Skip to main contentSkip to footer
queen royal chef dessert recipe

The Queen's former royal chef's latest dessert recipe may be the easiest yet

Princes William and Harry would love this!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Read our full commerce guidelines here.

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
October 15, 2020
Share this:

Looking for a comforting dessert that isn't crumble or pie? The Queen's former royal chef Darren McGrady has revealed a delicious blueberry creation loved by the royals and claims: "It's a super easy dish to make."

READ: 9 shocking royal palace kitchen secrets revealed by former chefs

As he walked fans through a cooking tutorial for the simple dessert, Darren explained it is a twist on the classic jam roly poly – a dish he previously told People magazine was one of Prince William and Prince Harry's favourite desserts growing up.

"You don't get much more quintessentially British comfort food than that. Each time, I'd send up six pieces, and each of them would go," said Darren, who cooked for the Queen, Prince PhilipPrincess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry.

WATCH: What snacks do the royals eat? See their surprising choices

In his latest YouTube video, the chef explained: "Isle of Wight pudding dates back to the era of Queen Victoria, and the original recipe was currents and raisins laid on top of shortcrust pastry and then drizzled with golden syrup. In the updated recipe, we use blueberries, honey and cream." Tempted? We certainly are!

isle of wight pudding

Darren McGrady described the Isle of Wight pudding as similar to a jam roly-poly

After making the shortcrust pastry (which is flavoured with almond extract), chilling it in the fridge for an hour and rolling it into a rectangle, he then drizzled lots of honey on top before topping it with handfuls of blueberries – explaining that the order of assembly helped the berries stick to the pastry.

RELATED: The Queen's boozy chocolate dessert recipe revealed – and it's so easy to make

The rolled-up sweet treat was cooked in the oven for 30 minutes until the blueberry juices started to run. Next, Darren poured over the cream and sprinkled lavender sugar on top before putting back in the oven for a further five minutes.

darren mcgrady

The chef cooked for royals including the Queen, Princess Diana and Prince Harry

"The juices from the berries have combined with the cream to create this incredible fruity toffee sauce," he said, cutting it into slices and serving a piece on a plate with whipped cream and fresh blueberries. Delicious!

In the caption, Darren told his followers: "Check out this delicious dish that I prepared for the Royal Family on the Royal Yacht Britannia for Cowes Week Regatta," an eight-day event that takes place each August. 

What you'll need:

almond extract

Nielsen Massey almond extract, £9.82, Amazon

SHOP NOW

MORE: The Queen's daily diet: The monarch's breakfast, lunch and dinner revealed

HELLO!'s selection is editorial and independently chosen – we only feature items our editors love and approve of. HELLO! may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. To find out more visit our FAQ page.

More Food

See more