Dairy Free Christmas Crepes with Cinnamon Apple Filling
There is something magical about the smell of warm cinnamon and sweet apples drifting through the kitchen on a cold December morning. These dairy free Christmas crepes with cinnamon apple filling capture that festive feeling without loading your plate with excess sugar, butter or refined flour. Every crepe is thin, golden and gently spiced, wrapped around a soft, caramelised apple filling that tastes indulgent but is built on genuinely nourishing ingredients. This is the kind of breakfast that makes the holiday season feel special without leaving you sluggish before the day has even begun.
The crepe batter here is made with a blend of oat flour and chickpea flour. That combination might sound unusual, but it works beautifully. Chickpea flour adds a surprising protein boost and a subtle nuttiness that pairs wonderfully with cinnamon and apple. Oat flour keeps the crepes tender and gives them a gentle earthy flavour. Unsweetened oat milk binds everything together smoothly, while flax eggs replace traditional eggs so the recipe stays completely plant-based. A small amount of pure maple syrup goes into the batter for the lightest hint of sweetness, but the real star of the show is that filling.
For the cinnamon apple filling, Granny Smith and Fuji apples are peeled and diced small, then cooked down gently with coconut sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and a squeeze of fresh orange juice. Cardamom is the quiet hero here. It adds a warm, slightly floral note that makes this filling taste festive rather than just autumnal. The orange juice lifts the whole mixture and helps the apples soften quickly without needing to add any extra fat. The result is a thick, jammy, fragrant filling with just enough sweetness to feel like a treat. Importantly, coconut sugar has a lower glycaemic index than white sugar, so your blood sugar stays more stable through the morning.
To serve, simply lay each warm crepe flat, spoon a generous line of apple filling down the centre, and roll or fold into quarters. A dusting of cinnamon, a drizzle of almond butter or a handful of pomegranate seeds all make gorgeous Christmas morning toppings. These crepes are a genuinely healthy swap that the whole table will love. They are meal-prep friendly too. Make a batch of the filling the night before, keep your batter chilled in the fridge, and breakfast comes together in well under ten minutes on the morning itself. Festive, nourishing and completely dairy free, this is the Christmas breakfast recipe you will return to every single year.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (mixed with 3 tbsp water to make 1 flax egg)
- 3 tbsp water (for the flax egg)
- 120 g oat flour (use certified gluten free oat flour if needed)
- 40 g chickpea flour (also called gram flour)
- 300 ml unsweetened oat milk (or any unsweetened plant milk)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (for the batter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon (for the batter)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tsp coconut oil (for frying, melted)
- 3 medium apples (a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji works well, peeled, cored and diced small)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (lower GI than white sugar)
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon (for the filling)
- 0.3 tsp ground cardamom (adds a festive floral warmth)
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice (approximately half a small orange)
- 0.5 tsp arrowroot powder (mixed with 1 tsp cold water to thicken the filling, optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make your flax egg first. Stir together the ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until it thickens into a gel-like consistency.
Do not skip the resting time. A properly gelled flax egg is what holds these dairy free crepes together.
- 2
Add the oat flour, chickpea flour, oat milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and the flax egg to a blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds until you have a completely smooth, pourable batter. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you start the filling.
Resting the batter helps the flours hydrate fully, which gives you thinner, more pliable crepes.
- 3
For the filling, place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apples, coconut sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and orange juice. Stir everything together and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick, syrupy sauce.
If you prefer a thicker filling, stir in the arrowroot slurry in the final 2 minutes of cooking and stir continuously until it thickens.
- 4
Remove the filling from the heat and set aside. It will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
- 5
Heat a non-stick crepe pan or large flat skillet over medium heat. Brush very lightly with melted coconut oil. Pour approximately 60 to 70 ml of batter into the centre of the pan, then quickly tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter into a thin, even round.
Work quickly when tilting the pan. The batter sets fast, so you have about 5 seconds to spread it.
