Wanna skip the editorial commentary and hop right to the awesome Pumpkin Crepes recipe? Click here. Otherwise, stick with me for one more short rant about “pumpkin spice”.
To start with, I’ll admit that I’ve made a few anti-pumpkin spice posts. Like this one.
But… pumpkin itself is fabulous! And fall-inspired spices are fabulous! I have an autumn spice mix, hot off the presses, and it’s fabulous! Introducing: Zippy Autumn! Click here or below for the recipe – it’s highly recommended that you make a quick batch to have on hand at all times.
Pumpkin is an amazing and underappreciated ingredient, so it is a pleasure and a privilege to feature it in recipes, like our super-awesome heirloom Pumpkin Cake.
Now I’m excited to share my Pumpkin Crepes recipe with you. I created and tested it in the fall of 2023. Then I tested it again this October…waiting until I was absolutely sure it was fabulous and repeatable. I was really happy with the way it turned out, and it got the Grill-Meister Seal of Approval. 😎
These crepes are rich, satisfying, not-too-sweet and Thanksgiving-worthy.
Pumpkin Crepes Recipe
Makes 8-10 crepes
Ingredients
Crepes
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1½ cups flour
- 1½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Zippy Autumn spice mix (click here), or your favorite “pumpkin spice”
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Additional vegetable oil for cooking, or a stick of butter (you won’t use it all)
Pumpkin Filling
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ⅓ cup rum, preferably spiced rum (use apple cider or apple juice if you prefer not to cook with alcohol)
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup whole milk or part-skim ricotta
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp Zippy Autumn spice mix (click here), or your favorite “pumpkin spice”
Optional Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Spiced walnuts or pecans
- Apple slices
Cooking Instructions
Make the crepes batter (can be done the day before). Break the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and whisk them, then add the milk and cooled melted butter, whisking again. Mix in the flour, sugar, salt and pumpkin spice, and whisk until smooth, then add the cold water and the oil, whisking again until smooth. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking, and up to two days.
Make the filling. In a small saucepan, add the raisins and rum and heat to high for two to three minutes, then turn off the heat and let cool for about a half hour, allowing the raisins to plump and absorb the rum. Combine the pumpkin, ricotta, honey, vanilla and Zippy Autumn spice mix (or your favorite pumpkin spice), and add the plumped raisins and rum. Cover until you are ready to fill the crepes, storing in the refrigerator for up to a day if the crepes will be assembled later.
Cook the crepes. Pour a small amount of cooking oil into a ramekin and place it beside the stove with a heat-resistant pastry brush, or fold back the wrapping on a stick of butter. Heat a crepe pan or skillet to medium high and brush it with oil, then pour out ~1/3 cup of batter and swirl the batter until it covers the pan. Cook until it looks dry, then turn over carefully with a spatula. Cook for a few more moments and then remove to a large plate or platter, and top with wax paper. Continue with the rest of the batter until all of the crepes are cooked.
Assemble the crepes. “Fill” each crepe by spreading ⅓ cup of the pumpkin-raisin mixture over a crepe, then fold in quarters (see pictures). Decorate and garnish the crepes as desired, and serve.
Notes:
- You can use other folding and filling methods for the crepes; this is just our favorite for this recipe.
- You can also warm the pumpkin-raising mixture before filling the crepes, but we’ve tried it both ways and prefer the filling chilled and just coming to room temperature.
- After using up the filling, you may have some crepes left over, and should freeze them for another day.
- I highly recommend making your own Zippy Autumn spice mix rather than using store-bought pumpkin spice, if you have time. Having this mix on hand for other desserts is a wonderful investment in your dessert-making future!
- I prefer golden raisins but black ones would work just as well, and so would dried cherries or cranberries.
- This recipe is a make-ahead star and for that reason is a big winner for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving or Easter, or for a dinner party. Everything can be done ahead of time, except the plating. You could make it even easier by buying pre-made crepes from the grocery store or Amazon (I won’t tell anyone!).
- While the toppings aren’t strictly necessary, they absolutely add to the festive feel. The crunch of the spiced nuts is awesome, and the smooth and creamy richness of the whipped cream takes the dish up another level.
- While the apples are also optional, don’t think of them as ‘gilding the lily’, because this dish needs a little color, as you can see in last year’s version below. While it tasted fabulous, the colors were too neutral. The dish needs a pop of color. If you don’t want to use an apple, a handful of raspberries or dried cherries or cranberries would work.
Join Me in the Kitchen
Filling and Folding the Crepes
Here’s a quick lesson in filling and folding the crepes – it’s easy!
Give It a Try!
I’ve been cooking all my life, but had never tried crepes before a couple of years ago. We went to a cooking class and I learned that I had wrongly assumed they were difficult. They’re not! Just dive in and make your first batch, and you’ll see what I mean. These crepes will make you the star of the kitchen, just as you deserve to be. Come back here and let me know about your pumpkin crepes experience, my friends!
© 2024, Glover Gardens
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