Grilled Twinkies Are The Easy, Unique Dessert Your Cookout Needs

Twinkies are a bona fide national treasure and have been making our mouths water since they first sprung onto the scene in all their cakey, cream-filled glory back in 1930. Even superheroes are fans (flick through an old "Batman" comic, and you might see one hidden amongst the pages). The idea for these iconic snack cakes was cooked up by James A. Dewar, the manager of Continental's Hostess Bakery in Chicago, and originally contained a banana-flavored center. This was changed to the vanilla filling we know today during World War II when, like many other foods, the fruit was in short supply.

Over the almost 100 years since their creation, these treats have been subjected to their fair share of culinary experimentation. Take deep-fried Twinkies, for example — a popular fairground treat that involves dipping the cakes in batter before frying them and sprinkling them with powdered sugar, often served with raspberry sauce.

Which brings us to the matter of grilled Twinkies. Yes, it might seem strange to cook these little cakes with the same piece of kit you'd use for grilling steak and burgers, but trust us when we say this is a fun — and more importantly, delicious — way to breathe life into the creamy American dream that is Twinkies (and bonus, the oil in them means they won't stick to the grill). Take a quick look at these grilling tips, then get ready to play with (safely managed!) fire.

If you've got a minute or two to spare, you have time to grill Twinkies. Because that's literally how long it takes to cook these little cakes (about 30-60 seconds per side, to be precise). The end result is an absolute game-changer, bringing together a crunchy cake shell, emblazoned with the iconic markings of the grill, and a melty, molten version of the Twinkies' famous cream filling.

Now that you've gone (just a little) out of your way to prepare these treats, you might like to give them even more of a leg up by adding sides and toppings. In either case, light and fruity ingredients work well, as they provide a perfect foil to the richness of the Twinkies while keeping with the cookout theme.

Lean into the flavor of the filling by serving the Twinkies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or even sweetened mascarpone or crème fraîche). Alternatively, pay homage to the original filling by plating the treats up alongside pieces of grilled banana and a little whipped cream or unsweetened yogurt to bring it all together (or use another fruit that takes kindly to grilling, like peaches or pineapple). Finally, draw inspiration from deep-fried Twinkies, and serve your grilled snack cakes with jam, sauce, or compote made from strawberries (or another berry of your choosing). Offer a Twinkie garnish bar, however, and you will go down in history amongst your family and friends as cookout royalty.