Pina Colada BBQ Pineapple – Hot Pineapple with a Boozy Twist

Pina Colada BBQ Pineapple – Pineapple doused with white rum, roasted on the barbecue with cherries and served with whipped coconut cream. Tempted? Free from gluten, dairy, Vegan

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DON’T LOSE THIS RECIPE! PIN IT FOR LATER…

Why BBQ Pineapple?

Do you BBQ Pineapple? If not, it’s time to start. With the summer season and barbecues on ‘go’, it’s the ideal time to experiment. And this is the perfect recipe to get you started.

Am I the only one to think it strange that barbecues are so focussed around meat, fish and their veggie alternatives? Rarely do we consider barbecuing anything sweet, other than the ubiquitous S’mores marshmallows and the occasional banana. Yet firmer fruit is perfect for the flame grill… It makes a wonderfully fresh change and when pineapple takes on a little ‘smoke’ and starts to char at the edges, is when it’s at its best.

But we can do better than that with our BBQ pineapple… can’t we?

The Pina Colada Hot Pineapple dessert

Let’s take the humble pineapple to the next level… Think Pina Colada… Where does that take you? Tropical white sandy beaches? Hot sun? Cooling green coconut palms and sipping heady cocktails with the clear blue, warm ocean gently lapping at your feet?

Yeah okay. I have a vivid and somewhat optimistic imagination. But at GFHQ, we’ve invented an amazing summer alternative to the favourite Caribbean tipple.

Meet our hot boozy Pina Colada BBQ Pineapple. That’s right! A hot pineapple dessert cooked on the barbecue… Thick slices of fresh cut pineapple and seasonal local cherries, marinated in a little coconut water and a large dousing of white rum. Then roasted on a hot barbecue, before being topped with an extra drizzle of the potent stuff and slathered in cold, whipped coconut cream and some dried coconut flakes. Sound tempting?

You don’t find cherries in Pina Colada…

Because some wise guy will point it out, I’ll get in there first… Yes. I know. You don’t get cherries in Pina Colada.

Actually, the cherries weren’t planned in the original recipe. Not long after the idea for BBQ Pineapple hatched in a dark corner of my brain however, our local Kent cherries started appearing for sale at roadsides and orchards. And because they are so delicious, it seemed rather remiss not to throw a few in.

It was a good decision. Their inclusion brings a beautiful blush to the yellow pineapple. And the contrasting texture and flavours give it an extra dimension and start to make it feel more like dessert!

Now add Coconut!

Of course, the other essential ingredient in Pina Colada is coconut. And it is when you dish this dessert up, that the tropical magic truly comes together.

Whilst the intensity of rum can be adjusted to taste by drizzling more or less over the plated fruit, it is the addition of coconut cream that raises the BBQ Pineapple to another level. Soft, creamy, rich and distinctly coconutty, it sits in perfect harmony next to the pineapple and rum to recreate Pina Colada heaven. Yet none of these elements compete for stardom… They all equally share the stage in an interconnected melding of flavours.

Although adding flakes of coconut is an optional extra, they do provide some ‘bite’ and contrast. So if you have any in the larder, be sure to sprinkle them on….

A note about Coconut Cream

If you want a good thick whip, make sure you source coconut milk which has a high concentration of coconut extract and no added guar gum. It’s amazing how much it varies from brand to brand. There can be a difference of anything from about 16% to 82% coconut extract, so read the label with care. The 82% tin comes from Natco. However for convenience, Sainsbury’s own brand weighs in at a healthy 75% extract and produces a fantastic whipped coconut cream.

The other essential to preparing your coconut cream, is to make sure you chill the can over-night or for a few hours. This enables the cream to separate from the coconut liquid. When you open the can, you can then easily pour off the liquid. But make sure you save it for the rum-coconut marinade. Once the thicker coconut cream has been whipped (with a little maple syrup and vanilla), pop it back in the fridge for a while to chill and firm before serving.

Does Pina Colada pineapple contain allergens?

No. Pina Colada pineapple is free from dairy, gluten, nuts, eggs, refined sugar and is vegan. It is free of all of the top 14 allergens as well. Just be aware that if you are throwing on large glugs of rum, it isn’t perhaps as child-friendly as S’mores. I guess you have a choice… Keep it extra boozy and tell the kids it’s all yours… Or make a child-friendly batch without the booze so the kids can share.

