You may be thinking that zucchini crisp sounds strange, or maybe even disgusting, but trust me, this zucchini dessert is fantastic! There’s a reason why it’s called “mock apple crisp” – if you make it the right way, no one will guess that it’s made with zucchini!
POSSIBLY THE BEST ZUCCHINI DESSERT EVER
Take a leap of faith trust me on this one. This stuff is absolutely delicious and my entire family begs me to make it when we have an excess of zucchini on hand. It is absolutely heavenly!
I found the recipe in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks a few years ago. I just had to make it because I was so skeptical and had to see for myself.
And you know what? It far surpassed my expectations. My husband actually told me he might like this better than real apple crisp.
Still don’t believe me? One time I made zucchini cobbler and we invited a family over for dessert. Didn’t tell them what was in it. The husband is a squash hater.
He was halfway done with his bowl when this conversation took place:
My hubbie: Guess what this is made of.
Neighbor: It’s not apples?
Hubbie: Nope, it’s made with zucchini.
Neighbor: What?!?! How did you get it to taste like apples?
Me: I boiled it in lemon juice.
Neighbor, turning to his wife: If you can get squash to taste like this, I will eat it anytime!
There you have it. Unbiased proof that this stuff is delicious. You gotta try it!
(To skip my tips and tricks and get straight to the recipe card, just scroll to the bottom of the post.)
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ZUCCHINI COBBLER
Ingredients needed:
- all purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- butter (margarine will work in a pinch)
- zucchini (The really large, drier zucchini work best for this recipe.)
- lemon juice (No need for fresh lemon juice for this cobbler, bottled is just fine.)
Instructions:
1-Make the crust by combining all the ingredients till crumbly. Press about a third of it into a greased casserole dish. Bake for about 12 minutes.
2- Prepare the zucchini: While the crust is baking, peel and cube your zucchini into bite sized pieces. (Mine are usually about 3/4″ sized cubes.
PRO TIP: If you don’t want anyone to suspect that you are using zucchini instead of apples, make sure you peel off ALL of the green skin. You also want to use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds before you cube your zucchini.
3 – Cook the filling: You are going to pre-cook the zucchini in lemon juice. This is what gives it a tart flavor that resembles apples. It’s magic! You will also add some sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Note: My mom once suggested that we cook it in pineapple juice instead – it was definitely not as good. The lemon juice adds vital flavor, so don’t use any substitutions!
4 – Assemble the cobbler: Pour the hot filling over the prebaked crust. (The filling is thin, and that’s just fine, it thickens up as it bakes.) Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the filling.
5- Bake: Just like apple crisp, this cobbler bakes for about 40-45 minutes. The filling will thicken up, the zucchini will become tender, and the topping will turn golden brown. It will smell fantastic as it is baking!
6- Serve: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream is a must with this zucchini dessert! And of course it is best served warm from the oven. 🙂
LEFTOVER ZUCCHINI CRISP?
If you have any zucchini cobbler left, let it cool completely, then cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store it in the refrigerator and it is good for 3-4 days. To serve leftovers, just heat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until warm.
LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO USE ZUCCHINI? TRY THESE:
- Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Filling
- Cranberry Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Dinner Recipe
- Zucchini Cookies
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
HERE ARE A FEW MORE TASTY FRUIT CRISPS:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Blueberry Crisp
- Best Apple Crisp
- Blackberry Crisp
- Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Caramel Apple Crisp
(Originally published 8/31/2009, updated June 2020.)
Zucchini Cobbler
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter slightly softened
Filling:
- 10 cups peeled seeded, and cubed zucchini
- ⅔ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly.
- Press about 1/3 of the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Bring cubed zucchini and lemon juice to a boil in a large pan. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or till crisp tender. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Cover and simmer 5 minutes. (Mixture will be thin.)
- Spoon zucchini mixture over the baked crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
- Bake for an additional 40-45 minutes, or till golden brown.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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Just made this but instead of using 2 1/2 Qt casserole I used 3 ceramic mini pie plates and one 1 Qt casserole. I’ll were delicious!!!
I’m always a fan of individual desserts. Glad to hear it worked with different sizes! 🙂
What size pan does this make?
I usually use a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish, but I’ve also use an 11×7″ baking dish.
Does this work with previously frozen zucchini? Has anyone tried it?
I just made this today with my frozen zucchini and it is delicious! I had peeled, seeded and chopped it before freezing.
Thanks so much for letting us know that it works with frozen zucchini! 🙂
Can you use Zucchini to make a mock apple pie filling to can?
I’m not sure, I have never tried that.
Not at all! i think The lemon juice affects the texture if the zucchini, making it more like apples. I just made this today for a get together. Fooled everyone except my kids, who have been eating this for about 15 years!
It is pretty crazy how the lemon juice does make it taste like apples! Happy to hear that it is a regular at your house like it is at mine. 🙂
How to freeze this zucchini Apple crisp
Cooking the zucchini before hand plus baking doesn’t make it mush?
No, since it’s only simmered for a few minutes, it does not turn to mush. If you are using the really tiny zucchini that are more tender, you could probably just simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Does this thicken after it cooks? I am preparing it now.
Yes, it thickens as it cooks, and it thickens even more as it cools. Hope you enjoy it!
Can you make this and freeze it for later like you do with apple pie’s???
Just made this it’s just like apple crisp. The only thing I did was 1 stick of butter with a 1/2 cup of apple sauce to cut down on fat content. Also I had to thicken it with Dutch Gel used 1 TBSP with 2/3 cup of water.
Glad you liked it Gary. And thanks for sharing the tip for cutting down the fat, I’m sure many readers will appreciate it!
It’s cooking right now:)
Hope you loved it! It’s been too long since I’ve had some. I need to make a pan!
Poor directions
I’m sorry that you are having trouble understanding the directions. Is there something I could help you with?
I like this recipe much better than the pie one ’cause crumbles are so much faster to throw together than making a crust. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ve got a ton of overgrown zucchini that are just waiting to be made into something yummy. 🙂
I agree Kendra, it is so nice not to have to deal with crust! Let me know how you like it if you end up making it. 🙂
No stinkin’ way! Now I have to make this to see. Can’t wait. Thanks. My co-workers are going to freak!
I just made this and…holy heck!….it’s amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this crazy recipe! I fed it to my parents and they had NO IDEA it was not apple. I put a post about it on our blog with link back to you – http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2013/08/what-do-you-mean-its-not-apple-apple.html – if you want to have a peek!
I am so excited to try this! Who would have thought?!