Pumpkin Crepes with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

These delicate pumpkin crepes are filled with maple cream cheese filling for the perfect fall dessert or brunch. But the crepes can simply be served with a little bit of maple syrup for a light breakfast or filled with anything from fruit to cheese to jam.

It's officially fall, there's a little morning chill in the air here in New England, and I'm craving all things pumpkin.

But even if you're a pumpkin dissenter, you have to admit there's a difference between the store-bought sickeningly sweet artificial pumpkin spice flavor and homemade pumpkin goodies packed with pumpkin puree and spices.

There was once a time when pumpkin pie was loved and respected and not thought of as "basic" or "overdone." And I want to get us back to that place.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

That's exactly why I love these pumpkin crepes so much and why you likely will, too. They're perfectly delicate and the pumpkin flavor is light and natural with just a touch of sweetness.

The crepe batter has a nice scoop of pumpkin puree in it, along with spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Perfectly fall and nothing "basic" about it!

You don't have to make the maple cream cheese filling, but it adds an extra dash of fall flavor and turns these crepes into the perfect dessert or indulgent brunch.

But if you prefer to have pumpkin crepes for a light breakfast, you can eat them as is (or with a little drizzle of maple syrup). Or you can utilize a whole variety of different fillings.

Ingredients

Pumpkin crepes are super easy to make and require mostly basic ingredients, along with pumpkin puree and seasonal spices.

Here's what you need:

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Whole milk
• Pumpkin puree
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract

And here's what you need for the maple cream cheese filling:

• Cream cheese
• Confectioners' sugar
• Maple syrup
• Heavy cream

How to Make Pumpkin Crepes

Have you ever made crepes before? There are several different ways to make the batter, but my tried and true way is in a blender.

It makes crepe making incredibly easy, as you simply put all the ingredients in the blender and mix them well.

See? This is literally all the crepe ingredients!!

Process them until well-combined and smooth and your pumpkin crepe batter is made!

For best results, it's good to let your batter rest for 30 minutes after mixing it. This generally results in a more tender crepe. But if you don't have the time, it's totally fine to just proceed as is.

Also note you can make this batter the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight if you want.

Now you're ready to cook up those crepes! Note that you don't need any fancy equipment or even a crepe pan; just a simple 7- or 8-inch nonstick skillet.

Just coat the skillet with a little bit of butter and pour about ¼ cup batter in the pan, gently tilting and swirling the pan until batter evenly coats the bottom.

If you're using a 7-inch pan, your crepes will be a little thicker. If you're using an 8-inch pan, they'll be a little thinner. Feel free to use a little more or less batter based on pan size and preference. You can experiment a bit to determine your crepe thickness preferences.

Let the crepe cook for about 1-1 ½ minutes until it's turning golden on the bottom and the edges are pulling away from pan.

You can either use your fingers or a spatula to pull edges up and when ready, flip.

Flipping may take a little bit of practice, but once you get it down, it's so easy. Even after all the crepes I've made, I usually still screw up the first one (kindn of like the first pancake theory!).

Once you flip, cook the for another minute before removing crepe from pan to a plate.

Continue with the rest of the batter, adding a little more butter into the pan in between each.

In case you're wondering, yes, you really do have to make crepes one at a time (unless you've got multiple pans going!), but I find something very therapeutic about it.

How to Make Maple Cream Cheese Filling

If you want to enjoy your pumpkin crepes with maple cream cheese filling (highly recommended!), you're in luck because it's also really easy to make.

Once you get the crepe-making process down, you'll be able to make this filling at the same time as your crepes are cooking.

The only tough thing about this filling is that you need to dirty two bowls to make it.

First you need to beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and maple syrup. I like to do this in my stand mixer and then scoop the filling out and put it in a separate bowl.

You could also beat the ingredients together in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or with a whole lot of arm strength).

Then add the cream to the bowl of your stand mixer (I don't even clean it after scooping the cream cheese mixture out) or a separate large bowl with a hand mixer.

And beat cream until stiff peaks form.

Now, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, until well combined.

Keep the cream cheese filling in the fridge until ready to use. But be sure to dip your finger in and taste it first. YUM.

Top a pumpkin crepe with a couple of scoops of maple cream cheese filling.

Use as much or as little as you want. I recommend "much."

And fold the crepes over.

There are lots of fun ways to fold crepes, but when filled with this cream cheese deliciousness, I recommend a simple fold.

You can top the crepes with more of the maple cream cheese if you want. And sprinkle on a little cinnamon, too.

Oh, and maple syrup, too.

It may seem a little excessive given that the crepes are already filled with maple cream cheese, but it's virtually impossible for me to eat crepes without a little maple syrup.

Plus, it just adds to the delicious fall flavors!

More Filling Options

If you're not a fan of cream cheese or you want to enjoy these crepes as a lighter breakfast, there are lots of other filling options for them. Here are some of my favorites:

• A simple maple syrup drizzle: Don't fill the crepes with anything and just drizzle some maple syrup over the top. A caramel drizzle would also be delicious!
• Fruit filling: Strawberries, blueberries, or even bananas would be delicious in these crepes.
• Whipped cream: Simple and light, whipped cream is an easy crepe filling.
• Cheese: Pairing a sweet crepe with cheese may sound a little odd to some, but I promise it's delicious! These crepes are only very lightly sweetened and cheddar and pumpkin is always a delicious combo.

• Mascarpone: Instead of making the cream cheese filling, just spread some delicious mascarpone cheese on the crepes instead.
• Jam: Spread a little of your favorite jam on the crepes before folding them over.
• Peanut butter: Replace the bread on your peanut butter sandwich with pumpkin crepes!

Lastly, instead of filling the crepes, make a couple batches of them and turn them into a pumpkin crepe cake!

How to Store

This recipe makes about 15 pumpkin crepes and chances are you won't eat them all in one sitting. That's OK! Crepes are delicious when re-heated and leftovers keep well in the fridge.

To store, simply wrap leftover crepes in plastic wrap or foil and keep in the fridge. They shouldn't stick, but if you're worried, you can put a layer or parchment or waxed paper in between them.

 They should keep in the fridge for about 3-5 days.

And when you're ready to enjoy them, simply re-heat in microwave or oven until warm.

I recommend filling them right before eating them as they're likely to get soggy if you refrigerate them with the maple cream cheese filling already inside.

More Crepe Recipes

I am somewhat of a crepe fanatic and find myself making them practically every week. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

• Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Crepes
• Banana Crepes with Nutella
• Fruity Pebbles Crepes
• Crepes with Pancake Mix (with ham and cheese)
• Mushroom Crepes (from Jessica Gavin)
• Banana Foster Crepes (from Skinnytaste)
• Spinach Artichoke and Brie Crepes (from Half-Baked Harvest)

Crepes are often thought of as a breakfast or dessert food, but these pumpkin crepes can truly be enjoyed any time of day depending on how you fill them.

If you're looking for to add a little pumpkin spice into your fall without all the fake sugary hype, these are the way to go!