10 Backyard Desserts You Can Throw on the Grill

The burgers have disappeared.
The potato salad bowl has been scraped clean.
Everyone's leaning back in their chairs, sipping a cold drink while the conversation drifts from vacation plans to old family stories.
Then someone says the words every backyard host loves to hear.

"Is there dessert?"

Most people immediately head inside and turn on the oven—or worse, pull out a frozen pie from the freezer.
But if your grill is still hot, you're already halfway to making something unforgettable.

One of the best-kept secrets in backyard cooking is that grills aren't just for the main course. The same heat that creates beautiful grill marks on steaks can caramelize fruit, toast cake, melt chocolate, and create desserts with flavors your kitchen simply can't duplicate.

A hint of smoke.
A touch of char.
Warm, bubbling fruit.
Melting ice cream.
It's everything you love about summer wrapped into one sweet ending.

Whether you're hosting a neighborhood cookout, feeding the family on a weeknight, or relaxing around the patio after dinner, these grilled desserts prove that you shouldn't put the lid down after the burgers come off.

​Save a little room.
You're going to need it.

1. Cinnamon Sugar Grilled Peaches

Few desserts are easier—or more elegant.
As peaches grill, their natural sugars caramelize, making them even sweeter while adding a subtle smoky flavor.

Ingredients

• Fresh peaches, halved
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream
• Honey (optional) 

Directions

1. Heat the grill to medium.
2. Brush peaches with melted butter.
3. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Grill cut-side down for 4–5 minutes.
5. Flip and cook another 2–3 minutes.
6. Serve with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey. 

2. Campfire Banana Boats

Every backyard should have one dessert that's just plain fun.
Banana boats have been making campers smile for decades, and they're just as good on the grill.

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Chocolate chips
• Mini marshmallows
• Peanut butter chips (optional)
• Graham cracker crumbs
• Caramel sauce 

Directions

1. Slice bananas lengthwise.
2. Fill with chocolate and marshmallows.
3. Wrap tightly in foil.
4. Grill for 8–10 minutes.
5. Open carefully and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. 

​Messy?
Absolutely.
Worth it?
Every single time.

3. Grilled Strawberry Shortcake

Warm pound cake with cool whipped cream is already fantastic.
Adding the grill makes it even better.

Ingredients

• Pound cake
• Strawberries
• Sugar
• Whipped cream
• Fresh mint 

Directions

1. Toss strawberries with sugar and let them rest.
2. Grill pound cake until lightly toasted.
3. Top with strawberries.
4. Finish with whipped cream and mint. 

4. S'mores Dip Skillet

No sticks.
No campfire.
No chasing marshmallows across the fire pit.
Just gooey chocolate goodness.

Ingredients

• Chocolate bars
• Mini marshmallows
• Graham crackers 

Directions

1. Layer chocolate in a cast-iron skillet.
2. Cover with marshmallows.
3. Grill over indirect heat until golden.
4. Serve immediately with graham crackers. 

You may want two skillets.
One disappears quickly.

5. Grilled Pineapple Sundaes

Fresh pineapple becomes unbelievably sweet over the grill.
Pair it with vanilla ice cream and you'll wonder why you waited this long.

Ingredients

• Pineapple rings
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream
• Toasted coconut
• Pecans
• Caramel sauce 

Directions

1. Brush pineapple with butter.
2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.
3. Grill until caramelized.
4. Serve over ice cream.
5. Top with coconut, pecans, and caramel. 

6. Apple Crisp Foil Packets

Imagine everything you love about apple crisp...
Without turning on the oven.

Ingredients

• Apples
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Butter
• Oats
• Flour
• Chopped pecans 

Directions

1. Slice apples.
2. Toss with cinnamon and brown sugar.
3. Mix butter, oats, flour, and pecans into a crumble.
4. Divide into foil packets.
5. Grill 20–25 minutes.
6. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

The smell alone is worth making these.

7. Chocolate Stuffed Crescent Rolls

These taste like they came from a bakery.
They're unbelievably simple.

