By bryanna | August 16, 2018 | 0
A pellet grill is a magical piece of cooking equipment! It heats up quickly, is relatively hands off, can give a variety of flavors by changing up the type of hardwood pellets, and can be used to cook ANYTHING. Yes, pellet grilling gives amazing results for those low and slow cooks for pulled pork or beef brisket, but can also be used for a quick cook like grilled veggies or the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever had in your life. This is because pellet grills work like a convection oven, allowing your dessert to cook just as quickly (or faster!) than your conventional indoor oven.
By making your entire spread on the pellet grill, from appetizer to dessert, you avoid heating up your house with the oven, an maximize time spent outside with friends and family. You can also minimize the amount of dishes – win-win! With these tips, you’ll impress your guests with a smoked dessert, and you may not have to use your oven again until the snow is too deep to shovel a path to your pellet grill!
Prep ahead of time
Do what you can to get your dessert ready hours before you intend to cook it. You can make a pie early in the morning to bake for dinner, whip up a batch of cookie dough the day before, or prepare your cheesecake pan and crust before guests arrive.
Keep it simple
The star of a pellet grilled dessert is the light smoke flavor, and the way it combines with the chocolate and banana flavors in your Grilled Nanna S’mores,or plays off of the slight caramelization of the Grilled Pound Cake. There is no need to make it any more complicated than necessary, unless you’re a serious baker and really love it! So go ahead and use store bought dough for your pie crust, or a pound cake that you picked up in the freezer section.
Try grilling fruit
Odds are if you are having a rich main course such as Garlic Cream Cheese Stuffed Strip Steak Pinwheels, you will appreciate a light and refreshing dessert. Grilled fruits are amazing – with or without a scoop of ice cream on the side! You can grill them for just a few minutes on each side so they begin to soften, and the natural sugars begin to crystallize along the grill marks. Stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and plums are great for this. Our Smoked Watermelon Recipe is a crowd pleaser for the same reason.
Smoked Watermelon
Find a super sweet watermelon, and cut into small triangles. Keep watermelon at room temperature.
Set grill at 400.
Place on grill, and smoke 5 minutes per side.
Remove watermelon from grill, and drizzle maple syrup lightly over pieces.
Serve!
Follow your favorite recipe
Make what you like! There is no certain type of dessert you can or can’t make on the pellet grill. We are partial to this Smokin Apple Pie recipe. You can use fresh apples, add any seasonal berries such as raspberries or cranberries, or even a little caramel for a twist. If you’re short on time, buy a store-bought pie. There are no rules here!
If you have a favorite cookie, brownie, or cheesecake recipe, you can make it on the pellet grill with little modification. Because a pellet grill functions like a convection oven, you may find that recipes bake a bit faster on the pellet grill than in a conventional oven. So follow your favorite recipe as usual, but begin checking for doneness several minutes sooner than normal. No need for any other modifications.
Use a lighter flavored 100% Hardwood Pellet
Use the right type of pellets to get the flavor you want. Save the big smoke flavors for brisket or ribs – when doing dessert on the pellet grill, you want it to have only a touch of that smoke flavor. Our new 100% Sweet Maple Pellets impart that extra light smoke flavor with a hint of sweet that would pair well with most desserts. Definitely experiment with Perfect Mix or 100% Black Cherry Pellets for stronger flavor on muffins or The Bacon Cookie! A favorite for desserts from pie to grilled fruits is Apple Mash Pellets. There are so many options that will impart a unique flavor to desserts for your next family dinner or party. Try a few combinations, and please let us know what your favorites are! Happy pellet grilling!
FAQs
Set the grill's temperature according to the recipe you're using. The baking time may vary, however, so the dish may need to cook a little longer than the original recipe recommends. It's a good idea to cover your baked goods toward the end of the cook to prevent over-browning.
How do you bake on a pellet grill? ›
Set the grill's temperature according to the recipe you're using. The baking time may vary, however, so the dish may need to cook a little longer than the original recipe recommends. It's a good idea to cover your baked goods toward the end of the cook to prevent over-browning.
What is the first thing I should cook on my pellet grill? ›
Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is the perfect meat to start with when you're new to a pellet grill.
