Easy Grinch Crepes Recipe
Make a holiday-themed dish one to remember with these festive Grinch crepes! By tinting my favorite buttery and delicate crepes a festive green, filling them with fluffy fresh whipped cream, and topping them with a vibrant red strawberry sauce, you’ll create a dish that’s as merry as it is memorable.
Servings: 10 crepes
Ingredients
GREEN CREPES
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240mL) milk1
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter melted; plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- green food coloring2
STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- 1 pound (454g) fresh or frozen strawberries3
- ½ cup (120mL) water
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons (22mL) lemon juice fresh is best
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
Instructions
GREEN CREPES
- In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla and whisk again to combine. Add the flour and salt and whisk vigorously to combine, then add coloring to your liking and continue to whisk until the color is evenly dispersed. If some lumps of flour remain, that's ok. They will absorb as the batter rests. Alternatively, you can add all of the crepe ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.4 large eggs, 1 cup (240mL) milk1, 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, green food coloring2
- Rest the batter: allow batter to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, or covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days. TIP: I suggest using this chilling/rest time to make the whipped cream and the strawberry topping. Here is my detailed post for the whipped cream recipe.
- After 30 minutes, whisk the batter again to eliminate any remaining lumps of flour. Use a spatula to press out larger chunks, if you prefer.
- Set out a large dinner plate or platter lined with parchment or wax paper.
- Cook the crepes: heat a 9" nonstick skillet over medium heat. When skillet is hot, lightly coat it with butter. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the skillet (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a trigger), remove it from the heat, then quickly but gently swirl the batter around4 to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. Continue to rotate the pan until all of the batter is set.
- Set the skillet back down on the heat and cook the crepe until the top is set and opaque but still slightly sticky (about 75 seconds). Use a silicone spatula to lift and slide the crepe out of the pan and quickly flip it over to cook the other side, only about 30 seconds.
- Use the spatula to slide the crepe out of the pan and onto the prepared plate. If the crepe doesn't slide out of the pan easily, continue to cook for another 15-20 seconds.
- Continue with the rest of the batter until you have about 8-10 crepes that are approximately 8" in diameter.
STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- Combine the strawberries, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.1 pound (454g) fresh or frozen strawberries3, ½ cup (120mL) water, 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar, 1 and ½ Tablespoons (22mL) lemon juice, 1 and ½ Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
- Heat over medium heat, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes5 until liquid thickens.
- Allow strawberry sauce to cool a bit before using.
- Fill and top your crepes: I like to use a basic homemade whipped cream for my filling and top with the strawberry sauce. Store leftover strawberry sauce in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Sauce freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Store leftover crepes (filled or unfilled) covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfilled crepes freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Milk: I recommend full fat/whole milk. Using a lower fat milk runs the risk of your crepes tearing or ripping. If you want to make your crepes dairy-free, use a plant based butter or neutral oil instead, and I recommend using coconut cream in place of the milk so you still have a solid fat source. If you use a lower fat plant-based milk, you may just have to be extra careful with your flipping.
- Green food coloring: I prefer AmeriColor gel color for my food. I used a bit of leaf green and mint green for these Grinch crepes.
- Fresh or frozen strawberries: I like to use fresh the best, but out of season, frozen work just fine. Do not thaw. You may need to simmer the compote a bit longer to account for the added water from thawing.
- Swirling the batter: this can take practice! Even as much as I've made crepes, I still have to get the "feel" of the batter and the pan on the first try. Here's my best tip: I like to pretend I have a marble in my pan and I'm trying to roll it around just on the edges of the pan. Work quickly as the batter will thin out and start to cook immediately as it hits the hot pan, but work carefully as a smooth motion brings the best results. You can (and should!) remove the pan from the heat to do this. It will only take a few seconds to swirl. Don't worry if it's not a perfect circle! You will get
- Simmer time: this recipe both halves and doubles beautifully. You may need to reduce or increase simmer time depending on how large your batch is. You want the juice to hold a thick coating on the back of a spoon when it’s sufficiently reduced.
- Savory crepes: to make a savory crepe instead of a sweet one, omit the vanilla extract and consider filling your crepes with cheese and topping with tomato sauce to keep them "Grinchy."
Did you make this recipe?Mention @freshaprilflours on Instagram or tag #freshaprilflours!
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Serving: 1crepe | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 414mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 1mg
