If You Aren't Grilling Your Fruit It's Not Dessert...Free Recipe

We've been graced with the presence of our friend, Celebrity Chef Chadwick Boyd all summer long for Fire it Up Fridays! We've got some serious custom recipes made just for the Jersey Shore but now we are going to lighten up...it is time for dessert...on the grill?!?!? Oh yes, you heard me. I was shocked but now I'm a believer and with Chadwick's secrets sprinkled on top you are sure to impress your guests.

Grilled Fruit for a Fast and Delicious Summertime Dessert

Grilling fruit for a summertime dessert has been my back-pocket trick for years. It’s easy to do, takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and grill, and makes you look and feel like a gourmet chef. If you follow these tips and tricks, you will be eating grilled fruit for your dessert for many years to come, too.

The best fruit to grill is stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots), apples, pineapple, mango, and my favorite…pears. You want fruit that is fairly “meaty” or dense so it holds together well on the grill.

Choose just ripe fruit. Fruit that is just ripe has wonderful natural sugar levels that will caramelize quickly on a hit grill, which intensifies the sweetness. Fruit that is over-ripe will fall apart quickly once exposed to the heat and likely will fall through the grates.

Cut fruit into large chunks or into sizable pieces so it lays well on the grill. Cut pears, for example, into quarters or peaches and plums into halves (remove the pits, of course). Pineapple is great grilled as rings or ½-inch thick round slices.

Use a neutral tasting oil that stands up to high heat, such as grapeseed or safflower oils. Vegetable oil will work, too. Brush both sides of the fruit lightly – just enough to coat. You want the taste of the fruit to stand out rather than the oil.

Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Make sure the grates are clean beforehand.

Place the fruit on the grates and grill for 3-5 minutes, or until nice grill marks appear. Larger or thicker pieces of fruit will take a little longer. Flip with tongs, and continue grilling another 2-3 minutes to finish. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly while you get the ice cream.

I like to serve 2-3 pieces of grilled fruit in a dessert or ice cream bowl along with 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Salted caramel is delicious, also. Drizzle with a bit of honey or maple syrup and sprinkle on a pinch of flake salt and a tiny bit of ground cardamom or cinnamon. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint if you are feeling fancy. Eat immediately.

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