Ingredients

• Crescent roll dough
• Chocolate bars or peanut butter cups
• Melted butter
• Cinnamon sugar 

Directions

1. Wrap chocolate inside crescent dough.
2. Brush with butter.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
4. Grill over indirect heat until golden brown.
5. Cool slightly before serving. 

​The melted chocolate center is pure magic.

8. Mixed Berry Cobbler Skillet

Nothing says summer quite like fresh berries.

Ingredients

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Biscuit mix
• Butter      

Directions

1. Toss berries with sugar and cornstarch.
2. Pour into a cast-iron skillet.
3. Add biscuit topping.
4. Grill over indirect heat with the lid closed.
5. Cook until bubbling and golden. 

​Top with vanilla ice cream while it's still warm.

9. Grilled Cinnamon Roll Skewers

Who says cinnamon rolls belong only at breakfast?

Ingredients

• Refrigerated cinnamon rolls
• Butter
• Cinnamon sugar
• Icing 

Directions

1. Cut cinnamon rolls into bite-sized pieces.
2. Thread onto skewers.
3. Grill over medium-low heat until lightly browned.
4. Drizzle generously with icing. 

​Kids absolutely love these.
Adults usually eat more than the kids.

10. Ultimate Grilled Dessert Pizza

This is the grand finale.
A dessert that looks impressive, feeds a crowd, and disappears almost instantly.

Ingredients

• Pizza dough
• Butter
• Nutella
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Mini marshmallows
• Toasted pecans
• Chocolate sauce
• Caramel sauce 

Directions

1. Grill pizza dough until lightly browned.
2. Flip.
3. Spread with Nutella.
4. Add sliced fruit.
5. Sprinkle with marshmallows and pecans.
6. Close the grill until marshmallows soften.
7. Finish with chocolate and caramel drizzle.
8. Slice and serve warm. 

​Be prepared for someone to ask for the recipe.
Probably several people.

A Few Sweet Tips for Grilling Desserts

​Desserts don't need blazing-hot grill grates.
Medium to medium-low heat gives you the best control and helps prevent burning.

A few simple habits make a big difference:

• Clean your grill before making dessert.
• Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
• Use indirect heat whenever melting chocolate.
• Watch sugary foods closely—they caramelize quickly.
• Keep ice cream in the freezer until the last possible minute.
• Have serving bowls and spoons ready before dessert comes off the grill.

The goal is warm dessert—not burnt sugar.

Grilled fruit gets juicy, sticky, and gloriously messy. A solid cutting board makes prep—and the inevitable post-dessert cleanup—a whole lot easier. Check out our favorite cutting board for backyard cooking.

Why Dessert Belongs Outside

One of the best parts of a backyard BBQ is that nobody is in a hurry.
Dinner is over.
The sun is beginning to set.
Kids are chasing each other across the yard.

​The adults have settled into comfortable conversations that somehow bounce between vacation stories, old family memories, and friendly debates about which football team is finally going to win it all this year.

​Nobody wants to disappear into the kitchen for another hour.
Grilled desserts let the evening keep flowing.
You stay outside.
Your guests stay outside.
The grill keeps doing what it does best.

Final Thoughts

​Some of the best memories from a backyard gathering happen after dinner.
It's the laughter around the patio table.
The second scoop of ice cream.
The chocolate on someone's face after digging into a skillet of s'mores dip.
The last slice of dessert pizza that everyone pretends they don't want—until someone grabs it.

Those are the moments that stick with people long after the plates have been cleared.
So the next time you're tempted to shut off the grill after dinner, leave it hot for just a little while longer.
Because the best backyard BBQs don't end when the burgers are gone.
They end with dessert.

Like What You See? There’s More Where That Came From.

Our Grilled Desserts E-Book is packed with sweet, ridiculously good recipes made for the grill.
​🔥 Easy grilled dessert recipes
🍑 Backyard-friendly ingredients
🍫 Plenty of chocolate, fruit & general deliciousness
📱 Download it and keep it handy whenever the grill is hot

Backyard Desserts Download