Breakfast and Dessert Crêpes

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I don’t know about you, but I cannot walk past a Crêperie and not partake in indulging in a dessert crêpe. Maybe it can be attributed to my French ancestry or just because they are so darn yummy, but I have always loved these delicious, thin, pancakes stuffed and topped with sweetness. Unfortunately, however, it’s a rarity in some locations to have access to a good crêpe place. The good news is that they are incredibly easy to make, and you can get so creative with what you serve in or on them. I explain exactly how to make them in my Breakfast and Dessert Crêpes recipe.

On a very basic level, crêpes can be savory or sweet. The differences lie in the type of flour used to make them and what you use to stuff and top them with. For a savory crêpe, you use buckwheat flour, while all-purpose flour is used for a sweet crêpe. Savory crêpes are stuffed or topped with meats, cheeses, savory sauces, etc., while sweet crêpes are stuffed with jams, fruits, dessert toppings, syrup, etc.

I love crêpes of all kinds, but I have always had more of an affinity for sweet crêpes, which is why I worked to perfect the Breakfast and Dessert Crêpes recipes I am about to share with you. I wish I could say that one of my grandparents was first-generation French and passed down a family recipe that they brought with them to our country when they came over, but I don’t have a cool story like that to tell. Instead, I can tell you I did extensive research into crêpes and spent a decent amount of time in my kitchen developing my basic crêpe recipe along with some delicious ways to stuff and top them.

In this post, I am not only going to discuss how I make my basic Breakfast and Dessert Crêpes, I am also going to detail three of my favorite ways to stuff and top them, so settle in for a long, but worthwhile post.

Cream Cheese Crêpe Crème. I am going to begin by talking about how we make the fillings and toppings first, because these take a bit of time to prepare. I like to get them ready ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator so making my crêpes in their entirety doesn’t take so long when I’m craving them. With that being said, let’s begin with the ingredients for my Cream Cheese Crêpe Crème. For this recipe, you will need heavy whipping cream, cream cheese confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract.

To make this recipe, begin by beating the heavy cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks have formed; set aside. Then, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy with an electric hand mixer. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and mix until fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract and finish by folding in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sautéed Peaches. Now, let’s move onto our fruits! For my sautéed peaches, you are going to need peaches, of course (these are best when ripe), butter (I use salted butter to enhance the flavor of the peaches), brown sugar and vanilla extract.

To make this recipe, begin by preheating a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, melt the butter and whisk in the sugar; cooking until the mixture starts to bubble. Add in the peaches and sauté until they start to soften and their juice helps to produce a syrup in the pan; about 3 minutes. Turn heat off and add in vanilla extract; stirring to incorporate completely.

Baked Cinnamon and Sugar Apples: Moving onto our apples! For this recipe, you are going to need apples of course, but the kind of apples you use depends on your preference. I love apples that have a good balance of tart and sweet with a soft texture, so I usually opt for Macintosh or Gala apples, but if you prefer something that maintains a crisp texture (even after being baked), you might opt for Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp apples. In addition to your apples, you will need brown sugar, cinnamon and butter (I like to use salted butter to enhance the flavor of my apples).

To make this recipe, begin by preheating your oven to 400°F. Next, peel your apples and cut them into ¼ to ½-inch slices, discarding the core and skin. Transfer apples to a medium bowl. Add in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss with your fingers to coat them thoroughly.

Arrange apples in a thin layer across the bottom of 9×13-inch baking dish. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden-brown and tender. You can keep them in the oven longer to achieve your desired tenderness, but make sure you familiarize yourself with the type of apple you are using first, as some will maintain their texture even through the baking process.

Vanilla Bean Chantilly Crème: Now for the final topping before we get into the crêpe making. For my Vanilla Bean Chantilly Crème you will need heavy whipping cream, superfine caster sugar, vanilla bean powder and vanilla extract.

Chantilly Crème is, quite simply, a French whipped cream and it is the perfect way to top off any crêpe. To make this recipe, begin by adding your heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla bean powder and vanilla extract into a medium bowl. Beat on high with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Crêpes. And now for the main attraction…the crêpes. To make my basic crêpe recipe, you will need milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salted butter, flour, Himalayan pink salt and sugar.

Begin by adding the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, butter, flour, salt and sugar (in that order) to a blender. Puree until all ingredients are well incorporated. Pour the batter into a pancake pen and set aside. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator) before cooking the crêpes. Do not skip this step, as it ensures that you will have a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crêpe.

After your batter has rested and you are ready to make your crêpes, preheat an 11-inch crêpe pan over medium heat. Squeeze about ¼ – ½ cup of the batter onto the middle of the pan and quickly tip and rotate the pan to spread the batter as thinly as possible.

Cook until golden brown; about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute. Remove finished crêpes to a plate.

To stuff and decorate your Breakfast and Dessert Crêpes, lay a crêpe down on a plate. Spread a generous layer of crêpe crème over half of crêpe. Layer your desired amount of fruit (strawberries, apple slices or peaches) on top of crème equally spaced apart (the apples and peaches can be served warm or cold). Fold the crêpe in half to cover your fruit and crème and then fold it in half again. Sprinkle with a generous amount of confectioners’ sugar. Top with more fruit slices and Vanilla Bean Chantilly Crème. Drizzle the baked apple crêpe with with caramel sauce.

You can store your unused crêpes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.