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!

If you're looking for an easy Thanksgiving recipe, these pumpkin crepes are for you!

As much as I love eating traditional pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, it's not my favourite dessert to make.

I've lost count of the times I attempted to bake a pumpkin pie while juggling the turkey and sides, only to wind up with a sad pie sporting burnt edges or an undercooked middle.

Transforming this classic dessert into crepes was a game-changer—I can make it on my stovetop, and even prep the batter and filling in advance to save precious time.

And let's not forget the fun twist of pumpkin and chocolate - it's a delicious departure from the usual pumpkin pie. For more chocolate pumpkin goodness, be sure to check out my pumpkin cookie bars!

Jump to Section:

• 🎃 Ingredients and Substitutions
• 🥞 Making the Crepe Batter
• 🥣 Making the Filling
• 🍳 Making the Crepes
• 🍫 Crepe Toppings
• 🙋🏽‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe

🎃 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: This is 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: This is used in the filling. You can substitute it with whipping cream.
• All-Purpose Flour: This is the foundation of the crepe batter. I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, unfortunately.
• Pumpkin Puree: Look for "pure pumpkin" (not pumpkin pie filling) in the baking aisle of your grocery store.
• Brown Sugar: I like the slight caramel flavour that brown sugar adds, but you can substitute it with white sugar.
• Pumpkin Spice: You can usually find this spice blend in the baking aisle. If you don't have any, or can't find it, you can make your own.
• 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 with unsalted butter, I would just 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.

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Tip: It's important to use the correct method of measuring flour for this recipe. Use a spoon to fill the flour into your measuring cup, and be sure not to press the flour down.

🥞 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 let it run 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 you get a smooth mixture. If you need to, you can strain the mixture to remove any lumps.

Important: Once your batter is smooth, you need to let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour (although 2 hours is recommended).

The chilling process allows the flour to absorb moisture and gives your crepes the right texture.

Don't store the batter for more than 24 hours, though.

🥣 Making the Filling

Creating the filling is easy – just toss all the ingredients into a saucepan, give them a good stir, and heat until they're completely warmed through.

Make Ahead: The crepe batter and filling can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. The crepe batter will last about 24 hours, and the filling should last for a couple of days.

🍳 Making the Crepes

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

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.

Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to lift the edge of the crepe, grab the edge with your fingers and gently flip the whole thing over.

(Be careful not to burn yourself!)

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 do suggest using a non-stick 20 cm (8-inch) pan; it makes the process much easier and helps prevent any 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!

Please see the recipe card for full instructions.

Tip: If you're a visual learner, like I am, you can watch Julia Child make crepes on YouTube!

🍫 Crepe Toppings

There are so many ways that you can top these pumpkin 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.

Who doesn't love a DIY dessert?

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 storebought)

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.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Frequently Asked 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 give this recipe a go, please share how it turned out for you—I'd love to hear!

Recipe

This recipe was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated with new photos, a revised recipe, and new content to help you create this dish successfully!