Did you know that not all desserts are inherently sweet? 

Grilling and smoking fruits, nuts, and spices is a surprisingly simple way to add savory flavors to your sweet seasonal offerings. 

Everyone loves traditional pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving — but this year, why not kick things up a notch and serve something like smoked pumpkin pie with whipped maple cream as the main dessert? 

The smoky aromas from grilling or smoking also go well with other fall flavors like cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

Whether you’re a professional chef or just a passionate home cook, these smoked and grilled Holiday desserts will be sure to impress your guests beyond measure.

Smoked Apple Crisp – best served in a cast iron skillet

Classic apple crisp is a quintessential fall dessert — but a smoked apple crisp takes things to the next level. 

Ingredients:

• Apples
• Cinnamon
• Lemon Juice
• Brown Sugar
• Salt (a pinch)
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/3 of pecans

Instructions:

• Simply slice and core apples (use a variety of apples for best results).
• You can then either grill the apples or smoke them using a smoker.
• Once the apples are done, add them to your classic crisp topping (use a brown sugar crumble for best results). Bake the crisp until the topping is bubbling and the apples are soft.
• Line the apples up around your cast iron pan sprinkle cinnamon and drizzle lemon juice on top.

In a separate bowl:

• Mix together 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2+ tbsp of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• ½ cup of flour
• Melt ½ cup of butter
• Mix with 1/3 cup of pecans
• Mix and stir

• Add to the top of your apples for a perfect crispy crumble
• Let it smoke and cook for 30-45 minutes in the smoker until the top is bubbly and the apples have become cooked.
• Serve it hot with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This is an easy-smoked dessert that will wow your guests.

Grilled Pears with Balsamic and Honey – best served in a cast iron skillet

If you’re looking for a unique dessert that’s both sweet and savory, then you’ve come to the right place. 

This grilled pear dessert is sweet and smoky. 

You can either grill or smoke the pears for this dish, or you can even bake them in the oven. 

Whichever method you choose, you’ll want the pears to be soft and tender when all is said and done.  

Ingredients:

• Butter (unsalted)
• Pears (so the normal hard ones you get from your grocery store)
• Cinnamon
• Balsamic Glaze
• Honey
• *Optional* Vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

• 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter
• Not so-ripe pears
• Put the butter down in your pan
• Slice your pears and toss them in your skillet
• Grill the pears until they caramelize
• Add a few dashes of cinnamon
• Flip them and drizzle of balsamic glaze, roast for 5 more minutes
• Remove pan from grill drizzle with honey and let sit to soak in the goodness.
• Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
• Enjoy!

Smoked Pumpkin Pie

The usual pumpkin pie is delicious, but a smoked pumpkin pie is even better. You’ll want to start this dish a few days in advance, as it takes a lot of time to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Pumpkin puree/ pumpkin meat (from your freshly smoked/grilled pumpkin) approximately 2.5 cups
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• Pie crust

Instructions:

• Roasting your pumpkin in your Grilla.
• Preheat your Grilla to 400°
• Oil the outside of your pumpkin so nothing gets crispy!
• Grill/Smoke for an hour or until pumpkin meat is tender
• Once it’s done, you’ll be able to know from the firmness, remove the skin and seeds; place the pumpkin meat in a food processor with your other ingredients.
• Blend all your ingredients together to get a nice creamy consistency.
• Then add the filling to your crust and toss it back into your grill at a lower setting in the 200’s
• Cook and smoke for 30-45 minutes until middle is firm.
• Enjoy!

Once the pie is done, let it cool and then refrigerate it until serving time. This is an excellent choice for a dessert for the holidays and will be a hit with any crowd.

Smoked Deviled Eggs – for that savory flavor

These are usually a hit at most functions. To get that savory pop in your smoked deviled eggs, you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 12 Large eggs
• Mayo
• Dijon Mustard
• Yellow Mustard
• Pepperoncini
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Paprika
• Toppings (optional)

Tip: don’t try to smoke the eggs with the shell still on. Make sure they are boiled and then you can begin your smoking process.

Instructions:

• Boil your eggs for 10 minutes on high until they are ready. Run them under a cold bath for a minute or two until you can comfortably peel 12 eggs. 
• Put them in a grill safe dish and preheat your Grilla to the lowest setting.
• Smoke your de-shelled eggs for 30 minutes
• Prep your eggs by cutting them in half (this is a delicate process so stay vigilant!)
• Take out the yolks and place them in a separate bowl 
• Keep the boiled egg white as your egg bowl
• Mix in your mustards and dollop’s of mayo and spices
• Season to your liking (usually with garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper) 
• Add your mustard mixture back into your egg bowls
• Add paprika to top it off
• Enjoy!

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies– a classic

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies, the spin on a delicious classic we all know and love. You can’t leave these cookies out for Santa because you are going to want them all to yourself! Thanks to HeyGrillHey!

Smoked Chocolate Chip Cookies

Smoking and grilling are two excellent ways to add savory flavors to your sweet fall desserts. These smoked and grilled desserts will be sure to impress your guests beyond measure.