Vegan Crepes with Persimmon & Cashew Whipped Cream
Jan 11, 2019 (Last updated Sep 12, 2021) by Hannah Sunderani
Happy Friday everyone! I wanted to share these Vegan Crepes with Persimmon and Cashew Whipped Cream for a little weekend inspo.
I love making pancakes or crepes at the weekend because they feel so celebratory. What other time apart from the weekend, can we spend the entire morning in our pyjamas, with chill tunes on Spotify, doing nothing but flipping crepes and making pot after pot of coffee? The weekend is our time to #liveourbestlife; without worrying about our to-do list, and fully embracing cozy weekend vibes.
Tbh, for a long time I actually had an aversion to making crepes on weekends. In fact, instead of it being a relaxing weekend ritual it caused me nothing but anxiety! I could never get the batter consistency right, and it would stick like glue to my frying pan. The results was one or two lousy crepes while I shoved the pan in the kitchen sink and wallowed in self pity. Not really your dream weekend kind of scenario.
Even when I got into food blogging, making vegan crepes was something I avoided like the plague! In addition to SUCKING at making crepes, I now had to take instagram worthy shots of my mediocre performance? Uhhh, no thnx.
Actually, I think it’s being a food blogger that I have to thank for this newfound love of making crepes. Or, what forced me to turn a new leaf (perhaps I should say, flip a new crepe?). Seeing dreamy breakfast post after dreamy breakfast post of flawless vegan crepes on Instagram, and feeling like a bit of a food blogger imposter for hating the process of crepe making. Not to mention living in France, where the crepe originated, and watching those side vendors so effortlessly swirl the batter into a big, beautiful, foldy crepe I realized I had to face my fears.
With some trail and error, batter after batter, and technique after technique, I can proudly say that I – Hannah Sunderani – have found the joy in crepeing. And I know you can too.
So, to help you in your crepe making journey I present to you a very straight-forward, easy, vegan crepe recipe. To help you achieve a flawless crepe every time. This is a classic recipe, with no fancy ingredients or stylistic tricks (I’ve left that all for the toppings). This vegan crepe recipe is simple and classic.
And if that’s not enough to calm your nerves, I’ve also provided you a few tricks for a flawless flip:
- Use the dreaded teflon – When did you ever think I’d flip to preaching a teflon non-stick pan?! When I started flipping crepes! Welcome to the dark side. Because when it comes to crepes, you want this pan as your confidant. Trust me, I’ve tried all the skillets; from a well-seasoned stainless steal to a “non-stick” ceramic pan (which apparently needs no oil at all? pfft). It just didn’t work for me! For crepes and pancakes, I recommend a little flip of a dark surface; embracing the teflon. It’s going to allow you a fuss-free, buttery smooth flip. (But, if you’ve found a good natural non-stick pan I’d love to know in the comments below!)
- It’s all in the wrist – ever wonder how they get those crepes so perfectly circular? In the wrist baby! Unlike making pancakes where the pan stays pretty much secured to the stove-top, you want to dance with your pan. Using your wrist, lift and swirl the pan in gentle circular motions, lightly tipping as you go. This will allow that crepe batter to fall outward, and ultimately make bigger and thinner circular crepes. You can rest assured that any crepe “aid” is a waste of time. Ignore the tempting wooden “T” shape tool. You know, the one the experts use at the top of Montmartre? I bought one, and it just made my life harder. A little wrist action is all you need. And trust me, you’ll get better as you go.
- The first three crepes are always the worst. This brings me nicely to my last point – that you’ll get better as you go. To put it frankly, your first three crepes are probably going to suck! People often say when making pancakes/crepes that your first is a throwaway. But in my experience the second and third are not much better… Although totally edible, they don’t start to resemble a flawless crepe until the fourth or fifth crepe. So don’t be discouraged if your vegan crepes are not flawless after your first attempt. And as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” The more you make crepes, the better you’ll get. So stay optimistic, and confident that you will get into the rhythm of it. And with tips #1 and #2, and this easy classic vegan crepes recipe I’m sure you’ll have no problem.
So, now that you know my secret to making crepes, let’s talk about the toppings!! Because like a Barbie doll, the best part is dressing her up! For this recipe I’ve topped my vegan crepes with persimmon, pomegranate and a cashew whipped cream.
Persimmons have got to be my favourite fruit during the winter season. If you haven’t tried them before you’re in for a treat! They are sort of like winter’s peach. And similar to a peach, the longer you leave them the softer and juicier they get. I like them to be nice and plush, so that when you give them a gentle squeeze there is a bit of give. Chopped and served in these vegan crepes is a sweet heavenly combo. I also love the pomegranate seeds to offer a sweet crunch to each bite.
As for the whipped cashew cream, this is a homemade recipe that I love to use to top crepes or cakes. It’s sweet, creamy and nutty. It also freezes well so you can have it on hand whenever you need! In fact, the whipped cashew cream in the image above was defrosted from frozen. Prior to this I had made a carrot cake, and used the whipped cashew cream as icing for the cake. As you can see it thaws very nicely, keeping it’s light and fluffy texture. I would give it about an hour to defrost before serving.
If making whipped cashew cream is too much effort you could easily substitute for coconut yogurt, or other yogurt of choice. I used coyo to fill my Classic Vegan Crepes with Figs and Coconut Yogurt and it was delicious!
I do hope that you will try my classic vegan crepes recipe, topped with persimmon and cashew whipped cream. I know you’ll love it as much as we did. And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
Vegan Crepes with Persimmon & Cashew Whipped Cream
Ingredients
For the Crepes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt finely ground
- 1 1/2 cups oat milk or other plant-based milk
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ~2 tbsp filtered water optional to add more
- 1 persimmon , chopped
- 1/2 pomegranate
- maple syrup to drizzle
For the Cashew Whipped Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight and strained
- 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp agave
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
- 4-6 tbsp almond milk
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add flour and salt. Whisk to combine. Then add oat milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk again until well combined and place in the fridge to chill for at least one hour.
- Lightly oil a non-stick pan and bring to medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter onto the pan and swirl it around until the entire surface is coated (as best you can) and batter takes on a generally circular shape. Cook until edges start to pull away from the pan (1-2 minutes). Then, gently flip the crepe and cook the other side for 15-20 seconds. Slide crepe onto a plate. Adjust batter if needed (if you noticed it was too thick add a splash more water. I used 2 tbsp water to thin).
- Repeat Step 2 until you've used all the batter. To serve, fill the crepes with a scoop cashew whipped cream, top with sliced persimmon and pomegranate seeds. Add maple syrup to drizzle.
To make the Cashew Whipped Cream
- In a blender add soaked cashews (strained), canned coconut milk, vanilla extract, agave, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and pinch salt. Blend or pulse to combine. Then, slowly pour in a few tablespoons almond milk until cashew icing blends into a smooth, creamy and fluffy mixture. (I used 4 tbsp almond milk total).
Notes
- Crepes can be made 1-2 days ahead. Cover and keep in fridge. When ready to eat, cover in foil and place in the oven at 150C/300F for 15-20 minutes. Or, until warm.
- Cashew Whipped Cream can also be made ahead. It will keep in fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen and defrosted. Allow 45 minutes to defrost.
Approvals
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