Strawberries, chocolate, hazelnut, and a hint of orange make this a memorable breakfast.
My guests at the inn always loved crêpes, any kind of crêpe, sweet or savory. When it is strawberry season, and they are starting their annual bounty so nothing else will do, of course. It’s a show-off kind of breakfast that is remarkably easy to make.
Crêpes are also a family favorite in our house, one of the first things I taught my children and grandchildren to cook. Making the “skinny pancakes” is great fun, and they find it delightful to fill with whatever they like. My grandson loves them filled with cheese, but his sister will always choose something sweet. My husband wants ham and cheese! I love a little smear of yoghurt and some fresh berries.
Breakfast, brunch, or dessert
This is a special Sunday breakfast or brunch; a smaller portion would certainly make a lovely dessert. The crêpes are basic, the filling simple to put together, and the garnish can be anything you like. I like adding the hazelnut to further enhance the hazelnut in the Nutella and add a bit of much needed crunch.
Always let the batter have a little nap
For the most tender texture, make the crêpe batter the night before and tuck it in the refrigerator. You can also make the batter and let it rest for about a half hour. This rest allows the flour to absorb the liquid, and also to let the gluten in the flour relax, both of which help create a soft textured crêpe.
If there is a nut allergy in your home, you can use just chocolate in place of the hazelnut spread. Melt the chocolate and add cream or plant milk to thin. These are easily made dairy-free as well.
Strawberry Orange Crêpes with Nutella Sauce
This makes 12 to 14 crêpes.
For the crêpe batter:
- 3 large, organic eggs
- ¾ cup milk or plant milk of choice
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp. melted butter, cooled slightly
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 cup flour
For the filling:
- 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 tbsp. strawberry jam
- 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier* or alternative below
- Another pinch of salt
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup Nutella or other hazelnut spread
- 2 to 4 tbsp. milk or soy milk
For the Garnish:
- ¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
- Zest of an orange
- Whipped Cream or non-dairy alternative
To make the batter, combine all the ingredients in a blender. Mix well, then set aside for a half hour, or even overnight.
For the filling, combine the strawberries, jam, and Grand Marnier or orange juice and zest. Set aside.
Create the sauce, heat the Nutella in a microwave and whisk in the milk. It will be a bit lumpy at first, and like making ganache, all of a sudden it will be a dark, delicious, smooth sauce. Set aside in a warm place.
To make the crêpes, heat a small non-stick or crepe pan (mine is 8” around the top and 6” on the bottom) over medium high. Brush with a neutral oil and add a scant 2 ounces of batter, about 3 tbsp., swirling gently to coat the bottom of the pan.
Let the crêpe cook until the top no longer looks shiny and wet, about a minute or so. Using a spatula, gently lift the crêpe and turn. This side up should have little brown patches and will always be the prettiest, so remember this when assembling. The second side only takes about 20 seconds to cook. Remove to a baking sheet and keep warm. Continue cooking the rest of the crêpes.
To assemble and garnish, place a spoonful of the strawberry mixture on a quarter of the crêpe, fold it over, add a few more berries, then fold into a triangle. You can also just roll them up if that is how you like them. My Mom always made the little triangles, so I do too, usually.
Plate and top with a drizzle of the Nutella sauce, and garnish however you like with orange zest, a few hazelnuts, whipped cream, 10X sugar, or all of the above!
*If you do not consume alcohol, use the zest and 2 tbsp. juice of a small orange, or 2 level tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate.
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I have not made crepes since I left Texas 18 years ago. I might be overdue for some. 🙂
These are lovely and no doubt, as delicious as they look.
Thank you! They were a hit! After 18 years, I’d say it was time to revisit!
Yum! Such a great looking crepe with a great combo of flavors!
Thanks Dave! They were quite yummy indeed!
looks lovely!
Thank you! Fresh berries are so pretty, aren’t they?
Great combination of flavors in this tasty looking dessert!
Love the orange aroma from the zest and Grand Marnier, and the addition of hazelnuts. 🙂
Thank you! The orange is not strong, but just enough to add a nice element to the dish. I love it when I zest an orange and you can see all the beautiful oils saturate the air!
