Zucchini Crisp (Tastes Like Apple Crisp)

8 people
55 min

This mock apple crisp is made with zucchini and tastes just like traditional apple crisp. It is one of the best desserts to bake if you have an abundance of garden-fresh zucchini.

A wooden bowl of zucchini crisp with ice cream on top.

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy all of the delicious fruits and vegetables that are in season. One of my favorites is zucchini, which can be enjoyed in so many ways. It is the perfect swap for apples and really shines in this crisp dessert. It’s easy to prepare and tastes great with a scoop of ice cream.


Dessert that Uses Zucchini


If your garden is like ours, chances are its bursting at the seams with zucchini! While my kid are not fans of zucchini they will eat it unknowingly in baked goods. That is why I just had to try this zucchini dessert recipe. Could I trick my picky kids? Would this recipe from All Recipes really taste like Apple Crisp as many claimed? So I set out to bake up a batch of faux apple crisp using pantry staples, butter, and fresh zucchini.

And YES! After it was baked to a golden-brown perfection, it did taste almost identical to traditional apple crisp. My kids ate it all up and had no idea until I told them…then they cried, but hey it worked!

A white table with zucchini crisp ingredients on it.
Zucchini Crisp Ingredients


Fresh ingredients:


  • zucchini
  • unsalted butter or margarine, softened
  • lemon juice


Pantry staples:


  • brown sugar
  • granulated sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • old fashioned oats
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg


Do you need to peel the zucchini?


Peeling zucchini for crisp is a matter of preference. For us, there is nothing worse than biting into a baked good like this dessert only to taste bitter, plasticky peels. The peels curl up when baking and create an unpleasant texture, and possible choking hazard.

If your zucchini is large, you will also need to scoop out the seeds (an ice cream scoop works well) for a pleasant texture.

A large glass bowl with cubed zucchini inside.
How to Make Zucchini Crisp


Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients; toss to coat.

Transfer to a greased to greased baking dish.

In another large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over zucchini mixture.

A pan of unbaked zucchini crisp.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Zucchini crisp on a spoon.

This crisp dessert has just the right amount of juice, with a yummy flavor! Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Zucchini crisp with a wooden spoon.
More Zucchini Recipes


Are you swimming in zucchini too? I have been harvesting so many from my garden, that it’s been hard to keep up! Thankfully, there are lots of delicious recipes that showcase this summer squash. Here are a few of my favorites:


Zucchini Crisp (Tastes Like Apple Crisp)
Recipe details
  • 8  people
  • Prep time: 15 minutes Minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Minutes Total time: 55 min
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Ingredients

  • 7 cups zucchini peeled, cubed, remove excess seeds
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crisp topping
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed, can use light or dark*
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients; toss to coat.
Transfer to a greased to greased baking dish.
In another large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over zucchini mixture.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm with ice cream. Enjoy!
Tips
  • Nutritional values may vary and are meant to be a guide.
SizzlingEats
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Comments
  • Mary Mary on Aug 18, 2023

    Can you use a combination of apples and zucchini?

  • Trudy Trudy on Aug 18, 2023

    I’ve done this and it surprisingly good. Made mock apple pie, sweet pickle relish, even canned zucchini sliced to look like apple slices for later use to make crisp or pies. If you don’t tell people they would never know.

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