11 Delicious Desserts You Can Make on Your Grill

stacked smores
Photo: Chelsea Cavanaugh

If you've ever gone camping or lost power at home, you'll know that you can make nearly anything on your grill. That includes dessert, which is good news for those who are firing up dinner on the grill tonight. As these grilled dessert recipes prove, you can still enjoy a delicious homemade dessert when it's too hot to turn on the oven.

One of the tastiest, juiciest ways to enjoy seasonal flavors is with fresh fruits. And grilling summer fruit takes them to the next level. Everything from pineapple to peaches is transformed by the charring heat of open flames. You can create delicious desserts using grilled nectarines, plums, bananas, and more; just serve them with a scoop of ice cream and you have a sweet treat that's rich and refreshing.

Some of the best summertime memories are made with desserts you enjoyed as a kid—like s'mores, no campfire necessary, they taste even better when made on the grill. Our three-ingredient version simply calls for roasting a marshmallow over the grill, then sandwiching the charred treat between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate. We also feature a recipe for another childhood staple in this collection: the banana split. The only difference is the bananas are grilled until they're perfectly caramelized—what better way to elevate a humble scoop of ice cream?

Use your grill in unexpected ways this summer by trying out our incredible recipes for grilled desserts.

01 of 11

Toasted Marshmallow, Charred Bread, and Banana Sticks with Chocolate Fondue

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Tara Donne

Kebabs are given a sweet spin in this dessert; sliced bananas, marshmallows, and bread are threaded onto skewers and grilled until nicely charred. Go double duty and make the fondue on the grill as well by warming heavy cream in a heat-resistant dish on the grates, then add in chopped chocolate and stir until melted.

02 of 11

Grilled Peaches

grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream
Linda Xiao

Looking for new ways to enjoy peaches? Grilling the stone fruit releases its juices and caramelizes its sugars until the summer delight's natural sweetness is on full display. Serve as is, or top with a scoop of ice cream and crumbled cookies for a dessert that combines a mix of textures and flavors.

03 of 11

Grilled Pound Cake with Peaches and Plums

grilled-pound-cake-202-d112972.jpg
Bryan Gardner

Instead of warming up leftover pound cake in the oven, place it on the grates of your grill. Here, we serve the flame-kissed dessert with grilled, caramelized plums and peaches, but it pairs oh so well with just about any grilled fruit. Finish the dish with our cool ​​yogurt whipped cream topping, made by whisking cream, yogurt, and vanilla together until soft peaks are formed.

04 of 11

Grilled Banana Splits with Hot Fudge and Rum Caramel Sauce

emeril_grilled_banana_split.jpg

Elevate banana splits by sprinkling brown sugar over the banana halves, then grilling them; the sugar helps the fruit caramelize as it grills. Then transfer the fruit to serving plates and load with ice cream, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, peanuts, and other beloved banana split toppings.

05 of 11

Grilled Brioche with Warm Fruit

grilled brioche

The warm and spicy flavor of bourbon enhances the flavor of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in this grilled dessert. The grilled part? The berries are served over slices of buttery grilled brioche bread, and topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

06 of 11

Grilled Plums with Cookies and Ice Cream

grilled plums

Top sweet-tart grilled plums with ice cream and your choice of crumbled cookies—try oatmeal, shortbread, or biscotti—for an ultra-simple summer dessert.

07 of 11

S'mores

homemade marshmallows
Hugh Stewart

This recipe for grilled s'mores is classic and sticks to ingredients you know: marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. Just roast a marshmallow over the grill until it chars and turns a lovely golden brown. Then sandwich the fluffy sweet treat between two graham crackers along with a piece of chocolate. (And repeat!)

08 of 11

Grilled Berry Crisp

berry crisp

Put summer berries to good use with this grilled dessert. We like to use a combination of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Simply sprinkle them with sugar and place them in foil packets. As the fruits cook over the hot grill, their natural sugars and juices are slowly coaxed out. Finish these individual "crisps" by sprinkling a handful of granola on top of each packet for some welcome crunch in this easy dessert.

09 of 11

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet

pineapple sorbet

Grilling tames fresh pineapple's acidity and concentrates its sweetness in this amazingly easy, elegant dessert. We like to toss the fruit in honey and cayenne for a balance of sweet and spicy flavors that only get more intense when the fruit is grilled.

10 of 11

Grilled Vanilla Peaches

grilled peaches

Fresh peaches are cooked in foil packets along with vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon, for this easy grilled dessert. A touch of lemon juice works to balance out the sweetness with a touch of tart flavor. As the fruit's natural sugars and juices are released, a delicious glaze forms on the peaches. Serve them with ice cream, whipped cream, or just enjoy as is.

11 of 11

Grilled Stone Fruit

grilled stone fruit

Gather a mix of nectarines, plums, and peaches for this grilled dessert. All you need to do is slice them in half and pit them. Then brush the cut slides with olive oil and add each piece of stone fruit to your grill, cut side down to cook until juicy and tender. Cut the heat with a dollop of cool and creamy Greek yogurt for a no-sugar-added healthy treat.

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