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Bloomin' Grilled Apples

Bloomin' grilled apples are sliced thin from the top down, fanned open, then grilled until caramelized like a bloomin' onion-inspired dessert. Cinnamon butter seeps into the gaps as the apples turn tender and glossy, and they’re finished warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apples
  • 4 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) Use firm apples for clean slicing and even caramelization.
Cinnamon butter
  • 4 tbsp butter Melted for brushing and coating the apple slices.
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar Helps create a caramelized, sticky glaze.
  • 2 tsp cinnamon For the sweet-spiced butter mixture.
Serving
  • 1 vanilla ice cream Serve on top while apples are warm.

Method
 

Slice and fan the apples
  1. Cut thin slices into each apple from top to bottom, stopping just short of cutting all the way through so the apple stays intact.
  2. Fan the apple slices slightly open so the cuts open like a flower.
Make cinnamon butter and coat
  1. Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until the sugar looks evenly coated and thickened.
  2. Brush the cinnamon butter mixture over the fanned apples, letting some seep into the gaps between slices for visible caramelization.
Foil-wrap and grill
  1. Wrap the bottom of each apple in foil while leaving the top exposed to brown during grilling.
  2. Grill over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until the apples are tender and caramelized with a glossy surface.
Serve
  1. Serve the grilled apples warm with vanilla ice cream so the melting ice cream softens the cinnamon glaze.

Notes

Pro tip: slice carefully so the apple holds together—if you cut through, the slices won’t fan neatly or stay caramelized. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to warm through. Freeze cooked apples in a freezer-safe container up to 2 months, though the texture softens on thawing. For a lower-sugar option, reduce brown sugar to 2 tbsp and use a sugar substitute that caramelizes (or add a little extra cinnamon) for a similar spiced profile.