This breakfast of vegan crepes stuffed with lemon cream cheese and drizzled with apricot walnut syrup is one of our favorites. It sounds time consuming but actually couldn't be quicker--or easier--to make. Try it, and it will very likely go down as one of the best meals you ever ate to start your day.
Weekend breakfasts call for indulgence. There's nothing quite like gathering with family at the beginning of the two most perfect days of the week over a meal you will not only relish as you eat it but remember for days to come.
If you're looking for something like that, you couldn't do any better than this delicious breakfast of vegan crepes served with a dreamy lemon cream cheese filling and an orange, walnut and apricot syrup.
But what nice for you, as the cook, is that you won't have to spend the entire morning making this dish. With some smart multitasking you can pull it all together in about 30 minutes. Promise.
I shared this recipe with you on the blog a few years back, and it's so good that I made almost no changes to it. But I've added new photos and updated the text. I hope you'll try these delicious vegan crepes out and if you do, be sure to let me know!
How to make vegan crepes
Because French crepe recipes typically include eggs, and because the French (admirably) put so much premium on technique, one might think you'd have to be something of an accomplished cook in order to make a vegan crepe.
Not so. Vegan crepes are incredibly easy and almost foolproof. And they absolutely do not need the eggs.
Making the crepe batter: The batter for the crepes comes together in a blender. If you don't want to use the blender, you can just do this in a bowl with a whisk, but the blender makes the job so much easier and quicker.
Just throw all of the crepe ingredients in the blender, blitz, scrape down the sides to make sure the flour isn't stuck to the sides, and blitz again. Voila!
The crepe pan: You might have heard of a crepe pan, and here's what you need to know about it before you make a crepe: you don't need one.
What you do need is a good, nonstick skillet, anywhere from six to eight inches. I've even used my well-seasoned 6-inch cast iron skillet for crepes and it works perfectly well.
Making the crepe: To make the crepe, spray some cooking spray or brush on a bit of oil or vegan butter in the pan. Butter will give you a more golden-brown crepe. Heat the pan over medium heat, and then, depending on the size of your pan, pour our a half to a third of a cup of the batter into the center of the hot pan.
Immediately pick up the pan (use a mitt if using a cast-iron pan) and tilt it around so the batter coats the bottom of the pan evenly and forms a circle. If you find that you have an empty patch, don't fret--just pour in a little more batter and swirl it so the crepe is evenly thick (or thin). You will get better at this with practice, but a rule of thumb is never to let your skillet get too hot, because then the batter will start to set the minute it touches the pan. Leave the skillet over medium heat.
The crepe is ready to be flipped once the top is completely dry and the sides pull away from the pan. Guide a spatula gently under the crepe, flip, and cook for 30 seconds more.
Citrus Cream Cheese filling: I like stuffing my crepes with both savory and sweet fillings, but this citrus cream cheese is my most favorite stuffing of all. It needs just four ingredients and you can mix it in a bowl in under a minute flat.
Just dump vegan cream cheese and vegan butter at room temperature in a bowl, add powdered sugar and lemon or orange zest, and mix with a fork until everything's incorporated and creamy. Easy peasy.
Apricot-Orange-Walnut Syrup: You can just drizzle some maple syrup on the crepes, and that would be yummy, but this super simple, deep-amber apricot-orange-walnut syrup adds more drama and deliciousness to this gorgeous dish.
Like the cream cheese stuffing, it couldn't be easier. Dump all the ingredients into a pan, bring it to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
I like starting the syrup first, then I mix together the cream cheese stuffing and, finally, I mix the crepe batter and make the crepes. This way I can keep an eye on the syrup while I cook the crepes and give it an occasional stir and both the syrup and the crepes are ready around the same time.
You might want to double up on the syrup for pancakes or waffles--it lasts in the fridge, in an airtight container, for weeks.
Make ahead tips
You can make the syrup ahead of time--it lasts in the refrigerator for days. It thickens a bit as it stands, so reheat before serving.
The cream cheese filling can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week.
Mix the crepe batter right before making the crepes.
More filling ideas for vegan crepes
- Sauteed veggies. You can find a simpe recipe for a veggie stuffing in this whole wheat crepes recipe.
- Whipped vegan cream
- Peanut butter
- Fresh fruit. Dust the crepes with powdered sugar after filling.
- You can make a delicious Oreo stuffing for your crepes by mixing crumbled Oreo cookies into the cream cheese filling instead of the lemon zest.
Vegan Crepes (with Citrus Cream Cheese and Apricot Orange Walnut Syrup)
Ingredients
For the vegan crepes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white cornmeal
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 2 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the citrus cream cheese filling
- ¾ cup vegan cream cheese
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon (or orange)
For the Apricot Orange Walnut Syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice (or lemon juice for a different but equally delicious flavor. You might want to add more sugar)
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp dried apricots (chopped into small pieces)
- 2 tbsp walnuts (chopped)
Instructions
Make the crepe batter
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and whisk. Scrape down the sides of the blender to get any flour that sticks to the sides and blend again until well-mixed.
Make the cream cheese filling
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk using a fork or whisk until you have a fluffy, smooth mixture.
Make the Apricot Orange Walnut Syrup
- Place all the ingredients in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and allow them to come to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes.
Cook the crepes
- Heat a six-inch non-stick skillet (or an 8-inch skillet will do. It will make larger crepes)
- Brush or spray a little oil on the bottom. Use vegan butter for crepes with a delicious, buttery flavor.
- Pour ½ to ⅓rd of a cup of the crepe batter in the center and immediately lift and tilt the pan gently, turning your wrist, so the batter coats the bottom evenly. You want a thin, even layer. If you have bald spots, pour a tiny bit of batter to patch them up.
- Cook until the top is completely dry and the sides appear to pull away from the pan. Flip over and cook another 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can stack them up in a plate once they're cooked.
Assemble the crepes
- Place a crepe on a plate. Spread a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the center, then fold once into half and once again. Repeat with remaining crepes.
- Drizzle with the apricot-walnut syrup and serve immediately.
Oh I am so making these! They look totally amazing and scrumptious.
They are! Let me know if you try, Pallavi.
Perfect! So easy and delicious! I used rice milk and some orange juice instead of water, worked great! Just served them with jam, next time I'll try the syrup. It's been years since I had crêpes - thank you!
So happy to hear! 🙂
Hi Vaishali. Your pancake recipe is a HUGE hit with my husband...he requests them all of the time. Can't believe how easy they are. Now I want to try the crepes. Is the white corn meal essential or can it be omitted/replaced? Thanks!
Hi SS, the corn meal gives them lightness. You could try replacing with a fine-ground rava for the same effect.