Pumpkin Crepes

Finish your holiday dinner on a sweet note with these delicious pumpkin crepes topped with chocolate syrup and toasted pecans.

The best part? You can whip them up right on your stovetop, leaving your oven free for your turkey!

Ingredients and Substitutions

This pumpkin crepe recipe keeps it simple with just two components: classic unsweetened crepes and a delicious pumpkin spice filling.

You can get creative with the toppings (stay tuned for more on that), but for now, here's what you'll need for this recipe (and some handy substitutions).

• Milk: Used in the crepe batter. I prefer whole milk, but you can substitute it with 2% milk. I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy options.
• Evaporated Milk: Used in the filling. You can substitute it with whipping cream.
• All-Purpose Flour: This is the foundation of the crepe batter. Unfortunately, I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour.
• Pumpkin Puree: Look for "pure pumpkin" (not pumpkin pie filling) in your grocery store's baking aisle.
• Brown Sugar: I like the slight caramel flavour brown sugar adds, but you can substitute white sugar.
• Pumpkin Spice: You can find this spice blend in the baking aisle. If you don't have any or can't find it, you can make my pumpkin spice recipe to use instead.
• Eggs: I used whole large eggs for my crepe batter.
• Vanilla: I used pure vanilla extract because I like the flavour it adds. If you want to substitute with artificial vanilla, you may want to add a bit less.
• Salted Butter: I rarely have unsalted butter at home, so I use salted butter. If you want to substitute unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the batter.
• Salt: I used fine sea salt, which tends to taste less "salty" than table salt. If you are using iodized salt, you may want to add a bit less.

This recipe has not been tested with all possible substitutions or variations. Making changes may alter the taste, texture, or overall outcome. If you try a different ingredient, please share in the comments!

Making the Crepe Batter

The easiest way to make crepe batter is to use a blender!

Make sure that your water and milk are both cold, and melt your butter. Then add everything to a blender jug and blend for about a minute.

You should end up with a nice, smooth batter.

If you don't have a blender, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly in a bowl, then beat them together by hand until smooth. If needed, you can strain the mixture to remove any lumps.

Once the batter is smooth, let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Sometimes I make the batter the night before so I can start cooking the next morning.

Chilling lets the flour absorb moisture and gives your crepes the right texture. Don't store the batter for more than 24 hours, though.

Use the correct method for measuring flour in this recipe. Use a spoon to fill the flour into your measuring cup, and don't press it down.

Making the Pumpkin Crepe filling

Making the filling is easy: toss all the ingredients into a saucepan, stir well, and heat until fully warmed through.

Combine all filling ingredients in a 1.9 L (2 QT) saucepan and heat over medium-low heat.

Stir frequently as the mixture warms through to avoid scorching. Then set aside.

Making the Crepes

If you're new to crepe-making, it might take you a few tries to get the hang of it.

I don't recommend adding the batter 1 tablespoon at a time. Use a ladle or a small measuring cup that holds about 3 tablespoons, so you can pour it all at once.

Crepes cook quickly, so you won't have much time to manipulate the batter. On medium heat, it takes less than a minute per side.

Pour chilled crepe batter into a non-stick pan. Use the bottom of the ladle to smooth the batter into a circle.

Once the first side has a light golden brown colour and can be easily moved around the pan, flip it over.

Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to lift the edge of the crepe and quickly flip it over.

The second side will cook even faster, so don't step away from the stovetop during the process.

While a special crepe pan isn't necessary, I suggest using a non-stick 20 cm (8-inch) pan; it makes the process easier and helps prevent accidental tearing when removing the crepes.

Note: I used a 10-inch pan because my 8-inch was in the dishwasher when I was photographing this recipe. You will see that this caused my crepes to not be perfectly round.

Crepe Toppings

There are so many ways to top these pumpkin spice crepes!

If you're serving these at your holiday dinner party, create a crepe station with warm crepes, a bowl of pumpkin filling, and bowls of various toppings so everyone can make their own.

Some of my favourite toppings for these pumpkin crepes are:

• whipped cream (canned or homemade)
• chocolate syrup (the kind you'd buy for ice cream)
• pecans (toasted, for best flavour)
• powdered sugar (sifted!)
• cinnamon sugar (homemade or store-bought)

Feel free to mix and match, or change up the toppings as you like! Chocolate chips might be a nice addition, or Nutella, or even a drizzle of maple syrup.

I'm partial to the combination of chocolate syrup, toasted pecans and whipped cream. I use similar flavour combinations in my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars, pecan pumpkin waffles and pumpkin pie in a graham crust.

Common Questions

These homemade pumpkin crepes are a delightful addition to any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner party, and they're just as welcome at brunch!

If you try this recipe, please share how it turned out in the comments!

More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

• Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
• Pumpkin Cookie Bars
• Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Pecan Syrup
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice Blend

Find even more ideas in this collection of pumpkin dessert recipes from reliable food bloggers.