This Strawberry Crepes recipe is to die for and belongs on a restaurant brunch menu, but the best part is how EASY they are to make! We make them often on the weekends (if you’re intimidated at all, I’ve got a really great tutorial for How to Make Crepes) and they are such a special treat! I love that the crepe batter can be made the night before, and if we have leftover crepes, they keep well in the fridge to reheat over the next few days.
What Is a Crepe?
Crepes are French-style pancakes that are thin and flat, and can be made and filled with sweet or savory ingredients. We love them filled with nutella and strawberries or bananas, or a sweet cream filling with fruit, like in this recipe. If you’re wanting to make them even more elegant, try these Blintzes.
If you want a savory crepe you can leave out the vanilla and some of the sugar and fill them with a creamy chicken mixture or even eggs and ham for a breakfast crepe.
Crepes are different from American pancakes because they don’t have a rising agent in them (like baking soda or baking powder) so they turn out wafer thin and delicate, rather than thick and fluffy.
How to Make Strawberry Crepes
Make Batter: Add all of the crepe ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth (scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula, if needed). It’s encouraged to allow the batter to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or more, before cooking the crepes. I’m often too impatient for this, and they still turn out great.
Swirl Batter: Although you can buy a special pan for making crepes, all you really need is a large non-stick skillet! Heat it over medium heat. Grease the pan lightly and add about ¼ cup of batter, swirling it around the pan to form a large, thin pancakes.
Cook Crepes: Cook for 30 seconds or so on each side, flipping once, until lightly golden.
Make strawberry crepe filling: Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Beat cream and powdered sugar on high in a separate bowl until stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, reserving some whipped cream for the topping on the crepes, if desired.
Assemble: Spread a thin layer of cream filling on the crepe and top with strawberries. Roll up tightly, or fold in half, and then in half again, for a traditional French crepe look.
Serve dusted with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries on top, if desired.
Make Ahead Instructions
The crepe batter can be made 1 day in advance, stored covered in the fridge. You can also make the cream filling 1 day in advance and slice the strawberries and store them separately in the fridge. Cooked crepes will keep in the fridge, covered well, for 2-3 days.
Strawberry Crepes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Serves 15
For the Crepes:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
For the Crepes:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender if needed. Refrigerate batter for 30 minutes. (Recommended, but not required).
Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium heat. When skillet is hot, lightly grease it with a little butter or cooking spray.
Hold the handle of the skillet and as you pour a few tablespoons of batter in, tilt the skillet around in a circular motion to allow the batter to evenly coat the bottom of the pan, in a thin layer.
Cook for 30 seconds-1 minutes or until the edges of the crepe curl slightly and the bottom of the crepe is lightly golden. Flip to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds.
(Adjust your heat between medium-medium high until your crepes are cooking in about 30 seconds on each side. Re-grease your pan every few crepes, as needed.)
Remove crepe to a plate. Add more crepes to the plate as you cook them, and cover the plate to keep them warm.
For the Filling:
In a small bowl mix blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until for 2 minutes.
In another mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks.
Spoon most of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and fold in until smooth. Reserve a little bit of whipped cream for topping on the crepes, if desired.
Spoon a thin layer of the filling onto a crepe. Add some fresh strawberries on top and then roll it up.
Serve dusted with powdered sugar, extra strawberries and whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: The crepe batter can be made 1 day in advance, stored covered in the fridge. You can also make the cream filling 1 day in advance and slice the strawberries and store them separately in the fridge. Cooked crepes will keep in the fridge, covered well, for 2-3 days.
Recipe Variations
- Fruit—Add any of your favorite fruit you have on hand, we especially love to add raspberries, blackberries, and bananas.
- Nutella Strawberry Crepes—Spread on a layer of Nutella before adding the whipped cream filling and strawberries, or skip the whipped cream filling and just use Nutella if you prefer.
- Savory Crepes: Leave out the vanilla and some of the sugar and fill them with a creamy chicken mixture or even eggs and ham for a breakfast crepe.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 141mg, Potassium: 141mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 447IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This article was originally published on tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Follow on Instagram.
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