Cherries jubilee is a simple and elegant dessert that is always attention grabbing. Soaked in kirsch and lit on fire this a light dessert and perfect for the summer! Pour the cherries over a huge scoop of your favorite ice cream.
Ok so hear me out. This is a great summer dessert. One of the reasons that I love this dessert is that it is so easy to make. Another reason is because you get to light it on fire. Seriously how much fun is that? It is a great light dessert but you can also use it as a topping for cheesecake and other desserts. This is the perfect dessert for any heavy meal and you just want a little something. It takes just a few minutes to make and is incredibly easy.
In this recipe
There really aren’t many ingredients to this recipe which is why it makes it such a great go to dessert.Â
Cherries: you can use either fresh or frozen cherries. However you want to make sure that the cherries are pitted. I like to use a combination of cherries for a fun look and flavor.Â
Kirsch: this is a cherry liquor that is is traditionally part of the recipe and will be what you soak the cherries with.Â
Brown sugar: will add a slight caramel note to the cherries can be replaced with granulated sugar.Â
Pitting the cherries
If you use frozen cherries then they should already be pitted. However if you are going to use fresh cherries you will need to pit them. You can do this by using a cherry pitter or you can take a knife and slice around the pit. The use a spoon, small knife, or even your thumb to remove the pit from the other half of the cherry. If you are going to pit the cherries then the time to prepare the dish will take about 5-15 minutes longer based on the method and size of the cherries.Â
Soaking the cherries
This help strengthen the cherry flavor within the dish. While the actual cherries will retain a wonderful flavor but the kirsch will also make sure that the syrup has a lovely cherry flavor as well. There isn’t enough kirsch to cover all of the cherries and that is ok. Just make sure to shake the bowl every five minutes or so to make sure that all of the cherries get to sit in the kirsch.Â
Light it on fire
One of the most spectacular parts of this dessert is getting to flambe the cherries. When flambéing you need to use a spirit with a high alcohol content. This is what will catch on fire. If you haven’t flambéed before then it is better to remove the pan from the stove, add the bourbon and then use a long match or utility lighter. Once the alcohol has started burning you want to gently shake the pan until the fire dies out. If you don’t shake it then the alcohol will not burn off and it will taste strongly or bourbon.
Looking for other fruit recipes?
Bourbon Cherries Jubilee
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Match
- Sauté pan
- Spoon
- Microplane or grater
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherries pitted, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup kirsch
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl toss the cherries and kirsch, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Shake the bowl every 5 minutes to coat the cherries.
- In a sauté pan add the cherry mixture, brown sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the bourbon. Using a long match or a utility lighter to light the bourbon. Allow the flames to completely die down, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with ice cream.
Nutrition
Boozy cherries?? Yes, please! These would be amazing in a Manhattan. I could also see myself serving these over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 😉
This dessert seems perfect for summer and I really like how simple and easy to make it is as well.
I served these tasty cherries over homemade vanilla ice cream for a dinner party. Everyone raved about the recipe!
I am so glad that everyone loved them.
This was amazing on ice cream! And on a spoon. 😀 Will make again soon!
Such a tasty sauce. Is it wrong to drink it from the bowl? Haha! Delicious jubilee thank you!
This is such a wonderful dessert! Easy and dramatic! The first time I had cherries jubilee was at a high end country club when I was in 10th grade. I had no idea they would be bringing it to the table and setting it on fire. I just knew I loved cherries, and didn’t recognize any of the desserts on the menu and was too embarrassed to tell my hosts that. I was horrified to be the center of attention of the room. But it was DELICIOUS!!!
Such a delightful dessert and treat! Vanilla ice cream is a must! YUM!
I live in a cherry growing area in Northern Italy! I always have more cherries than I know what to do with! This is one of my favourite ways to use them for dessert. So easy and so delicious!
My bourbon-loving husband enjoyed these cherries jubilee a bit too much. He wasn’t happy when I told him he couldn’t just eat them by the spoonful, LOL!! We did eventually get him to add ice cream to his cherries.
LOL! I am so glad he loved them.
Cherry season is here. What a delicious way to showcase this wonderful fruit. Perfect for serving to company.
This looks so easy and delicious. I can’t wait to make this at home.
Thanks for the recipe!
Wow! This looks so delicious and very enticing too! A perfect treat that everyone will gonna love! For me, an instant favorite as cherrie is my thing!
Wow, these cherries were so delicious! This is my first time making this recipe, and it was definitely one of my favorites!