Five timeless chocolate dessert ideas for your bank holiday barbecue 

Light up your bank holiday barbecue with delectable cacao desserts — courtesy of Hotel Chocolat.

Planning a bank holiday barbecue? Discover the versatility of chocolate in your barbecue desserts. More and more grill devotees are discovering cacao’s unique aromatic, earthy, and complex botanical flavours in their rubs and sauces. But why not transform your desserts with an infusion of sweet smokiness and caramelisation? Being barbecue-ready will be a piece of cake with our chocolate dessert ideas.

Barbecuing harnesses indirect heat for slow and controlled cooking. It’s the ideal way to roast fruits, bake brownies, or create the ultimate S’mores. Imagine infusing a chocolate fondue and toasted marshmallows for a subtle and unique smokiness. The dynamic balance of sweetness and smoke is the fuss-free way to create a delectable barbecue dessert everyone will love. 

What’s the best chocolate for a barbecue?

Are you curious about using chocolate for barbecuing? If you want to know the best chocolate to use, the answer will come as a pleasant surprise. All of them — white, milk, and dark — are star performers when introduced to heat. But don’t be intimidated by barbecuing chocolate because our range of slabs and batons is curated with cooking in mind, ready to take centre stage in your summer desserts.

Our 70% Dark Chocolate Batons are a foolproof choice with their fruity, earthy bitterness and satisfying melt. They pair beautifully with roasted fruit, and a sprinkle of chilli can add a zesty kick to your fresh strawberries and mango. High-cacao chocolate reacts beautifully to a kiss of smokiness, so creating a delectable barbecue dessert is a breeze.

If a classic S’mores is your barbecue dessert of choice, nothing beats the mouthfeel of our 40% Milk Chocolate Slab. With the perfect balance of dairy and cacao, its velvety texture is just the thing paired with crunchy biscuits and melting marshmallows.

White chocolate can be tricky to cook with. But our White Chocolate Batons’ astonishing melt and delicate creaminess make them the perfect foil for the robust barbecue flavours. For instance, a gentle lick of smoke could elevate a white chocolate souffle. And we’ll show you a trick to caramelise our batons to create the best chocolate dip ever later on…

Do you have friends who are living a plant-powered lifestyle? Our 45% Nutmilk Batons are a dairy alternative with finely milled hazelnuts for staggering creaminess. While we can’t guarantee it’s free of milk because it’s made in the same environment as our milk chocolate, we believe it’s suitable for vegans. And it’s gorgeous when melted and drizzled over frozen fruit for a crowd-pleasing twist on a classic.

5 Barbecue dessert ideas  

Looking for a show-stopping finish to round off your barbecue with a twist? Our chocolate dessert recipes and ideas, like a grilled banoffee split or a smoked pavlova, are the perfect sweet ending to your celebration. Whether you’re serving a crowd or your closest friends, we’ve got you covered with sensational barbecue desserts.

Grilled chocolate delights 

We all know how delectable a barbecued chocolate banana can be. But a barbecued banoffee split elevates a simple fruit into something seriously indulgent. Simply add a dollop of salted caramel sauce and a few of our mellow Caramel Chocolate Batons before wrapping in foil and grilling.

Imagine the possibilities. You could transform your favourite brownie recipe by baking it on the grill with a topping of toasted marshmallows. Cobblers, crumbles, and clafoutis all perform beautifully on the barbecue. Or you could grill day-old croissants, cakes, or doughnuts and bring them back to life. The delectable, unexpected smokiness and crisp yet tender pastry are all the better for drizzling with a slick of melted chocolate.

Chocolate sauces and drizzles 

Virtually any chocolate makes a delectable drizzle or sauce with the addition of a slick of cream or dairy alternative, a splash of juice, or a spoonful of water. A campfire fondue is one of the most satisfying outdoor barbecue desserts you can make and the most fun—just add our Orange Macarons, salty pretzels, and marshmallows to dip.

