Owning an outdoor grill comes with a lot of perks. You can cook the meat just the way you like it, host BBQ parties, prevent getting smoke in your kitchen or inside your home, and enjoy the cool breeze, afternoon sun, or starry sky while grilling.
There are different types of food you can cook on your barbecue grill: chicken, pork, beef, fish, vegetables, and more. But if you don’t know it yet, you can also make desserts on your grill. Isn’t that great? Aside from the main course, you can now cook the appetizer and dessert with just your outdoor grill.
Dining outdoors has never been easier and more convenient. You don’t have to go back inside to prepare or leave the party to get the dessert. Instead of serving ordinary sliced fruits for dessert, you can now prepare something tastier that you just whipped out the grill. It’s not going to be just a BBQ party anymore, but it is now a party complete with appetizers to dessert.
So instead of using both your kitchen and outdoor grill, just spend time cooking and cleaning one area. It’s time to fire up the grill and make some room for more than just barbecue and meat. Here are 6 desserts you can make on the grill.
S’mores
If you don’t have a fire pit, you can still create tasty and gooey S’Mores for dessert with just your barbecue grill.
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step 1. Put the barbecue grill on high.
Step 2. Place the graham crackers on the upper barbecue rack.
Step 3. Put a chunk or piece of your preferred chocolate bar on top of each graham cracker.
Step 4. Close the lid and wait for a few minutes until the chocolate melts.
Step 5. While waiting, stick the metal skewers inside the marshmallows and hold them over the grill. Wait for them to turn into a golden brown color to get a gooey result.
Step 6. Using a butter knife or tongs, scrape a marshmallow on top of each chocolate.
Step 7. Take out the marshmallow/chocolate-covered crackers and put them on a plate.
Step 8. Add a spoonful of raspberry jam on top of the marshmallow. Lastly, cover each one with another graham cracker.
It’s done! Time to serve them to your guests or create the next batch so everyone can have a share of two or more.
Grilled banana with a melted candy bar
Here’s a different version of a banana split! Don’t throw away the charcoal after grilling because you can use it to create a grilled banana with a melted candy bar.
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step 1. Using a knife, vertically split the banana in the middle without peeling the skin.
Step 2. Remove the candy bar from the packaging and cut it into strips.
Step 3. Widen the incision and press all strips of the candy bar inside the banana.
Step 4. Wrap the banana filled with the candy bar in tin foil.
Step 5. Placed the wrapped banana on some leftover burning charcoal. Leave it until the bananas become soft.
Step 6. Take out the banana and remove the tin foil wrapping.
The dessert is ready. One set is probably good for one to two persons, so you might want to create more. As long as you have a candy bar for each banana, then you can make some more - and don’t forget the tin foil!
You can also experiment and try this recipe with different types of grills if you don’t have one that runs on charcoal.
Bread and butter berry pudding croissants
You can even create complicated desserts such as this one on a grill. It’s easy and not messy, and you don’t even need to clean the grill after using it for your main dish.
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step 1. First, you need to preheat the barbecue grill. Close the grill and while waiting, prepare the dessert to be grilled.
Step 2. Start with creating the custard. Open 4 to 6 eggs and put them in a bowl.
Step 3. Pour 600ml of cream inside the bowl, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence, and two scoops of ⅔ cup of brown sugar. Mix everything with a whisk and make sure to dissolve the sugar.
Step 4. Grab the foil and line it with baking paper. It’s important to use a baking paper so that the dessert won’t stick to the foil.
Step 5. Horizontally cut a croissant in half and then dunk one half into the mixture. After, place it on the baking paper cut side up.
Step 6. Get your assorted berries and place them on top of the croissant. Grab the other half of the croissant, dunk it into the mixture, and cover the berries with it afterward.
Step 7. Wrap the foil around the croissant and scrunch the edges.
Step 8. Place the wrapped dessert on the grill and wait for 20 minutes.
Step 9. Remove the dessert from the grill and unwrap it. Top it off with some nuts and a layer of icing sugar.
It’s an easy yet complex dessert that you can create in 20 to 30 minutes! You may also want to add a scoop of ice cream or chocolate syrup to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Apple Cobbler
Do you like apple cobbler? You can create one on your smoker or barbecue grill. Find out how below:
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step 1. Peel, slice, and remove the core of the apples and then put them in a large bowl.
