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All the Warm Cinnamon Flavor of Homemade Apple Pie Without the Apples
There is something special about a homemade apple pie cooling on the kitchen counter. The golden crust, warm cinnamon aroma, tender fruit filling, and beautiful lattice top make it one of those classic desserts that never seems to go out of style.
But traditional apple pie can be difficult to fit into a keto lifestyle because apples contain considerably more natural sugar and carbohydrates than many keto-friendly foods.
That doesn't mean you have to give up the experience of homemade apple pie.
This Keto Mock Apple Pie replaces apples with peeled and seeded zucchini. Once the zucchini is cooked with lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweetener, butter, and vanilla, it develops a surprisingly convincing apple-pie character.
Even better, this isn't a crustless mock pie or an apple-style crisp.
It has a real keto bottom crust and a criss-cross lattice crust over the top.
Why Zucchini Makes Such a Good Mock Apple
Zucchini has a mild flavor, which makes it especially useful in keto recipes.
The secret is removing the green peel and soft seeded center. What remains is the firmer zucchini flesh.
When cut into curved slices and simmered with lemon juice and apple-pie spices, the zucchini absorbs those flavors while maintaining enough texture to resemble cooked apple slices.
The lemon juice is particularly important. Zucchini doesn't have the natural sweet-tart flavor of an apple, so lemon provides the acidity needed to balance the sweetener.
Keto Mock Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
Approximately 8 servings
Keto Pie Crust
Ingredients
3 cups finely ground blanched almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup powdered keto-friendly sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons ice-cold water, as needed
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water for brushing the lattice crust
Zucchini Apple Filling
5 to 6 cups peeled, seeded, and sliced zucchini
1/2 cup granulated keto-friendly sweetener, or to taste
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unflavored beef gelatin
1/4 cup cool water
Preparing the Zucchini
Choose firm zucchini without an overly large, watery center.
Peel away all of the green skin.
Cut the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the soft seeded center with a spoon.
Slice the remaining zucchini into pieces approximately 1/4-inch thick.
Try cutting some pieces into curved wedges rather than small cubes. The irregular curved pieces look much more like apple slices in the finished pie.
Measure approximately 5 to 6 cups after the zucchini has been peeled, seeded, and sliced.
Making the Keto Pie Dough
Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, powdered sweetener, and salt in a large bowl.
Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until small pieces of butter remain throughout.
Add the eggs and apple cider vinegar.
Mix until the dough begins coming together.
Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, using only enough to create a dough that can be pressed together.
Divide the dough into two portions, making the portion for the bottom crust slightly larger.
Shape each portion into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
Making the Zucchini Apple Filling
Place the prepared zucchini in a large skillet or saucepan.
Add the sweetener, lemon juice, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt.
Cook over medium heat for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The zucchini should become tender but should not fall apart.
This cooking step is important because zucchini naturally contains a great deal of water. Allow some of that moisture to cook away before assembling the pie.
While the zucchini cooks, place 1/4 cup cool water in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the beef gelatin evenly over the water.
Let it stand for approximately 5 minutes to bloom.
Remove the cooked zucchini filling from the heat.
Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot filling until completely dissolved.
Allow the filling to cool while preparing the crust.
Preparing the Bottom Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the larger disk of chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper.
Roll it into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Remove the top sheet of parchment.
Carefully invert the dough over the pie plate and gently press it into place.
Keto pastry is more delicate than traditional wheat pastry. If a section cracks, simply press it back together with your fingers.
Trim and tidy the edges.
Prick the bottom lightly with a fork.
Bake the empty bottom crust for approximately 8 minutes.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for several minutes.
Creating the Lattice Crust
Roll the second portion of chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
For easier handling, refrigerate the rolled dough for another 10 minutes before cutting it.
Remove the top parchment and cut the dough into strips approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.
Pour the cooled zucchini filling into the partially baked bottom crust.
Arrange several pastry strips across the pie in one direction.
Place additional strips in the opposite direction, gently weaving them over and under the first strips to create the traditional lattice pattern.
Don't worry if a strip breaks. Almond-flour pastry can simply be pressed back together.
Trim the strips around the outside edge and gently press them into the bottom crust.
Brush the lattice lightly with the beaten egg mixture.
Baking the Pie
Bake at 350°F for approximately 35 to 45 minutes.
The crust should be golden and the filling should be bubbling gently around the openings in the lattice.
If the outer crust begins browning too quickly, loosely protect the edges with foil.
Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.
Now comes one of the most important parts of this recipe.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing.
Why the Pie Needs to Cool
Beef gelatin behaves differently from cornstarch, arrowroot, or xanthan gum.
The filling will still be fairly loose while the pie is hot.
As the pie cools, the gelatin helps the juices surrounding the zucchini set. This gives the filling enough structure to stay inside the crust when you cut a slice.
Allow the pie to cool for at least 3 hours.
For especially clean slices, refrigerate the completely cooled pie for an hour before cutting it.
The pie can then be served cool, at room temperature, or gently warmed.
Serving Your Keto Mock Apple Pie
This pie is delicious all by itself, but you can make it feel even more like a traditional apple-pie dessert.
Serve a slice with a spoonful of lightly whipped unsweetened cream.
You could also add a small scoop of keto vanilla ice cream or sprinkle a little cinnamon over the plate.
For an especially cozy dessert, gently warm an individual slice before serving.
Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition varies depending on the almond flour, sweetener, butter, and other ingredients used.
Based on 8 slices:
Calories: approximately 380 per slice
Total Fat: approximately 34 g
Protein: approximately 11 g
Total Carbohydrates: approximately 13 g
Dietary Fiber: approximately 6 g
Net Carbohydrates: approximately 7 g
Sugar: approximately 3 g
These figures are estimates and can change depending on the exact ingredients and brands used.
Can You Really Make Apple Pie Without Apples?
That is what makes this recipe so much fun.
Zucchini doesn't taste like apples on its own. Instead, its mild flavor allows the traditional apple-pie ingredients to become the stars.
Cinnamon provides warmth.
Nutmeg adds that familiar old-fashioned pie flavor.
Lemon supplies the tartness.
Sweetener provides the sweetness.
Vanilla and butter round everything out.
And the tender zucchini provides the texture.
Put all of those flavors inside a buttery keto crust and cover them with a golden lattice, and humble zucchini becomes a very different dessert.
A Beautiful Keto Dessert for the Table
This is also the kind of keto dessert you can proudly place in the center of the table.
The woven lattice gives the pie the beautiful appearance of an old-fashioned homemade apple pie, while the cinnamon zucchini filling provides the familiar flavors you expect when you cut into it.
It is proof that keto baking doesn't always have to look like a substitute for something else.
Sometimes you can take an unexpected ingredient like zucchini and turn it into a dessert that deserves a place of its own in your recipe collection.
And the best part may be watching someone take that first bite before telling them the “apples” are actually zucchini.
Looking for More Delicious Keto Recipes?
If this Keto Mock Apple Pie has you excited about what can be created with simple low-carb ingredients, there is plenty more to discover on Blissfully Keto.
Explore more keto desserts, breads, muffins, smoothies, main dishes, and everyday recipes designed to bring variety back to low-carb eating.
You don't have to give up the familiar foods you enjoy. Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity and the right keto-friendly ingredients to create a delicious new version.
Explore more recipes on Blissfully Keto and find something delicious to make next!
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