FOOLPROOF VEGAN crêpes
EASY, THIN FRENCH PANCAKES
WITH HEALTHY CHIA BERRY JAM
PERFECT FOR LA CHANDELEUR
You’ll put this recipe on high crêpetition once you realise how easy they are.
Manger des crêpes (végétaliennes) à la chandeleur apporte un an de bonheur! Or, ‘eating vegan crêpes on Candlemas brings on a happy year'!’. This (adapted) French saying alludes to the fact that sweet crêpes like these are all the rage every February 2nd (Candlemas, a Christian feast day) where in France, it’s your national duty to scoff as many crêpes as you can.
A traditional crêpe uses egg in the batter and for the vegan version this portion is very easy to replace. A small amount of baking powder in the batter contributes the light leavening properties that eggs normally do, forming lacy and thin crepes that bend, twist, roll and fold into whatever shape you want to consume them in.
So what’s the difference between a fail and a flop*?
*in crêpe land, floppiness is considered a win
Refrigerate the batter!
Once the batter is blended (which helps subdue gluten formation), keeping it in the fridge for 30 minutes to a full day in advance lets the batter fully absorb the flour and makes for a better quality crêpe.
Make sure the pan is at the right heat!
An approximately 20cm (8”) frying pan or crêpe pan is appropriate for frying. Grease the pan with a light, even coating of oil and heat it to at least 200°C (390°F) before adding the batter. I use a cheap temperature gun to make sure my pan is the right temperature when making this recipe. Be sure to adjust the heat to make sure the pan doesn’t get too hot or drop too much in heat once the batter goes on.
Pour the batter into the pan correctly and swirl quickly!
Use a soup ladle to pour the batter around one side of a hot, oiled pan (off centre), then swirl the pan around quickly to allow the batter to flow around and thinly coat the remainder of the frying pan. You can continue to tilt back and forth to get a lovely round crepe and fill in any gaps, so long as you do it quickly. Once the batter stops moving, if there’s any small spots that need a ‘repair’ you can dab the drizzles of batter left on the ladle where needed.
Flip delicately!
Use a spatula to flip the crépe for the first flip. Once the underside is cooked, I use a wooden chopstick under the crêpe to transfer it to a wire rack to cool, adding each crêpe to the pile as I go.
Fill them up!
For an easy breakfast crêpe filling, jam or a dairy free nutella alternative like my own recipe goes a treat. For a healthier jam alternative that uses chia seeds packed full of Omega-3’s (that you want to supplement on a plant based diet), I’ve included my recipe in the guide below.
Makes 8 vegan crêpes.
Foolproof Vegan Crêpes
Ingredients
- 120g plain flour (1 cup)
- 375ml soy milk (1 ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- plus a few tablespoons of oil or vegan butter
- 1 cup fresh or defrosted/pitted fruit (strawberries, blueberries, cherries etc)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and whizz until you make a smooth and creamy batter. Cover the mixture in a container and refrigerate for at least half an hour or leave it ready ahead of time up to two days in advance. In a crepe pan or a non-stick pan at least 20cm in diameter, apply a thin coating of oil or dairy free butter and get it good and hot (aiming for 200c on a temperature gun).
- Use a ladle to pour 80ml (⅓ cup) of the batter off-centre onto the pan, then swirl to evenly coat with the batter. If you move quick and your circle is a little wonky, drizzle a little extra batter where needed and swirl very quickly to round out the crepe. Cook for about 30 to 60 seconds before gracefully and delicately flipping for another minute on the other side. Adjust this time slightly to a brief cook on the second side for softer, flimsier crepes or cook for longer on each side for crispier crepes. I like to use cooking spray oil to spritz the uncooked side before I flip it so both sides get the advantage of frying in fat. Once the second side has some delicious brown spots, move the crepe to a wire rack. Keep the crepes covered with a tea towel as you go and continue until the batter is all used up.
- Serve with the jam smeared along one side and rolled up, or cover half a crepe with jam and fold the other half over. Spread a little more jam on one half of the folded crepe and fold over once more to make a triangle. Grate lemon zest, sprinkle over powdered sugar and heap on more jam if you like and eat them warm!
- Cut off any dodgy bits from the berries if needed. Mash the berries and add them to a small saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, switch off the heat and stir through the chia seeds. Allow to cool and use in place of jam (except for jarring, because of the low sugar this recipe should be kept in the fridge and used within a week).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
135.37Fat
3.92 gSat. Fat
0.64 gCarbs
21.5 gFiber
1.7 gNet carbs
19.82 gSugar
7.13 gProtein
3.42 gSodium
154.64 mgCholesterol
0 mg
