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Did you know you could make pie with zucchini and it tastes like apple? It’s true! Zucchini Pie Bars have a shortbread crust and crumble topping and they’re filled with a cooked cinnamon sugar zucchini. This is a great secret way to use up zucchini!
Sweet Zucchini Pie Recipe
Let’s play a quick game of true or false: zucchini tastes like apples when cooked with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. True or false?
If you answered true, you’re right! Zucchini does taste like apples if cooked with 3 simple ingredients. Now you can enjoy vegetables more often after knowing this- you’re welcome.
I must mention that this is one of my favorite recipes from this blog and I mean it 200%. For any dessert that contains cooked zucchini, count me in on it because not only is it delicious, but it helps clear out my veggie drawer from all the zucchini. #WinWin
If you have never tried a zucchini dessert before, please hear me out. As odd as it sounds, vegetables in sweet baked goods, it’s actually an incredible addition to any sweet treat, like zucchini bread or zucchini cake!
Ingredients needed
- Flour: I almost always use all-purpose flour for my recipes
- Sugar: granulated sugar is used for the crust, filling and topping.
- Zucchini: I peeled and diced my zucchini to cook it for the filling
- Butter: You need lots of unsalted butter for all the layers.
- Cinnamon: ground cinnamon is a must!
- Oats: I’m using quick-cook oats but did you know you can make quick oats from old fashioned?
How to make zucchini pie
- Prepare the crust by slowly mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl. The mixture should be crumbly.
- Press the crust in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350° oven.
- Heat a frying pan over low heat to make the filling. Melt butter, then add the zucchini, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook the ingredients together and stir until the zucchini looks like it’s getting a bit translucent around the edges.
- Drain the zucchini and let sit until the crust is done baking
- Cream the butter and sugar to make the topping while the zucchini is cooking then add flour, oats, and salt and mix slowly to get a crumbly mixture.
- Drain the zucchini again right before the crust comes out of the oven.
- Sprinkle the drained zucchini carefully on top, making sure there’s no liquid at all. Then sprinkle with the topping.
- Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the top starts to get golden brown.
- Cool completely in the pan before slicing into bars and serving.
Expert Tips
- Serve with caramel sauce and/or ice cream or whipped cream.
- If you are using a hand mixer, use your hands to break up any large chunks of butter. A stand mixer makes the crumble come together easily.
- You know crumble bars are done baking when they’re golden on top and the center is bubbly.
FAQs
Yes, freeze them for up to one month.
Store bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Zucchini Pie Bars Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 2 cups peeled and diced zucchini
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Topping:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (124g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup (40g) quick cook oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (for easy removal and cutting of bars). Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the crust by slowly mixing all the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using hand mixer. The mixture will be crumbly and if you are using a hand mixer you may need to use your hands to break up any large chunks of butter. Press the crust in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Make the filling: Heat a frying pan over low heat. Melt the butter, then add the zucchini, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes until the zucchini just looks like it’s getting translucent around the edges. Drain and let sit until the crust is done.
- Make the topping while the zucchini is cooking: you can use the same bowl you used for the crust. Use a stand or a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar. Add the flour, oats, and salt and mix slowly. The mixture will be somewhat crumbly.
- Right before the crust comes out of the oven, drain the zucchini again. Remove the hot crust from the oven. Sprinkle the zucchini carefully on top (make sure they are well drained first – do not add any of the extra liquid!), then sprinkle with the topping. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the top starts to get golden brown.
- Cool completely in pan before slicing into bars and serving. Serve with caramel sauce and/or ice cream or whipped cream.
- Store bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
- Use the same bowl for the crust and crumble to save time and dishes!
- A stand mixer gets the crumble together easiest, but you can use a hand mixer (you may have to get your hands involved).
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
Totally looks like apple pie bars! I have heard that about zucchini that it takes on an apple flavor (but I think that with zuke in general, it’s such a chameleon it takes on almost whatever flavor you’re cooking it with). I’ve baked it with carrots, bananas, and gone savory with sweet potatoes and now I have to try this! If you say this is one of your fave recipes ever on your blog, I know it’s super special!
Thanks Averie! 🙂
These bars sound so interesting in a good way! My courgette plant hasn’t even got flowers yet so it is going to be quite a while until I get the veggies. I will definitely need to try these bars, they look delicious!
A sweet zucchini recipe I haven’t seen before??? Awesome! I will def have to try this when our zucchini comes in 🙂
No convincing needed here, Dorothy! These are covered in crumble and look amazing. That’s all I need. Besides, zucchini is delicious. Confused, apparently, but delicious.
It’s okay that you’re one of those moms. My mom held out and didn’t buy us the stuff everyone else was wearing. I got mocked a lot and have a lot of adult trauma. So there you go. You’re a great mom!
This is such a timely post since I am receiving tons of zucchini in our CSA deliveries. If it tastes like apples, I am all for it!
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