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    Home » Favorite Flavors & Ingredients » Apple

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze}

    Published: Aug 12, 2015 · by Kim Lange · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze}
    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars

    I know so many people that turn their noses up at zucchini. (But...yes. there. is. a. But.)  But, seriously, if you don't like zucchini, it won't matter because you cannot taste it in these Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars with Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze, one iota.

    Yee-Haw!

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Glaze}

    These home-made applesauce zucchini bars did not last long.  Good Lord!  We barely got into the next day and between my son and myself, we pretty much polished them off with no restraint.  Matt even requested more after the first batch was eaten up. "Do we have more?  Those are so good!" I always like to hear that type of response for sure!

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Glaze}

    These bars are so moist with glaze and without glaze.  They just look prettier with glaze and some sprinkled salted roasted pecans. 🙂  They are home-baked with delicious ingredients like applesauce, zucchini, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, flour and a smidge of nutmeg.

    With that Caramel Glaze and pecans on top, you get a richer flavor and if you put the glaze on while the cake is warm, it will infuse, giving it even more flavor of that caramel inside the cake.

    OMG...I can't begin to tell you how good that was, AND it satisfied my sugar craving for awhile!  I have sugar cravings, pretty much after every meal, snack-time and I also get those random cravings that just pop up out of nowhere, even though I'm not hungry.  Anybody else built like that?  It's in my DNA. 🙂 It's a great excuse, right?  I'm sticking to it.

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Glaze}

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze}

    These Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars with Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze are  perfect for summer coming into fall recipes.  So, go get those zucchini out of your garden, or go to your local farmer's market and stock up. Can you feel the summer love?  Here's the recipe!

    More Zucchini Love!

    • Fudgy Dark Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins 
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    • Healthy Peach Zucchini Bread
    • Cream Cheese Frosted Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Glaze}

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze}

    Kim Lange
    Hard to believe this moist, applesauce cake has zucchini in it! Know why? You can see it, but you can't taste it. It's so bland, it just blends in! Perfect for snacking, breakfast and summer going into fall!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert
    Servings 8
    Calories

    Ingredients
      

    Applesauce Zucchini Cake

    • ¼ cup butter softened
    • ¾ cup brown sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup applesauce
    • ¾ cup zucchini shredded, lightly packed
    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

    Glaze

    • 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
    • ⅓ cup caramel sauce or topping
    • 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
    • optional: ½ teaspoon butter extract
    • ½ cup salted roasted pecans chopped coarsely

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
    • In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar and eggs until smooth and blended, then stir in applesauce.
    • In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon, then stir into the applesauce batter until well blended. Add in the zucchini and mix in.
    • Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
    • Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges become golden.
    • Cool in the pan over a wire rack.

    Glaze

    • In small microwavable bowl, heat ¼ cup salted caramel topping for about 20-30 seconds for a thinner consistency.
    • Remove from microwave and add in heavy cream, mixing together well.
    • Add in powdered sugar and blend well with a whisk.
    • If you have lumps, put mixture back in microwave and heat 15-30 seconds more, then stir until lumps disappear.
    • For a thinner consistency, add a little more caramel topping to the mixture.
    • For infused caramel flavor into the cake, pour glaze over cake while warm and cover with foil after eating a piece or two of course. The glaze with infuse into the cake as it sets for an hour or two.
    • OR...
    • Once the cake has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the cake and let glaze set 10-15 minutes, or longer, before slicing.
    • Add salted roasted pecans to glaze, right after pouring on cake.

    Notes

    If you don't have salted caramel sauce, just add ¼ teaspoon to caramel sauce if desired. There will already be salt on the roasted pecans. If you don't add the pecans, you could add sea salt to the top if you want the sweet and salty aspect. 🙂
    You can also use an 8x8 baking pan, just increase the baking time by about 5 minutes or so, since it will be thicker.
    Keyword applesauce, bars, cake, glaze, salted caramel, summer desserts, zucchini
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Kim Lange

    Hi! I'm Kim! As you may know, I'm cookie, brownie and chocolate obsessed! You'll find hundreds of decadent and healthy dessert recipes to choose from here! So, let's bake something easy and never forget the chocolate!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      October 29, 2019 at 9:03 am

      I do not see where you add the zucchini. I am presuming you mean with #3 step . Thanks

      • Kim Lange says

        October 29, 2019 at 9:40 am

        Correct, thanks and updated! Hope you enjoy! xo

    2. Anna @ Sunny Side Ups says

      August 14, 2015 at 7:42 pm

      LOVE zucchini so much; absolutely my favorite vegetable!! Crazy that some people don't like it! I'm absolutely saving & pinning this cake, because I know it would be a hit over at my house too! Just delicious! 🙂

      • ChocolaTess says

        August 16, 2015 at 3:37 pm

        Thanks so much Anna! 🙂 I love zucchini recipes too!

    3. Teresa says

      August 13, 2015 at 7:49 pm

      Wow, Kim these look to die for! Love it.

      • ChocolaTess says

        August 16, 2015 at 3:33 pm

        Thanks so much Teresa! 😉

    4. Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says

      August 12, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      I love zucchini in any form and these don't disappoint! YUM!

      • ChocolaTess says

        August 12, 2015 at 6:11 pm

        Thank you Julie! 🙂

    Trackbacks

    1. Lovely Lemon Zucchini Bread | The Baking ChocolaTess says:
      April 22, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      […] Zucchini Muffins, these Cream Cheese Frosted Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes and this Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars {Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze} are all great recipes on the blog, if you have an abundance of zucchini that you need to use up. […]

    2. Healthy Peach Zucchini Bread | The Baking ChocolaTess says:
      April 22, 2021 at 6:52 pm

      […] If you have an abundance of zucchini, ('tis the season), you need to check out this Lovely Lemon Zucchini Bread, these Fudgy Dark Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins {Healthy too!}, these Cream Cheese Frosted Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes and these Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars with Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze.  […]

    3. Healthy Peach Zucchini Bread says:
      July 31, 2018 at 9:34 pm

      […] If you have an abundance of zucchini, (’tis the season), you need to check out this Lovely Lemon Zucchini Bread, these Fudgy Dark Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins {Healthy too!}, these Cream Cheese Frosted Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes and these Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars with Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze.  […]

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    Kim Lange

    Hi, I'm Kim! As you may know, I'm cookie, brownie and chocolate obsessed! You'll find hundreds of decadent and healthy dessert recipes to choose from here! So, let's bake something easy and never forget the chocolate!

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