I love fried apples. When I was little we used to eat them for breakfast, dinner, and any other time we got a chance. Sweet, tangy apples served piping hot next to bacon (in the morning) or ham (at dinner) creates some kind of magic.
Addictive magic.
These fried apples are sweet, tangy, spicy, and tender. They taste an awful lot like the fried apple side dish at Cracker Barrel with one small difference. You can enjoy them on Atkins ? even on induction.?You see, they aren’t really apples.
It’s zucchini.
Use this as a side dish, spooned over a half a cup of whipped, sweetened cream cheese for a droolworthy take on cheesecake, or keep it simple in a dish with a fluffy dollop of sweetened sour cream. Crumble pork rinds over the hot “apples” and enjoy an apple crisp. When you are further along and can have some low carb ice cream enjoy the faux fried apples hot over a scoop of vanilla. You’ll think of more things, I’m sure.
The zucchini is peeled and sliced into coins, then each coin is sliced into two crescents. I like to saute mine in a combination of butter and bacon fat. It gives the zucchini deeper flavor. You can use all butter if you like. While the zucchini is sauteing you’ll add sweetener, maple flavoring, a bit of bourbon, cinnamon, cayenne or ancho pepper for a zesty kick, and some cider vinegar to create that apple-y tang.
Bam!
You can use your favorite zero carb sweetener. It’s hard to say how much you’ll need exactly?? add it to your own taste. You’ll want to cook the zucchini until it is soft but not mushy. Just taste every once in awhile until you decide that it’s perfect.
I know. You totally don’t believe me that this tastes like fried apples. Trust me on this, just try it one time.
Table of Contents
Low Carb Faux Cracker Barrel Fried Apples (Induction)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 3/4 cup peeled zucchini cut into coins and then crescents
- 0- carb sweetener to taste I use stevia
- 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne or ancho or chipotle pepper to taste
- 11/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
Instructions
- Melt the butter into the bacon drippings.
- Add the zucchini and saute until it is crisp tender.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until liquid is reduced and nearly gone.
- Stir very often.
- Taste and adjust sweetness/seasoning.
Nutrition
I have made a few tweaks to this recipe and have made it probably 10 times now. It is positively amazing! I have fooled several people into thinking this was apples. Had a salesman at work sit at lunch and go on and on about how he didn’t like any kind of squash. Served this for desert and he raved about how good it was. When I told him what it really was, he called me a name!!! not a nice one either. haha The only thing I do different in your recipe is I use 4 cups of zuc’s, double the rest of the ingredients, and at the end I added 1/3 cup of SF maple syrup. I made some home made cinnamon ice cream and served the apples over it warm, and it is to die for. I’m working on turning this into an apple pie too. Thanks soooooo much for sharing!
Oh wow! That sound amazing.
You are so creative and I love zucchini! What low carb maple flavor do you use? I have been low carbing 10 months now with 40 down. Love this life! Thanks for all you do!
Hi Denise! I use just maple flavoring from the grocery but you could use anything you like.
How thick do you slice the zucchini?
maybe three quarters of an inch? I never measured.
I’d like to know what the total carbs are, – not net carbs please.
oops nevermind – found them!!! 🙂
This looks really good but it says there is 24.5 g protein. I can’t figure out where all the protein is coming from as I don’t see anything in the recipe with substantial protein
Somehow when there was an update the Fat category was changed to protein. Sorry. 🙂