Apple crepes

These apple crepes combine light, tender crepes with a gently sweet, cinnamony apple filling. They're easy to make, equally good as dessert or breakfast and a delicious taste of fall.

This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.

Much as I love the delicious crunch of a fresh apple, I also love when they become soft and tender when cooked, whether in a cake like my apple snack cake, or more obvious such as vanilla-flecked layers in Danish æblekage or caramelized in a classic apple tarte tatin.

While tarte tatin doesn't use cinnamon, the spice is, if course, a perfect pairing for apples. Cinnamon, butter and sugar help make delicious caramelized apples which in turn make a fantastic crepe filling. It's a relatively simple combination and oh so good.

Origin of crêpes

Crêpes are a traditional unleavened thin pancake from France (often written as crepes in English though the correct French spelling has the accent). They are believed to date back to the 13th century and come from the region of Brittany in the North. They were originally made with buckwheat, as some savory buckwheat crepes still are.

Some stories claim they came about by accident after a housewife dropped some porridge on a griddle. Rather than waste it, she ate it and the rest is history. Whether this is indeed true or just a nice story is not exactly clear, but in any event, crepes have become a firm favorite dish across France and beyond.

These days French crêpes come in two main types - sweet and savory. Savory are often the buckwheat batter, and may be called galettes to differentiate them. Sweet crepes are nearly always made with wheat flour.

In both cases, it's a simple batter much like some other pancakes, made with flour, milk and egg. However crepe batter is quite liquidy so that it flows to create a thin layer as you cook.

Popular sweet crepe fillings include nutella and fresh fruit like sliced banana or strawberry, or simply cinnamon sugar or jam. You might add cream inside or on top. These apple filled crepes are maybe a little break from some of the more common fillings, since they use cooked fruit in them, but really these days crepe fillings are as endless as your imagination. And, more importantly, they're really tasty.

Preparing the apple filling

These crepes have two parts to them – the apple filling and the crepe itself. You can make the apple filling ahead of time if you like, and it works well to make a bigger batch. You can see my caramelized apple recipe (which the filling here is the same as) for more ideas on how to use it, as it also works well with waffles and more.

I prefer to use an apple that stays relatively firm for this so you have distinct chunks rather than it becoming mush. Suggested varieties include Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala or Cosmic Crisp. 

You can keep the apple in medium-large chunks, or cut smaller, as you prefer. The mixture is sweet, but not overly so, and has a slight glaze without being too liquid. If you prefer it sweeter or with more "sauce", you can use a bit more sugar and/or butter though I would suggest not too much more.

Tips for making crepes

Crepes can sometimes feel a bit daunting to make at home but they are easier than you might think. The trickiest bit is getting the shape even - unless you have the wooden tool you will see used in stalls, it's whatever you can achieve by swirling. You'll likely get better with practice, but don't worry if they are not perfect. They'll still taste great.

Tips to keep in mind as you make crepes:

• Blend together the crepe batter ingredients well, and let it rest. Resting lets the flour hydrate and for the batter to be able to flow better and give a more even layer.
• Warm your skillet/crepe pan but don't have it too hot - you want to cook them a little more gradually.
• I prefer to take the pan off the heat as I add the batter so you can swirl as you add it, or spread with a spatula to make a thin layer. It gives you a little more time to spread before it starts cooking.
• Don't be tempted to move or turn the crepe too soon. Once the top surface is dry and the edges are starting to curl up and brown, flip the crepe over.
• The second side cooks a lot quicker, and you can either fill as it cooks, or remove and stack the cooked crepes, keeping them warm as you cook the next.

These apple crepes are great for dessert, especially with a bit of ice cream, cream and/or caramel sauce on top, but they also make a wonderful breakfast/brunch as well. They're comforting, flavorful, and you may need to make extra as they'll disappear all too quickly.

Like pancakes? Try these!

• Individual Dutch baby pancake with berries and maple yogurt
• Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes)
• Chestnut pancakes with honey-rose mascarpone
• British pancakes with lemon and sugar
• Cheese latkes (similar to ricotta pancakes)
• Plus get more ideas in the breakfast and brunch recipes archives.

You could also try this recipe with my vanilla fried apples as the filling, for something slightly different.

Tools to make this dish:

I used this Swiss Diamond nonstick crepe pan for these which works really well. 

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was first shared in September 2018 and has been updated, primarily with new photographs and added information.

Remember to pin for later!

This post was originally shared as part of AppleWeek which was sponsored by: Swiss Diamond, Nordic Ware, Envy Apples, Imperial Sugar, The Spice House, Rodelle Vanilla, Flahavan’s Irish Oats and Nairn’s for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for AppleWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.