Sweet and Hot: Grilled Desserts

May 08, 2008
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.
Start Slideshow

1 of 34

Grilled Pound Cake with Brandied Red Plums

Photo: 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.
Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 34

Grilled Pound Cake with Blueberries

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Susan Vajaranant
Grilled Pound Cake with 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.

3 of 34

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs

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.
Advertisement

4 of 34

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Peaches and Cream

Photo: © 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.

5 of 34

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.

6 of 34

Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Sandwiches

Photo: Stephen Devries; Styling: Lynn Nesmith 
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!
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 34

Seared Figs and White Peaches with Balsamic Reduction

Photo: 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.

8 of 34

Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake

Photo: 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.

9 of 34

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?
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 34

The Ultimate S'more

Photo: Erin Kunkel
The Ultimate S'more Recipe
The ultimate in campground dining, made with homemade graham crackers and marshmallows.

11 of 34

Grilled Stone Fruit with Balsamic Glaze

Photo: 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.

12 of 34

Grilled Chocolate-Hazelnut-Pound Cake Sandwiches

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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 34

Cheese and Chocolate Bruschetta

Photo: 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.

14 of 34

Grilled Pineapple Dessert Pizza

Photo: 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.

15 of 34

Pineapple Satays with Coconut Caramel

Photo: 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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 34

Peach Ricotta Tart

Photo: 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.

17 of 34

Grilled Banana S'mores

Photo: 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.

18 of 34

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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 34

Chocolate Pizza with Apricot Preserves and Bananas

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.

20 of 34

Marinated Grilled Apples with Mint

Photo: 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.

21 of 34

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 34

Grill-Baked Apple Crisp

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.

23 of 34

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.

24 of 34

Grilled Banana Splits

Photo: 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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 34

Grilled-Peach Sundaes

Photo: 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.

26 of 34

Grilled Peaches with Blackberry-Basil Butter

Photo: 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.

27 of 34

Polenta Cake with Late-Summer Berries

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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 34

Ginger Grilled Fruit

Photo: 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.

29 of 34

Grilled Berries and Pound Cake with Bourbon-Butterscotch Sauce

Photo: 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.

30 of 34

Grilled Dessert Pizza

Photo: 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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 34

Grilled Apricot Puffs with Honey Crème Fraîche

Photo: 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.

32 of 34

Grilled Apple Pie a la Mode

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. 

33 of 34

Grilled Banana Split

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. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

34 of 34

Grilled Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup

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. 

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery