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By Steve Nestor
Do you ever grill dessert? I do it all the time, and one of my favorites is grilled pineapple. The outside of the pineapple becomes charred, and the edges get crusty while the inside remains cool and sweet. I thought using a griddle would create a better sear since the entire slice of pineapple is in contact with the griddle. I used the drop-in griddle for the Wildfire gas grill for this pineapple dessert.

Why Pineapple Works So Well on the Griddle
Here is how it all came together. I placed the griddle in the Wildfire gas grill and heated it to high. I prepared all my ingredients while the griddle was heating up. I cored and sliced the pineapple. I sliced the outside of the pineapple into rings to use for serving.
Next, I placed two cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and two cloves in a spice grinder and finely ground all the ingredients. Then I mixed the ground spices with freshly grated nutmeg and brown sugar. I placed the spice mixture in a baking dish. I brought all the ingredients to the grill.
Creating the Brown Sugar Spice Crust
Once I coated each pineapple slice in the brown sugar spice mixture, I put each one directly on the griddle. I do not recommend adding the brown sugar mixture to all the pineapple slices in the kitchen and then heading out to the griddle. The brown sugar mixture will start to mix with the juices of the pineapple and get watery, which will impede the searing of the pineapple.
The pineapple slices were placed on the griddle and seared for two minutes. I then flipped the pineapple slices, and they seared for another two minutes. Once the pineapple slices were seared on both sides, I placed them on a wire rack over a sheet pan.

Photo Credit: Steve Nestor
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Serving the Griddled Pineapple
To serve the seared pineapple, I placed a pineapple ring on a plate and then scooped in vanilla ice cream. I sprinkled more of the spice rub over the ice cream. I then topped the ice cream with seared pineapple slices and garnished with fresh mint.

Photo Credit: Steve Nestor
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The cold and smooth ice cream contrasts with the hot and crusty pineapple. The high heat of the Wildfire drop-in griddle and the brown sugar spice mixture created a flavorful crust on the pineapple. The mint provides freshness and relief from the sweetness of the ice cream and the pineapple.
Ingredients
- Pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Allspice berries
- 2 whole cloves
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
- Fresh mint, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the drop-in griddle in the gas grill and preheat it to high.
- Core and slice the pineapple. If desired, reserve rings from the outside of the pineapple for serving.
- Place the cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and cloves in a spice grinder and grind finely. Combine the ground spices with freshly grated nutmeg and brown sugar in a baking dish.
- Bring the pineapple and spice mixture to the grill. Working one slice at a time, coat the pineapple in the brown sugar spice mixture immediately before placing it on the hot griddle. Do not coat all the slices ahead of time; the brown sugar will mix with the pineapple juices and become watery, which can interfere with searing.
- Griddle the pineapple for about 2 minutes. Flip and sear for another 2 minutes, or until both sides are browned and crusty.
- Transfer the pineapple to a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
- To serve, place a pineapple ring on each plate and add vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with additional spice mixture, top with the warm griddled pineapple, and garnish with fresh mint. Serve immediately.
A big thank you to Wildfire Outdoor Living for sponsoring this cook.
Wildfire Outdoor Living is an Arizona-based company specializing in high-performance gas grills and premium outdoor kitchen solutions. Wildfire brings a commitment to cutting-edge technology and industry-leading innovation. Their 304 stainless steel design and illuminated LED knobs, cast stainless steel burners, and laser-cut stainless steel cooking grates create products that will provide peak performance. They also allow you to customize your outdoor kitchen with designer finish knobs and handles to meet the growing demand for designer outdoor kitchens.
The drop-in griddle will turn your Wildfire gas grill into a full-fledged kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can enjoy pancakes and bacon for breakfast, smash burgers for lunch, or stir-fry for dinner, all on the drop-in griddle.
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