Desserts Recipes

Barbecue Your Dessert! Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Cream

Here on the West Coast, spring is in full swing. I’m loving the longer days and warmer weather. In fact, it won’t be long before the Victoria Day long weekend kicks off barbecue season and the unofficial start of summer. I’m really looking forward to summer this year, even more than usual. Come September, my oldest will be starting kindergarten and my baby will be starting preschool, so this is going to be our time to relax and enjoy lazy days with each other before the next set of big changes comes along.

We have lots of plans for this summer. We want to go camping, go on plenty of picnics at the park, head down to the beach, and get away on a real family vacation. Big plans, right? Let’s start with something easy. How about getting more use out of my barbecue? I’ll tell you a secret – the best part about the barbecue is that it’s hubby’s territory. I’ll prep and marinate the food, but when it comes to the cooking itself and the cleaning of the grill – not me! I really don’t need any more reasons to be pro-barbecue, but if you do, here’s another.

Yep, that right there. After your burgers or steaks or whatever you’re barbecuing this summer, make this sweet, warm grilled pineapple with a dollop of coconut cream for dessert. This is a little taste of summer and the tropics right here!

There’s a wonderful family owned and operated farm market not too far from me. They sell an assortment of their own veggies grown in the fields right behind the store, as well as the usual produce you’d expect to find in a grocery store. That’s where I picked up a pineapple for today’s recipe. Pineapple doesn’t ripen once it’s been picked, so it’s important to pick one that’s already ripe. Why yes, I am sniffing the bottom of that pineapple – that’s the best way to tell! The base of the fruit will smell sweet but not fermented when it’s ready to eat.

Pineapples can seem intimidating to peel and prepare, but they really aren’t. Start by cutting off the top and the bottom with a chef’s knife. Then cut the peel off in strips around the outside, following the contours of the pineapple. Finally, use a smaller paring knife to remove any remaining eyes. You’ll be left with this “cylinder” of delicious, juicy pineapple!

How to peel a pineapple in 3 simple steps.

Once all the skin is off, you can slice it into rings, spears, or chunks. Don’t forget to remove the woody core. Today I sliced my pineapple into rings then cut out the centre with my paring knife.

I whipped up a quick and easy marinade sauce for the fruit: just raw honey, coconut oil, lime juice and cinnamon. Since both raw honey and coconut oil are solid at room temperature, I melted them a little in the microwave to get them liquid before adding the lime juice and cinnamon. I mixed up the ingredients and soaked my pineapple rings for half an hour or so.

Raw honey, coconut oil, lime juice, and cinnamon make this simple and delicious fruit marinade.

Hubs grilled the pineapple on the barbecue on medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes per side, basting the rings with leftover marinade. Love those pretty grill marks!

You can eat grilled pineapple on its own, or with ice cream, or my favourite – with coconut cream! I put a can of full-fat coconut milk in my fridge earlier in the day, and once I was ready to serve the pineapple, I just opened up the can and scooped the solid cream off the top. I put a big dollop in the middle of each pineapple ring. Mmmm. Your mouth will think it’s died and gone to Hawaii.

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Cream

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons raw honey
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Melt honey and coconut oil together. If using microwave, heat in 10 second bursts until liquid.
  • Mix in lime juice and cinnamon.
  • Soak pineapple rings or spears in mixture for about 30 minutes.
  • Grill pineapple over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes per side.
  • Serve with coconut cream.
This post is linked up to some fantastic recipe link parties. Check out my Link Parties page to see where I’m linking up and to find some wonderful blogs and more amazing recipes!

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