Keto crepes are a delightful low-carb alternative to traditional French crepes, offering a blank canvas for both sweet and savory fillings. Made from a blend of almond flour, cream cheese, and eggs, these crepes are surprisingly light, thin, and customizable. They're perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast or a quick and satisfying dessert.
What Makes Keto Crepes Special?
The beauty of keto crepes lies in their simplicity and adaptability. Unlike traditional crepes made with wheat flour, these use almond flour as a base, significantly reducing the carbohydrate content. The addition of cream cheese not only contributes to the creamy texture but also provides structure and stability to the crepes.
The Essential Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to whip up a batch of these delectable keto crepes:
- Almond flour: Blanched almond flour is a must for the best texture. Avoid using almond meal, which is coarser and will result in a grainy crepe.
- Granulated sweetener of choice: Monk fruit sweetener or erythritol are excellent low-carb options to add a touch of sweetness.
- Cream cheese: Standard or dairy-free cream cheese, softened, works well in this recipe. It's integral to this recipe, because it gives almond flour crepes more structure and stability.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients together and contribute to the crepe's light and airy texture.
- Optional Ingredients: Vanilla extract enhances the flavor, while a pinch of salt balances the sweetness.
Crafting the Perfect Keto Crepe Batter
The batter-making process is straightforward and requires minimal effort:
- Combine dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, and any optional dry ingredients like salt.
- Blend wet ingredients: In a high-speed blender, combine the softened cream cheese, eggs, and milk (if using). Blend until smooth. A good blender is important for this recipe, to make the perfect smooth crepe batter. It simplifies the process and combines the ingredients to perfection.
- Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the blender and blend until a smooth batter forms.
- Let the batter rest: Transfer the crepe batter into the mixing bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, to thicken. Blending the ingredients tends to make the batter a bit frothy.
Cooking Your Keto Crepes to Perfection
Cooking crepes can be a little tricky at first, but with a few tips, you'll be flipping them like a pro:
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- Prepare the pan: Grease a non-stick pan or skillet with butter or cooking spray. Use minimal oil for the pan: A good non-stick pan is important and I find that I only need to add a 1/2 teaspoon of oil or so for the first crepe, and then I don’t need to add any more for the rest of the recipe.
- Pour and swirl: Once hot, pour a scant 1/4 cup portion of the batter into the center of the pan. Immediately lift the pan and swirl it around to spread the batter thinly and evenly. Add the batter and swirl quickly: Add only about 3 tablespoons of batter, and then pick the pan up and swirl quickly. I pour in the batter with my right hand and pick up the pan with my left, swirling it quickly to spread the batter to the edges.
- Cook one side completely: Let the first side cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges appear dry and the crepe can be easily loosened with a spatula. You can’t hurry this part. Keep your eye on the crepes and once the edges are quite dry, you can gently loosen with a spatula and see if it’s cooked on the bottom.
- Flip with care: Flip the crepe using a thin spatula or your fingers. Flip with your fingers: Unconventional maybe, but it works. Here’s what I do: I let the edges set and once they are dry, I use a thin spatula to loosen them from the pan. Then I lift the far side with the spatula, and grab the edge with my fingers. I put down the spatula and grab the edge with that hand too.
- Cook the other side: Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove and repeat: Remove the cooked crepe from the pan and set aside. Re-grease the pan (if needed) and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Keto Cream Cheese Filling Recipe
This easy cream cheese filling adds the perfect flavor to your favorite crepe recipe. It tastes like no-bake cheesecake, but with a creamier texture.
Ingredients
- 1 box of room temperature softened cream cheese.
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract not imitation.
- Whipped cream. I love the lighter consistency this adds. I often make my own whipped cream with heavy cream, but store-bought whipped cream like Cool Whip will work, too.
- Your favorite keto sweetener.
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese, sweetener and vanilla extract together.
- Mix in whipped cream.
- Add filling to crepes and enjoy!
Filling Ideas: Sweet and Savory
The possibilities for fillings are endless! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Sweet:
- Syrup and butter: The classic combination.
- Keto Nutella: Smeared with some of my Keto Nutella and rolled up.
- Powdered Swerve, whipped cream, and berries: They’re also delicious with just a little powdered Swerve, some whipped cream, and some berries.
- Keto lemon curd
- Keto mascarpone mousse
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling is a decadent filling with sweet strawberries, rich cream cheese, with a hint of vanilla! In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, heavy cream, sweetener and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. In a separate small mixing bowl, combine the diced strawberries with the additional sweetener. Stir the strawberry mixture with a spoon and let sit for about 10 minutes. After the strawberries have finished macerating, combine ¼ of the mixture with the cream cheese mixture. This is the filling for the crepes.Fill each crepe with ¼th of the filling and top with the strawberry sauce. Serve.
Savory:
- Ham and cheese: Omit the sweetener from the crepes for a savory twist.
- Spinach and feta
- Scrambled eggs and sausage
- Avocado and salsa
Storing and Reheating
- To store: Leftover crepes should be stored in the refrigerator, covered, to ensure they don’t dry out.
- To freeze: Wrap crepes individually in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To reheat: The crepes taste best when microwaved for 20-30 seconds. Crepes aren’t designed to be overly crispy, but fluffy and soft. You can also make ahead crepes with the cream cheese filling and fold edges toward center to make a square. Store filled crepes for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. Reheat in a skillet with butter.
Tips for Keto Crepe Success
- Soften the cream cheese: This will ensure a smooth and lump-free batter.
- Use a good blender: A high-speed blender is essential for creating a perfectly smooth batter.
- Don't overmix: Overmixing can develop the gluten in the almond flour, resulting in tough crepes.
- Let the batter rest: This allows the almond flour to fully absorb the liquid, resulting in a more cohesive batter.
- Use a non-stick pan: This will prevent the crepes from sticking and tearing.
- Cook over medium-low heat: This will ensure that the crepes cook evenly and don't burn.
- Be patient: The first crepe might not be perfect, but don't give up! With a little practice, you'll be making beautiful crepes in no time.
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