The Knickerbocker glory recipe
for your table
Prepare the jelly according to the instructions on the package and pour it into the tall glass, filling it to about one-third. Chill the glass for at least four hours until the layer has fully set. Let the jelly set in the glass instead of cutting it into cubes later: cut jelly sinks between the scoops of ice cream, hiding the bottom layer.
Cut the fruit into small pieces, pat it dry and arrange it in a layer on the cold jelly. Then return the glass to the refrigerator until the ice cream goes in. The jelly must be cold and feel firm when you press it with a spoon; on a semi-soft layer, the ice cream will sink straight through it.
Scoop the three balls of ice cream onto the fruit, one at a time and snug against the side of the glass, so they remain visible from the outside as three separate balls. Work quickly and keep the ice cream firm: building it in a tall glass takes longer than in a coupe, and soft ice cream collapses along the way.
Spoon or pipe the softly whipped cream on top, right up to the rim, and insert the wafer last. The wafer goes in at the end because it stays crisp for a few minutes in the dry cream and turns soft within a minute between the wet layers. Place a long spoon beside it and bring the glass straight to the table.
What did you think of this recipe?
One click on a star is enough. If you’d like to add something, we’ll read it first before it appears here.
Save this recipe
Send the knickerbocker glory recipe to your own email, so you’ll have it at hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a € 5 discount code for orders from € 50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
According to the commonly accepted explanation, the name refers to the Knickerbockers, the old term for New Yorkers of Dutch descent; the word long stood for an American-Dutch style and later appeared in connection with this ice cream dessert. Stories differ about exactly how and where the dish originated, so anyone who gives a year or a specific establishment is telling an anecdote. What is certain is where it belongs: the knickerbocker glory has been among the desserts on British menus for generations, and it is still served there in the same absurdly tall glass, with a spoon whose handle is almost as long as the glass.
The right glass
With a knickerbocker glory, the glass is the dish. Everything you see before you start is the layers behind the wall: the colored jelly at the bottom, the fruit, three scoops of ice cream and the whipped cream rising above it. That calls for clear glass, height and a bowl that isn’t too wide, because in a broad dish the layers run into one another and you only see the top one. A stem serves two purposes: you hold the glass by the stem, so your hand warmth doesn’t reach the ice cream, and the layers are raised to eye level. The classic knickerbocker glass, a straight conical bowl holding almost half a liter, isn’t part of our range; these two come closest. The first is, according to the specifications, 21 cm high with a diameter of 7.5 cm and a capacity of 44 cl, and its waisted bowl keeps the layers neatly stacked. The second, at 53 cl, is one size larger and, according to the description, is extra resistant to breakage at the base and rim, precisely where a long spoon comes into contact with it. More shapes for ice cream and desserts can be found among the ice cream glasses.
Royal Leerdam Hurricane Stemmed Cocktail Glass 44 cl (6 pieces)
Schott Zwiesel Bar Special Hurricane Glass 53 cl (4 pieces)
Both sets together € 84,90.
The right tools
For a knickerbocker glory, besides the glass, use a long bar spoon that reaches the bottom of the glass and a glass straw for the layer left at the bottom. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 74,85.
What will you pour alongside it?
A knickerbocker glory is alcohol-free and very sweet by nature, so whatever you serve alongside it can be dry and refreshing. Bubbles do this best: a glass of prosecco, a cava or a crémant cuts through the whipped cream, while those who want to extend the sweetness can choose moscato. On every drinks page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
You can swap out any layer: peach with raspberry, mango with passion fruit, or just strawberry if you want to keep it simple. A layer of crumbled meringue between the fruit and ice cream adds crunch that holds up against the wet layers, and if you prefer not to use jelly, build the same tower with thick fruit compote. Without jelly, it is no longer a knickerbocker glory but an ordinary ice cream sundae, bringing you close to a dame blanche. Need more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Build the tower only once everyone is seated at the table, because the whipped cream sinks faster than you think and the scoops start melting from the jelly upward. Provide a long-handled spoon and a straw; with a dessert spoon, you cannot even reach halfway down a glass more than twenty centimeters tall. Place the glass on a small plate to catch anything that spills over the rim.
