Mock apple pie tastes just like apple pie, but there isn’t a single apple in it. You’d never guess what it is though. But I’ll tell you… it’s zucchini! This is a great way to use up some of the surplus. If you don’t tell them, they’ll never know.
This apple pie has a secret, there isn’t a single apple in it! Nope, it uses a summer vegetable instead.
That’s right, it’s actually a zucchini pie, but I promise you it tastes like apple. You are going to be shocked and amazed.
Your guests will be flabbergasted. Get some vanilla ice cream ready and promise me you will make this fabulous pie!
How I Got This Zucchini Pie Recipe
You just never know when you will stumble upon a great new recipe. I was traveling for work and found myself at an environmental conference in the Ozarks.
I know, it’s quite different than sharing recipes with you here. But I find having a serious day job makes playing in the kitchen all that much more fun.
Anyway, it was dinner time, so I found myself a seat. There were two ladies sitting next to me who appeared to know each other and were in a conversation.
So, I was minding my own business until I heard it… Pie! Now, I had to start paying attention. What kind of pie could they be talking about?
It turns out one of the ladies, Jan, makes a zucchini pie that tastes just like it is filled with apples. She says if anything it is better than apple pie because the zucchini stay firmer than the apples.
Zucchini pie?! I had to invite myself into the conversation and get more information!
Jan told a cute story about a little boy telling his mom he had just had the best apple pie ever only to be shocked that there weren’t any apples in it.
Honestly, I found the statement about the zucchini staying firmer than apples hard to believe. After all zucchini can get pretty darn mushy when you cook them.
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I also had my doubts about them making a good pie. But I knew I just had to give it a try!
Luckily Jan said she would be happy to share her secret. I gave her my business card and a couple of days later I got an email with the recipe.
I brought the pie to a family dinner at MiMi’s and she made vanilla ice cream to go with it. We didn’t tell anyone what was in the pie.
Low and behold, she was right! The pie was delicious and the zucchini did stay firmer than apples!
I could not believe it! Everyone loved it and was shocked that they had just had zucchini pie.
What Jan Had to Say About Her Zucchini Pie Recipe:
The recipe in it’s current form came about through 3 seasons of zucchini growing. I tweaked it a little each year; and now, my family and friends like it just the way it is.
It’s always fun to serve it and not share the main ingredient until after everyone has had the opportunity to try it.
She also added than in May, she had retired from a local nursing home. While working there, she made a habit of bringing in pies to share during zucchini season.
So one day on Facebook, they shared this picture with her and a note saying it’s pie time!
Almost Apple Pie
Ingredients
Zucchini Filling
- 9 inch unbaked pie shell
- 5-5½ cups sliced zucchini
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 dash nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar + 3 Tablespoons
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
To Prepare Zucchini
- Use medium zucchini. Peel them, then slice in half lengthwise, remove seeds and thinly slice. The slices should resemble apple slices.
- Cook 5-5½ cups sliced zucchini along with a small amount of water in a skillet for over medium heat for 10 minutes. Begin timing when the water begins to bubble. Drain all of the liquid and allow to cool.
- To Assemble
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Prepare pastry and place in a deep dish 9" pie plate.
- Mix 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 pinch salt, 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 dash nutmeg and 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon with cooked and drained zucchini slices. The zucchini will release more liquid and the filling will look wet, that is ok. Pour into pie shell.
- Make crumb topping by mixing ½ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon until crumbly. You can use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture.
- Sprinkle crumb mixture over the pie pie.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crumb is golden brown.
- Cool before serving.
Notes
- To avoid a soggy bottom crust, use a metal pie plate.
- If you are using a glass or ceramic pie plate and are worried about a soggy bottom, bake the pie on lower rack to help heat the bottom crust.
- If you are still concerned, you can parbake the crust before adding the filling. Just dock the crust with a fork, then line it with parchment paper. Add pie weights or dry beans and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights before filling and baking according to the recipe.
Video
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I had to come read this to find out the ingredient. lol I figured it was either ritz crackers or zucchini. My mom used to make mock apple pie both ways!
I've heard of the ritz cracker version too, but have never tried it. I am sure it is delicious, but at least this way I feel like I'm getting some veggies so it has to not be so bad, right?!
Keeping this one for the zucchini surplus I expect from my son's garden. Pretty ingenious!
I hope you love it! My brother is picking zucchini by the buckets-full right now, so we've had pie and zoodles and bread and….
What an amazing way to sneak in zucchinis 😀 A zucchini pie :* I would love to try that!! Bookmarking this 🙂
It's a great way to get your veggies and dessert all at the same time! I think it makes it acceptable to have for dinner as well 😉 Thank you!
I've used zucchini in many things, from bread to soups and I even stuff it in filo dough, but I've never used it in a pie! So interesting and a must try now that my zucchinis are taking over my garden 🙂
You definitely need to give it a go and let me know what you think!
Hi Carlee, it just goes to show what you can learn at a conference! It sounds like a fun recipe and I agree it is hard to believe that zucchini stays firmer than apple in a pie.
xx
That's probably not what my boss sent me there to learn, but it was my favorite take away! It is hard to believe, but it works!
I love this story! I wonder how this would go over with my kids! I should have my mom in law make it…they like anything she makes!
It would be fun to hear what they think. My little guy is only two, so it is still pretty easy to pull one over on him!
Amazing!! I heard of using crackers instead of apples but never zucchini!!
I had heard of the cracker version too, but this one was new to me!!
Thank you, see you tonight!
I would have never thought of using zucchini. This looks yummy:)
Me either! It was so much fun to try something different!
I have never heard of zucchini pie, but thinking about it, we use zucchini in cakes and bread, so it makes sense, I will have to give it a try! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend?!
It does kind of make sense when you think about it a bit, but one first thought it seems a little strange! I am so glad I happened to overhear her talking about it!
Hi Carlee, stopping back to let you know I could not stop thinking about this intriguing pie and it will be one of my features at tomorrow's party 🙂
Thank you so much!