Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: crepes

Vegan Chocolate Crepes
Last weekend Eric and I were at a cafe that served crepes and we just had time for lattes even though he really wanted some crepes. So, I decided that later that week I would make some crepes. Classic vanilla crepes are so good with just cinnamon and sugar but I figured I would be a bit more fancy and make some chocolate crepes! Since I had never made them before. I am all for trying new things when it comes to recipes and why not make them chocolate?!

Crepes are really simple to make, which makes me love them even more. When I was in high school, one of the most exciting days in our French class was when the teacher brought crepe batter, and let us make our own crepes. That is how simple they are to make if we could make them with no experience. Your first one might turn out a little weird (like pancakes sometimes do if you are heating the pan) but it’s an easy process.

For these ones I made my classic crepe batter and flavored it with cacao powder to make them nice and chocolaty. I actually made them gluten free, but if you want to make them not gluten free, you can sub organic whole wheat pastry flour for the gluten free flour and they will turn out the same. They came out lovely, and they would have been good with just cinnamon and sugar (since chocolate goes well with it too), but I decided to add some other toppings and make them pretty.

Just a bit of melted dark chocolate, some fresh strawberries and pistachios, and they were perfect! If you are a fan of crepes, make some at home! Of course you can add your own toppings if you want and even make them more dessert like with some ice cream or coconut whipped cream. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Vegan Chocolate Crepes

Makes 12

Crepes:
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 3 Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar
- pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For Serving:
- melted vegan dark chocolate
- sliced organic strawberries
- pistachios
Instructions:
1. To make the crepes, mix together the flax seed and water in a bowl, and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until it is the consistency of egg whites.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut sugar, flour, cacao powder, and sea salt in a bowl, then whisk in the coconut oil. Slowly whisk in the milk little by little to make sure the mixture stays free of lumps. Next, whisk in the vanilla, followed by the flax mixture you had set aside.
3. Heat a non-stick ceramic 6 inch pan over medium heat, then pour in 1/3 cup batter, and swirl the pan so that it spreads out to the edges. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and cook the second side. Once the crepe is done, set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, separating the crepes with parchment paper on the plate so that they don’t stick together.
4. To serve the crepes, drizzle with the vegan dark chocolate, and sprinkle with strawberries and pistachios (or feel free to be creative with toppings).
5. Enjoy!
May 17, 2019
Vegan Snickerdoodle Crepes with Caramelized Apples
I had never tasted a snickerdoodle cookie until I was about 16 years old. Surprising I know, I had tried most of the other classics, like chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, spice cookies, almond cookies etc. But never the snickerdoodle. I tried one for the first time at a little coffee shop at a ski lodge up north I was at for a Nordic skiing training trip. My friend wanted to split one and I wasn’t about to say no to a cookie! It was so delicious! Like the sugar cookies that I grew up eating, but better thanks to the little sprinkle of cinnamon along with the sugar. Perfect for Fall and Winter seasons when I am wanting cinnamon and spice. After that I decided that I liked snickerdoodles and even made some of my own from time to time. Cinnamon sugar is a great topping for things after all. If you didn’t grow up with your Mom making you cinnamon sugar toast once in a while you have been deprived of something delicious. Eric always asks me to make cinnamon sugar crepes, so I thought why not make some snickerdoodle crepes this week. It is now Fall after all, and they just sounded good. But me trying to always sneak fruits and veggies into everything decided that they needed an apple filling as well.

I had bought 8 lbs of apples for some wine, but didn’t need them all, so I was looking for ways to use them in something delicious. As excited as I was about the crepes, I was a little apprehensive because the last time I tried to make crepes about a month ago, they stuck to the pan, were all gummy and didn’t turn out. I wasn’t sure why, and most likely it was because I forgot an ingredient or mis-measured or something but since I hate throwing things out, it made me sad. So I prayed that these would turn out. Lucky for me, they came out perfect this time! This is a pretty simple crepe recipe that you just whisk all together and go for it, so it comes together fast! I made them gluten free and nut free as well, because I know that is important to a lot of you and it was easy enough to make them that way. They smelled amazing while cooking. I didn’t just sprinkle the cinnamon on top, I put a little in the crepes as well, so the aromas of vanilla and cinnamon were in the air as they cooked.

