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Grilled S’mores Donuts: The Easiest Grilled Dessert Ever

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Grilled marshmallow filled donuts with chocolate sauce

Grilled Donuts? Sounds Wacky But Tastes Amazing!

Warm, freshly made donuts are one of the extravagances of modern life. But when donuts cool, they get stiff, dull, and not nearly as charming. Here’s a simple way to re-warm and refresh a glazed donut and improve it with a brief trip to the grill. Plus, when grilled, the sugar on glazed donuts melts and caramelizes, deepening the flavor.

And when the caramelized glaze cools, it forms a crackingly crisp crust like the top of crème brulee. With just a quick trip to the grill, you can create a donut with a crisp sweet crust, and a soft, warm, puffy interior. Fill the donut with melted marshmallows and dunk it into creamy chocolate sauce and you’ve reached dessert nirvana. Let’s have s’more!

This recipe is adapted with permission from Williams-Sonoma Grill School by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim. This book features more than 100 easy recipes and 30 essential lessons for cooking on fire.

Williams Sonoma Grill School book cover
Williams Sonoma Grill School book cover

Grilled S'mores Donuts Recipe


Grilled marshmallow filled donuts with chocolate sauce
Tried this recipe?Tell others what you thought of it and give it a star rating below.
2.55 from 31 votes
Who knew grilled dessert could be so easy? And so delicious! We guarantee that you'll be left wanting s'more.
Serve with: hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.

Course:
Dessert
,
Side Dish
,
Snack
Cuisine:
American

Makes:

Servings: 6 servings

Takes:

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
  • 8 marshmallows or 32 mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 glazed donuts
  • Cooking spray
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Fire up. Heat your grill for medium-low direct heat. You don't want the grill too hot or the sugar on the donuts will burn.
  • Make the chocolate sauce. In a large, heavy saucepan, stir together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and salt. Add the half-and-half and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Place over medium heat, on your grill's side burner if you have one (or inside on your stovetop), and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until lightly thickened and very smooth, about 2 minutes. Keep warm.
  • Melt the marshmallows. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and marshmallows over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat.
  • Prep the donuts. Cut the donuts in half through the side like bagels. Sandwich a heaping spoonful of the marshmallow goo between the halves of each doughnut. Coat the doughnuts on both sides with cooking spray.
  • Grill the donuts. Put the donuts on the grate and cook, turning and rotating a few times, until they are browned but not burned, about 40 seconds per side. The sugar glaze should melt and caramelize.
  • Serve. Transfer the donuts to plates, and serve with the chocolate sauce for dunking.

Published On: 10/3/2019 Last Modified: 9/7/2023

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  • Dave Joachim, AmazingRibs.com Contributing Author - Editor of AmazingRibs.com, David Joachim has authored, edited, or collaborated on more than 45 cookbooks, four of them on barbecue and grilling, and his Food Science column has appeared in "Fine Cooking" magazine since 2011. He’s a perfect match for a website dedicated to the “Science of Barbecue and Grilling.”

 

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