Thin Cocoa Crepes
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Thin, chocolate-infused crepes using whole wheat flour and coconut sugar. Eggs combined with milk and melted butter create a light batter. Cooked on a medium skillet with a quick 7-second flip, these crepes have a delicate texture. Held warm in a low oven until serving. Slightly less sugar, alternate sweeteners, slight bake time changes.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
32 min
Servings:
14 crepes
#French
#breakfast
#chocolate
#whole wheat
#coconut sugar
#quick cooking
Chocolate crepes. Thin, light, and flexible. Cocoa powder gives deep color, subtle bitterness. Swapping all-purpose with whole wheat adds slight texture, earthiness. Coconut sugar replaces refined, adding caramel hints. Lemon zest and vanilla lift flavors in subtle ways. Mix eggs with part milk first to avoid lumps. Gradually pour remaining milk to thin batter carefully. Melted butter in batter adds richness, silky texture. Cook on medium heat with butter brush to avoid sticking. Thin servings, around 45 ml per crepe, spread quickly. Flip sooner, less time on second side to keep tender. Rest in warm oven to keep ready without drying. Makes about 14 crepes, easy to stack or fill. Ideal for breakfast or light dinner. Quick hands make quick crepes, less wait, better texture. The slight tang from lemon zest disrupts cocoa’s heaviness, vanilla rounds off deep notes pleasantly. Perfect with fruit, whipped cream, or nut-free spreads. Enjoy layering flavors, crisp edges, softness.
Ingredients
- 90 g (2/3 cup) whole wheat flour
- 20 g (3 tbsp) cocoa powder
- 25 ml (2 tbsp) coconut sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted butter
- Butter softened for cooking
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
About the ingredients
Whole wheat flour offers more fiber, a slight nuttiness compared to all-purpose. Using cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips keeps texture smooth and uniform. Coconut sugar adds caramel tones and less refinement but retains sweetness. Vanilla extract and lemon zest are additions enhancing aroma and slightly balancing chocolate’s bitterness. Melted butter replaces oil for deeper flavor and silkiness in batter. Butter for cooking ensures even, golden edges and easy flipping. Milk must be added gradually for smooth batter consistency and avoiding lumps. Eggs provide structure and moisture. Salt heightens overall taste but kept minimal not to overpower cocoa. Small tweaks to sugar and milk maintain batter fluidity. Always beat eggs with some milk before dry to avoid clumps. Once batter is ready, let rest briefly for gluten relaxation if time. The ratios modified slightly to keep thinness even with whole wheat flour’s density and coconut sugar’s moisture content. Good cooking surface crucial – non-stick preferred.
Method
- Start mixing dry: flour, cocoa, coconut sugar, salt.
- Add eggs and 125 ml milk. Whisk till no lumps.
- Pour remaining 175 ml milk gradually while stirring.
- Add melted butter, vanilla extract, lemon zest. Mix well.
- Heat non-stick skillet 23 cm on medium heat.
- Brush skillet with softened butter.
- Pour 45 ml batter in center.
- Swirl skillet to cover base thinly.
- Cook till edges lift, bottom mildly browned, about 20-25 seconds.
- Flip quickly, cook 7 seconds more.
- Transfer crepe to warm oven set to 90 °C (195 °F).
- Repeat till batter finished.
- Serve immediately or keep warm under a tea towel.
Cooking tips
Start with dry ingredients mixed thoroughly for even distribution of cocoa and sugar. Add eggs blended with part of milk first; prevents lumps forming flour clumps. Slowly add rest of the milk while stirring constantly to keep batter smooth. Finally, stir in melted butter and flavorings, not before to ensure even coating and no clumping. Preheat pan on medium, brush butter lightly for non-stick and flavor. Ladle about 45 ml batter in center; swirling pan fast covers the surface thinly. Cooking ~20-25 seconds first side, edges lift and surface dries visibly. Flip quickly with spatula; second side only 7 seconds to keep delicate texture, avoid toughness. Remove to warm oven (~90°C/195°F) to keep temperature but not dry crepes while finishing batch. Repeat for all crepes; no prolonged resting after cooking or crepes dry out. For serving, can roll, fold, or stack. Cooking times and heat slightly adjusted to compensate for whole wheat density and coconut sugar’s moisture. Use quick wrist for spreading to ensure thin consistent crepes; slow spreading means thicker. Watch browning closely – too dark means overcooked and less supple. The added vanilla and lemon zest join last for subtle aromatic notes post cooking. Cleaning pan between batches if butter begins to burn recommended.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Mix dry ingredients well first. Cocoa and coconut sugar clump easy. Use sift if needed to prevent lumps. Eggs get whisked with part milk first. Avoid lumps forming in batter that way.
- 💡 Add milk gradually. Pour slowly while stirring constantly so batter thins smoothly. Avoid pouring all milk at once, batter gets chunky and hard to fix after.
- 💡 Melted butter last. Add vanilla and lemon zest with butter, prevent clumps and ensure even flavor spread. Butter gives batter silkiness, not greasy just right.
- 💡 Heat pan medium, not high. Non-stick is best. Use softened butter for cooking surface. Brush lightly before each crepe to stop sticking and encourage golden edges without burning.
- 💡 Pour about 45 ml batter each. Swirl pan fast to cover base thinly. Quick wrist movement means thin crepes. Cook edges lift and bottom browns in 20-25 secs then flip fast 7 secs only.
Common questions
How to avoid lumps in batter?
Eggs mixed with some milk first. Dry ingredients blended well. Pour milk slowly. Constant whisking keeps batter smooth. Clumps often from rushing milk or skipping eggs step.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead?
Yes substitute but texture changes. Whole wheat adds nuttiness and fiber. You may need slightly less milk as AP absorbs less. Flavor shifts too, less earthy.
Why flip crepe quickly and for short time?
Keeps crepe tender. Longer second side cooks toughens edges. Quick flip retains softness, flexibility. Timing important, edges lifting signals flip time.
How to store leftover crepes?
Stack with parchment between. Wrap tight in foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently in pan or oven low temp. Avoid microwave to keep texture.
