Flummery Recipe

This Flummery Recipe might bring back fond memories of a dessert your Nana made all those years ago.

With just two ingredients and a lovely mousse-like texture, this dessert is quick, easy – and memorable.

A dessert worth remembering

Flummery is simplicity at its finest! We definitely shouldn’t forget about the magic that is flummery.

An elderly neighbour made this for the kids a few Christmases ago, and it reminded me of something I may have enjoyed as a child.

Chances are I did enjoy this at some stage as a child. It was a popular dessert in Australia in the 1970s, the decade when I arrived into the world.

At the time my neighbour made this dessert, I didn’t know the name of it. I only knew that an ingredient was jelly.

I nearly forgot about it myself until I spotted a recipe for “Flummery” in Nana Ling’s cookbook.

One of the ingredients was jelly, and I had a strong feeling it might be this mystery dessert.

Nana Ling’s Traditional Flummery Recipe

Keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version in the recipe card at the end of this post.

What is Flummery?

Flummery is a super easy, two-ingredient dessert made with jelly and cream (tinned or fresh).

It has a long history, though its current form is a lot sweeter than the sour porridge-like dish it started out as in 17th century Britain.

The jelly version is a product of World War II thriftiness, as people searched for creamy desserts that were also affordable. 

If you want to read more about its history, there’s an interesting article on the SBS website.

While it may not be big on expense, it doesn’t lack flavour.

It’s a pretty dessert that you can vary depending on the flavour of jelly you choose and the toppings. 

You could also add some cream, custard, fruit or ice-cream.

It looks amazing layered with jelly and other things – I added a flummery layer to my popular Mini Christmas Trifles recipe. 

Flummery ingredients

Here are those two ingredients you’ll need:

• cream
• jelly crystals.

You might also like to decorate with some additional cream, berries or ice cream.

Can you use other types of cream?

These days, I also use thickened cream (you might know it as heavy cream) to make flummery. It works equally well and the taste may even be better, depending on your preferences.

You can also use evaporated milk. Again, it just depends on personal preferences or what you have in the pantry.

How to make Flummery

Flummery is easily made by making up the jelly (using only a cup of boiling water), allowing it to partially set and then whipping it together with the cream.

While it’s relatively easy to make, keep these four tips in mind:

• you need 1-2 hours setting time for the jelly and then another 2 hours setting time once you’ve combined the partially set jelly with the cream to make it into flummery
• the cream MUST be cold before you use it (even if it’s the type of cream you would normally store in the cupboard) otherwise it won’t whip up nicely
• the jelly is NOT made up according to the packet – only add the 1 cup boiling water to the jelly crystals
• when whipping cream and partially set jelly together, it should nearly double in size and become foamy.

Flummery must be stored in the fridge and should keep for 2-3 days.

If you love flummery, you might also love…

• Classic Trifle
• Old-fashioned Coconut Cake
• Weetbix Marshmallow Slice.

You might also like to check out the entire collection of Nana Ling’s handwritten recipes.

Have you made this flummery recipe? What flavour jelly do you prefer? Let us know the results in the comments below.