Holy Sweets! Cookout Desserts Recipe Round Up
I don’t know about you, but this week felt waaaaay too short. We didn’t even touch on cobblers and crisps, or strawberry shortcake, or grilled pound cake, or berry pudding trifles! For a sweet tooth like mine, one week could never be enough to share all my favorite cookout desserts. Luckily, this blog doesn’t have an expiration date, so I’ll be sharing lots more grilled and cookout desserts in the coming months. Until then, let’s review.
I believe a good cookout dessert should be easy, should showcase the flavors and feel of the season, and should be able to be enjoyed by a crowd. All the recipes from this week fit the bill. They’re gluten free, showcase summer’s best fruits, and are super easy to make (with maybe a slight exception for the more extravagant Three Layer Coconut Cake–hey, I gotta live a little!). Here’s a recap of this week’s dishes and why I think they’re perfect for summer cookouts.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pretzel Salad– Three layers. Easy to make. Sweet and Salty. Cheeeeeesecake. Plus, if you added some whipped cream and blueberries on top, this would pretty much scream U.S.A.! Perfect for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July.
Grilled Plums with Mascarpone and Honey– Why helllooooo there lovely. This dish is about as easy to make for 10 people as it is for one. Clear a little space on your grill. These plums deserve a prime spot.
Grilled S’more Bananas– Um, s’mores. On your grill. Stuffed in a banana. Need I say more?
Gluten Free Coconut Cake with Fresh Berries, Chocolate Ganache, and Whipped Cream— Ok, ok, so this one isn’t quite as simple to throw together as the previous three, but as far as layer cakes go, this is certainly one of the easiest. Take advantage of all those juicy fresh berries and pile them on some cake (with chocolate…and lots of whipped cream). Summer wouldn’t have it any other way.
Here are some oldies but goodies from the blog! (Can you tell I like summer? And strawberries? And ice cream?) They’re arranged in order from top to bottom, left to right.
Top Row:
Blueberry Cheesecake Brownie Bars– Brownies + Cheesecake = Winning.
Summertime Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting– Starts with a boxed mix. Ends with happy taste buds.
Pistachio Honey Cake with Berries and Cream– A dense subtly sweet and nutty cake with berries and cream. Because if it ends in berries and cream, it’s gotta be good.
Faux Fried Ice Cream– No one will know you cheated.
Chocolate Root Beer Cake Floats– That’s right. Cake in a float. You know you wanna.
2nd Row:
Strawberry Shortcake (Cottage Pudding)- Perhaps my favorite recipe EVER. And yes, whole milk is required.
Vanilla Peach Bundt Cake with Bourbon Peach Syrup– Bourbon and peaches–it’s the gift of summer.
All Grown Up Banana Pudding– What’s a summer gathering without puddin’? And booze?
Frozen Strawberry Fluff– Light as air and easy as pie…literally.
Peaches and Cream Crumble Bars– Because cheesecake and peach pie were meant to be together.
3rd Row:
Peachberry Crumble for 2– Me and crumbles kinda have this thing going on.
Rustic Amaretto Pluot Pie– Ever tried a pluot? This could be your year!!
Strawberries and Cream Icebox Cake– Baking? Ain’t nobody got time for dat!
Oatmeal Rhubarb Crumble Bars (stay tuned for a recipe remix–and better photos!– of these bad boys)
Grilled Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote– Buy cake from store. Grill on grill. Smother in strawberries and rhubarb. Do it.
Pssstt…Don’t forget to come back next week. We’re talking BURGERS!