A thick, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth glazed donut can only last for so long. Technically you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week, but its freshness can start to decline quickly — and for a dessert where the texture is key, you may start to notice your treat going stale after a day or two. But while you may not want to eat a day-old glazed donut as-is, you can turn this pastry into a different (but just as delicious) dessert by grilling it.
By grilling your donuts, you’ll still get all that sweet, sugary goodness — but instead of thick, cakey pastries, you’ll bite down on satisfyingly crunchy treats. You’ll want to start with slightly old donuts here because the somewhat stale texture won’t turn into as much of a crumbly mess on the grill (plus, you won’t want to waste their freshness by cooking them). And once you take them off the coals, you’ll get caramelized sugar on the outside and hot crispy dough on the inside with just a little remaining softness, making these the perfect summer dessert.
How to grill glazed donuts
Before you grill your glazed donuts, it’s crucial you cut them in half. Not only does grilling a whole donut lead to more crumbs, but cutting it in half after cooking can be a whole mess in itself. Then place them on the barbecue, cut side down so that the sugar doesn’t burn, with your device set to medium heat. For extra tastiness, you can spread some butter on the cut side of each half beforehand, although the end result will be plenty rich on its own. Glazed donuts only need a couple of minutes on the grill before they’ll get nice and charred, and you don’t even need to flip them — once the sugar starts looking clear, you can remove your halves and let them cool a little.
Now for the fun part: the toppings. Grilled glazed donut halves make the perfect replacement for cookies in an ice cream sandwich, as the hot, crisp pastries mesh perfectly with cold, smooth ice cream. Feel free to stuff your favorite flavor in the middle, along with some extra toppings like fruit, chocolate or caramel sauce, whipped cream, and chopped nuts. Or, omit the ice cream entirely and make a sandwich with whipped cream and fruit like strawberries or peaches. For a simpler dessert, douse your halves in butter, cinnamon, and sugar, or dip them in your favorite waffle toppings like maple syrup, Nutella, and jam.
