Gluten Free Carrot Cake Crepes for Your Easter Brunch
These delicious Carrot Cake Crepes are full of flavor with their warm spices and sweet lemony cream cheese filling. They’re gluten free, but so good, you’ll never know it!
Holidays are a special time to come together with family and friends and break bread together and Easter is no exception. Like Thanksgiving and Christmas, my Easter memories always include a feast as the vehicle for quality time with loved ones. Although our family feels small, I don’t take these special times for granted and feel grateful for such blessings.
As I look ahead to Easter, I’m excited to serve these crepes to the whole family for the first time. Like Santa wants his cookies at Christmas, the Easter Bunny wants his carrots and these “carrots” are so much better than the real thing! So, let’s elevate the carrot and make it into some delicious crepes that the whole family will enjoy. Come with me and I’ll show you how it’s done.
Why You’ll Love these Festive Crepes
- They’re a scrumptious springtime twist on the traditional crepe.
- The fun carrot shape is perfect for Easter breakfast or brunch.
- The lemony cream cheese filling is delectable!
- You’ll love the spiced cake flavor paired with the creamy citrus filling and warm drizzle.
What’s in these Carrot Cake Crepes?
Crepe Batter
Carrots – You’ll want these finely shredded to best incorporate into the batter.
Eggs – Make sure to add these to the batter last so they don’t begin to cook due to the warm carrots!
Milk – I like to use Fairlife lactose free milk whose fat free version is surprisingly creamy!
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- Change it up: For dairy free, try the recipe with coconut milk.
Butter – To sauté the carrots and for added richness. You’ll need a little extra to butter you pan or skillet if you are not using a non-stick surface.
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- Change it up: For dairy free, use a non-dairy buttery spread.
Vanilla – For flavor enhancement.
Flour – Use a gluten free 1 to 1 flour. I recommend Bob’s Redmill brand.
Sugar – You’ll need both brown and granulated white sugar for a touch of sweetness.
Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves warm these crepes right up.
Salt – Just a pinch to bring out the sweetness.
Filling and Drizzle
Cream Cheese – This is the base for the rich and creamy filling and drizzle. You’ll want it softened.
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- Change it up: Use a non-dairy cream cheese spread if you prefer dairy free.
Frozen Whipped Topping – This lightens up the filling a bit.
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- Change it up: For dairy free, I prefer So Delicious brand’s Cocowhip. It’s fantastic!
Powdered Sugar – This adds the right amount of sweetness.
Vanilla – For subtle added flavor.
Lemon Juice – The lemon pairs so well with the spice cake flavor of the crepes.
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- Change it up: If you feel like mixing it up, try an orange filling instead and use a little orange juice.
Lemon Zest – For even more lemon flavor and for a garnish.
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- Change it up: If you decide to try the orange filling, use orange zest instead.
Walnuts – This is optional, but pairs well with the lemony filling and adds nice texture. Chop finely.
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- Change it up: Pecans are another great option if that’s what you have on hand.
Food Coloring – Red and yellow food coloring will turn the drizzle a carrot orange color.
Milk – You’ll thin out the remaining filling to make it into a drizzle to top the crepes with before serving.
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- Change it up: For dairy free, try the recipe with coconut milk.
Garnish
Carrot Greens – This will be your carrot topper. You’ll want to cut each stem so you have about a ½ inch of stem to tuck into the top of the carrot-shaped crepes.
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- Change it up: If you’re unable to find carrots with greens still attached, mint is another option.
How to make the Carrot Cake Crepes
Make the Batter
- Saute carrots in ¼ cup melted butter on medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes until they start to soften.
- Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
- In a medium bowl, add gf 1 to 1 flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of salt and whisk together until well combined.
- In a large bowl whisk together milk, vanilla, and the buttery carrots.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and then stir into the batter. *** Make sure you add eggs last to the batter. Mixing the rest of the ingredients together first cools down the carrots and prevents the eggs from cooking.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, but up to overnight.
- When you are ready to make the crepes, pull the batter from the fridge and set aside.
Make the Filling
- Mix softened cream cheese, frozen whipped topping, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest on low to medium-low, using a stand or handheld mixer.
- Remove ½ Cup of filling and set aside. This will be for the drizzle.
Make the Carrot Cake Crepes
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place a large cookie sheet on the middle rack.
- Warm a crepe pan, stove top griddle or large skillet on medium heat.
- Remove pan from heat, butter the pan and add 1/3 cup of batter, immediately and quickly spreading the batter around using the back of a crepe spreader or the back of a spoon so the crepe is as thin as possible. *** These crepes may be slightly thicker than traditional crepes due to the thickness of the carrots.
- Place pan back on heat and warm crepe for 2-3 minutes until it just starts to lightly brown.
- Flip crepe and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Place crepe in oven to keep warm and repeat steps 4-7 until all batter is used.
- Pull a crepe from the oven, cut in half and spread 1 Tbsp of filling in middle of crepe half, leaving 1 inch around the edges.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp of finely chopped walnuts on the filling if desired.
- Fold the top of the rounded edges in, holding them in place with the filling.
- Roll the crepe up as pictured to create your carrot shaped crepe.
- Repeat steps 1-4 with each crepe half, placing them back in the oven to keep them warm.
*** Only assemble crepes you will eat immediately. Storing leftover crepes separately from filling, allows for optimal texture when rewarming.
