Yep, we’re using Zucchini in place of Apples – And it Works! While this is technically a mock apple crisp, I think I’ll start referring to this as Zapple Crisp 😉

Baking dish of chopped zucchini with 2 whole zucchinis

I admit, I was VERY skeptical of this recipe at first. I mean zucchini can’t do everything… but they make an outstanding substitute for apple chunks in this crisp. It really does come down to texture and spices. And this mock apple crisp using zucchini hits the sweet spot.

Only after I told my son it wasn’t apples, and that he was in fact eating zucchini did he realize it. And as I had all my taste buds fired up, I could tell that there was a little less apple zing the first time, so I added more lemon juice the second time and I think that this is about as close to apple crisp without the apples as you can get. Of course all the warm fall spices MAKE this what it is, and the flavors are like coming home.

This is a recipe exists to fill a very specific time frame- for when the garden is still giving you boatloads of zucchini, but fall is in the air… you haven’t made it to an apple orchard yet, and those first apples are so perfectly crisp and crunchy you couldn’t imagine baking them… that is when this recipe is perfection.

I’ve also baked it in my ninja tabletop toaster oven so it didn’t heat up the house. Fabulous for end of summer transitioning to fall flavors.

Mock Apple Crisp Recipe

Ingredients

Zucchini Filling

  • 6 cups chopped zucchini
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1+½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • ¼  tsp nutmeg
  • ¼  tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1+½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 pinch of Salt
  • ¾ C granulated sugar (can use up to half brown sugar)

Crisp Topping

  • ¾ C packed brown sugar
  • ¾ C flour
  • ¾ C oats (can grind in blender for smoother consistency)
  • ½ C cold butter

Instructions

chunks of zucchini seasoned in pot ready to cook down

Prepare Zucchini. For all but the smallest zucchini, peel and remove seeds, chop into apple size chunks.

Place the 6 cups of chopped zucchini with a dash of water into a deep skillet and cook for 10 minutes, letting chucks start to turn translucent. Drain completely, I usually pour into a strainer. Then add cooked zucchini back to skillet (or a bowl) and add flour, lemon juice, and rest of ingredients for the filling and mix well.

Pour into your pan of choice, a 9” pie pan or a 2 quart (7”x11”) baking dish work great.

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix together crisp topping ingredients, cutting in the butter with a pastry cutter/blender makes this step easier.

Pan of mock apple crisp just out of the oven

Add crisp topping to cover the mock apple filling.

Bake for 45 minutes until the zucchini is cooked and the top is golden and bubbly.

Wait for it to cool, and dig in- I mean it resembles apple crisp to closely that there are literally no hints in the appearance that this is actually zucchini!

Happy hanging onto summer friends!

Dig In,
Michelle