Now that summer is upon us so many are enjoying outdoor gatherings and cranking up the grill. Of course you’ve got your usual menu of all the grilled meats and often times veggies too. However, have you ever grilled your dessert? There are so many fruits that are great on the grill. Grill peaches and top with low fat yogurt or ice cream. Grill pineapple rings and top with balsamic glaze. The options are endless.
Grilling fruit brings out the natural sugars in them and caramelizes it making them seems even sweeter.
I thought since talking about the traditional summertime grilling parties, I give us a slightly different take on a traditional dessert that we’ve all enjoyed since childhood.
Here’s my take on deconstructing the usual banana split and keeping it healthy.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 Strawberries
- 1 cup Pineapple chunks (enough for 2 chunks per skewer)
- 2 Bananas cut into thick 1” slices (approx. 3 slices per skewer)
- 1 TB Honey or Sugar Free Maple Syrup
- 1/2 TB Melted Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate (80%+) Squares
- 1/4 cup Peanuts, (or other nuts) chopped
- 4 Wooden Skewers, soaked in water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk honey and oil in a bowl.
- Alternate threading the fruit on to wooden skewers and place on a plate.
- Brush the honey/oil on the skewers.
- Grill on medium-low until the fruit has heated through and grill marks appear. Some like to char it more but be careful not to allow the fruit to get mushy on the grill. Remove and place back on the plate.
- In another bowl, melt chocolate squares in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until all melted.
- Drizzle chocolate over fruit and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
**If you don’t want to grill them another option is to skip step 4 and place all in the freezer for a completely different sweet summer treat.