Brown Sugar Zapple Crisp

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This fun recipe turns summer zucchini into a delicious dessert. The brown sugar crisp tastes so good, and it’s just like eating an apple crisp. Top with vanilla ice cream for a perfect summer treat.

This lovely apple crisp doesn’t have a single apple in it.  Instead, it uses some of the glut of zucchini that seems to happen every summer.

I know it is hard to believe, but those zucchini taste just like apples when you follow this recipe.  In fact, this might just be the best apple crisp you’ve ever had, and there isn’t a single apple in it.

Just trust me and make it. Or make it to prove me wrong and see what happens.

Either way, make this zucchini mock apple crisp to try it for yourself!

Zucchini growers know there are phases to zucchini season. Every year, it follows the same cyclic pattern.

1. Gee, I can’t wait for these zucchini to start producing.
2. Mmmmm, I sure do love zucchini bread and zoodles.
3. Won’t my friends love these extra zucchini I have?
4. My freezer is overflowing with shredded zucchini. I can make a loaf of zucchini bread every other day all winter long!
5. My friends and family say I’m no longer welcome until zucchini season is over. I just picked zucchini yesterday and there are already new ones the size of my thigh out there!
6. Man, zucchini season is over. I sure wish I could have made another batch of alfredo zoodles while we had the chance!
7. I can’t wait to plant zucchini! 

Does that sound familiar? I’m sure it does!

While tasty and fun, there is always a point during the season where you’ve had some sort of zucchini dish every day for 10 straight days and you still have a five gallon bucket of zucchini staring at you.

So it is great to have a wide variety of recipes to use them in. We always sauté them with garlic, salt and pepper and finish them with some Parmesan.

Little Dude loves using the zoodler, so we usually have them with alfredo sauce and shrimp a few times. I’ll be sharing a fun Italian sausage and veggie sheet pan supper recipe with you this week as well. 

More Sweet Zucchini Reciprs

The nice thing about zucchini is that with its mild flavor, it lends itself to sweet recipes as well.  We really enjoy the mini zucchini loaves from Seattle recipe I found while baking from Maida Heatter’s Cakes book with the Cake Slice Bakers.

My brother makes a great zucchini bread too and I’ll share his recipe on Friday. But one of my favorite ways to make zucchini sweet is in Jan’s Almost Apple Pie.

I love how surprising it is to eat zucchini that way. It tastes just like apple pie.

In the comments of that recipe somebody suggested that they love zapple crisp. I instantly fell in love with the idea and knew I had to run with it.

So this is my own take on that idea.

Making Mock Apple Crisp From Zucchini

I started out using the almost apple pie recipe’s filling as a base. We like it so much that it seemed silly to try to reinvent the wheel.

Then, I made a topping that was full of oats and brown sugar.  I pressed the topping into the apples a bit.

That way, it married itself into something extra delicious. 

Let me tell you, this is getting made again! I knew we were going to like it, but those caramelly undertones of the brown sugar and the oatmeal crisp really made it something special.

Of course, a scoop of MiMi’s homemade ice cream didn’t hurt a thing.      

Now we are sadly to the point of waiting for next year’s harvest. Those last few zucchini sat around for a few days as I struggled for inspiration, and now I am longing for more!

For another tasty zucchini dessert, try easy chocolate zucchini cake. Or make some strawberry zucchini jam.

What are your favorite zucchini recipes?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card.

Brown Sugar Zapple Crisp

Carlee

This fun recipe turns summer zucchini into a delicious dessert! The brown sugar crisp tastes so good and it’s just like eating an apple crisp. Top with vanilla ice cream for a perfect summer treat.

4.84 from 18 ratings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 347 kcal

Equipment

• 8-InchSquare Glass Baking Dish with Lid 
• Swiss Diamond 11″ (4.3 Qt) Saute Pan
• Zyliss Comfort Utility Knives
• OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander

Ingredients

 

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Zucchini Filling

• 6 cups zucchini
• 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
• dash of salt
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 dashes nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon

Crisp Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup butter

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Prepare Zucchini
• For medium zucchini, peel, slice in half lengthwise, remove seeds and then thinly slice. the slices should resemble apple slices. For small zucchini with tender seeds, I usually just peel and slice.
• In a large skillet or saucepan, cook zucchini in a small amount of water for 10 minutes. Begin timing when the water begins to bubble. Remove from heat and drain completely.
• Mix cream of tartar, salt, flour, lemon juice, nutmeg, sugar and cinnamon with zucchini.
• Pour into a 9 inch pan or small casserole. I used a deep dish pie plate.
• Assemble Crisp
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix together brown sugar, flour and rolled oats.
• Either cut in the butter using a couple of knives or use your fingers to work it into the flour, sugar and oats. The mixture should be crumbly when finished.
• Spread over the zucchini, pressing in lightly.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden.
  

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 110mgFiber: 3gSugar: 44g

Tried this recipe?Mention @carleecooks or tag #cookingwcarlee!

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