Boozy Piña Colada Jiggly Sundaes

BY Elaine Masters
May 10, 2023

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Photography by Elaine Masters for Edible San Diego

Retro inspiration means springtime entertaining just got a whole lot more fun

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Treat mom to a delicious and pretty dessert this Mother’s Day. Use your ingenuity to make each goblet a bit different and add a few edible flowers for presentation.

This recipe layers different flavors and fruit in glass goblets, which is then chilled for 4 hours or overnight. A mix of Agar and flavored gelatin mixes keeps the final jelly keeps the dessert from weeping and adds a different thickness to each layer.

Thanks to Ken Albala’s new book, The Great Gelatin Revival: Savory Aspics, Jiggly Shots, and Outrageous Desserts (University of Illinois Press, 2023), I’ve been experimenting with boozy gelatins like this layered Pina Colada Jelly served with Pocky cookie straws.

Cooking with gelatin means there’s room to be creative.

Links included in this recipe are not affiliated. Contains alcohol. Recipe for 21+ only. Please consume alcohol responsibly.‍

Read about Albala’s book here:‍

Jiggly Shots Poised to Make a Comeback

Ingredients

Serves 6

½ cup of each fresh fruit cut into ½ inch size: pineapple, mango, and canned lychee
2 cups Malibu Coconut Rum or Cutwater Tiki Holiday Spirit, separated
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk*, separated
½ cup sugar
2 4.5-ounce packets of agar powder (necessary if using citrus or pineapple)
2 4.35-ounce box coconut gelatin
Optional garnish: Luxardo cherries, red azuki beans, and edible flowers
Six sundae goblets, whipped cream, Pocky-style matcha cookies (straws) for serving

Instructions

First, cut the fruit pieces and set aside.
Measure 1 cup of clear rum and set aside. Mix 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of rum and set aside.
Follow the box directions and prepare each gelatin separately: Make the coconut gelatin and clear agar according to the box instructions.
Cook the coconut gelatin and agar until the liquid runs smooth on a metal spoon and no agar specks are visible. Keeping the coconut gelatin and agar jelly separate, stir the coconut milk and rum mixture in with the coconut gelatin, and stir in one cup of rum with the agar jelly.
Once the liquids are ready move quickly to assemble.
Assemble the six sundae glasses, arranging fruit in the bottom and pour the clear agar jelly and rum over it just to cover, and chill for several minutes.
Keep the liquids on very low heat while gelatin layers cool.
Once the first layer gives slightly to the touch without being too sticky, add the coconut rum gelatin to the second layer and repeat the chilling steps. Continue this process to the top of each sundae glass, alternating between the agar jelly, coconut rum gelatin, and fruits.
Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream, top with a cherry, cookie straw, or other preferred additional garnishes, and enjoy these boozy sundaes while they’re still cool.

Elaine Masters

Ever curious and hungry for adventure, Elaine is a passionate freelance travel and food writer and videographer. As founder of Tripwellgal.com, she follows stories about anything from culinary trends and traditional recipes to conscious travel and overlooked destinations. Based in San Diego as a scuba diving and seafood fanatic, she agrees with Helen Keller that, “Life’s an adventure or nothing.”