After they were done, I made some quick maple caramelized apples to fill them with. It was all super delicious once assembled and the cinnamon sugar was sprinkled on top! If you wanted to go in more of a dessert direction with these, you could also serve them with coconut whipped cream warm with ice cream! These would make the perfect weekend brunch treat, but of course don’t limit yourself to that, I won’t judge if you make them for dinner.

Vegan Snickerdoodle Crepes with Caramelized Apples

Crepes:
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Apples:
- 2 medium organic sweet tart apples (honeycrisp or pink lady are good options), sliced
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Topping:
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
1. To make the crepes, mix together the flax seed and water in a bowl, and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until it is the consistency of egg whites.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut sugar, flour, and sea salt in a bowl, then whisk in the coconut oil. Slowly whisk in the milk little by little to make sure the mixture stays free of lumps. Next, whisk in the vanilla, followed by the flax mixture you had set aside.
3. Heat a non-stick ceramic 6 inch pan over medium heat, then pour in 1/3 cup batter, and swirl the pan so that it spreads out to the edges. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and cook the second side. Once the crepe is done, set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, separating the crepes with parchment paper on the plate so that they don’t stick together.
4. To make the apples, place them in the same pan you cooked the crepes in (wipe it out if necessary), and add the apples, maple syrup and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, and the maple syrup has thickened. Remove from heat.
5. To serve the crepes, spoon some of the apples into the middle of each, fold them up, and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar topping mixture.
6. Enjoy!
September 28, 2018
Vegan Gingerbread Crepes

Thanksgiving has come and gone, so that means Christmas, Christmas everywhere! Pretty soon you won’t be able to go anywhere without hearing Christmas music, or seeing festive decorations. Sometimes I think people go a little overboard, with big decorations but you know what? Whatever makes them happy! My Mom was always kind of a minimalist when it came to decorating our home growing up, classic white lights, nature decorations like pine cones and boughs, and I guess that is what I have grown to like. But you know, what makes me much more happy than Christmas music and decorations, is Christmas goodies! I love baking cookies this time of the year of course, and gifting them, but this time of the year means making things with the flavors of the season like gingerbread! Which I don’t believe should be limited to just cookies. So, since it is Christmas time, I made some gingerbread crepes. I have been wanting to make crepes for a few weeks now, and since I can finally make the fun Holiday flavored ones I went for it!

They were super easy and quick to make! Just whisk together the ingredients, cook them and enjoy! They smell like gingerbread cookies while cooking! It is one of the things about the Holidays that I love, all of the good smells. Reminds me of when my Mom and I used to bake a lot of cookies, fill a big tin and enjoy them for the next few months after. Gingerbread was usually included. Anyways, once they were finished, I simply dusted them with a little coconut sugar, served them with a little coconut whipped cream, and they were sooo good!

If you are looking for a special little treat to make for Holiday brunch, or an indulgent weekend breakfast, these are perfect! I think they would be good with some cranberry sauce or jam included too (not the canned stuff though, the good home made stuff). Or, even topped with chocolate fudge…because chocolate and ginger are amazing together too! That is the thing I love about crepes, you can stuff them with whatever you want, or keep them really simple with sugar on top.

Vegan Gingerbread Crepes
Makes 14

Crepes:

1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 cup filtered water
1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
3 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
pinch sea salt
2 Tbsp molassess
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

coconut sugar and coconut whipped cream for serving

To make the crepes, mix together the flaxseed and water in a bowl, and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until it is the consistency of egg whites.

Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut sugar, flour, and sea salt in a bowl, then whisk in the coconut oil. Slowly whisk in the milk little by little to make sure the mixture stays free of lumps. Next, whisk in the vanilla, followed by the flax mixture you had set aside.

Heat a non-stick 6 inch pan over medium heat, then pour in 1/3 cup batter, and swirl the pan so that it spreads out to the edges. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and cook the second side. Once the crepe is done, set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, separating the crepes with parchment paper on the plate so that they don’t stick together. Once you have finished allow them to cool completely.

November 26, 2016
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Crepes

Eric has been telling me I should make cinnamon sugar crepes for months now, and I was a bit stubborn saying that they sounded boring, and they did a little to me…until I realized it is now fall, and I could make pumpkin crepes with cinnamon sugar! Because that makes ALL the difference, at least in my mind. Pumpkin anything and I am all for it. I am loving this whole Fall thing, every minute of it. There is just something special about snuggling in cozy sweaters and running on crisp Autumn mornings that I love so much. So anyways, back to the crepes. I didn’t have a whole lot of time the night I decided to make these, but they whipped up in no time!

