Grilled Pineapple

Tender, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness, Grilled Pineapple is the perfect dessert or side dish for all of your summer barbecues!

In the summer, I am a sucker for any dessert revolving around fruit. I love the sweet taste of summer berries and the tropical flavors of mangos, papayas and pineapples… I can’t get enough of fresh fruit! When I learned that you can GRILL fruit, it was a total game changer for me.

Grilled Pineapple is the exact dessert recipe I needed in my life. Sweet pineapple caramelized to perfection on the grill, it’s so simple, yet so delicious. Pair it with my favorite pork tenderloin recipe or some grilled chicken and you’ll have the complete meal that summertime dreams are made of!

GRILLED PINEAPPLE
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Last week I was feeling the dessert blues. I couldn’t look at another brownie or cake, but I wanted something to satisfy my sweet tooth. I can’t be the only one who thinks that sometimes dessert can be just TOO much, right? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good ice cream sundae or warm chocolate chip cookie every once in a while, but sometimes I’m craving sweet without all the heaviness.

Well, say goodbye to the dessert blues because I have the perfect solution for you. Grilled pineapple is the most divine way to indulge your sweet tooth without weighing you down and making you regret your dessert choices! It’s got the most delicious brown sugar coating that caramelizes to perfection when grilled.

This grilled pineapple recipe is so good that I have been known to snack on it while waiting for the rest of my family’s dinner to be cooked (shhh don’t tell my secrets…). I love that it’s so versatile – it can be used as a sweet side dish to your favorite grilled meats OR as the grand finale dessert for a big family meal (we love serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!).

Ingredients

Pineapple – you’re going to want to have a fresh, whole pineapple to make this dessert – no store-bought pre-cut pineapple pieces, they’re too small. So grab that spiky, tropical fruit, and get slicing!

Brown Sugar – the combination of the tangy juice from the pineapple and some caramelized brown sugar is simply to die for. Now give it a quick char on the grill? You’ll be eating grilled pineapple every chance you can get!

How to cut a pineapple for grilling

In my family there’s no wrong way to eat grilled pineapple, but there are definitely are preferred methods. For my kids, classic grilled pineapple rings are the way to go. My husband and I? We like grilled pineapple slices. Whatever way you like it, just make sure you peel your pineapple first!

Start by laying your pineapple flat on a cutting board and chopping off the top and bottom. Then stand up your pineapple, take your knife, and slice off the outside skin. Remove any brown eyes with a paring knife.

For grilled pineapple slices (or spears):

Chop your pineapple into half (vertically) and then in half again (vertically again) so that you have 4 long pieces. Slice off the inner core of each quarter. Next, slice each quarter again so that you end up with thinner pineapple spears. You want them to be about half an inch thick, so if you need to slice again to get that, go ahead!

For grilled pineapple rings:

Lay your pineapple down on a cutting board and cut into half inch rounds. Once all of your rounds are cut, take out the core of each slice using a round cookie cutter.

How to grill pineapple

Whether you’re making a grilled pineapple dessert or simply want a sweet side dish to pair with your barbecue, grilled pineapple is super easy to make. Here’s how:

1. Start by preheating your grill to medium-high heat and lightly coat it with a non-stick spray or oil.
2. In a small bowl, melt the butter.
3. Once it’s melted, add in the brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and salt until combined creating a sauce. Set aside and allow it to slightly thicken.
4. Core and cut your fresh pineapples (see instructions above!!) into your desired shape and then place ir on a plate or platter.
5. Next, brush your pineapple slices with the butter sauce, coating fully, and place them on the grill.
6. Grill and cook the pineapple slices for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Make sure you brush each side with sauce prior to flipping (you want as much of that sugary sauce to seep in as possible!). If you’re going for classic grill marks on your ring slices, make sure you rotate them 45 degrees to get a nice crosshatch pattern!
7. Serve your grilled pineapple slices warm, on their own, or with ice cream.

How long to grill pineapple

I’ve found that there really isn’t much of a difference in grilling time between grilled pineapple slices and grilled pineapple rings. The most important thing is that you keep them all a similar thickness when you’re cutting them. The sweet spot for ultimate grilling perfection is about 2-3 minutes of grill time per side of your grilled pineapple slices.

Need more fruity desserts? Try out some of these other Real Housemoms favorites!

• Easy Bananas Foster Topping
• Instant Pot Peach Cobbler
• Grilled Peaches
• Pina Colada Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Fruit Pizza
• more DESSERT recipes…

Tools used to make Grilled Pineapple

Chef’s Knife: pineapple is a bigger fruit, so you’ll want a larger knife to easily get it peeled and chopped up for grilling!

Pastry Brush: I love this set of silicone brushes. They’re super easy to clean and work perfectly for brushing on that brown sugar sauce onto your grilled pineapple!