A Japanese street food twist on a French classic – it’s rolled Japanese Crêpes!
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These fun and customizable crêpes are a newish trend in Japan, a twist on French crêpes, which are usually enjoyed on a plate. These are so customizable that I recommend setting up a crêpe bar for your next brunch or picnic. Set out the crêpes in cups, along with serving bowls of fillings, and let people fill them up with what appeals to them—berries, chocolate, yogurt, cream, bananas, hazelnut spread, jam, nuts, or all of the above!
While not typical of Japanese culture to eat ‘on the run’, these are becoming popular and are often enjoyed during a leisurely stroll. They’re portable in any case, using a small glass as shown, or a cone fashioned from paper.
Here are just a couple of many possible fillings for your crêpes, Cream Cheese Crêpe Filling, or steal this Lemon Strawberry Coconut Cream Filling from a different crêpe recipe.
Are Japanese Crêpes Healthy?
These are a sweet treat, and can even be a savory treat, but they do have nutritional value! Of course, the fillings can vary wildly, but the possibility for a lot of fresh fruit is here. The crêpe is the vehicle for the fruit! OK, and the vehicle for the cream and chocolate sauce, and everything else.
2 eggs plus 2 egg whites equal a good portion of protein. As stated, the recipe contains 16% protein and 10% calcium per serving. Not bad for dessert.
What Other Fillings Can Be Used?
I’m an ‘eat with the seasons’ sort of girl, but at my house, some things are always in season. Home-canned pears. Frozen organic berries. Bananas. Chia pudding. Dark chocolate. Cacao nibs. Walnuts. Cashews. All of these will fit nicely in a Japanese crêpe! So, any combination and proportion of any sort of fruit and/or creamy filling such as yogurt, kefir, whipped cream, lemon curd, or tapioca pudding. Plus a little chocolate and ground nuts, maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg and cacao nibs, maybe a few more chia sprinkles. Maybe pie-themed options with different pie fillings, and a baked oatmeal crumble for the top.
But there’s also an entire other world- the savory fillings! In this case, it can be more of a ‘whatever you’re in the mood for’ sort of filling. These are not too sweet, with only 4 grams of sugar, so they are still a nice holder for savory fillings such as sautéed mushrooms, onions, and sweet peppers of every color. A sprinkle of cheese or non-dairy cheese will not go amiss here. I’m thinking dairy-free feta or shredded Parmesan. Asparagus! What a great way to serve asparagus, and you could add a lemony sauce to it. Any roasted vegetable will work here. This can be a new take on fish tacos! I’m seeing many Japanese crêpe nights in the near future.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups milk
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix
Combine dry and wet ingredients to make the batter.
Cook
Fry batter in a crêpe pan, flipping for even cooking.
Fill
Shape crêpes for serving and fill.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
The unfilled crêpes can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Be sure to cool completely and separate each one with parchment, plastic wrap, or wax paper, prior to freezing for up to 2 weeks. The batter can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 day.
A crêpe pan is a wonderful thing, with its perfectly formed sides for swirling crêpe batter to a thin, consistent thickness. But these can be made with the same pan you make pancakes with. They are similar to quite thin pancakes. Spread the batter quickly, thinly and as evenly as possible around the pan. Be sure the edges are getting cooked and loosening from the pan, then you know it’s time to flip them.
The main difference is the serving in a cone-type presentation as compared to French crêpes which are usually on a plate! Also, the Japanese crêpes will be a little crispier, lending to the method of folding and filling.
Serving Suggestions
If you serve these first, everyone may fill up on several versions of them. BUT, as part of a brunch, they will go very nicely with sweet and savory options for filling, as well as next to a Mexican Shakshuka. As a sweet dessert, they will go nicely after a light supper of salad and Asian Salmon.
Japanese Crêpes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups milk
Instructions
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Sift flour and salt into a large bowl.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
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Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking in milk until a smooth batter is achieved.
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Preheat a non-stick crêpe pan over medium-high heat and lightly grease with butter.
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Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into the pan, tilting to spread evenly into a thin layer.
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Cook until the edges are crispy and lightly browned, about 1 minute, then flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
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Transfer the crêpe to a plate, cover to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining batter.
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Fill crêpes with your choice of sweet fillings, roll into a cone shape, and serve.
Nutrition
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