15 Incredible Grilled Desserts to Enjoy This Summer
Updated: Jul. 22, 2024
Make room on the grill for more than burgers. These top-rated recipes for grilled desserts—including fresh fruit, cakes and cobblers—are fresh and fabulous for summer.
Slide those hot dogs and hamburgers to the side of the grill to make room for these grilled desserts! The perfect end to a summer cookout, these grilled desserts feature everything from refreshing glazed fruits to decadent brownie sundaes. Make them while you’re cooking up your favorite barbecue foods and you’ll be wondering why you haven’t thought of using the grill for desserts sooner.
Grilled Banana Brownie Sundaes
My niece Amanda Jean and I have a lot of fun in the kitchen creating different dishes. One of us will start with a recipe idea and it just grows from there—and so does the mess. In this case, the happy result was this grilled dessert. —Carol Farnsworth, Greenwood, Indiana
Pot of S’mores
Mom’s easy Dutch oven version of the popular campout treat is so good and gooey. The hardest part is waiting for this grilled dessert to cool so you can devour it. Yum! —June Dress, Meridian, Idaho
Grilled Raspberry Peach Cobbler
When we grill, we often like to fix the entire meal outdoors. We have several grills, but prefer to grill with charcoal. That’s what I used for this recipe. Feel free to substitute other fruits in this cobbler. You need about six to seven cups of fresh or frozen fruit. —Donna Gribbins, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Grilled Honey-Balsamic Glazed Fruit
One summer my mother-in-law made us grilled peaches basted with a sweet and tangy sauce. These are so good I'm always tempted to eat the whole batch. —Kristin Van Dyken, West Richland, Washington
Grilled Peaches & Pound Cake
Brush up on grilling dessert with fresh peaches and pound cake! Store-bought cake makes it quick to prepare, and the caramelized flavor will make it disappear fast. —Joy Pendley, Ortonville, Michigan
Honey-Rum Grilled Bananas
These grilled bananas are the perfect dessert following a cookout. My family was skeptical at first, but everyone tried the recipe and agreed it was delicious. I use coconut rum from the Bahamas. —Lori Wendt, Mahomet, Illinois
Grilled Stone Fruits with Balsamic Syrup
Get ready to experience another side of stone fruits. Hot off the rack, these grilled nectarines practically melt in your mouth. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California
Ginger Pound Cake S’mores
Kids love this knockoff of the classic campfire dessert, and adults do too. It’s easy to prepare, and any kind of chocolate can be used. These can be made in batches in a cast-iron skillet as well. —Peter Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Hot Quick Banana Boats
These delicious, warm bananas are great on camp-outs or in the backyard. You can eat them right out of the foil bowl. Cleanup is easy, too. —Sheila Parker, Reno, Nevada
Campfire Dessert Cones
Kids love to make these! Set out the ingredients so they can mix and match their own creations. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Grilled Waffle Treats
I made these super sandwiches for family and friends for the first time on a Fourth of July. Everyone loved the generous portions and shared their fondest memories of making and eating s’mores on campouts. —Chris Seger, Lombard, Illinois
Cookout Caramel S’mores
Easy delectable treats make a playful finish to an informal meal. Toasting the marshmallows extends our after-dinner time together, giving us something fun to do as a family. —Martha Haseman, Hinckley, Illinois
Blackout Peach Bread Pudding
I bake several times a week so my kids have homemade desserts. We lost power in a storm, so I used the grill to invent “blackout” pudding. —Augustina Zaccardi, Eastchester, New York
Grilled Figgy Pies
Delicious figs combined with maple, walnuts and creamy mascarpone make a decadent treat that’s easy to enjoy at a backyard cookout. These unique hand pies always disappear quickly. —Renee Murby, Johnston, Rhode Island
Eclairs on the Grill
My best camping treat is an easy eclair on a stick. This is the one that makes people watch what you’re doing and beg to be included. —Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, WisconsinGrilled Desserts FAQ
What are the best fruits to grill?
Grilling fruit enhances the flavors and juiciness of the produce, so any fruit you’re craving can make an excellent choice to grill! We recommend using fruits that are in season to get those delicious summer flavors. Easier fruits to cook on the grill are medium to larger ones, like nectarines, plums and halved pineapples. If you’re in the mood for smaller fruits like blueberries and strawberries, place them on skewers to create fruit kabobs.
How do you cook desserts on the grill?
Making desserts on the grill is just as easy as grilling some of your favorite barbecue meals. You’ll want to make sure you clean the grill before placing your dessert on it, especially if you just got done cooking up some barbecue-smothered ribs. With a clean surface, follow the usual procedure of preparing the grill and watching your food closely—cooking desserts on the grill can take a substantially shorter time to cook than typical foods. Each individual recipe in this grilled fruit collection will give you plenty of tips and directions to make the perfect treat.
Originally Published: May 28, 2019