Do you need any special equipment to make Pina Colada BBQ pineapple?

There’s nothing special that you need for making my hot pineapple, although you will need a decent whisk to get the coconut cream thick. I still love my K-Mix.

But while we’re on the subject of equipment, I want to share my love of our amazing Cobb Barbecue. If you have never seen one before, check them out. They aren’t that big, but they heat up incredibly quick and burn for long enough to cook a huge family barbecue. Best of all though, they are light and completely portable (which means you can take it to the beach…). And the sides stay cold enough to put the whole thing on the table to cook as you eat.

Just to be clear however… No-one has asked, sponsored or paid me to sing the Cobb’s praises… We just genuinely love it and thought you might want to know about it too!

Ready to make BBQ Pineapple?

So if you are ready to make my hot BBQ Pineapple, you’ll find the recipe below. I admit there is a little more work to preparing it than roasting a marshmallow over hot coals and squelching between two (gluten free) chocolate biscuits. However, making Pina Colada pineapple is not difficult to pull off and I can honestly say it is probably the best barbecued dessert I have ever eaten…

Looking for other great gluten free barbecue recipes? Here’s a couple that you can find on Gluten Free Alchemist :

• Halloumi & Sweet Summer Veg BBQ Kebabs
• BBQ Swordfish with Lime, Pistachio & Coriander
• Marinated BBQ Vegetables
• Best Corn on the Cob
• Or check out the offerings from my good free-from blogger friends listed in this post

For lots of other gluten free inspiration, we now have a whole on-line Recipe Book in pictures that you can browse. Why not grab a cuppa and take a look at the 400+ recipes we have shared?

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5 from 2 votes

Pina Colada BBQ Pineapple – Hot Pineapple with a Boozy Twist

Pina Colada BBQ Pineapple is an amazing dessert : Pineapple doused with white rum, roasted on the barbecue with cherries and served with whipped coconut cream.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

marinade and minimum chill time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course: Barbecue, Dessert, Sweet Treats

Cuisine: British, Caribbean, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: coconut, pineapple, rum

Servings: 6

Calories per serving: 309.4kcal

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse

Key equipment

• fridge
• Mixing bowls
• electric whisk
• measuring spoons
• spoon
• kitchen foil
• barbecue
• barbecue tongs

Ingredients 

0.33x0.5x0.66x1x1.5x2x

MetricUS Customary

Whipped Coconut Cream

• 400 ml can of coconut milk refrigerate upside-down overnight
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp vanilla powder/paste

BBQ Pineapple

• 1 large fresh pineapple thick-cut
• 300 g fresh cherries de-stoned
• 120 ml Bacardi white rum or more to taste
• handful coconut flakes dried or fresh

Instructions

Whipped Coconut Cream

• Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge upside-down over night or for several hours to chill thoroughly.
• Once chilled, turn the can up the right way and open. Drain the watery liquid (coconut water) into a cup – Set aside DO NOT DISCARD.
• Spoon out the thick coconut cream into a medium-sized bowl and add the maple syrup and vanilla.
• Whisk the cream until thick and then place back in the fridge until ready to serve.

BBQ Pineapple

• Pre-marinade the pineapple and cherries in a bowl for a good couple of hours, with a hefty glug of Bacardi (about 60-80 ml of the suggested amount) and a little of the coconut water.
• When ready to barbecue, drain the pineapple and cherries (reserving the rum-liquid to drink or serve in a glass with the pineapple). Place in a 'basket' made out of foil. Pierce the bottom of the foil with a few small holes.
• Place on a hot barbecue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the pineapple with tongs occasionally.
• Once cooked, place the hot pineapple and cherries in a serving dish and drizzle the rest of the fresh rum over the top.
• Serve with a large spoon of whipped coconut cream and a sprinkle of coconut flakes.

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

This recipe contains alcohol and is therefore only suitable for adults, however you can make a child-friendly version without the rum.

If the weather isn’t right for a barbecue, why not make this dish in the oven?

Nutrition

Calories: 309.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 16.2g | Saturated Fat: 14.1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 458.2mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 25.7g | Vitamin A: 119.5IU | Vitamin C: 77.5mg | Calcium: 40.4mg | Iron: 1.7mg

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© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

Gluten free AND Vegan (or thinking of heading that way?) – check out my post on Gluten Free Vegan – Surviving Veganuary and Beyond