Zucchini "Apple" Bars

4.98 from 43 votes

It's an apple bar without any apple! These Zucchini "Apple" Bars are made with garden fresh zucchinis and a buttery crust and crumble but they taste just like apples!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings Bars

Calories 266kcal

Author Tracy

Equipment

Ingredients

Zucchini Filling

8 cups fresh zucchini, peeled and de-seeded about 5 lbs of whole zucchinis
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crust / Crumble

4 cups All purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 sticks salted butter, cubed 1 1/2 cups

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prep Zucchini Filling

Peel, de-seed, and cube the zucchinis. Add to a large pot with lemon juice and heat over medium heat.
Stir occasionally as zucchinis cook and liquid begins to reduce. Cook until zucchini is very tender (about 20 minutes)
Turn heat down to medium / low and add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Make Crust / Crumble

While zucchini is simmering, make your crust / crumble by adding flour and sugar to a large bowl. Mix well and then add cubed butter and cut butter into flour and sugar until all of the butter is well incorporated and it's almost a cornmeal like texture.
To a large rimmed baking sheet (12 x 16), add half of the crust / crumble dough. Press it down with your fingers to make a thin, flat, even layer across the baking sheet.
Bake the dough for 10 minutes.

Assemble Bars

Remove pre-baked crust from oven. Pour zucchini (plus any liquid) onto the crust. Top with remaining crumble in an even layer across the top of the zucchini.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top of the crumble begins to turn brown (Check after 40 minutes as all ovens are little different).
Let cool and enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Video

Notes

Be sure to cube your zucchini in uniform(ish) sizes so that they are evenly cooked.

You'll know the zucchinis are cooked when they begin to turn a little translucent.

Most of the liquid will cook off from the zucchinis, but still pour it all on to the crust. If there's a lot of liquid, it may adjust the cooking time.

Be sure to cut your butter into the flour and sugar well. If there are clumps of butter, this will also adjust the cooking time and it will take longer for the crumble to turn golden brown.

Nutrition