Mock Apple Crisp

4.80 from 5 votes

Mock apple crisp is a delicious, vintage recipe that uses zucchini in place of apples but gives you all the flavors of a traditional apple crisp. This yummy dessert makes perfect use of the abundance of summer squash.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Course: Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 290kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

For The Filling

8 cups peeled, seeded, & diced zucchini
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves optional

For The Crisp Topping

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup crushed buttery crackers
4 tbsp butter melted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make The Filling

Add the chopped zucchini to a large pot. Pour the lemon juice in, and gently toss to combine.
8 cups peeled, seeded, & diced zucchini, 2/3 cup lemon juice
Cook the zucchini, stirring often for 15-20 minutes- until they're soft, tender, and have gone from white to resembling cooked apple slices.
Once cooked stir in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Let the mixture simmer for roughly 2 minutes, just until the apple slices are infused with the flavors.
1 cup sugar, 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, pinch ground cloves
Taste it and see, but the zucchini mixture will now look & taste like apple pie filling. Transfer the filling to a waiting 8x8 dish.

To Make The Topping

To a large mixing bowl add the flour, oats, sugar, and crackers. Stir them all together to evenly combine.
1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup crushed buttery crackers
Drizzle the butter evenly out over top. Stir again to evenly combine.
4 tbsp butter
Spread the crumble topping evenly out over top of filling. Make sure to get it to the edges, and try your best to make sure it covers all of the filling.
Bake the zucchini crisp at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Remove it from the oven, and let the dish rest for at least 5 minutes.
Spoon the crisp into bowls, and serve topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Don’t skip seeding the zucchini. To seed them, just cut away the core. This will give the crisp the most apple like texture.
Make sure to use the lemon juice. It both prevents browning and adds a little brightness.
Spread the topping evenly and try to press it into the corners.
Because there’s no top crust keeping things in, the filling will bubble up over the crisp crumble topping in places. This is perfectly normal because of the high water content of zucchini, leading to a juicier filling.
The filling will thicken when cooked and any filling that bubbles up will turn dark brown as it caramelizes while baking.

Nutrition