This caramelized grapefruit with brown sugar gets delicious baked under the oven broiler for a tasty breakfast or dessert! It's almost like a creme brulee grapefruit!

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Winter citrus is starting to roll into stores, and that means it's grapefruit season! Now grapefruit can definitely be a bit sour and bitter, but if you top it with some brown sugar and stick it under the broiler for a bit, it turns into a delicious breakfast treat.

To broil or to torch?

I've been making this baked grapefruit with brown sugar for years. And I've tried a few different methods. I've tried broiling and I've tried bruleeing with a creme brulee torch. In my opinion, broiling in the oven is the better method. While creme brulee grapefruit SOUNDS impressive, it does take awhile to get it all caramelized, and I like how the broiled grapefruit tends to warm the grapefruit as a while a bit more. So my vote is for broiled grapefruit. Easier and tastier.

Health benefits of grapefruit:

I'm also ALL ABOUT the health benefits of grapefruit. Especially this time of year. Hello flu season! Now that I have an infant in the house again, I'm trying to do our best to keep us all well. Not easy when there's also a toddler who goes to daycare in the house bringing home germs.

Grapefruit is a great source of vitamins A, C, and E, which all work to keep the immune system happy and strong. There's also evidence that it can help keep your insulin levels stable (though the addition of sugar in this recipe probably counteracts that), and it's high in antioxidants. I'm on board with all of these things! And I'm forever trying to incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies into my diet, and this is a delicious way to do so!

Ingredients you'll need:

Grapefruit - the star of the dish! Should be easy to find in stores during winter
Brown sugar - the sugar offsets the sourness of the grapefruit, and it is what caramelizes in the oven to give the grapefruit it's creme brulee like taste!
Vanilla - I always always love to use pure vanilla extract in my recipes.
Sea salt (optional) - You can sprinkle a little sea salt on after broiling if you'd like! It kinda balances everything out.

Tips and tricks:

I like to mix the brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl, and then when I put it on the grapefruit, I try to make sure it's nicely moistened by the vanilla and also the grapefruit juices. That will help with the caramelization.
Once you do stick it under the broiler, watch it carefully! You want the grapefruit to get all caramelized, but not burned. Every oven is different, and how fast the grapefruit reaches the caramelization point will depend on your oven and also how far away from the broiler the grapefruit is. That's why it's hard to say how long exactly to leave it in the oven for.
If you have grapefruit spoons like these, then you don't need to worry about cutting the grapefruit with a knife ahead of time. But if you don't have grapefruit spoons, definitely cut with a knife before adding the sugar to make it easier to eat!

Looking for more delicious breakfast recipes? Check these out!

Broiled Grapefruit with Brown Sugar and Vanilla

Recipe by Aimee

This caramelized grapefruit with brown sugar gets delicious baked under the oven broiler for a tasty breakfast or dessert! It's almost like a creme brulee grapefruit!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

1 grapefruit large
2 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Cut the grapefruit in half and then run an knife along each segment, freeing the segment from the rind. Place the grapefruit, cut side up, onto a cookie sheet.
Turn on the oven broiler.
In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and vanilla. Mix together until combined. Sprinkle over the two grapefruit halves.
Put the grapefruit under the broiler and watch carefully to make sure sugar caramelizes, but does not burn.
Once sugar has caramelized, remove the grapefruit from the oven and carefully transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt (if desired). Eat with a spoon and enjoy!

Notes

Here's a few tips for making the broiled grapefruit recipe with brown sugar and vanilla:

I like to mix the brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl, and then when I put it on the grapefruit, I try to make sure it's nicely moistened by the vanilla and also the grapefruit juices. That will help with the caramelization.
Once you do stick it under the broiler, watch it carefully! You want it to get all caramelized, but not burned. Every oven is different, and how fast the grapefruit reaches the caramelization point will depend on your oven and also how far away from the broiler the grapefruit is. That's why it's hard to say how long exactly to leave it in the oven for.
Not sure how to properly cut the grapefruit into segments? Check out these instructions from The Pioneer Woman (Method 1).

If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.

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