Step 2. Add one cup of sugar and one teaspoon of ground cinnamon in the bowl of sliced apples. Mix it properly and let them soak for an hour.
Step 3. Get another bowl, and you will use it to create the topping or crumble. Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, ½ cup of brown sugar, and 1 ½ cups of table sugar. After, add two pinches of salt and two beaten eggs. Stir until it creates small crumbles.
Step 4. Take out your cast iron or iron skillet and pour the apples and leftover juice straight from the bowl. Grab a spoon and spread the apples evenly.
Step 5. Grab the other bowl with the topping or crumble and put a layer of it on top of the apples.
Step 6. Melt a stick of butter and drizzle it on top of the crumble.
Step 7. Turn on your grill or smoker and bring the temperature to 350° and set it for indirect cooking. Place the cast iron or iron skillet, then close the lid.
Step 8. Let it cook for an hour. To make sure you don’t burn it, open the lid and check if the crumble has started to brown around the edge, while the top remains a lighter brown. If it is, you can now take it out since the crumble will be crunchy and not burnt, while the apples will already be soft.
Get a plate of it and add a scoop of vanilla on top, and you can now serve this dessert!
Grilled peaches with vanilla mascarpone
Besides banana and apples, another fruit dessert you can make on your grill is peaches (when it’s in season). With some creamy mascarpone and vanilla, you’ll have a sweet and juicy peachy dessert.
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step 1. Since mascarpone has a bland taste, you need to add something to it. Grab a small bowl and put in two ounces of mascarpone cheese. You can either defrost it in the microwave for 5 seconds or mash it with a spoon so it softens slightly.
Step 2. Create the vanilla sugar to mix with mascarpone. Put the contents of the 45-pounds bag of granulated sugar in the large mixing bowl.
Step 3. Extract the vanilla beans, but before you do, check if it’s plump and not dry to see if it’s fresh. Next, carefully split each bean in the middle with a sharp paring knife. Peel it back and cut the edges. Take out the vanilla caviar inside by scraping it with a knife.
Step 4. Mix the contents of the six vanilla beans in the bowl of sugar. Using your hands, bring the sugar on top and crush the vanilla caviar. If you find fibers or slithers of the bean, remove them.
Step 5. Add around ¾ tablespoon of vanilla sugar in the bowl of mascarpone. Mix it with a spoon, then cover with a plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.
Step 6. Get a peach that is ripe and not mushy. Slice it in half and then twist it apart. Grab a spoon and remove the pit or seed.
Step 7. Blot the juice out of the edge of the peach with a paper towel. This needs to be dry since it will come in contact with the grill.
Step 8. With the leftover ¼ tablespoon of vanilla sugar, sprinkle it on the edges of the peach. This will result in a caramelized peach crust.
Step 9. Use cooking spray or a stick of butter on the grill or grill pan before placing the peaches. Set the temperature to medium or high heat, then put the peaches cut side down. Grill it for one to two minutes and then check if the color of the grill marks is to your liking.
Step 10. Lastly, add a scoop of mascarpone to the middle of each peach.
After following this recipe, you’re going to have a lot of vanilla sugar left. Grab some more peach while they’re in season and create as many as possible. Host a party so you can finish it off with everyone.
Cake in a jar
Who would think that you can bake a cake on your grill? If you have some mason jars and a pan, you can have a simple yet delicious berry cake.
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step 1. Mix 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 1 ½ cup of blackberries in the bowl.
Step 2. Evenly distribute the berry mix into the 4 mason jars.
Step 3. Grab another bowl and mix ½ cup of sugar, ½ cup of all-purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Step 4. Divide the contents of the bowl into the 4 mason jars. Make sure to shake the jars after so that the contents and fruits will mix.
Step 5. Add one tablespoon of unsalted butter to each mason jar. Place the four mason jars in a pan and pour some beans in the pan so that the jars won’t move around.
Step 6. Preheat the grill to 350° and then place the pan. Close the lid and then leave it for an hour.
Step 7. Take it out and let the jars cool. Top each jar with whipped cream to complete the dessert.
Are you ready to try this creamy cake? Grab a spoon and serve it to your family and friends!