Zucchini Spice Bars, photo by Allison McAdams
We’re starting to feel the tiniest touch of fall in the air, and that make us want some kind of autumnal baked goods. So, in the best of both world, we used summer produce with warm spices and came up with these Zucchini Space Bars. They are easy and delicious simple to convert to gluten and dairy free.
We talk you through making these Zucchini Spice Bars in Episode 300 of our podcast. If you enjoy these bars, you may also like our recipes for Cheesy Zucchini Muffins and Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or dairy free butter, melted and cooled a bit
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large chicken or duck eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free 1-1 flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
2 cups fresh zucchini, grated (roughly 2 medium zucchini,) as much liquid squeezed out as possible
½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
Glaze
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cream, milk, dairy free cream or milk, or water
½ teaspoon ground ginger powder
A tiny pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs until the batter is smooth and completely blended.
Stir the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves directly into the wet ingredients until a thick batter forms. Gently fold in the drained zucchini and optional chopped nuts until they are well blended into the batter
Spread the batter evenly into your prepared 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The bars are done when the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let them cool completely in the pan for about an hour before frosting or glazing.
Glaze
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick and glossy. Pour it directly over your cooled zucchini bars and let it dry for 15 minutes into a crackly, translucent shell. Serve and enjoy!
Zucchini Spice Bars, photo by Allison McAdams