So you still have a lot of zucchini, but you’re been told you’re supposed to move on to fall recipes now that it’s September? Well here’s one for you. Did you know you can make zucchini taste like apple? You didn’t?! Well now you do! By simmering peeled zucchini in lemon juice and fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, you create a juice that smells and tastes like cider. The zucchini takes on these flavors, and softens to create a cooked apple-like texture. Add that mixture to a bar crust, top it off with some crumble, and you have yourself a winner!
This recipe was inspired by one of my all-time favorite books, entitled: The Classic Zucchini Cookbook! This was the perfect present from one of my good friends (do they know me or what?!). Problem is, the recipes in the book are very high in refined sugar, fat, and use traditional flours. What’s a healthy gal to do? Well, of course, figure out how to make these recipes healthier!
Use medium sized zucchinis for this. Don’t use the baseball bats, they’re too seedy. Save those for shredding. Medium zucs are more tender. Chop into small cubes to make sure these pieces will look like apples.
*The psyllium in this recipe is to help bind the crust ingredients together. Oats don’t have the protein gluten. Psyllium provides a protein and fiber boost to help with improving the structure of the dough. If you don’t have psyllium, you could try subbing ground flaxseed. It’s a small amount, so it may be fine to omit it.
Ingredients: Made 35 bars
Filling:
- 8 1/2 cups of zucchini, peeled and cut into small diced cubes
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 5 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Crust:
- 3 1/4 cups of oat flour (300 g)
- 1/4 cup of sorghum flour (25 g)
- 3/4 cup raw sugar
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp psyllium husk*
Topping:
- Reserved 3/4 cup of crust batter
- 1 tbsp raw sugar or honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, divided
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment as well.
- Mix crust ingredients in a food processor. Mixture will be wet. Allow it to rest 5 minutes.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of crust onto lined pan, setting aside 3/4 of the crust batter to be used for the topping. Using an offset spatula, spread the crust around the pan evenly. This will be sticky.
- Place into the oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned.
- Place the remaining crust batter into a mixing bowl. Add in 3/4 cup of oats, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well. Add in remaining 1/2 cup of oats, and lightly stir. Don’t over mix this. You want the oats to be visible. Set aside until crust is done.
- While crust is baking, make the filling. In a large saucepan, combine zucchini, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey. Simmer until zucchini softens, around 10 minutes.
- When crust is finished; pour filling ingredients on top. Top with topping by pressing it on top of the filling
- Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. It’s best to place into the fridge before cutting. This will make the dough set up harder and make it easier to cut. Serve or freeze.
Nutritional Benefits:
- Whole grain dessert: no refined flours
- Gluten Free and Vegan: decreases inflammtion
- Oats: high in fiber and help to lower cholesterol
- Coconut oil: cholesterol free alernative to butter (it does have saturated fat)
- No refined sugars: if desired, you could reduce the sugar in the crust/topping to 2/3 cup
- Zucchini: high in Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that boosts immunity. Zucchini also contains Lutein and zeaxanthin, which help promote healthy eyesight. The almighty zuc is high in manganese, which helps in collagen production to repair damaged tissues in the body
- 8½ cups of zucchini, peeled and cut into small diced cubes
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 5 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 3¼ cups of oat flour (300 g)
- ¼ cup of sorghum flour (25 g)
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp psyllium husk*
- Reserved ¾ cup of crust batter
- 1 tbsp raw sugar or honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1¼ cup rolled oats, divided
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment as well.
- Mix crust ingredients in a food processor. Mixture will be wet. Allow it to rest 5 minutes.
- Pour 1½ cups of crust onto lined pan, setting aside ¾ of the crust batter to be used for the topping. Using an offset spatula, spread the crust around the pan evenly. This will be sticky.
- Place into the oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned.
- Place the remaining crust batter into a mixing bowl. Add in ¾ cup of oats, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well. Add in remaining ½ cup of oats, and lightly stir. Don't over mix this. You want the oats to be visible. Set aside until crust is done.
- While crust is baking, make the filling. In a large saucepan, combine zucchini, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey. Simmer until zucchini softens, around 10 minutes.
- When crust is finished; pour filling ingredients on top. Top with topping by pressing it on top of the filling
- Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting. It's best to place into the fridge before cutting. This will make the dough set up harder and make it easier to cut. Serve or freeze.
