Zucchini Mock Apple Pie with Oat Almond Crumble

5 from 4 votes

Zucchini Mock Apple Pie with Oat Almond Crumble

Use your favorite pie crust or this whole wheat vegan crust. You could skip the bottom crust for a zucchini mock apple pie crisp! Makes one 9-inch pie, 8 to 10 servings.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Cooling time1 22

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mock apple pie, zucchini, whole wheat pastry, oat almond crumble streusel

Servings: servings.

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Letty | @lettyskitchen

Ingredients

For the whole wheat pie crust:

1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour (see note)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon coconut sugar or organic cane sugar (see note)
6 tablespoons avocado or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons water

For the filling:

3 to 4 pounds zucchini about 5 medium
¾ cup coconut sugar or organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon dark molasses if using cane sugar (see note)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

For the crumble:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond flour (4 ounces) (see note)
⅓ cup coconut or organic cane sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup avocado or grapeseed oil

Instructions

Make the crust:

Stir the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl or the liquid measuring cup, using a fork, whisk the oil and water until it lightens in color, about 15 seconds.
Immediately pour the oil/water mixture into the flour. Mix with a fork until all the flour is incorporated. Work gently with your hands until the dough holds together for the most part. (Add a bit more water, a teaspoon at a time, if needed, but be careful--too much moisture takes away from the flaky texture.) The dough will always be a bit crumbly but will become a beautiful pastry once you press it in the pan.
Press the dough evenly on the bottom, up the sides, and onto the rim of a 9-inch pie pan, pushing the dough with your fingers, patching in the thin spots. The dough comes together the more you work it into the pan and up on the rim. Crimp the dough on the rim in a fluted shape.

Prepare the zucchini:

Peel the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out and discard the seeds. Slice about 1/8-inch thick. You should have 7 or so cups of sliced zucchini in half-ring shape.
Place zucchini in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam 5 to 7 minutes, until the zucchini is no longer raw yet not soft. Drain and let sit in the colander while you prepare the crumble.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. (You will bake the pie at 400°F. but you want it preheated at the higher temperature.)

The crumble:

Put the oats, almond flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour in the oil and use your hands to mix everything together.

Assemble the pie:

Dump the steamed and drained zucchini into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, arrowroot and lemon juice. Immediately spoon the zucchini mixture into the prepared piecrust, pouring the juices from the bowl over the zucchini. Cover the zucchini evenly with the crumble, pressing it gently into the fruit and tucking in any zucchini slices poking out around the sides.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and you see evidence of bubbling juices around the sides. Let cool minimum one hour before cutting.

Notes

Coconut sugar has a caramel brown sugar-like flavor and is less sweet than cane sugar. You could also use brown sugar.
I recommend weighing the almond flour--a cup of almond flour can vary tremendously in weight, from 2 ½ to 4 ounces, depending on how compact or loose the flour.

Nutrition