10 simple summer desserts you can make on a grill

"Made with a custard base, bread cubes, and a swirl of dulce de leche, this warm dessert tastes wonderful when made on a hot grill," Jessica Scott, executive pastry chef at Puesto in San Diego, told INSIDER. Scott said bread cubes, dulce de leche, and whipped cream can be easily found at your local grocery store.

To make the dessert, she recommends preparing the custard base and mangos (sliced, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and charred on the grill) ahead of time. To serve this decadent bread pudding dessert, Scott suggested making individual foil packets of bread pudding topped with your charred mango and whipped cream.

"The ingredients are simple, and the batter can be made ahead of time and thrown in a fridge (or cooler) until you’re ready to fire up the grill," Ann Kirk, executive pastry chef at Little Dom's in Los Angeles, told INSIDER.

Summer fruits (think strawberries) pair well with your olive oil cake.

"I love to make grilled strawberry shortcake skewers with angel food cake and strawberries," Zach Sass, executive sous chef at Nashville Underground, told INSIDER.

To make this dessert, Sass recommended brushing store-bought angel food cake with some strawberry jam and putting it on the grill for a few minutes. This will help the jam caramelize, and give the cake more flavor, he said. Once you take your skewers off the grill, feel free to add whipped cream and serve.

"Take a store-bought pound cake and cut it into slices," advised Stowe Mountain Lodge executive chef, Sean Blomgren. Once your slices have been cut, Blomgren recommended throwing them on the grill until hot. To serve, he advised pairing your pound cake with macerated summer berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

"Grilled flatbreads are lovely," culinary influencer John Kanell told INSIDER.  

All you have to do is grill the bread (use pre-baked flatbread, pizza crust, or plain naan) and then smear sweetened mascarpone on top of it with your favorite fruits, he said.

"Pre-made pizza dough is easy to work with and cooks quickly on the grill," chef Jen Yee, executive pastry chef for Resurgens Hospitality Group told INSIDER.

The best part about grilling pizza dough is that you can get creative, she said, as you can add fun toppings like nuts, cookie butter, and marshmallows on top of your dough. To make your dessert, Yee suggested sliding your DIY dessert pizza on the grill and covering it for a few minutes until the dough is cooked and the toppings goo together.

"If you have access to sugarcane stalks, throw those on the grill just like you would corn on the cob," said Yee.

Once cooled slightly, you can squeeze the warm cane syrup over anything (think fruits, cakes, and ice cream), she advised.

"Using waffle cones, place a combination of your favorite dessert toppings inside, and cook on a hot grill," recommended Kristen Hutton, pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in Las Vegas.

Some combinations include chopped apples and caramel candies, marshmallows, bananas, and Nutella, she said. Once your cone is filled, she advised wrapping the entire cone in foil and placing over your hot grill. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until ingredients have melted.

To make these tasty kabobs, Hutton recommended using seasonal fruits like nectarines, peaches, pineapples, and strawberries. She also suggested soaking your skewers before assembling them with fruit.

Once you’ve assembled your fruit onto the skewers, she advised making a mint glaze composed with orange juice, pineapple juice, lime, and fresh mint, which can then be brushed on top of the fruit. To grill your fruit skewers, Hutton suggested cooking them thoroughly until all sides are seared.

"To make this summertime favorite, all you have to do is take the pit out of your peaches and sprinkle some aged balsamic on top," added Hutton.

Grill your fruit to get those lovely marks and to bring out the sweetness of the peaches, she said. Next, fill the centers with a simple honey-ricotta mixture, she advised. You can also use rum, chopped basil or pistachios as other toppings if you’d like, she concluded.

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