Zucchini Cobbler | The Surprise Apple Dessert

Zucchini cobbler tastes so much like apple cobbler. No one will ever know that you swapped out the fruit for a vegetable in tonight's dessert. 

mock apple pie with zucchini

This zucchini cobbler recipe came as a saving grace one summer from my husband's aunt. I was swimming in zucchini from my garden (much like I am again this year) and tried to pawn some off on her. She politely declined, but gave me the best recipe to use up A LOT of zucchini in one delicious dessert.

When I first heard the words zucchini cobbler I was very hesitant. I mean what kind of dessert is made with vegetables? But I trusted her when she said it tastes exactly like apple cobbler, and guess what?! This zucchini in dessert form tastes exactly like apple cobbler. Can we say mock apple cobbler to entice the naysayers some more?

mock apple pie with zucchini

How to make mock apple cobbler

Step 1: Make the Zucchini Cobbler Filling

This step is the most important part of making our mock apple cobbler. To make the zucchini pass as apples, first make sure you peel the skin off (so the dark green doesn't tip anyone off) and then remove any seeds. Then we will cook up the zucchini with lemon juice to give it a little tang and help it taste more like apples. Finishing it off with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg makes this just like an apple pie filling.

Zucchini can be a bit watery at times, so I like to add in a little bit of flour to zucchini apple pie filling to help thicken it up. If your zucchini mixture isn't very watery after mixing in the brown sugar mixture then you may not need to add the flour.

Step 2: Make the Cobbler Dough

I find that a lot of cobbler recipes call for an almost biscuit type topper. It can lean towards the dry side and not really my favorite. My cobbler recipe is more on the cake side. It is light, fluffy, and all around delicious! Sprinkled with a little extra brown sugar, I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Step 3: Bake and Enjoy!

To keep things simple we bake the zucchini filling in a cast-iron skillet. Any time I can eliminate a dish to wash I am happy. However, if you do not have a cast-iron skillet just transfer the zucchini filling to a baking dish or large pie dish after cooking. Both will work great!

Want more zucchini recipes?

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Zucchini Cobbler

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Zucchini cobbler tastes EXACTLY like apple cobbler. No one will ever know that you are swapping out the fruit for a vegetable in their dessert tonight.

Ingredients
  

Zucchini Filling
  • 8 cups zucchini peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoon flour
Cobbler Dough
  • ½ cup butter melted
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup brown sugar

Instructions
 

Zucchini Filling
  1. In a large cast-iron skillet combined zucchini and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
  2. Add in brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, cook for an additional minute. Then set aside.
Cobbler Dough
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar baking powder, and milk. Mix to combine.
  3. Pour melted butter over the cooked zucchini.
  4. Pour the dough mixture over the top of the cooked zucchini and melted butter. Do not stir everything together. Then sprinkle with brown sugar.
  5. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
  6. Top with vanilla ice cream or homemade maple whipped cream for an extra treat.

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