The very unusual dessert Queen Elizabeth insisted was on the menu at Balmoral

had one that would always be on the menu at Balmoral Castle, according to her former chef.

Crathie Crunch, essentially a no-bake, cheese-free cheesecake with dark chocolate and mint, was given to Her late Majesty at a Crathie estate fair and had been a firm favourite ever since, Darren McGrady said on his Youtube channel.

The former royal chef said: "We tried it out and it it would always be on the menu at Balmoral Castle."

Elizabeth allegedly or mint in the recipe.

Mr McGrady said: "This dish not only has both, it looks beautiful too when it is served and has a real wow factor."

The eye-catching dessert consists of a crumbly cookie crust topped with a fluffy mint mousse-like topping and then a layer of whipped cream, decorated with a chopped mint chocolate bar.

Its bold green colour comes from the Crème de menthe, which is used to create the mousse along with eggs, gelatine and sugar.

According to Mr McGrady, the dessert was so popular it accompanied the royals to picnics and BBQs while at the Scottish estate, as well as "wherever they were in the world too".

Previously, he had also revealed one of the late monarch's favourite foods - a simple sandwich.

The former royal chef revealed that Elizabeth was quite partial to a "jam penny" (jam sandwich).

He said: "The Queen was served jam pennies in the nursery as a little girl - she's had them for afternoon tea ever since.

"It would usually be strawberry jam. We'd make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens."