16 Dessert Recipes That Prove Fall is the Best BBQ Season

16 Dessert Recipes That Prove Fall is the Best BBQ Season

Fall is here, but the outdoor cooking doesn’t have to stop!

Unlike summer’s scorching temperatures, fall’s mild evening weather makes standing in front of a fire more pleasant — not only that, but the best time to purchase a grill is in the fall seasons.

Once September rolls around, you’ll start noticing some great deals and plenty of bargains on all sorts of types of grills — which is great because there is still plenty weeks of good grilling weather ahead.

Grill Deals in The Fall


People get very passionate about grilling, whatever the season. According to a 2017 report from the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, 7 out of 10 American adults own a grill or a smoker.

If you don't fall in these stats yet and are considering making this exciting purchase, it pays to do your research. You can check out our best grill reviews here to under the difference between different types and models.

Don’t wait too long to buy, as stores may clear out the entire grill section to replace with holiday items. You’ll also want to factor in delivery costs for a larger grill if you don’t have a vehicle that can carry it home.

16 BBQ Desserts Ideas


With the holiday season around the corner, we wanted to play around with some savoury BBQ dessert recipes to serve at an evening dinner function.

In the end, though, these recipes are just excuses to get out and grill in the riot of autumn’s color!

All kinds of fruits like apples and pears take well to a little fire and smoke just as those summer meats do. The high heat of your gas and charcoal units will caramelize the natural sugars and intensify their flavors.

From s’ mores hand pies, grilled pineapple with Nutella to pumpkin pie hot off the grill, enjoy fall’s bounty with this collection of comforting and cozy dessert recipes.

1. S’ mores Hand Pies

S’ mores Hand Pies
What you’ll need:
  • One pie crust dough
  • 12 milk chocolate pieces
  • One graham cracker split into four parts
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow cream
  • 40 mini marshmallows
  • One egg white beat
Preparation:


1. Roll out the pie crust dough/cut it into four large circles - about 6 inches each.

2. Place a graham cracker in the center of the dough circle.

3. Add two squares of chocolate and a dollop of marshmallow cream.

4. Stick ten mini marshmallows into the marshmallow cream.

5. Wet the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the s’ mores toppings, pressing it in place. Then, fold up the sides, pressing them in place.

6. Crimp the edges with your fingers/a fork.

7. Brush the whole hand pie with a beaten egg white.

8. Lightly grease the grill grates.

9. Start by grilling the top of s’ mores hand pies for about two minutes over medium heat.

10. Turn the hand pies over and cook the bottoms for about two minutes.

11. Now, move the hand pies to the upper rack to cook for an additional minute in the indirect heat.

12. After removing the pies from the grill, put a dab of marshmallow cream on top of each one.

13. Stick a portion of chocolate in the middle of the marshmallow cream to hold it in place.

2. Grilled Pineapple with Nutella

Grilled Pineapple with Nutella
What you’ll need:
  • Two peeled pineapples, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and core removed
  • 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread
  • Six tablespoons whipping cream
  • Olive oil
  • Three tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts
Preparation:


1. Prepare the outdoor barbecue to medium-high heat.

2. Lightly oil the grill and grill the pineapple slices until heated through and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes per side.

3. While the pineapples are grilling, whisk the mascarpone and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. Then set aside.

4. Mix the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small saucepan, set over low heat, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Move the pineapple slices to a large platter. Drizzle the warm chocolate-hazelnut sauce over.

