Elevate Banana Pudding By Firing Up The Grill

Next time you're whipping up a classic banana pudding recipe, try bringing some new flavors to this old-school favorite. Grilling bananas before adding them to your recipes can invite a delightful smoky depth to your dessert, and the caramelization of the bananas you've fired up on your grill can offer a deliciously sweet element that plays well with crispy cookies, vanilla, and pudding.

If you haven't already experimented with cooking bananas on the grill, you're in for a real treat. Be sure to choose firm bananas so the texture of the fruit will hold up when placed over heat to set yourself up for putting together an unforgettable banana pudding recipe. Keep the bananas in their peel, slice the fruit lengthwise, and brush the exposed area with butter. As natural sugars begin to caramelize, the fruit will soften. Once the bananas have cooked, let them cool on a plate before assembling your final dessert.

Since banana pudding recipes require only a handful of ingredients to prepare, grilled bananas can make a significant difference in the taste of the overall dessert. Before serving you can enhance your banana pudding presentations — and punch up the flavor even more — with drizzles of chocolate or caramel, sprinkles of cookie crumbs, and dashes of cinnamon and ginger. For a final garnish, add an extra element of chewiness with shredded pieces of coconut or peanut butter chips. 

Once you've tried banana pudding made with grilled bananas, you may be looking for other recipes to use this delicious and smoky sweet fruit — fluffy pancakes, classic banana muffins, and mango banana smoothies can all be perfect places to start. Smoked and grilled bananas can also be served with ice cream or yogurt or be used to top toasted and buttered bread for an afternoon snack.