Grilled fruit delights for Memorial Day weekend
As we celebrate the start of summer this Memorial Day weekend with family and friends, let’s also take this time to honor the memory of those who have sacrificed for our freedom and served our nation with courage and dedication.
Let’s dust off our grills and fire up the charcoal and shake things up with a twist on the traditional barbecue fare. While we often associate the grill with savory meats and veggies, why not indulge in the sweet side of grilling with desserts featuring grilled fruits?
Why grilled desserts, you ask? Besides the fun factor, there’s something delightful about caramelizing fresh fruit on the grill. It enhances their natural sweetness, making for a practically virtuous indulgence packed with health benefits.
Now, let’s dive into the pièce de résistance: the Grilled Mixed Fruit Sundae. Imagine this: the aroma of caramelized banana, strawberry and pineapple wafting through the air, creamy vanilla ice cream melting in the bowl, topped with homemade caramel sauce.
Grilled Mixed Fruit Sundae
Yield: 6 servings
Total Time: 25 minutes
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar. Divided
- 4 bananas, cut in half lengthweise keeping in peel
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into rings, ¾-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries, tops removed
- A pinch of flaky salt
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Preheat your grill to medium-low heat and wipe the grill grates with oil, or spray with cooking spray. If you’re using bamboo skewers, soak them in water at least 30 minutes before use. Alternatively, you can use a grill basket for all the fruit.
In a small bowl, mix warm, melted butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar until sugar dissolves. Brush this mixture onto halved bananas and pineapple rings. In another small bowl mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Dip the strawberries in the balsamic and brown sugar mixture. Place the strawberries on skewers.
Grill the bananas and pineapple rings for about 3 minutes on each side, or until grill marks develop.
Remove them from the grill and set aside, keeping them warm. Then put the strawberry skewers on the grill, cooking for about 2 minutes on each side until hot and slightly tender.
To assemble the sundaes: Remove the peel from the bananas, roughly chop then divide all the grilled fruit between 6 to 8 sundae cups. To take this over the top, add a little sprinkle of salt to intensify the complex flavors of the caramelized sugars. Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with syrup, and a sprinkle of chopped nuts and coconut, if desired.
As we celebrate the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend, let’s embrace both abundant joy and sweet remembrance.
Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime -- Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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