Brown Sugar and Rum Grilled Pineapple is an easy, light, delicious summer treat for adults where fresh fruit pineapple is soaked in rum and vanilla, cooked to perfection on the grill, then dusted with brown sugar and cinnamon. Serve with vanilla ice cream and toasted coconut!

Grilled pineapple in the summer is such a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth, without laboring over a cake or having to use the oven for an hour. This grilled pineapple with rum recipe is ridiculously easy, light, and delicious.
All you need are 5 ingredients – fresh pineapple, rum, vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon, plus optional ice cream and toasted coconut for a more complete dessert. If you need it to be kid-friendly, simply skip soaking the pineapple in rum. Still delish!

Brown Sugar and Rum Grilled Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 whole fresh pineapple
- 1 cup dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 scoops vanilla ice cream , for serving
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut , for serving
Instructions
- Peel and core 1 whole pineapple, then cut into 3/4-thick rings.
- Add 1 cup dark rum and 1 teaspoon vanilla to a shallow container. Add the pineapple rings, toss to coat, and make sure they're submerged in the liquid. Cover and soak the pineapple rings for several hours or overnight.
- After soaking, fully drain and pat dry the pineapple rings.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
- In a flat dish, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
- When your grill is hot, oil the grates or coat generously with cooking spray.
- Grill pineapple for about 3 minutes per side, or until heated through and tender, but not mushy. (Alcohol can flair up over a flame, so be careful!)
- Remove from the grill and dredge both sides of each pineapple ring in the sugar mixture until fully coated.
- Transfer 2 pineapple rings to dessert bowls and top with 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes

How to Pick the Perfect Pineapple
Grilled pineapple is best when using fresh, ripe fruit. Checking for color, smell, and texture of the pineapple will all help in choosing the perfect one. Follow these simple tips to ensure you buy a pineapple that will be juicy and delicious!
- Look at the color – ripe fruit should have a bright and healthy green stem, with a golden exterior.
- Smell it – it should have a sweet, aromatic smell at the base.
- Tug on the fronds – fronds that can easily be pulled out can indicate that a pineapple is ripe.
- Give it a squeeze – it should have a firm shell, but has a little give when squeezed.
- Judge the weight – pineapples that are on the heavy side are usually juicier and sweeter.
How To Cut Pineapple
My preference for grilling pineapple is to slice the fruit into rings. One of my all-time favorite kitchen tools is a pineapple ratcheter, which makes cutting and forming pineapple rings an absolute breeze. But if you don’t have one, a nifty knife always works!
- Trim off both ends of the fruit, then stand the pineapple upright.
- Holding a sharp knife along the outside of the pineapple, shave off the tough, outer skin (trying to preserve as much of the flesh, as possible.)
- Lay the fruit on its side and cut, crosswise, into 3/4-inch thick slices.
- At this point, you can leave the core in or take it out. I’m not a big fan of the core, so I remove it, using a small round corer or tiny cookie cutter.
How to Store Pineapple
Whole, ripe pineapples can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Tip! Rest pineapple on its side, turning it every day, so the juices stay evenly distributed.)
Sliced or cubed pineapple should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and eaten within 3 days, or stored in freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to 4 months without diminished quality.
More Pineapple Dessert Recipes:
- Pineapple Fritter Rings
- Pineapple Upside Down Foil Packets
- Air Fryer Pineapple
- No Bake Pineapple Lush
- Pineapple Dip
- Pineapple Smoothie
I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
