Summer Entertaining – Grilled Pineapple Dessert
I’ve mentioned that dessert is often an afterthought to a dinner party in our house. If someone asks what they can bring, I will quite often request dessert. But when friends come over and hubby is grilling, this light and delicious Grilled Pineapple Dessert is the first thing on our menu. It’s the perfect ending to a cook-out.
This recipe is fast and easy, but to make it even easier when you have guests, you can do most of it in advance. Simply core and slice the pineapple, toast the coconut and macadamia nuts, and whip the cream before everyone arrives, even a day ahead. Then all you have to do is grill the pineapple when you’re ready for dessert. It couldn’t be easier!
Toast the Coconut and Macadamia Nuts
Grill Pineapple on Grill or on the Stove
Make Whipped Cream
Grilled Pineapple Desert
Ingredients
- 1 Pineapple Fresh, cut into wedges or rings
- 4 tsp Coconut (unsweetened) Shredded and toasted
- 4 tsp Macadamia Nuts Chopped and toasted
- 1 cup Whipped Cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla very good quality
Instructions
Toasting Coconut and Macadamia Nuts
- On the stove top, preheat a skillet to medium high heat
- Add the coconut and stir constantly, until golden brown. You may see some edges of the coconut get a bit dark, that's ok; just don't burn it. The sugars will burn quickly if you don't keep an eye on it.
- Remove the coconut to cool
- Add the chopped macadamia nuts to the skillet
- Stir often until lightly browned
- Remove from skillet to cool
Grilled Pineapple
- Core the pineapple to cut into rings using a pineapple corer tool. You can also use a good knife to peel and cut the pineapple into slabs as shown in the photo. This can be done a day ahead, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat the grill to medium high
- Clean grill grates (you don't want the dinner meat/spices to flavor your pineapple desert)
- Lay the pineapple pieces in a single layer
- Grill just a minute or two per side, long enough to get the black grill marks.This will bring out the natural sweetness of the pineapple
Whipped Cream
- We always make our own whipped cream. We like it very lightly sweetened, and without preservatives. It's so easy to whip up with a hand mixer. Add a scant teaspoon of sugar and a splash of vanilla to one cup of cream. Then beat it with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Rather than using a hand mixer, we use our handy Isi whipped cream canister. It's great for adding whipped cream at the table, and people always enjoy the show.
Finishing Up
- Lay one ring of pineapple on a small desert plate
- Fill the center with whipped cream
- For those who like coconut, sprinkle a small amount of your toasted coconut
- For those who like macadamia nuts, sprinkle a small amount of the toasted macadamia nuts
You can use this basic recipe for any type of fruit. Try summer peaches, and sub out the coconut and macadamia nuts for crumbled pecan pralines. Get creative!
Tricks of the Trade
Here is the handy pineapple tool that my husband loves. In fact, he has a couple of them in different sizes. It makes fast work of coring and cutting a pineapple into rings. Simply click on the picture to check it out on Amazon. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I never recommend something I don’t love or use myself!
We L-O-V-E our Isi Pro Whipped Cream Canister. It almost lives in our refrigerator. We’ve had the same one for years with regular use, so don’t let the price scare you. You’ll be able to make and store fresh whipped cream with much less sugar! I’ve given it as gifts, too. It’s always a hit!
Give it a try!
Living in the West, we get to entertain outdoors for much of the year. In fact, we can grill year-round. If you love to have guests over in the summer, start the party with these Summer Citrus Cocktails, then end with this yummy fresh pineapple dessert. You’ll be glad you did!
