August 16, 2025, 10:05 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Sweet Trend from the Grill
Pizza and campfire bread are already familiar from the grill, and stir-fried vegetables are nothing new. It’s hardly surprising that desserts are increasingly finding their way onto the grill. Many classics can be creatively reimagined, with the traditional grilled banana facing new competition.
“Ice cream from the grill is a great dessert and much easier to make than you think,” says Volker Elm, former president of the German Barbecue Association. What initially seems like a contradiction becomes a sophisticated addition to the grill menu with the right know-how.
The Trick with the Coating
Of course, ice cream melts in heat, but this can be prevented: “The ice cream is surrounded by a protective coating—such as meringue, puff pastry, or sponge cake,” recommends Heike Kreutz in the newsletter of the Federal Center for Nutrition on the topic of desserts from the grill. Elm prefers meringue: “It’s quick, easy, and always gets compliments.”
The process is simple: First, scoop the desired ice cream into balls and freeze them for several hours. The harder the ice cream, the better it withstands the heat. For visual contrast, colorful fruit ice cream or chocolate ice cream is recommended, as it stands out against the light meringue.
The grill should be preheated to at least 200 degrees Celsius with the lid closed. The higher the temperature, the better. The dessert is grilled using indirect heat. On a charcoal grill, this means placing the coals on one side only. On a gas grill, simply turn off the flames on one side.
Shortly before grilling, prepare the meringue: Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt, powdered sugar, and lemon zest in a grease-free glass or metal bowl until stiff. The meringue is firm enough when you can turn the bowl upside down without it falling out. Plan for one to two egg whites per serving.
How to Make the Ice Cream Grill-Ready
Once the grill is hot, take an ice cream ball from the freezer and place it on a base. Shortcrust pastry tartlets or Belgian waffles provide the necessary stability and desired crunch. Elm likes to spread them with a bit of jam or top them with fruit before positioning the balls. “Then the ball doesn’t slip when coating, and it tastes good too.”
Using a spoon, cover the ice cream all around with about a centimeter of meringue. The ball should be completely and tightly covered. If desired, use a star-shaped piping nozzle to add decorative accents that brown nicely when grilled.
Then place the whole thing in the indirect area of the grill—it’s important that the bottom doesn’t burn. After three to seven minutes, the dessert is ready when the meringue is golden brown. Whether charcoal or gas grill doesn’t matter, as long as the grill has a lid. “That’s the standard today,” says Elm.
If you have a pizza oven with 300 to 400 degrees, you can prepare the dessert in just a few seconds.
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Varied Refinement Ideas
The grilled dessert can be individually enhanced: Nut pieces go well with nut ice cream and add extra crunch. Kids love sprinkles that bake onto the meringue while grilling. For adults, a sophisticated version with a splash of liqueur or whiskey in the meringue is recommended. Particularly original: cooked-down Aperol added to the meringue.
Another creative idea: Fill homemade Aperol or orange ice cream into a hollowed-out orange peel and cover with the flavored meringue—the hot-cold interpretation of a summer drink.
Dare to Surprise: Sweet Meets Savory
Elm adds excitement to the plate with a sweet-savory variant. He combines dark chocolate ice cream with caramelized bacon: The frozen ball is placed on a tartlet, coated with meringue, and sprinkled with so-called bacon candy pieces.
For this, the bacon is fried crispy and caramelized with brown sugar, then cooled and chopped. To serve, drizzle balsamic cream over the dessert. A strong espresso or ristretto completes the experience.
“Guests are initially a bit skeptical, then totally thrilled,” says Elm. And that’s not surprising when so many contrasts merge: cold ice cream meets warm meringue, fluffy coating meets crispy base, sweet chocolate meets savory bacon. The result: a true explosion of flavors.
Important at the end: The dessert should be served immediately, as once cut, the ice cream melts quickly in summer temperatures.
With material from dpa