These french-style crepes can be filled with almost anything. Don’t stop at bananas and Nutella! Fill them with whatever you heart desires such as chocolate mousse and raspberries, Greek yogurt and homemade lemon curd, or sweetened ricotta cheese with cinnamon and mini chocolate chips. To wrap this up in 15 minutes or less, make the crepe batter a day or two ahead of time.
Two weeks ago, I taught a hands-on crepe-making workshop at the Wellness Center where I work. It was boatloads of fun. I love watching workshop participants gain the confidence and skills to cook healthy and cook well. In class, because we were primarily working on the skills of getting the crepe-making part right, we created a no-fuss filling of fresh fruit topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate – easy and delicious. Today though, this recipe all about the crepes AND the filling.
Got 15 minutes? You can make these light-as-a-feather, sophisticatedly-caramelized, gooey, nutella-covered 15-Minute Crepes with Caramelized Bananas in a flash.
Cooking Tips
- Make the crepe batter the day before. The batter is better if it sits overnight in the refrigerator. Sitting a bit allows the gluten in the flour to relax. Relaxed gluten = more tender crepes. When you’re ready to cook you can use the batter cold; just give it a thorough whisk to remix things.
- Thin for the win. Crepes should be thin. Thick crepes are pancakes; and that’s not the texture we’re looking for. Think: thin, light, and airy.
- Crisp before the flip. You want slightly crispy edges on your crepe before you flip it. The first side takes longer to cook. The flip side cooks super quick. Don’t let them burn!
- Use ripe but not overripe bananas. That way they will hold their shape, at least somewhat.
- Use dark brown sugar. This is not a must-do; it just looks better – more caramelly. But, light brown sugar works fine too.
Are you ready to master the art of crepe-making? You can do it! Here’s one for Mr. EN – without the nuts!
Please let me know how it goes and send pics of your fabulous crepe creations. Bon appetit!
Peace, love and good eats; from our empty nest to yours.
Trending in the Empty Nest Kitchen: LaCroix lemon-flavored sparkling water purchased at our local Meijer Store.
15-Minute Crepes with Caramelized Bananas and Nutella
Yield 6 stuffed crepes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole or 2% milk
- 2 tablespoons water or sparkling water i.e. LaCroix, Perrier, or club soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled for the crepes, plus 1 ½ tablespoons more butter for the caramelized bananas, plus a little more butter for oiling the pan
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- Optional – ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 bananas
- 1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons Nutella
- Optional -powdered sugar for sprinkling, crushed hazelnuts for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the milk, soda or water, egg, sugar, cooled melted butter, vanilla, pinch of salt, and lemon zest, if using. Blend in a blender or whisk until smooth. You should see tiny bubbles in the batter.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or in the refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Pour the batter into a pitcher or other container with a pouring lip. Place a small, 6-inch-ish non-stick skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with a little butter on a paper towel.
- Stir the batter and pour about 1-2 tablespoons into the center of the pan. Lift the pan off the heat and tilt and rotate it, so that the batter spreads and forms a very thin even layer.
- Cook until the top is set and the edges are a little crispy, 2-3 minutes.
- Use a small spatula or your fingers (be careful) to turn the crepe over and cook until the second side is lightly browned (30 seconds to 1 minute). Remove the crepe to a plate. Continue cooking the rest of the crepes, buttering the pan and stirring the batter every other crepe.
- Stack the finished crepes between sheets of wax or parchment paper.
- Caramelize the bananas: In the same skillet you used for the crepes, melt 1 ½ tablespoons butter. Add the sliced bananas and dark brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until golden and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Fill the crepes with the caramelized bananas and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Place the Nutella in the corner of a small food-safe plastic bag. Microwave a few seconds until the Nutella is more liquidy. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and drizzle the Nutella over the crepes. Top with chopped nuts if desired.
Notes
- Double this recipe to make 10-12 small crepes. Refrigerate the extras for a week or freeze (with parchment or wax paper between the crepes) for one month.
- I used lemon-flavored La Croix sparkling water. You can use plain water or sparkling water in this recipe.
- The nutrition analysis for this recipe is for two servings, of three small, 6-inch, banana-stuffed crepes per person.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 3 stuffed crepes
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 449 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 21 g | 32% | |
Saturated Fat 14 g | 70% | |
Cholesterol 134 mg | 45% | |
Sodium 60 mg | 3% | |
Total Carbohydrates 59 g | 20% | |
Dietary Fiber 4 g | 16% | |
Protein 8 g | 16% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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