- 6
Cook the crepe for 90 seconds to 2 minutes until the edges look dry and the surface appears mostly set. Carefully slide a thin spatula underneath and flip. Cook for a further 45 to 60 seconds on the second side.
The first crepe is almost always a test crepe. Adjust your heat if it browns too quickly or sits pale and floppy.
- 7
Slide the finished crepe onto a warm plate and repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with a tiny amount of coconut oil between each one. Stack the crepes with a small square of baking paper between them to prevent sticking.
- 8
To assemble, lay one crepe flat and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the warm cinnamon apple filling along the centre. Roll into a cylinder or fold into quarters. Repeat with remaining crepes. Serve immediately with a dusting of ground cinnamon and any toppings you like.
Pomegranate seeds, a drizzle of almond butter or a few crushed toasted pecans all make beautiful festive toppings.
Nutrition per serving
248kcal
Calories
9g
Protein
41g
Carbs
6g
Fat
6g
Fibre
14g
Sugar
105mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes before cooking. This improves the texture of every crepe significantly.
- ✓
Keep finished crepes warm in an oven set to 80 degrees Celsius while you cook the remaining batch.
- ✓
Use a kitchen ladle for consistent portion control when pouring batter. This helps all your crepes turn out the same size.
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Dice your apples small, around 1 cm cubes. Smaller pieces cook faster and distribute more evenly inside each crepe.
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Granny Smith apples hold their shape well during cooking and balance the sweetness of coconut sugar beautifully.
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If your batter seems too thick after resting, whisk in an extra tablespoon of oat milk to loosen it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Spiced Pear and Ginger Filling
Swap the apples for ripe pears and add half a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger alongside the cinnamon. Pears cook down faster, so reduce the cooking time to around 6 minutes.
- •
Chocolate Hazelnut Christmas Crepes
Add 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder to the crepe batter and fill with the apple mixture plus a drizzle of hazelnut butter. This creates a rich, festive flavour combination that feels like a proper Christmas morning indulgence.
- •
Protein-Boosted Crepes
Stir 2 tablespoons of unflavoured or vanilla plant-based protein powder into the batter alongside the flours. Add an extra 2 tablespoons of oat milk to compensate for the extra dry ingredients. This brings protein per serving close to 18 grams.
- •
Banana Crepes with Cinnamon Apple
Add half a ripe mashed banana to the blender when making the batter. This adds natural sweetness, allowing you to skip the maple syrup entirely, and creates a slightly softer crepe texture.
Substitutions
- •Oat flour → Buckwheat flour (Buckwheat flour creates slightly earthier, denser crepes but keeps the recipe gluten free and adds extra fibre.)
- •Chickpea flour → Brown rice flour (Brown rice flour produces a milder flavour and a lighter texture. The protein content will be lower, but the crepes will still hold together well with the flax egg.)
- •Flax egg → Chia egg (Combine 1 tablespoon of white chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and rest for 5 minutes. Works exactly the same way as a flax egg.)
- •Coconut sugar → Pure maple syrup (Use 1.5 tablespoons of maple syrup in the filling instead of coconut sugar. Add it with the orange juice and reduce the liquid slightly longer to prevent the filling becoming too runny.)
- •Coconut oil → Light olive oil (Light olive oil has a higher smoke point and a neutral flavour that works well for cooking crepes. Use the same quantity.)
- •Oat milk → Unsweetened almond milk (Almond milk creates a slightly lighter, thinner batter. You may need to reduce the quantity by about 2 tablespoons to achieve the right consistency.)
🧊 Storage
Store cooked crepes and the cinnamon apple filling separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat crepes individually in a dry non-stick pan over low heat for about 30 seconds per side. Warm the filling in a small saucepan over gentle heat, adding a splash of water if it has thickened too much.
📅 Make Ahead
The cinnamon apple filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge. The crepe batter can be made the night before and kept covered in the refrigerator. Give it a good whisk before cooking as some settling will occur. This makes Christmas morning breakfast stress-free and quick.