6. Dollop the mascarpone mixture on top. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.

3. Pumpkin Pie (hot off the grill!)

Pumpkin Pie (hot off the grill!)
What you’ll need:
  • 9-inch frozen pie shell

Filling

  • 1-3/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup evaporated milk
  • Two eggs, beaten
  • One teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation:


1. Preheat your grill to 425F.

2. In a bowl, whip together the pumpkin puree, sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

3. Pour into pie shell.

4. Bake using indirect heat for 15 min with the lid closed.

5. Bring the temperature down to 350F still using indirect medium heat as your method to bake.

6. Bake for an extra 35 minutes or until a knife is inserted into the center of the pie and comes out clean.

7. Let your pie cool on the rack.

8. Once cooled down, top with whipped cream.

4. Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler
What you’ll need:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 cups plus one tablespoon self-rising flour
  • Two cups fresh blackberries
  • 1/4 cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup milk
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preparation:


1. Preheat your grill 450 degrees F.

2. Butter a 1-quart casserole dish/ baking pan.

3. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, one tablespoon of the flour, berries and 1 cup water.

4. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. In a medium bowl, cut the butter into the remaining 2 cups flour. Stir in the milk to make a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

6. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and pat into a square.

7. Use a rolling pin to roll your dough to 1/2-inch thick and cut it into 2-inch-wide strips.

8. Pour 1 cup of the blackberry mix into the bottom of the pan. Next, arrange half of the dough strips on top of the blackberry mix, placing them close together.

9. Bake until brown, about 12 min, then remove from the oven and pour the remaining berry mixture over the baked strips.

10. Arrange the next layer of dough strips on top and bake until brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

5. Stone Fruit Pouches

Stone Fruit Pouches
What you’ll need:
  • Two cups crushed gingersnaps
  • Four apricots, pit removed and cut into eighths
  • Four plums, pit removed and cut into fourths
  • Four tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Two tablespoons plus two teaspoons sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • Four teaspoons lime zest
  • Two limes, juiced
  • Four teaspoons brandy
Preparation:


1. Heat coals of the grill

2. Cut eight 18 by 18-inch squares of aluminum foil.

3. Lay down the double thickness of foil and divide gingersnaps evenly among the four squares.

5. Separate fruit evenly and place on top of gingersnaps — dot with butter.

6. In a small bowl mix, the sugar, salt, and lime zest. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over the fruit, drizzle with juice and brandy and seal packets.

7. Once coals are ash covered, lay the packets over them and cover with the lid of the grill.

8. Remove from the heat and open carefully, as steam inside the packet is very hot.

9. Serve on a plate as is or spoon into shallow bowls and top with ice cream.

6. Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Butter Sauce

Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Butter Sauce
What you’ll need:
  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • Four ripe peaches
  • 1/4 cup candied pecans
  • whipped cream for serving
Preparation:


1. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.

2. Once the butter is browned, take the pan off the heat and carefully pour the bourbon from a distance (it will make the brown butter sputter and foam up)

3. Add the sugar and return the pan to the heat. Stir it and bump the heat up to medium-high. Allow the brown sugar dissolve and the sauce boil for roughly 5 minutes.

4. Begin to heat a grill over medium-high heat.

5. Slice all the peaches in half/remove the pits.

6. Place the peaches, cut side down, into the sauce for 30-60 seconds.

7. Move the peaches to the grill, grill them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they begin to caramelize and soften.

8. You may now serve the peaches with whipped cream on the side, drizzled with the Bourbon Brown Butter Sauce and a sprinkle of pecans.

7. Maple Bacon Donuts

Maple Bacon Donuts
What you’ll need:
  • 1 dozen glazed yeast doughnuts
  • 8 strips bacon
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple or pancake syrup
  • 2 tsp maple flavoring
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
Preparation:


1. Start your grill on smoke with the lid open for 4-5 minutes to build a fire.

2. Close the lid /turn the temperature to high — Preheat for 10-15 min.

3. In a medium saucepan, mix powdered sugar, syrup/maple flavoring. Cook on the stovetop (medium-high) until the mix comes to a gradual boil. Stirring often, for 3-5 min.

4. Turn the heat to low/stir in the heavy cream. Add more powdered sugar or cream to reach your desired texture.

5. Now, Lay the bacon strips directly on the grill grate — grill for 5-7 minutes per side (until crisp).

6. Remove to a plate and crumble when cool.

7. Next, place the doughnuts directly on the grill grate. Don’t clean the grate yet - the grease on the grill grate will help keep the doughnuts from sticking.

