I Tried Martin Luther King Jr.’s Favorite Dessert, Straight From His Mom’s Recipe Box

Few historical figures are as inspiring as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Known as a minister, leader of the Civil Rights Movement, and philosopher, he also cherished the comforts of home—especially enjoying Sunday suppers after church with his family and members of his congregation. The Georgia native favored Southern dishes, including roast pork, rice with gravy, fried chicken, okra, and crowder peas.

When he returned home from Sweden after receiving the Nobel Prize in 1964, Dr. King craved the flavors he knew and loved: ribs, collard greens, and baked sweet potatoes, according to Dr. Frederick Douglass Opie in his book “Southern Food and Civil Rights.”

Of course, something sweet was usually on the menu too, like pecan or peach pie. His mother, Alberta Williams King, said he also often requested a “cool, gentle dessert” the family called “Quilly.” 

What Is Quilly?

I had never heard of Quilly, and I doubt I’m alone in that. While the name is unique, the category isn’t—I’ve seen many versions of this creamy retro dessert. Quilly is essentially a gelatinized cousin of Ambrosia or Watergate Salad. It features whipped cream, mini marshmallows, chopped almonds, crumbled coconut macaroons, and fruit, all set in a decorative mold.

Mrs. King supposed that her children gave the treat that name because it was garnished with spikes of thin sugar wafers (possibly resembling a porcupine’s quills). 

How to Make Quilly

As with any vintage recipe, a bit of translating is involved. Does “can of fruit salad” equate to what we now call fruit cocktail? Are the “thin sugar wafers” his mother mentioned the crispy, light-as-air treat I grew up loving, or something more reminiscent of Nilla wafers? (I went with the crispy, airy wafers).

Quilly is light on prep time but heavy on hands-off waiting time. It needs at least 4 hours to overnight in the fridge to fully set up. The recipe involves letting the gelatin bloom for a few minutes, whipping heavy cream, and adding the rest of the ingredients, including mini marshmallows and coconut macaroons. After pouring the mixture into a mold, it chills in the fridge for several hours.

When you’re ready to serve, flip the dessert onto a serving plate and “decorate with sugar wafers.” How you decorate with the wafers is up to you—you could crush and sprinkle them over the top, or you could bring out your inner child and stick them upright in the dessert, giving it a seriously cute “quilly” look. 

My Honest Review of Quilly

As someone who grew up with holiday Jell-O salad molds, I expected a firmer, more gelatinous dessert but was pleasantly surprised with the end result. There’s just enough gelatin to hold its shape, but not enough to give it that springy, rubbery texture. It’s more cloud-like, with little bits of crunch and fruity bursts throughout—a surprise in every bite. 

My favorite part? The coconut macaroon crumbles—each bite was like eating a macaroon dipped in whipped cream. I was also surprised by how much I loved the peaches in this dish, which, in retrospect, is silly because peaches and cream famously complement each other. 

I had a few minor hiccups while recreating this recipe. There are a few versions floating around on the internet, but I decided to go with the recipe on the National Museum of African American History & Culture’s website. It says to use a quart-sized mold, so I went with a 6-inch Bundt pan. I’m not sure if “quart” was a typo, but I could have filled up a quart-sized mold twice. So, I recommend using a larger Bundt pan or mold that holds about 8-10 cups. 

Another detail I changed is when to add the vanilla or rum extract. The original recipe says to add it after the nuts and fruit, but I think it makes sense to add it when whipping the heavy cream for better incorporation. 

Alberta King’s Quilly Recipe

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon gelatin 
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 pound almonds, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 6 stale coconut macaroons, crumbled
• 1 dozen mini marshmallows
• 1 (8-ounce) can fruit cocktail, well-drained
• Sugar wafers, for garnish 

Directions

1. Spray an 8- or 10-cup gelatin mold or Bundt pan with nonstick spray.
2. Combine gelatin and cold water in a small bowl; let sit for 5 minutes. 
3. Combine sugar and boiling water in a separate small bowl; let cool.
4. Meanwhile, combine vanilla and heavy cream in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until medium peaks form.
5. When sugar mixture is fully cooled, mix into gelatin. 
6. Add sugar-gelatin mixture to bowl with whipped cream and gently fold in. Add almonds, macaroons, marshmallows, and fruit cocktail, and gently fold in. 
7. Pour mixture into a prepared mold or Bundt pan and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight. 
8. When ready to serve, fill a large bowl with hot (but not boiling) water. Hold the bottom of the pan in the water for 5-10 seconds. Place a plate on top of the pan and carefully flip. Decorate with sugar wafers (crushed or whole) as desired.

Recipe courtesy of the National Museum of African American History & Culture, slightly adapted for clarity.

Tips for Making MLK Jr.’s Favorite Quilly Dessert

Don’t put the gelatin mixture in the fridge! I made this rookie mistake trying to cool it down quickly (it’s been a while since I’ve worked with gelatin). Once I pulled it from the fridge, I realized it was already too set to mix into the whipped cream, so I had to start over. 

Be patient when unmolding. If the dessert doesn’t want to release from the pan, try holding the bottom of the pan in the warm water for another 5-10 seconds before flipping it again. Don’t use boiling water, though, as it will quickly melt the dessert, and you’ll be left with a soggy mess. If it loses some of its shape, use a knife or spoon to smooth the edges, and then pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes. 

Choose your own flavor adventure! I love all the ingredient possibilities this dessert creates. I think a pistachio-cherry version would be amazing, or even a summer-inspired one with fresh peaches and pecans. 

Pick your fruit carefully. Use a can of fruit salad that specifically says it has more cherries, as mine only had two (yes, two) in the whole can. Alternatively, you can buy a jar of maraschino cherries and add as many as you want. Next time, I will also look for a can that doesn’t include grapes, as I don’t think they particularly complement the other flavors well (I picked out all the grapes). 

As we celebrate the memory and enduring legacy of Dr. King this year, I hope this recipe—along with many of his other favorite Southern dishes—will warm your heart and refuel your soul the way it did for him.