These salted caramel crepes make the perfect fall treat. The tender crepes are topped with gooey caramel sauce, cinnamon apples, and tangy creme fraiche.
A few weekends ago we headed to Julian for an apple picking adventure. It was the first time we brought both boys to Volcan Valley Apple Farm and they were ecstatic to pick their own apples. We ended up with 10 pounds of apples so they went into a lot of desserts-apple pie, salted caramel apple galette, and an apple cake. With plenty of apples left, I sauteed some with butter for a delicious treat, salted caramel crepes with sauteed apples.
Tips for making perfect crepes
Crepes might seem intimidating to make but they’re easy to master if you follow these tips. It’s important to have a nonstick crepe pan which makes it easier to lift and flip the crepe. If you don’t plan on making crepes regularly, a non-stick pan will do. The key is getting a quality pan that will preheat evenly.
Having a thin batter helps it spread quickly across the pan and results in a nice, delicate thin crepe. A crepe batter is a lot thinner than pancake batter. If you don’t have experience making crepes, using a blender gives you the best consistency. I’m lazy when it comes to washing big appliances so I hand whisk my batter. Adding a tablespoon of melted butter to the batter also makes the crepes more tender.
An essential step is letting the crepe batter rest for an hour in the fridge. During that time the gluten relaxes and the dry ingredients will soak up liquid and cook more evenly. Leaving the batter in the fridge overnight is ideal for letting the flavor develop. After resting, the batter will thicken a little bit. I usually add one to two tablespoons of milk to thin it out.
The best heat for making crepes
Every stove is different so finding that temperature sweet spot is important for making perfect crepes. Start with medium-low heat and adjust from there. Higher temperature will cook the batter before you have the chance to swirl it around the pan. You only need to cook it for 2-3 minutes on the first side and another 30 seconds after flipping.
How to store crepes
I let the crepes cool on a wire rack before stacking them in between squares of parchment paper. With the leftover crepes, place them in a ziplock bag and store in the fridge for 72 hours. You can reheat them quickly in the pan or microwave. If you don’t plan on using them soon, store them flat in the freezer for 3 months.
How to make the salted caramel
I always keep a jar of my go to salted caramel recipe in the fridge. It’s an easy recipe of brown sugar, water, heavy cream, and salt. All these ingredients are readily available in your pantry and fridge. Light brown sugar and water are heated on the stove until completely melted and thickened, then heavy cream and salt are whisked in until smooth. Simply reheat it for 15-20 seconds in the microwave and it will be ready in less than a minute. Making the caramel ahead of time saves you quite a bit of time.
What to serve with crepes
My boys love eating the crepes with just a drizzle of salted caramel because what kids don’t love gooey caramel! For the adults, I served these salted caramel crepes with sauteed apples and creme fraiche. The apple slices are sauteed on the stove with butter, sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon. They taste exactly like apple pie filling! The creme fraiche brings a bit of tang and cuts through the sweetness of the salted caramel.
While this recipe is an undertaking, the result is greater than the sums of its parts. The caramel sauce and crepes can be made ahead. On the day of, you just need to cook the apples and reheat the crepes and caramel sauce. With every bite, you get the warm notes of fall with tender crepes, cinnamon apples, gooey salted caramel, and tangy creme fraiche. These irresistible salted caramel crepes are moreish and make the perfect fall treat!
For more breakfast or brunch inspiration, check these recipes: crepes with strawberries and mascarpone, Dutch baby pancake, lemon curd raspberry bread pudding, and strawberry mascarpone French toast.
Salted caramel crepes with sauteed apples
Equipment
- 8-inch crepe pan, offset spatula, blender
Ingredients
Crepe batter
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups milk (and extra milk for thinning the batter)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter, melted
- unsalted butter for cooking crepes
Salted caramel
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsps water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Sauteed apples
- 2 medium sized tart apples (pink lady or granny smith), peeled, scored, and sliced to ¼ inch thick
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup creme fraiche for serving
Instructions
Crepe batter
- In a blender or food processor, combine flour, milk, eggs, salt, and sugar. Blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour batter into a pitcher and stir in melted butter.
- To make the batter by hand, in a mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, and sugar together. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, egg, and melted butter. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and whisk, incorporating the flour as you go. Don't worry too much about getting a smooth batter at this point.
- Cover and let the batter sit for at least 60 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Remove the batter from the fridge. Whisk in 2 tbsps of milk to thin the batter.
- Before cooking the crepe, assemble everything you'll need by the stovetop: the batter, the crepe pan, the butter, the off spatula.
- Place a 8-inch crepe pan over medium-low heat and add a small amount of butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for a minute to get hot. Pour in about ¼ cup of batter. Immediately pick up the pan and swirl it to coat the batter into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the crepe until slightly brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Carefully place an offset spatula underneath the crepe and flip. Cook the second side briefly, just to set the batter.
- Once the crepe is cooked, tilt the pan and loosen the crêpe, then slide it onto a wire rack to cool.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed to keep the crepes from sticking.
- If you're not serving the crepes immediately, stack them one on top of the other in between square of parchment paper as they cool.
Salted caramel
- To make the salted caramel, place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 10–12 minutes without stirring until the mixture is a deep caramel color.
- Remove the pan from heat and working quickly, whisk in the salt and cream until combined.
- Return the pan to heat and cook for another 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before serving.
Sauteed apples
- Cook butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown.
- Add apple slices and sauté for 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, stir to blend, and cook for another 5 minutes until tender.
- When ready to serve, transfer crepes to serving plates, top with salted caramel, sauteed apples, and creme fraiche.
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