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.
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 vegan 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 vegan 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 for crepes: I like stuffing my vegan 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. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
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. Savory crepe fillings are divine, like these savory crepes with a mushroom sauce and veggie filling. 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.
More yummy vegan breakfast recipes
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