I used my usual cake batter, but adjusted it to the extra moisture from the pumpkin and added in the spices I consider essential to pumpkin pie…ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. They smelled wonderful, but tasted even better warm, dusted off with cinnamon coconut sugar. Eric was onto something with that…these are seriously a form of comfort food. A lazy Saturday morning on a crisp Autumn day would be perfect to enjoy them!

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Crepes

Makes about 14

Crepes:

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

3/4 cup filtered water

1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

pinch sea salt

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup filtered water

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar:

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

To make the crepes, mix together the flaxseed and water in a bowl, and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until it is the consistency of egg whites.

Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut sugar, flour, spices and sea salt in a bowl, then whisk in the coconut oil. Slowly whisk in the water and pumpkin little by little to make sure the mixture stays free of lumps. Next, whisk in the vanilla, followed by the flax mixture you had set aside.

Mix together the coconut sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a non-stick 6 inch pan over medium heat, then pour in 1/3 cup batter, and swirl the pan so that it spreads out to the edges. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and cook the second side. Once the crepe is done, set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, separating the crepes with parchment paper on the plate so that they don’t stick together. Sprinkle the crepes with the cinnamon sugar and fold up. Serve!

October 2, 2015
Vegan Banana Caramel Crepe Cake

I am recently into crepe cakes. I made my first one about a month ago, and I fell in love. It was always something I had wanted to make, but never got around to it. I thought it would be too time consuming, so I always brushed it off. That is until now. I tried making one and it was pretty simple. In the time it would take to bake a regular cake, I had all my crepes done! I veganized a crepe recipe I used to use, changing it quite a bit and they turned out delicious! I would eat these for dessert or breakfast if I was feeling decadent. I ended up with one small one and it became my snack. The rest were destined for cake as tempting as it was to just eat them.

I decided to layer them with bananas, caramel and cream. Sort of like banana cream pie with caramel crepe cake. I made a simple banana caramel, using the bananas as part of the sweetening element because they are so delicious. And a simple vanilla coconut cream to layer it with along with the bananas. I love that this cake is not fussy. You do not have to sit and smooth the cream and make sure it looks perfect and even since the nature of this cake is a little free form.

There it stood, all delicious looking and ready to eat. I could not wait to dive in. I love banana cream pie, I love caramel and I love crepes. This could not have been more exciting. It was sooo good! If you have never made a crepe cake, you must try, trust me, it will make you and those you share it with so happy!

Vegan Banana Caramel Crepe Cake

Makes one 6 inch cake

Crepes:

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

3/4 cup filtered water

1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

pinch sea salt

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 1/2 cups light coconut milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cream:

2 cans organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid

Caramel:

1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted

1 banana

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup filtered water

2 Tbsp pecan butter or cashew butter

3 medium bananas, sliced

To make the crepes, mix together the flaxseed and water in a bowl, and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until it is the consistency of egg whites.

Meanwhile, whisk together the coconut sugar, flour, and sea salt in a bowl, then whisk in the coconut oil. Slowly whisk in the milk little by little to make sure the mixture stays free of lumps. Next, whisk in the vanilla, followed by the flax mixture you had set aside.

Heat a non-stick 6 inch pan over medium heat, then pour in 1/3 cup batter, and swirl the pan so that it spreads out to the edges. Cook for about 3 minutes on the first side, then flip over and cook the second side. Once the crepe is done, set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, separating the crepes with parchment paper on the plate so that they don’t stick together. Once you have finished allow them to cool completely.

To make the cream, combine the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Then, slowly with the motor running, add the coconut butter through the feed tube (you don’t want the mixture to separate and clump up. But if it does, just continue to blend until smooth (it will be liquid at this point), then place in the freezer and allow to chill until thick) until the mixture is thick. Set aside in a bowl in the refrigerator.

To make the caramel, blend everything in the blender until smooth. Set aside.

To assemble the cake, place one crepe on a plate, then spread some of the cream over that in a thin layer, then top with another crepe, and spread a layer of caramel over that then a layer of thin banana slices. Repeat the layers until you get to the last crepe then top the cake with the remaining cream. Garnish with banana slices and any remaining caramel (I thin it out with a little water to make it easier). Let the cake set in the refrigerator for at leas an hour before cutting.

August 23, 2015