Sweet and Hot: Grilled Desserts

Updated May 08, 2008

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Credit: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

As long as you're already heating up the coals for barbecue, you might as well grill your dessert too.

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Grilled Pound Cake with Brandied Red Plums

Credit: Jeffery Cross; Styling: Jeffrey Larsen

Grilled Pound Cake with Brandied Red Plums Recipe

When plums are at their juiciest best, they're great in a quick dessert. If you don't already have the grill going, just broil or toast the pound cake until golden.

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Grilled Pound Cake with Lemon Cream and Blueberries

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Susan Vajaranant

Grilled Pound Cake with Lemon Cream and Blueberries Recipe

Keep the flame still going and make luscious Grilled Pound Cake with Lemon Cream and Blueberries. The lightly grilled cake will be a favorite all around.

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Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs Recipe

A riff on classic strawberry shortcake, these sensational dessert kebabs will be the star of your next backyard party. If you can't find creme fraiche, you can substitute for sour cream.

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Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Peaches and Cream

Credit: © Con Poulos

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Peaches and Cream Recipe

We love the versatility of this super-moist lemon pound cake. Grill it until crisp and toasty, then top with warm, tender grilled peaches and whipped cream.

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Brandied Peach Shortcakes

Brandied Peach Shortcakes Recipe

In this peachy version of strawberry shortcake, you grill the peaches and spoon them onto squares of citrus-flavored shortcake, and then top with sweetened Greek yogurt.

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Grilled Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Sandwiches

Credit: Stephen Devries; Styling: Lynn Nesmith

Grilled Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Sandwiches Recipe

While the coals are still hot, add dessert to the grill. Grilled Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Sandwiches are as decadent tasting as they sound!

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Seared Figs and White Peaches with Balsamic Reduction

Credit: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Jan Gautro

Seared Figs and White Peaches with Balsamic Reduction Recipe

This simple yet elegant dessert is a great way to maintain the texture and floral flavors of these delicate fruits. Toasted whole black peppercorns add an interesting savory flavor.

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Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake

Credit: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake Recipe

If you think that there's no way to improve on pound cake, just see what happens when you grill it and top with whipped cream and fresh berries.

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Nutella-Banana Pizza

Nutella-Banana Pizza Recipe

No need to stress over making dessert with this 4-ingredient recipe. Starting with premade pizza dough is key; then, add Nutella, bananas, and toasted hazelnuts. What better way to end a summer meal?

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The Ultimate S'more

Credit: Erin Kunkel

The Ultimate S'more Recipe

The ultimate in campground dining, made with homemade graham crackers and marshmallows.

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Grilled Stone Fruit with Balsamic Glaze

Credit: David Tsay

Grilled Stone Fruit with Balsamic Glaze Recipe

Brush grilled peach, plum and apricot halves with a sweet balsamic glaze and top with shaved cheese for a fruit side dish or not-too-sweet grilled dessert.

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Grilled Chocolate-Hazelnut-Pound Cake Sandwiches

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Chocolate-Hazelnut-Pound Cake Sandwiches Recipe

Pound cake, chocolate-hazelnut spread, and butter are all you'll need to make a delicious grilled dessert.

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Cheese and Chocolate Bruschetta

Credit: Jeffrey Cross; Food Styling: Karen Shinto

Cheese and Chocolate Bruschetta Recipe

For a big party, a dessert bruschetta like this looks dramatic but doesn't require any plates to eat. We love the combo of the rich, creamy cheese, slightly bitter chocolate, and sweet-tart fruit.

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Grilled Pineapple Dessert Pizza

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Grilled Pineapple Dessert Pizza Recipe

For a delicious dessert pizza, top Homemade Pizza Dough with cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pineapple slices, drizzle it with a caramel topping, and sprinkle it with toasted pecans.

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Pineapple Satays with Coconut Caramel

Credit: Erin Kunkel

Pineapple Satays with Coconut Caramel Recipe

Coat pineapple slices in a rich coconut-caramel sauce and grill until marks appear. Be sure to clean the grill well before cooking to ensure that the fruit flavor really shines through.

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Peach Ricotta Tart

Credit: James Baigrie

Peach Ricotta Tart Recipe

Grill pizza dough, then top with peaches, pumpkin seeds, and spiced sugar. Serve with sweetened ricotta for an easy summer dessert. In case of rain, see the recipe page for instructions on making this dessert in the oven.

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Grilled Banana S'mores

Credit: Fran Gealer; Styling: Julia Rutland

Grilled Banana S'mores Recipe

Lend a favorite campfire favorite lightly smoked fruit flavor by grilling banana slices until soft, then using the slices in place of marshmallows to melt the chocolate. It's a fun update to the classic treat.

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Strawberry Napoleons

Strawberry Napoleons Recipe

A Napoleon is a classic layered dessert of puff pastry with a sweet cream filling. For this easy, low-fat version, grill sheets of phyllo dough, and layer them with fresh strawberries and a honey-sweetened yogurt sauce.

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Chocolate Pizza with Apricot Preserves and Bananas

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Chocolate Pizza with Apricot Preserves and Bananas Recipe

Grilling pizza dough gives you a crisp crust with extra flavor, making it the perfect base for a dessert pie. Be sure to eat a slice right after it comes off the grill when the preserves are warm and the chocolate chips are slightly melted.