I’m a citrus addict, so can definitely relate to that! 🙂
Delicious! I’m salivating just thinking about sitting down to this for breakfast.
Thank you Judy! If it hadn’t been raining (thank goodness it was though), I’d have served this outside in the garden!
Well yum! I love all of this! And I’ve got strawberries coming out my ears right now! I don’t own vanilla paste, but I do use vanilla powder if I don’t want to add liquid vanilla.
Thank you! Any vanilla will do, paste, extract, or fresh vanilla beans if you have one on hand.
A seat and a plate for all of your followers please.💞🌺
Of course, strawberries will be coming fast and furious any moment now, and I have a very long table…
mmm. . . the crepes look wonderful. As a result of reading this post, I think that I have a better understanding of some old recipes than I ever did before. Sometimes old recipes that use baking powder indicate that you should let them sit for a half hour, an hour, or even overnight before cooking. I never could figure out why when they weren’t yeast recipes. I’m now guessing that it’s to let the flour absorb the liquid and the gluten to relax.
Thank you Sheryl! Yes, that is exactly right. The rest gives the flour time to absorb as much of the liquid as possible, you’ve probably noticed that after a rest the batter gets thicker. Also, it relaxes the gluten which further tenderizes the whole.
What a delightfully decadent looking plate of food. It’s been a while since I made crepes, I must give it a go soon.
Thank you! It makes any Sunday special. We got to have our granddaughter for a few days, so we wanted it to be memorable.
I can almost hear the French music playing in the background. How I adore crepes. 🍃🍓🎶
They are truly a delight! I love that they store and freeze so well too!
Freeze? That would mean you had leftovers. I sincerely doubt that. 🍃🍓🥞
Freeze? That would mean you have leftovers. I sincerely doubt that. 🍃🍓🥞
Well, I froze some once. 🙃
🤣🤣🤣🧡
Wow, what a treat this is! Thanks for the tip about the crepe batter…
Jenna
Thanks Jenna! The resting trick really makes a difference.
This sounds really delicious, Dorothy. I didn’t know you had an inn. How nice.
We operated for 18 years, and now just rent out to the occasional musician or artist, usually gratis. It’s been great fun, but it was time for a change.
Oops, I had hoped to make this for the holiday today, but slept in too late!
Maybe I’ll try it this next weekend. Thanx for all your GREAT recipes, and ALL of them are!
Thank you so much! There’s always next weekend!!!
Yummy
Thank you, we all loved them!
Wow, what a delicious-looking and beautiful dessert! 🙂
Thanks so much Nancy! It is dessert for breakfast!
Those crepes are calling my name!! What beautiful strawberries. Thanks for the recipe — nothing better than crepes + strawberries + chocolate + cream. 🙂
Thank you Jama! It truly is a wonderful combination!
This gorgeous recipe makes my imagination very happy, and my mouth is watering. I’ve had hit-or-miss success with crepes, and I’m betting your “give it a nap” advice will solve that once and for all. Thank you for all the lessons you share, Dorothy!
Thanks Terrie! I learned to make crepes from my mom when I was little, she loved making them, especially the buckwheat crepes of her own childhood. The little nap certainly helps! Good luck!
Oh my, looks heavenly delicious 😋 Luckily the other day I’ve made a batch of crepes too 😉 They are really easy to make and can be filled with so many things, sweet and savoury or even empty I like them 😉
Thank you! Crepes are so versatile, and everyone can their own special filling!
Any member of the pancake family is a fav of mine. I would serve the Grand Marnier as an accompaniment 😂
Great idea!
Glad you agree!
This looks like it came from a high end restaurant! Wonderful job Dorothy!
Thank you! I like the special breakfasts/brunch to look as good as they taste!
Oh, these look good!
Thanks for this delicious recipe Dorothy 🙂
Yummy! With strawberry’s always best. Thank you, and have a nice week! Michael
thank you Michael! You have a wonderful week as well!
Thank you very much, Dorothy! 🙂 xx
I am definitely going to try these soon!
Thanks! I’m sure you’ll like them as much as we did!
Awesome 👍👍
Thank you! We really loved them.
I am putting these on my “to-make” list! Looks incredible and it has been a long time since I’ve made crepes… this post reminded me that that need to change!
Thanks! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!