8. Grill for 3-5 min/per side, until the glaze is bubbly and there are grill marks on the doughnuts.

9. Move your hot doughnuts to a serving platter. Pour the glaze directly on top. Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and serve!

8. Grilled Orange Cupcake

Grilled Orange Cupcake
What you’ll need:
  • A bag of 10 seedless navel oranges.
  • Vanilla Cupcake batter
  • A cupcake tin or some foil
Preparation:


1. Cut the oranges in half/scoop out the insides.

2. Fill the orange halves with 3/4 full of cupcake batter.

3. Put the oranges in foil directly on the wood or coal or set the oranges in a cupcake tray on the grill.

4. Monitor the cupcakes closely. You can rotate the tray or the cupcakes for even heating.

5. Your cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out dry. (roughly 10 min)

9. Grilled Blueberry Lemon Pie

Grilled Blueberry Lemon Pie
What you’ll need:
  • One box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts (softened as directed on box)
  • One can of blueberry pie filling
  • One cup of fresh blueberries
  • Lemon zest
  • Three tablespoons sugar
  • Two tablespoons vegetable oil
Preparation:


1. Heat grill to 375° - 400°.

2. Add the oil to a large cast-iron skillet and use a brush to coat the inside of the skillet with oil thoroughly.

3. Line the skillet with one pie crust.

4. Mix pie filling, fresh blueberries and lemon zest, and mix well.

5. Pour in the pie filling/spread out. Fold crust over the filling.

6. Use three star-shaped cookie cutters, in different sizes to make two large stars, two medium-sized stars and two small stars. Lay on top of the pie.

7. Brush the outer crust with additional oil and sprinkle with sugar.

8. Grill for 15 - 20 min, or until the crust has browned.

9. Serve with vanilla ice cream/freshly whipped cream.

10. Grilled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grilled Chocolate Chip Cookies
What you’ll need:
  • Your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough
  • Tinfoil
Preparation:


1. Have your grill working at medium heat. (325°F-375°F)

2. Have a piece of foil ready.

3. Lay the foil on a cutting board to help transfer to grill.

4. Shape the dough into golf ball size rounds using hands or a scoop.

5. Now place the dough balls on foil, leaving 2 inches between cookies and flatten partially with your palm.

6. Transfer foil to an indirect grill area, close grill and bake for about 8- 10 minutes or until golden brown.

7. When your cookies are finished, grab the edge of the foil and slide it back onto the cutting board, then transfer foil to a cooling rack.

Cookies are ready to eat!

11. Baked Apples on the Grill

Baked Apples on the Grill
What you’ll need:
  • Four medium tart apples, cored
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation:


1. Lay each apple on a piece of heavy-duty foil

2. Mix the ingredients and spoon them into the center of apples.

3. Fold foil over apples and seal.

4. Grill (covered) over medium heat for 20-25 min or until the apples are tender.

5. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

12. Grilled Banana Boats

Grilled Banana Boats
What you’ll need:
  • Four ripe yellow bananas
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Preparation:


1. In the peel, slice a banana lengthwise, being careful not to slice through the banana.

2. Pry open sliced pocket and stuff with 1/4 of the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Top with 1/4 of the marshmallows. Repeat with the remaining three bananas.

3. Light one chimney 2/3 full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate.

4. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.

5. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place bananas on the cool side of the grill, cover, and cook until bananas have entirely softened and peels have blackened - about 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Remove from grill, let cool for 5 minutes, then eat with a spoon.

