in one layer. Sprinkle the lemon juice over top, then stir to mix in.
- Place the lid on top and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring to prevent them from burning, until the cherries have released their juices and have softened.
- Remove the cherries from the heat, and stir in the cherry extract. Pour in the warm brandy, then return to the stove. Wait 15 seconds for the pan to heat up more, then ignite with a long lighter.
- Gently shake the pan, swirling the cherries, until the blue flame has extinguished itself, around 30 seconds or so.
- Spoon the cherries over the prepared bowls of ice cream.
Notes
- You can also use frozen pitted cherries
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
marilyn says
Hi,
Love the recipe, however, I noticed that you mention in the instructions to use cherry extract. I think you might have meant almond extract as that is the ingredient mentioned in the recipe.
Thanks again for the wonderful recipe.
Marilyn
Jillian says
I just made this tonight because I had a big bag of cherries I really needed to use before they went back, especially since a bag of cherries can easily run you $30 (I wish I was kidding). This recipe was so simple, so tasty and one I will be making again and again and again. I also love that it was a really easy recipe to make with my 6 year old. She LOVES helping in the kitchen. Awesome recipe, total slam dunk. Highly recommend you try this while cherries are still in season.
goody says
2 fiber, and 157 grams of sugar?? Really?? I’m hoping that isn’t for 1 serving?
Jillian says
Hi Goody, the nutrition information you mentioned is based on the serving size Karlynn has listed, which in this case is 4 servings. Right above the ingredients list her serving size is always listed. If you are wanting to change the amount of servings you want to use, she has a handy dandy little converter which will do it for you so you don’t have to worry about doing the math. Hope this helps!