National Cherries Jubilee Day – September 24

Every year on September 24, dessert lovers have a delicious reason to celebrate one of the most dramatic desserts ever served: Cherries Jubilee.

National Cherries Jubilee Day honors a classic dessert that combines sweet cherries with a rich sauce, traditionally enhanced with liqueur and dramatically flambéed before being spooned over vanilla ice cream.

It is a dessert that appeals to more than the taste buds. Cherries Jubilee brings together flavor, history, elegance, and a little tableside theater. Few desserts can transform a handful of ingredients into such an impressive finale to a meal.

Whether you have enjoyed Cherries Jubilee at a restaurant, watched someone prepare it tableside, or have never tried it before, September 24 is the perfect opportunity to discover this timeless dessert.

What Is Cherries Jubilee?

Cherries Jubilee is traditionally made by cooking cherries in a sweetened sauce, adding a spirit such as brandy or kirsch, and briefly igniting the alcohol.

The warm cherry mixture is then served over vanilla ice cream.

The combination is wonderfully simple.

You have the sweetness and slight tartness of the cherries, the rich fruit sauce, the subtle complexity of the spirit, and the cool creaminess of the ice cream.

Then there is the dramatic part—the flame.

Flambéing Cherries Jubilee creates the memorable presentation for which the dessert is famous. When prepared properly, the alcohol burns briefly before the warm cherries are served over ice cream.

Although flambéing is traditional, it isn’t necessary to enjoy the dessert. Cherries Jubilee can easily be prepared without lighting the sauce, and alcohol-free versions can be made as well.

The History of Cherries Jubilee

Cherries Jubilee is generally associated with the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier, one of the most influential figures in the development of modern French cuisine.

The dessert is commonly said to have been created in connection with one of Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebrations in the late 19th century.

The word jubilee itself refers to a special anniversary or celebration, making it a fitting name for such a festive dessert.

The exact details surrounding the dessert’s earliest creation are not completely certain, and historical accounts vary. What is clear is that Cherries Jubilee became associated with elegant dining and celebratory occasions.

During the 20th century, flambé desserts became especially popular in upscale restaurants.

Tableside preparation turned dessert into entertainment.

A server might roll a cart beside the table, prepare the sauce, add the alcohol, ignite it, and allow guests to watch the flames dance above the pan.

Cherries Jubilee became one of the best-known examples of this style of dining.

Why Cherries and Ice Cream Work So Well Together

Part of the lasting appeal of Cherries Jubilee comes from contrast.

Warm and cold.

Sweet and tart.

Rich and refreshing.

Soft fruit and creamy ice cream.

When the warm cherry sauce hits vanilla ice cream, the ice cream begins melting around the edges. The melted vanilla combines with the cherry sauce, creating an almost creamy fruit sauce of its own.

Vanilla ice cream is particularly effective because its mild flavor allows the cherries to remain the star.

However, there is no rule saying you cannot experiment.

Chocolate, cheesecake, almond, or even butter pecan ice cream can create interesting variations.

A Classic Cherries Jubilee Recipe

You do not need to visit a fancy restaurant to celebrate National Cherries Jubilee Day. A homemade version can be surprisingly easy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup kirsch or brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream

Directions

Add the cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries begin releasing their juices.

Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until smooth.

Slowly stir the mixture into the cherries.

Continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove the pan from direct heat before adding the alcohol.

For a traditional flambé presentation, the alcohol may be carefully ignited and allowed to burn until the flame naturally extinguishes.

Never pour alcohol directly from a bottle into a pan near an open flame. Flambéing should only be attempted by adults who are comfortable with the technique, with the pan removed from the burner and appropriate fire precautions in place.

You can also skip ignition entirely and simply allow the sauce to simmer appropriately before serving.

Stir in the vanilla.

Place scoops of vanilla ice cream into serving bowls and spoon the warm cherries and sauce over the top.

Serve immediately.

Make an Alcohol-Free Cherries Jubilee

You can enjoy the flavors of Cherries Jubilee without alcohol.

Instead of brandy or kirsch, try using cherry juice.

You can also combine cherry juice with a small splash of orange juice or lemon juice to create additional depth.

For an easy alcohol-free version, combine:

• Cherries
• Sugar
• Cherry juice
• Lemon juice
• Cornstarch
• Vanilla extract

Cook everything into a thick cherry sauce and pour it over vanilla ice cream.

You will miss the flambé portion of the traditional presentation, but you will still have the wonderful combination of warm cherries and cold ice cream.

Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Cherries?

One of the advantages of Cherries Jubilee is that you can make it throughout the year.

Fresh cherries are wonderful when they are in season. Their texture and natural flavor make them an excellent choice.

Frozen cherries are convenient because they are often already pitted and can be kept on hand for whenever you want dessert.