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Marinated Grilled Apples with Mint

Credit: Karry Hosford

Marinated Grilled Apples with Mint Recipe

Transform fresh apples into an amazing dessert by marinating them in orange juice, honey, mint, ginger, and black pepper. Then baste the fruit with this mixture while they're on the grill. The acid in the orange juice keeps the apple from turning brown, and the dash of pepper brings out the sweetness in the fruit.

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Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

Credit: Sunset

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Grilling fresh peaches is easy–and you don't even have to peel them. Just cut peaches in half, remove the pits, and brush the cut sides with a little oil. Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and grill just until the sugar melts.

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Grill-Baked Apple Crisp

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Grill-Baked Apple Crisp Recipe

When summer arrives and you're enjoying your outdoor space, there's just no need to turn on the oven, even for baked desserts. Instead, use indirect heat and bake a fruit crisp on the grill.

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Rum-Spiked Grilled Pineapple with Toasted Coconut

Rum-Spiked Grilled Pineapple with Toasted Coconut Recipe

Grilling caramelizes the sugars in the pineapple, making the dish even sweeter and more luscious. It's a great light dessert on its own or served with low-fat vanilla ice cream.

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Grilled Banana Splits

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Grilled Banana Splits Recipe

Grilling bananas and pineapple slices for banana splits is a perfect way to end your backyard barbecue party.

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Grilled-Peach Sundaes

Credit: Andre Baranowski

Grilled-Peach Sundaes Recipe

Sprinkle fresh peaches with a bit of sugar and ground ginger, and then grill over low heat to bring out maximum sweetness in the fruit. Serve with vanilla ice cream for an easy summer dessert.

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Grilled Peaches with Blackberry-Basil Butter

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Grilled Peaches with Blackberry-Basil Butter Recipe

Top sweet grilled peaches with homemade, 3-ingredient blackberry-basil butter for a simple and refreshing end to a warm summer day.

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Polenta Cake with Late-Summer Berries

Credit: Tina Cornett

Polenta Cake with Late-Summer Berries Recipe

Grilling the cake slices makes for a lovely presentation. You can bake the cake a day ahead and grill just before serving. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.

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Ginger Grilled Fruit

Credit: Levi Brown

Ginger Grilled Fruit Recipe

Ginger Grilled Fruit is the perfect marriage of distinct grilled-flavor with the sweetness of the varied fruit. We'll let you choose if you want to serve Ginger Grilled Fruit as a fruity side or dessert.

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Grilled Berries and Pound Cake with Bourbon-Butterscotch Sauce

Credit: Luca Trovato; Styling: Dani Fisher

Grilled Berries and Pound Cake with Bourbon-Butterscotch Sauce Recipe

This easy fruit dessert features cubes of storebought pound cake grilled on skewers with strawberries and a simple bourbon-butterscotch sauce.

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Grilled Dessert Pizza

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Susan Vajaranant

Grilled Dessert Pizza Recipe

Grill frozen pizza dough and top with fresh fruit and chocolate for a quiick and easy summer dessert.

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Grilled Apricot Puffs with Honey Crème Fraîche

Credit: Lisa Romerein; Styling: Dani Fisher

Grilled Apricot Puffs with Honey Crème Fraîche Recipe

Use the grill to make these sweet muffins as well as to cook the fruit in a sugar mixture. Then top the puffs with the sweet apricots and creme fraiche for an impressive summer diessert.

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Grilled Apple Pie a la Mode

Credit: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Grilled Apple Pie a la Mode Recipe

Whether it’s in the backyard or around a campfire, this easy, on-the-spot recipe has all the elements of a perfect apple pie. Make sure to use apples that are the same size so they’ll cook at the same rate. The ice cream will melt quickly, so put it on the apples right as you serve them.

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Grilled Banana Split

Credit: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Grilled Banana Split Recipe

This is a fun mashup between banana pudding and a sundae. You could even get the kids involved with this. Grilling the banana adds a little flavor, while charring the vanilla wafers makes for an interesting texture—together, it’s delicious. Banana pudding ice cream pulls everything together, so it’s definitely worth buying.

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Grilled Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup

Credit: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Margaret Dickey, Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Grilled Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup Recipe

Pound cake chars up really nicely on the grill and gets even grill marks. Don’t skip the syrup, because it’s packed with flavor. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, regular lemons will work just fine. The simple syrup will hold up for two weeks, so you can definitely make it ahead of time—or make extra and save it for later.

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Sweet and Hot: Grilled Desserts

1 of 34

Grilled Pound Cake with Brandied Red Plums

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Grilled Pound Cake with Lemon Cream and Blueberries

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Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs

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Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Peaches and Cream

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Brandied Peach Shortcakes

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Grilled Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Sandwiches

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Seared Figs and White Peaches with Balsamic Reduction

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Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake

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Nutella-Banana Pizza

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The Ultimate S'more

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Grilled Stone Fruit with Balsamic Glaze

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Grilled Chocolate-Hazelnut-Pound Cake Sandwiches

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Cheese and Chocolate Bruschetta

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Grilled Pineapple Dessert Pizza

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Pineapple Satays with Coconut Caramel

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Peach Ricotta Tart

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Grilled Banana S'mores

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Strawberry Napoleons

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Chocolate Pizza with Apricot Preserves and Bananas

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Marinated Grilled Apples with Mint

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Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

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Grill-Baked Apple Crisp

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Rum-Spiked Grilled Pineapple with Toasted Coconut

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Grilled Banana Splits

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Grilled-Peach Sundaes

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Grilled Peaches with Blackberry-Basil Butter

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