Then, it’s up to you what aromats and spices to add. Chilli, rosemary, lavender, black pepper, and smoked paprika all pair perfectly with our high-cacao chocolate and will leave your guests guessing. A splash of our Salted Caramel Vodka Liqueur elevates a milk chocolate sauce. And who could resist a caramelised white chocolate drizzle? Simply sprinkle our delectable White Chocolate Hot Chocolate flakes in a foil-lined pan and place over indirect heat. Keep stirring until the chocolate reaches the degree of caramelisation you crave, then dip and drizzle with abandon.

Chocolate and fruit desserts 

Grilled pineapple or fruit skewers are a go-to barbecue dessert classic. But match them with a chocolate sauce made using our Caramelised Pineapple Hot Chocolate, and you’ll swear the turquoise waters of the Caribbean are lapping at your feet. Or capture the joys of an English summer by serving strawberry skewers with a drizzle of our Strawberries and Cream White Chocolate Puddles.

A fruit galette is a quick way to make a few bottom-of-the-fruit-bowl apples, unripe peaches, or a handful of strawberries stretch to feed a crowd. Fruit and pastry will both benefit from that unique chargrilled flavour. A decadent grating of your favourite cacao-rich chocolate before grilling effortlessly elevates a simple dessert to something special.

Pavlova is the ultimate fruit dessert, so why not add a tempting smokiness? Top with lashings of early summer berries and a chocolate truffle whipped cream for a melt-in-the-mouth showstopper.

Homemade chocolate ice cream and sorbets 

Something cool and creamy is the perfect antidote to all that heat and fire. Storing a tub of homemade chocolate ice cream in the freezer is a simple way to dress up grilled fruits or brownies.

A no-fuss, no-churn chocolate ice cream takes minutes and delivers vibrant cacao-rich flavour. Serve with our dreamy Ice Cream Swirls for maximum pleasure. We also love the deep, earthy sophistication of this chocolate sorbet. Go as dark as you dare with our 85% Dark Chocolate Batons for a tasting experience that’s decadent but never bitter.

Chilled chocolates 

Our summer chocolate collection is curated with al fresco evenings in mind. So what nicer way to round off a Bank Holiday barbecue than with our chocolates inspired by Summer Cocktails to Chill (they’re extra authentic straight from the fridge) or the ultimate Summer Desserts Sleekster? Or pop a few bagfuls of our Passion Fruit Chocolate Selectors in the freezer for instant refreshment and the ultimate prep-free dessert vibe. 

Tips for barbecuing chocolate

Don’t worry about burning your chocolate. We have some clever tips, like using indirect heat or wrapping your chocolate in foil, to help you master cooking with cacao on the barbecue.

Never melt your chocolate over direct heat, as it’s liable to burn. Instead, use a disposable foil tray or baking tin lined with foil placed over indirect heat at the edge of the barbecue. If you’re grilling fruit with chocolate, wrap well in foil so you don’t lose any delectable juices.

Finally, if you crave a grilled chocolate sandwich (the sweet alternative to a grilled cheese), butter the outsides of the bread or brioche and use a small frying pan to toast your sandwich over the coals to golden, crispy perfection.

Serving suggestions for your chocolate barbecue desserts

We eat with our eyes as well as our taste buds. So, presentation is half the fun when you’re serving up your barbecue chocolate dessert ideas.

Scoop your ice creams and sorbets into cones and top with a Vanilla Macaron or Raspberry-White Chocolate Baton for a twist on a classic 99.

Pile up your barbecue brownies into a towering pile of chocolate decadence and let your guests dig in. You could even provide individual Podcups for dips and fondues. Don’t forget plenty of napkins for your grilled fruit foil parcels and skewers.

Nobody expects you to dig out your best china, but choosing sustainable disposable plates will help your barbecue tread gently on the planet. Then pretty things up with posies of flowers and greenery from the garden, tons of fairy lights and colourful recyclable tablecloths and napkins to catch any spills.

Get Bank Holiday ready with Hotel Chocolat

Hosting a barbecue can be quite an undertaking. But with our easy barbecue dessert tips and chocolate dessert recipes, your soiree will be brimming with ooh la la. Need more ideas and suggestions for summer entertaining or year-round entertaining? You’ll find everything you need for effortless hosting, gifting and more at Hotel Chocolat.