This simple rum-marinated grilled pineapple is full of flavor and a makes for a delicious, healthy side dish! It's also gluten free and dairy free, plus it's perfect for the 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers!
Hey guys! Everyone pumped for Spring Break and Easter (those who celebrate, anyway)? My kids went to school this morning positively high on life that they only had to go today and then they have a week off.
I know, you're probably thinking, "Steph, it's just over a week from Easter, what is this pineapple business and where in the hell are some new Easter recipes??" Hear me out.
- I forgot. (imagine a head-slapping emoji right here) But I did update this great post full of healthy Easter recipes so check it out for tons of delish ideas! That's something, right?
- This is totally an Easter recipe. Well, sort of. - Wait, hear me out. Last time, I swear!
When we go to visit family for Easter, we always spend it with my awesome in-laws, and they do a "traditional" Easter barbecue, it's the best! So I'm posting this today (which you may remember was actually supposed to be posted sometime last summer - another head-slapping emoji) in honor of our Easter barbecue and I know you guys are going to love it!
How to choose a pineapple:
- While a ripe pineapple can be green, I find it best to look for one that has softened up some and is at least half yellow on the outside. If it's mostly green, it'll likely still be hard and who wants that?
- Also, give it a sniff, it should smell nice and sweet! If it smells off in any way, choose a different pineapple.
- Stay away from pineapples that have a soft white mold on the bottom core. It can be easy to miss, so make sure you check!
- OR, you can do what I often do and pick up the already-chopped pineapple in the refrigerated section of the produce department. I've never gotten pineapple that wasn't great that way, those peeps know what they're doing!
How to ripen a pineapple:
Well, technically speaking, you can't. According to Dole, once a pineapple is picked, it doesn't ripen any further. Now, what Dole is saying is that it won't get any sweeter. At that point, the pineapple has all of the sugars it's going to get, however, a pineapple purchased at the store could be sweet, green and hard and like I said, who wants that? I like to flip it upside down on my counter (you can put it in a bowl or a heavy vase) and let it soften up at room temp for a couple of days.
Do I have to grill this Cardamom, Vanilla and Rum-Marinated Grilled Pineapple?
Nope! If you just want to marinade it and eat it cold, it's still freaking incredible (in fact, I've been known to eat half of my serving cold and the other half grilled - it actually tastes a little bit different and I love them both!). You can even skewer the pineapple and cook them under the broiler for a minute or two if ya like.
I want to serve this to kids, can I make this rum-marinated grilled pineapple without the rum?
Absolutely! Instead of the rum, you can just use some pineapple juice instead 🙂
Why do the skewers need to soak?
We soak the skewers so they won't catch on fire on the grill. No fires are a solid goal for any cooking technique. For this recipe, they end up soaking for about an hour while the pineapple marinades, but usually 30 minutes is enough!
Need some skewers? Here's my affiliate link for the ones I use on Amazon (and they're prime!).
Is Captain Morgan gluten free?
According to Very Well Fit, Captain Morgan isn't made with any ingredients containing gluten (and the company tells people that it's "considered" gluten-free, but they've also admitted that it isn't tested for trace gluten. If you're someone who is SUPER sensitive to gluten and doesn't want to take any chances, you may want to use some good ol' Bacardi for this instead just in case.
Is Captain Morgan vegan?
Well, they don't seem super interested in confirming that. You can read more about that here at Barnivore.
Does the Cardamom, Vanilla and Rum-Marinated Grill Pineapple recipe work for the Ultimate Portion Fix and Weight Watchers?
Yes! This is a delicious, easy and healthy recipe. The 21 Day Fix container counts and the Weight Watchers points are in the recipe card below!
Can I listen to the Pineapple Pen song right now?
I mean, I don't know why you want to and I have no idea what it's supposed to mean, but I got you. There is something about this guy that makes it hard to look away though, right? Enjoy! 😉
I hope you guys love this one as much as we do! It's super refreshing and perfect all summer long with all the grilled grub!
If you make this healthy Cardamom, Vanilla and Rum-Marinated Grill Pineapple recipe be sure to snap a pic and tag me @thefoodieandthefix or use #thefoodieandthefix on Instagram so I can check it out! It makes me ridiculously happy to see what you guys are making 🙂
📖 Recipe
Cardamom, Vanilla and Rum-Marinated Grilled Pineapple
Ingredients
- 3 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
- 4 teaspoon raw sugar (optional, if your pineapple is super sweet you can leave it out or use less!)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 4 cups fresh pineapple, cubed (I like to use the containers that are pre-cut in the produce department because they're already ripe!)
- wooden skewers
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water so they don't burn on the grill.
- Mix together the rum, sugar (if using), vanilla and cardamom, add the pineapple and let marinate on the counter while you prepare other things (I like for it to marinate at LEAST an hour), stirring every now and again until you're ready to skewer and throw on the grill. (or if you want to do it further ahead, you can refrigerate it, just try to remember to give the container a shake or stir it every now and then)
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill until lightly charred on all sides.
Notes
21 Day Fix Container Counts per serving:
- 4 (1 cup) Servings: 1 Purple, ¼ Yellow Treat Swap, 1 teaspoon sweetener
- 8 (½) Servings: ½ Purple, ½ teaspoon sweetener (only ⅛th of a Yellow Treat Swap here, so if you're only having ½ cup, I'd skip counting it since it's so little).
Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 1 point per ½ cup serving
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 70Total Fat: 0g
KCz says
Stephanie. We bought our pineapple tonight. I'm fresh out of rum so will have to make a rum run!! Promise to take a picture, (if we don't eat it first) 🙂
Stephanie says
Yay! Hope you guys love it!