Make the Drizzle
- Heat remaining half cup of filling on low, stirring regularly.
- Stir in 3 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow food coloring to turn the drizzle orange.
- Stir in 2 tsp of milk to thin it out.
- While it’s still warm and thinned out, drizzle the carrots with the remaining filling using a quick back and forth motion.
Add the Garnish
- Rince the carrot greens or mint leaves and cut about 12 stems (enough for each “carrot”), each containing a few leaves and leaving at least a half inch of stem.
- Add the carrot greens or mint to the top of each carrot crepe by tucking in the stem and allowing the leaves to stick out of the top.
- Garnish a little lemon zest.
What to Serve with your Carrot Cake Crepes
I recommend serving some classic breakfast basics with your Carrot Cake Crepes. They pair well and allow the crepes to be the star of the show.
- Bacon – Crispy, salty bacon on the side of these crepes makes for the perfect breakfast.
- Sausage – Link or patty sausage is another option, just avoid maple or other sweet sausages as savory works best with the sweetness of the crepes.
- Eggs – I recommend simple scrambled eggs made with olive oil and garnished with salt and pepper.
- Coffee – Unsweetened coffee or English breakfast goes well with these sweet crepes.
- Orange Juice – This goes well as long as you’re serving savory bacon and/or eggs with the crepes.
Making Ahead, Storing and Reheating Left Over Crepes
Making Ahead
The best way to enjoy these crepes is to make the batter ahead of time. You’ll want to refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, but I prefer to make it the night before and chill it overnight. Although you can make the crepes ahead of time, they are best served fresh.
Storing Leftover Carrot Cake Crepes
- Fridge – Store the crepes and filling separately. Both can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Stack the crepes and store in a large plastic bag sealed tightly to keep them from drying out. The filling is best stored in a plastic bag or glass container.
- Freezer – Crepes and filling should also be stored separately. The best way to store leftover crepes in the freezer is to first portion them out so when fetching them from the freezer, you only need to thaw what you will eat at the time. Wrap each stacked portion of crepes in plastic wrap. Then place them in a large plastic storage bag and freeze. Double wrapping them will prevent freezer burn. Filling may be stored in a sealed plastic bag. Store both items in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating Leftover Crepes
While these are best fresh, they are still tasty leftover. Thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Slightly warm filling in the microwave. Crepes are best rewarmed on the stove in your crepe pan, griddle or skillet for about a minute per side, but they’re still tasty rewarmed in the microwave.
I hope you enjoyed making these Easter Carrot Cake Crepes!
Carrot Cake Crepes for Your Easter Brunch
Ingredients
Crepes
- 1 Cup Finely Shredded Carrots
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ¼ Cup Milk
- ¼ Cup Butter (plus more for buttering crepe pan)
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- 1 Cup Gluten Free 1 to 1 Flour
- 2 Tbsp Packed Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- ¾ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ginger
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Cloves
- Pinch Salt
Filling and Drizzle
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- ½ Cup Frozen Whipped Topping
- ¾ Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest
- ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
- 2 tsp Milk
- 6 Drops Yellow Food Coloring
- 2 Drops Red Food Coloring
Garnish
- 12 Stems Carrot Greens or Mint 2 Inch Stems
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
Instructions
Make the Batter
- Sauté carrots in ¼ cup melted butter on medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes until they start to soften.
- Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.
- In a medium bowl, add gf 1 to 1 flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of salt and whisk together until well combined.
- In a large bowl whisk together milk, vanilla, and the buttery carrots.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and then stir into the batter.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, but up to overnight.
- When you are ready to make the crepes, pull the batter from the fridge and set aside.
Make the Filling
- Mix softened cream cheese, frozen whipped topping, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest on low to medium-low, using a stand or handheld mixer.
- Remove ½ Cup of filling and set aside. This will be for the drizzle.
Make the Crepes
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place a large cookie sheet on the middle rack.
- Warm a crepe pan, stove top griddle or large skillet on medium heat.
- Remove pan from heat, butter the pan and add 1/3 cup of batter, immediately and quickly spreading the batter around using a crepe spreader or the back of a spoon so the crepe is as thin as possible.
- Place pan back on heat and warm crepe for 2-3 minutes until it just starts to lightly brown.
- Flip crepe and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Place crepe in oven to keep warm and repeat steps 4-7 until all batter is used.
- Pull a crepe from the oven, cut in half and spread 1 Tbsp of filling in middle of crepe half, leaving 1 inch around the edges.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp of finely chopped walnuts on the filling if desired.
- Fold the top of the rounded edges in, holding them in place with the filling.
- Starting at one end, roll the crepe to create your carrot shape.
- Repeat steps 1-4 with each crepe half, placing them back in the oven to keep them warm.
Make the Drizzle
- Heat remaining half cup of filling on low, stirring regularly.
- Stirring 2 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow food coloring to turn the drizzle orange.
- Stir in 2 tsp of milk to thin it out.
- While it's still warm and thinned out, drizzle the carrots with the remaining filling using a quick back and forth motion.
Garnish the Crepes
- Rince the carrot greens or mint leaves and cut about 12 stems (enough for each “carrot”), each containing a few leaves and leaving at least a half inch of stem.
- Add the carrot greens or mint to the top of each carrot crepe by tucking in the stem and allowing the leaves to stick out of the top.
- Sprinkle Crepes with lemon zest
Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
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