Can two microcontroller output pins play tug of war?
There is no problem with your approach if you have a suitable load between the output pins.  I have driven small transformers in this manner.

@Aaron has already pointed out that the load is too big for the processor to drive directly. He also asked for alternatives. I would suggest a couple of MOSFET gate drivers or a dual driver. They come in small packages and one ampere is not uncommon.