Blackberry Jelly Slice Recipe - The Cooking Collective (2024)

This easy jelly slice recipe is the perfect no-bake treat. A twist on classic jelly slice, it contains a buttery biscuit base with a creamy lemon and condensed milk filling; dotted with bursts of fresh blackberries and topped with luscious blackberry jelly. With just 7 ingredients and only 10 minutes of prep time, this bright, colourful and nostalgic dessert is a must-try!

No-bake slices are popular desserts for so many reasons! And it’s easy to see why. Aside from being completely delicious, they are incredibly quick to make and are so simple that anyone can make them. You don’t even have to turn on your oven!

Jelly slice is a classic Australian recipe that is enjoyed year-round, but especially at Christmas and Easter time. Like this lemon coconut slice, healthy cherry ripe slice and Malteser slice, it will only take you 10 minutes to prepare and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Why you will love this recipe

• Quick and easy. A handful of simple pantry ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time is all you need! Your fridge will do the rest.
• Adaptable. Use your preferred biscuits for the base and swap in your favourite flavour of jelly for the topping. This recipe can also be adapted to use gluten-free biscuits, if required.
• Simple enough for kids to make (with a little help).
• Perfect for entertaining and parties or for morning or afternoon tea.

Ingredients you will need

**This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Plain, sweet biscuits – I use Arnott’s Marie or Arrowroot, but any plain and sweet biscuit will work.

• Sweetened condensed milk – is cow’s milk that has had the water reduced, resulting in a thick and dense liquid that is commonly used in desserts and slices. A can of sweetened condensed milk is used to sweeten the lemon filling. I recommend using full-fat condensed milk rather than reduced fat, as it will set firmer.

• Butter – is used to bind the biscuit base layer. Salted or unsalted butter can be used. I recommend using real butter rather than margarine or a butter substitute.

• Lemon – fresh lemons are best, as this recipe uses both the zest and juice. Bottled lemon juice can be used if fresh lemons are not available, but the flavour won’t be the same. I recommend using Meyer lemons for both the sweetness and high juice content.

• Jelly crystals – I have tested this recipe with both Aeroplane jelly and Foster Clark’s (both 85 gram packets) and the results are the same. Any type of jelly will work, but the water quantities required may differ slightly, depending on packet requirements. 100ml less water is used in this recipe that will be stated on the packet instructions. This is so that the jelly sets firmer and holds its shape.

• Gelatine powder – is dissolved in a little boiling water and is used to set the condensed milk layer. Gelatine powder can be purchased from supermarkets and health food stores.

• Blackberries – are added (optionally) into to the middle layer before setting. They add lovely bursts of tart-sweet flavour to the creamy lemon filling. Fresh berries are recommended, as frozen berries will bleed juice into the mixture. The berries can be omitted, if preferred.

Step by step guide

Full ingredient list and instructions are found in the recipe card below.

Below, I’ve broken down this slice into 3 easy components!

• Jelly layer
• Biscuit base
• The creamy condensed milk and lemon filling.

Step 1; the jelly layer.

Before you start the other layers, prepare the jelly topping.

1. Using blackberry jelly crystals (or swap for your favourite flavour), add 250mls (1 cup) boiling water and stir until the jelly crystals have dissolved into the water. Add 125ml (½ cup) cold water and 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and stir to combine.
2. Once the jelly is mixed, set it aside at room temperature. We don’t want this jelly in the fridge yet, as it will start to set prematurely. The aim is to reach room temperature as you prepare the other layers.

**Note that this is a little over 100ml less than the jelly packet instructions. This is because adding less water results in a firmer jelly, which is required for the jelly to hold its shape when cutting the slice.

**I used an 85 gram packet of Foster Clark’s jelly in this recipe. If you’re using a different brand, the quantities will vary slightly. Follow the packet instructions as a guide and add around 100ml less water for firmer jelly.

Step 2; the biscuit base.

1. Use a 25cm x 18cm (10 x 7 inch) slice tin that is at least 5cm high (to avoid spilling) and line it with baking paper. The baking paper should hang over the edges, as this will make it easier to remove the slice once set.
2. Using a food processor or rolling pin, crush the biscuits until they break down and resemble fine crumbs. A few little lumps are ok, but avoid big chunks.
3. Place the biscuit crumbs and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and pour in the melted butter. Stir to combine and then using a metal spoon or the bottom of a glass cup, firmly press the mixture into the prepared slice tin.

Place the tin in the freezer to set while you prepare the next layer;

Step 3; the lemon condensed milk layer.

This step is an easy one!

1. Simply dissolve the gelatine powder in a little boiling water and then add the condensed milk and lemon juice. Whisk until combined and smooth.
2. Once the filling is ready, remove the slice tin containing the biscuit base from the freezer and pour the condensed milk layer over the top. Use a spatula to smooth it down and add the blackberries to the filling. Place the tin in the fridge for the mixture to set. This layer needs to set for at least two hours before the jelly layer is added, or the layers will mix.
3. Once the middle layer is firm (at least 1 hour in the fridge), pour the jelly over the top of the slice.

   ** Note that the jelly layer may leave indentations in the middle layer if poured directly over the top from a height. I recommend breaking the flow with a metal spoon for even layering. Hold the spoon near the slice and pour the jelly slowly over the spoon. It will flow over the spoon and gently onto the slice without damaging the middle layer.

Allow the slice to set for a further 2+ hours before removing from the fridge and slicing.

Expert tips

• The easiest way to remove the slice from the tin is to let the baking paper hang over the sides of the tin. You can then use the paper to gently life the slice from the tin when it is ready. Because the biscuit base is very firmly pressed into the tin, run a knife along the sides first to loosen the slice from the tin before attempting to lift.

• Wait until all of the layers are firmly set before attempting to lift the slice from the tin or cut it into pieces. It’s easy to get impatient, but the slice needs at least 2 hours of cooling time once all of the layers have been added.

• Before adding the condensed milk layer to the biscuit layer, I recommend gently lifting the biscuit base from the tin once it has set in the fridge or freezer, to loosen it from the bottom of the tin. Then place it back down in the tin before adding the middle layer. This loosens the slice from the tin and makes it much easier to lift out once everything has set.

• I use a 25cm x 18cm slice tin with 5cm height. You can use a slightly smaller or larger tin, but the height of the layers and the setting times may vary.

• To stop the jelly from leaking down the sides of the tin and into the biscuit base, make sure that the condensed milk layer is pushed completely to the edges of the tin and fully set before adding the jelly.

• Storage; jelly slice can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but is best eaten in the first couple of days. It is not suitable for freezing.

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