These recipes for grilled desserts, including fresh fruit, s'mores and cobblers, are perfect for summer or anytime you fire up the grill.
Once the last frost has passed, I know it’s time to fire up my grill. Cooking on my charcoal grill has become a passion, whether I’m smoking a chicken low and slow or building a hot fire for juicy grilled hamburgers. We often toast marshmallows over the still-hot coals after dinner, but then I realized I could up the ante and make grilled desserts filled with vibrant fruit or melty chocolate. A new level of grilling joy was unlocked!
All the grilled sweet treats in this collection pair perfectly with your favorite barbecue recipes, and you don’t have to be a pitmaster to conquer them. Some are cooked in skillets or aluminum pans so you don’t have to worry about flipping sticky ingredients, and others are as simple as lightly charring fruit and serving it with a sweet syrup or dip.
There are pies and cobblers that prove how the best summer grilling ideas let you avoid turning on the oven without sacrificing taste. And because it’s not summer without s’mores, there are some fun new ways to make s’mores that go one step further than the classic. These barbecue desserts will have you lighting your grill more than ever.
Campfire Cobbler
Pot of S’mores
Ginger-Glazed Grilled Honeydew
Grilled Raspberry Peach Cobbler
Grilled Honey-Balsamic Glazed Fruit
Grilled Peaches & Pound Cake
Honey-Rum Grilled Bananas
Grilled Stone Fruits with Balsamic Syrup
Banana Boats
Cookout Caramel S’mores
Blackout Peach Bread Pudding
Grilled Figgy Pies
Grilled Pineapple with Lime Dip
Berried Treasure Angel Food Cake
Eclairs on the Grill
Grilled Desserts FAQ
What are the best fruits to grill?
The best fruits to grill can stand up to high heat without falling apart, like bananas and pineapple, as well as in-season summer produce, such as nectarines, peaches, plums and berries. For smaller fruits like blueberries, cherries and strawberries, thread them on skewers to prevent them from falling through the grates or wrap them in a foil pouch, crimped tight to hold all the juices.
How do I keep my dessert from sticking to the grill?
To prevent desserts from sticking to the grill, clean the grill grates well (especially after grilling ribs coated with sauce) and ensure the grill is thoroughly heated before starting. I like to brush the cut sides of sweet fruit, such as halved peaches or plums, lightly with a neutral oil to help prevent the caramelized sugars from sticking. Keep a close eye as you grill, but resist the urge to flip desserts too early or frequently, which can lead to them ripping and sticking.
What cookware is safe for the grill when grilling desserts?
Sturdy stainless steel and cast-iron skillets or pots, soaked wooden or metal skewers, and heavy-duty disposable aluminum trays are the best and safest cookware when grilling desserts. Avoid any cookware with plastic or rubber on the handle, even if it says it’s oven-safe up to a certain temperature, because grilling over a charcoal or gas flame is a much hotter, more intense heat. The bottom of your cookware will get dirtier than when you cook indoors, so don’t forget to give it a good scrub.