13. Grilled Dessert Nachos

Grilled Dessert Nachos
What you’ll need:
  • Oil for frying
  • Eight flour tortillas
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • One tablespoon cinnamon
  • One cup of caramel sauce
  • Six ounces chocolate chips – bittersweet, milk, dark, semi-sweet or a combination
  • Six ounces white chocolate grated
  • ½ cup of heavy cream
  • One cup of chopped pecans
  • One disposable aluminum pan with holes poked in the sides for airflow
Preparation:


1. Cut the tortillas into eight wedges each.

2. Add the oil to a deep pan until it reaches about 3 inches.

3. Heat to 375F – and fry the wedges in the oil until crispy and golden.

4. Turn the tortillas over from time to time while frying so that they cook evenly.

5. Drain on paper towels.

6. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a sack.

7. Shake the warm tortillas in the sack until covered with the mixture.

8. Place the tortillas in the aluminum pan.

9. Add the chocolate chips/caramel sauce and then sprinkle with the pecans.

10. Grate white chocolate over the top.

11. Place the pan on the grill (medium heat).

12. Close the grill cover and cook until chocolate is melted, checking it every 3-4 minutes.

14. Pears on the Grill

Pears on the Grill
What you’ll need:
  • Four whole pears
  • One tablespoon of canola oil
  • Two tablespoons brown sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:


1. Cut your pears in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

2. Drizzle the pear halves with oil/use a pastry brush to spread it over the pear flesh.

3. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill to be medium-hot heat.

4. Place the pears (cut side down) on the grill. Cover/cook until they’re grill-marked, heated through and tender, about 10 min.

5. Serve the grilled pears hot with whipped cream.

15. Grilled Cranberry Pear Crumble

Grilled Cranberry Pear Crumble
What you’ll need:
  • Three medium ripe pears, sliced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Two tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • One tablespoon butter

Topping:

  • Two tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • One cup of granola without raisins
Preparation:


1. Toss pears and cranberries with sugar, flour and cinnamon.

2. Place one tablespoon of butter in a cast-iron skillet.

3. Place on grill rack over medium heat until the butter has melted.

4. Now, stir in the fruit and grill, covered, until pears are tender, 15-20 min, stirring occasionally.

5. For the topping, mix melted butter and cinnamon - toss with granola.

6. Sprinkle over pears. Grill, covered, 5 minutes. Serve warm.

16. Carrot Cake on the Grill

Carrot Cake on the Grill
What you’ll need:
  • 1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
  • Two tsp of baking powder
  • One tsp of baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temp
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 3 cups grated carrot
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
  • 2 Packages of cream cheese, room temperature
  • Four eggs
  • Two cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Three cups of sugar icing
Preparation:


1. Preheat your grill to 350F.

2. Line the bottom of two, 9-inch cake pans, with parchment paper.

3. Spray the sides with cooking spray. Set aside for now.

4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt.

5. In a small bowl, mix oil, eggs, sugars, and applesauce and whisk together. Add carrots and stir until well combined.

6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until combined but careful not to over mix.

7. Evenly pour the batter between the two cake pans. Bake for about 35 min in your grill, rotating the cake pans halfway between the cook.

8. Remove after you have inserted a toothpick in the middle of the cake and comes out clean.

8. As the cake cools down, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. Now, add the butter and icing sugar and mix until thoroughly blended.

9. On a plate/cake stand, place one half of the cake and top with a good layer of cream cheese frosting.

10. Place the 2nd half on top and cover with the remaining frosting.

11. Top with pecans 

That’s a Wrap!


Well, that's a wrap!  We really hope you enjoyed this collection of comforting and cozy bbq dessert recipes.

As we've learned in this article, summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean you have to put the grill away.

With the slight chill in the evening air, there’s even more reason to warm up by the cooking fire. Not to mention all the big savings on barbecue equipment the fall season brings. 

So, bring that joy of outdoor cooking and family gatherings into the autumn season and enjoy every day of autumn grilling as much as you did summer grilling 🙂

Thanks, and until next time Fire Food Chefs!


Sources

About the Author William Clay

William Clay is a BBQ enthusiast dedicated to sharing his grilling (and overall cooking) expertise with FireFoodChef's readers.