Good to know
Why the jelly must set in the glass
Because cut jelly sinks. Cubes placed beside or between the ice cream slide down past the scoops with the first spoonful, leaving a pile at the bottom separate from the rest. If you let the jelly set in the glass, you get a flat, firm bottom layer that supports the ice cream and remains visible from the outside as a layer of its own. So pour it into the empty glass first and place the glass upright in the refrigerator.
How cold and how firm should the jelly be
Fully set and cold from the refrigerator, not lukewarm and not half-set. Allow at least four hours for a layer a few centimeters thick, and overnight if you fill the glass more. Press it with the rounded side of a spoon: the layer should spring back without denting. If you put your ice cream on jelly that is not ready, the scoops will sink into it and the whole thing will collapse within a few minutes.
The structure from bottom to top
The order is jelly, fruit, ice cream, whipped cream, wafer, and there is a reason it is fixed in that order. The heaviest and wettest layer goes at the bottom, where it cannot sink. The fruit rests on the jelly and keeps the ice cream away from the wet layer. The scoops go above it, tight against the side, so you can count them through the glass. The whipped cream seals everything in, and the wafer goes in last, because it stays crisp in the whipped cream and turns soft within a minute between the layers.
The difference from a regular ice cream sundae and a sundae
A regular ice cream sundae is ice cream with whipped cream and something on top, served in a wide glass. What sets a knickerbocker glory apart is the jelly at the bottom: without that layer, it is not a knickerbocker glory. A sundae, by contrast, is centered on the sauce, poured hot or cold over the ice cream, and is usually served in a lower glass or bowl. In short: the knickerbocker has the jelly, the sundae has the sauce, and the height belongs to the former.
Where the name comes from
The usual explanation points to the Knickerbockers, the old name for New Yorkers of Dutch descent. Stories about the dessert itself vary: there are several accounts of where and when it was first served this way, and none can be substantiated. What can be said is that in Britain it has been on menus for generations as a dessert served at the table.
The long spoon isn't just for show
With a glass over twenty centimeters tall, you can't reach the jelly with a dessert spoon. You end up with the top two layers and leave the bottom one behind, which is precisely the layer for which you chose such a tall glass. A thirty-centimeter bar spoon or ice cream spoon reaches the bottom and fits through the narrow waist. A straw catches whatever melts at the bottom.
Frequently asked questions
What is a knickerbocker glory?
A British ice cream sundae in a tall stemmed glass, built in layers: jelly at the bottom, then fruit, followed by three scoops of ice cream and topped with whipped cream and a wafer. The dessert is about the height and the layers visible through the glass, not one particular flavor. It's served with a long spoon, because otherwise you can't reach the bottom layer.
What's the difference between a knickerbocker glory and a sundae?
The jelly and the sauce. A knickerbocker glory has a layer of set jelly at the bottom, beneath the fruit and ice cream, and is served in a tall glass. A sundae is all about the sauce poured over the ice cream and is usually served in a lower glass or a bowl. Leave out the jelly and you have an ordinary ice cream sundae.
Does the jelly really need to set first?
Yes, and in the glass itself. A layer that hasn't fully set won't support the ice cream and will collapse as soon as the scoops are placed on top. Jelly cut into cubes doesn't work either: it sinks between the ice cream and disappears from view. So pour the jelly into the empty glass and refrigerate it for at least four hours.
What glass do you serve a knickerbocker glory in?
In a tall, clear stemmed glass, so all the layers remain visible from the side and your hand doesn't wrap around the ice cream. The classic model is a straight, conical bowl holding almost half a liter. If you don't have one, choose the tallest stemmed glass you have: a hurricane glass holding just over forty centiliters comes closest, with a long spoon alongside.
Also delicious
Everything for your bar,
to one address
Horeca-quality glasses, supplied as a set. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop the glasses →