Canned cherries can work too, although you may need to adjust the amount of added sugar depending on how the cherries were packed.

If your cherries are already sitting in a heavily sweetened syrup, adding the full amount of sugar could make the finished dessert overly sweet.

Taste as you go.

Creative Ways to Serve Cherries Jubilee

Vanilla ice cream may be traditional, but Cherries Jubilee does not have to stop there.

Try spooning the warm cherries over cheesecake. Cherry sauce and cheesecake are natural partners, and a Jubilee-inspired topping can transform a simple cheesecake into an elegant dessert.

You could also serve it over pound cake. Thick slices of pound cake soak up the warm cherry sauce beautifully.

For breakfast or brunch, spoon the cherries over waffles, pancakes, or French toast. Add whipped cream for an especially indulgent morning treat.

Another possibility is a Cherries Jubilee sundae. Layer vanilla ice cream, cherry sauce, whipped cream, chopped nuts, and a fresh cherry.

For something even more decadent, serve the cherries over a warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate and cherries are a classic combination for good reason.

Turn It Into a Milkshake

Cherries Jubilee can even inspire a milkshake.

Blend vanilla ice cream with milk and a spoonful of cooled cherry sauce.

Pour the shake into a tall glass and top it with whipped cream and additional cherries.

You could drizzle some of the cherry sauce around the inside of the glass before adding the shake for an impressive presentation.

It gives you the recognizable flavors of Cherries Jubilee in an entirely different form.

Why Flambé Desserts Became So Popular

There is something fascinating about seeing food prepared with fire.

Flambéing became associated with elegant restaurant service partly because it gave diners an experience in addition to a meal.

Instead of disappearing into the kitchen and returning with dessert, the preparation could happen right beside the table.

Guests could watch the entire process.

It turned dessert into a performance.

Other famous flambé dishes and desserts have included Bananas Foster, Crêpes Suzette, Steak Diane, and various flambéed fruit preparations.

Cherries Jubilee remains one of the most recognizable.

Cherries Are Worth Celebrating

Even without the flames, cherries deserve some attention.

Their beautiful deep-red color immediately makes desserts look inviting.

They can range from intensely sweet to noticeably tart, depending on the variety.

Cherries are also incredibly versatile.

They appear in pies, cobblers, cheesecakes, preserves, sauces, smoothies, cocktails, mocktails, salads, and savory dishes.

Yet one of their most elegant appearances remains Cherries Jubilee.

How to Celebrate National Cherries Jubilee Day

The most obvious way to celebrate September 24 is to make Cherries Jubilee.

If you have never prepared it before, start with the non-flambé version. You can experience the classic warm-cherry-and-ice-cream combination without working with an open flame.

You could also look for a restaurant that serves Cherries Jubilee or another flambé dessert.

Another fun option is to host a dessert night.

Prepare Cherries Jubilee and offer several choices of ice cream so everyone can create a personalized version.

Vanilla can represent the classic recipe, while chocolate, cheesecake, almond, or other flavors allow guests to experiment.

You could even set up a small dessert bar with toppings such as whipped cream, chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, crushed cookies, and additional cherries.

Make It a Family Dessert Night

National food days do not need to be complicated.

Sometimes their greatest value is simply giving us an excuse to do something enjoyable together.

September 24 can become a family dessert night.

Let everyone help prepare the ingredients. Children can help scoop ice cream or choose toppings while an adult handles the hot cherry mixture.

Then sit together and enjoy dessert.

Years later, people may not remember that it was officially National Cherries Jubilee Day.

They may remember laughing around the kitchen table while eating warm cherries and melting ice cream.

Those moments are what celebrations are really about.

A Dessert Made for Celebrating

Perhaps the word jubilee is the perfect description for this dessert.

A jubilee is a celebration.

And Cherries Jubilee looks and tastes like something designed for a special occasion.

It does not have to be reserved for an anniversary, birthday, holiday, or fancy restaurant.

Sometimes the occasion can simply be today.

That is part of the fun behind national food days. They give us opportunities to discover dishes we might otherwise overlook.

September 24 Is a Sweet Day to Celebrate

National Cherries Jubilee Day celebrates much more than cherries and ice cream.

It celebrates a dessert with history.

It celebrates the theatrical tradition of tableside cooking.

It celebrates one of the best dessert combinations imaginable: warm fruit and cold ice cream.

And perhaps most importantly, it gives us another reason to gather around the table and enjoy something delicious.

So on September 24, scoop some vanilla ice cream into a bowl, cover it with warm cherry sauce, and experience a dessert that has been delighting people for generations.

You can prepare the traditional flambé version carefully, make an easy non-flambé variation, or leave out the alcohol entirely.

However you choose to enjoy it, make the day a little sweeter.

How would you enjoy Cherries Jubilee—over classic vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, waffles, or a warm chocolate brownie?