What are the best wood pellets for desserts? ›
Save Sweeter Wood Pellets for Desserts
Forget about using hickory or mesquite. Any of the woods with a hint of sweetness, such as pecan, apple or cherry, will give you a delightfully fresh, light finish.
What desserts can you smoke? ›
When it comes to desserts, smoking can add a subtle, smoky flavor that complements sweet ingredients like chocolate, fruit, and caramel. Some popular smoked desserts include smoked chocolate chip cookies, smoked apple pie, and smoked ice cream.
Can I use my pellet grill like an oven? ›
You probably use your oven to bake all sorts of things, but did you know you can also bake in your pellet grill? These grills can essentially work just like a convection oven. You set the temperature, and the grill does all the work to maintain it. Baking is a perfect example of how versatile pellet grills can be.
Can you put a baking sheet on a pellet grill? ›
You can use cookie or baking sheets inside your Traeger grill. Please leave 1 inch of clearance on each side of the sheet to allow airflow.
What not to do with a pellet grill? ›
9 Common Pellet Grill Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
- Being Impatient. ...
- Not Fully Preheating the Pellet Grill. ...
- Over-Smoking. ...
- Not Taking the Time to Allow Your Meat to Rest. ...
- Not Being Conscious of Which Pellets You Use. ...
- Relying Heavily on Cook Times. ...
- Smoking Meat and Only Meat. ...
- Over-Saucing.
Open-Lid Startup
- When ready to cook, ensure all your internal grill components (heat baffle, drip tray, grill grates) are inside the grill.
- Set your Traeger grill to the SMOKE setting with the lid open. ...
- Wait for the fire to ignite and establish, roughly 5 minutes, give or take.
Use some of the milder wood options. Personally, I have found that fruit woods like apple and cherry work great for dessert smoking. I have also liked the results with alder and maple. Wood like mesquite is really strong and may be too much for dessert smoking.
Pecan Wood Pellets
Many people are surprised to find out that their pellet grill is perfect for making baked goods, and pecan pellets add that special touch. Use pecan wood anytime you want to add a nutty, lightly sweet and spicy flavor to your food.
What are pecan pellets good for? ›
Our expertly crafted, all-natural Pecan pellets burn slow and steady every time. This is the right choice for naturally enhancing your pork, chicken, vegetables, beef, and pork with sweet, spicy, assertive flavor. We've spent years perfecting a premium, balanced blend of hardwoods for trusted performance and flavor.
What is the hardest food to smoke? ›
Brisket is BBQ royalty and one of the hardest and toughest meats to smoke. It takes many hours, dedication and each brisket has a journey and a story to tell.
How to bake in a smoker? ›
10 Tips to Baking in your Vertical Smoker
Run the Smoke Vault on High for 20 minutes before baking to clear out any of the remaining smoke flavor. Bake at the same temperature as you would in your kitchen oven. Preheat the Smoke Vault for about 15 minutes before baking.
What fruits taste good smoked? ›
- Delicious Smoked Pineapple Sundae. ...
- Smoked Pears With Gingerbread Stuffing. ...
- Smoked Peaches with Cinnamon & Sugar. ...
- Smoked Figs & Mascarpone Dessert.
Start the fire in the food smoker: This is the first step and it helps the inner chamber to heat up just like setting an oven on pre-heat mode. Let it reach a minimum temperature level that is similar to the oven. Use wood/wood chips minimally: Keep a close eye on the amount of wood you are using.
Can a Traeger be used as an oven? ›
Combining features of conventional ovens and traditional grills, wood pellet grills can be used to smoke, roast, bake, grill, and sear just about anything.
Can you use foil on a pellet grill? ›
It's especially a problem in pellet grills, which have internal heat and airflow sensors for burning wood pellets that aluminum foil can disrupt.
How to use a Traeger grill as an oven? ›
Tips for Baking on The Traeger
- Position your grill grate a bit higher, if possible. If your grill allows for it, elevate the item you want to bake by using a higher grate position. ...
- Consider reducing time when adapting oven-baked recipes. ...
- Check for doneness on the early side. ...
- Rely on doneness indicators over time.
