Vegan Banana Chocolate Crêpes

These fluffy, crepes make for the a perfect, light vegan breakfast, drizzled with an easy, homemade chocolate sauce and topped with bananas and powdered sugar. Make 6 or 7 toss them in the fridge or freezer, and you’ve got a quick breakfast any day of the week.

Skip to any part of the recipe by clicking on the links below:

• Introduction

• Before we Get Started

• Ingredients

• Method

• Spruce it Up

Introduction

Finding ideas for vegan breakfasts can be tough, especially without much time before work or school. Unless you’ve got loads of time, you’re more or less limited to tofu scramble, fresh fruit, or oatmeal. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but sometimes, life needs a bit of adventure.

Step outside of your comfort zone and give these crepes a go. They won’t let you down - fluffy, light, and not so sweet that they’ll leave you fighting through a sugar rush comedown during your 11:30 finance meeting.

When I cook them, I’ll typically make them on a Saturday or Sunday morning, and make 7 or 8. Then, they can be kept in the fridge or freezer, and reheated quickly before work throughout the week. Keep the chocolate sauce in a jar or Tupperware container, and take out whenever for some aphrodisiacal strawberries (or use it as a spread to make some even more so aphrodisiacal toast).

The secret to this recipe is to take your time. The technique is tricky at first, and it took me a couple of tries to get the crepes to flip nicely. They’ll test your patience, but if you give them time to sit and cook in the pan, they’ll flip nicely for you. Keep an eye on your chocolate sauce and whisk routinely. Your milk will want to burn, but by moving it about every minute or so, it’ll come to a boil quickly.

Check out the Spruce it Up section below for ideas on how to take this recipe to the next level.

Before we Get Started

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Yield: 7 or 8 Crepes

Ingredients

Crêpes

• 1 1/2 cups All Purpose White Flour

• 4 tbsp. Sugar

  • White or Brown

• 1 tsp. Baking Powder

• 2 cups Dairy-Free Milk

  • I used unsweetened Almond Milk

• Splash of Olive Oil

• 1-2 Bananas

• Powdered Sugar

Chocolate Sauce

• 1 cup Dairy-Free Milk

  • I used unsweetened Almond Milk

• 2 tbsp. Maple Syrup

• 1/4 cup Sugar

  • White Sugar

• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

  • Baking Cocoa works just as well

• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

  • If you don’t have chocolate chips but you have a dark chocolate bar laying about, crush it up with a knife into small bits

Method

1. Add your dry crepe ingredients (except for the bananas) into a bowl. Give it a mix to ensure that the ingredients are combined, then slowly drizzle in your milk while continuing to stir. Once it is thoroughly mixed together and there are no lumps, add in a good splash of olive oil.

2. Cover the bowl with cling film or tin foil, and place in the fridge.

3. Add all of your chocolate sauce ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a small pot. Turn up the heat to medium, and whisk often to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

4. Increase the heat to high, continuing to whisk until the sauce reaches a boil. Turn the heat back down to medium, add your chocolate chips, and allow to reduce by approximately half or until it reaches a consistency you’re happy with.

   • By adding in the chocolate chips after the sauce heats up, there is less chance it burns. Instead, the chips will melt slowly into the mixture.

5. While the chocolate sauce is reducing, place a large, non-stick pan onto a medium-high heat. Take your crepe mixture out of the fridge.

6. Once the pan has come to temperature, add a splash of oil. Pick up the pan, tilting it slightly towards you, and pour in some of the crepe mixture into the top half of the pan, turning and tilting it until a single layer of batter covers the bottom of the pan.

   • This took me a bit of practice, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it on the first go.

7. Place the pan back onto the heat, and allow it to cook until you can run a fork or spatula around the edge of the crepe. Slowly run the spatula under the crepe until it lifts from the pan, and flip it over.

   • The first side should take approximately 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it, as it may take longer or shorter.

   • If it doesn’t lift immediately, don’t sweat it. Allow it to cook for a bit longer and try again.

8. Cook the second side for approximately 30 more seconds, then roll the crepe up in the pan, and place on a plate.

9. Slice your banana, drizzle the chocolate sauce over the crepe, and place your bananas on top. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on.

10. Enjoy.

Spruce it Up

• Mix up the toppings you use. Strawberries and chocolate go perfectly together.

• Caramelize your bananas in a pan.

  • Place your pan of medium heat, add your bananas, and sprinkle in some sugar. Allow the bananas to cook on one side, then flip.

• Top with vegan whipped cream.