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Why It Works
- Using both cooked carrots and carrot juice in the crêpe batter gives the crêpes their vivid orange hue and sweet vegetal flavor.
- A blender allows you to prepare a smooth batter in less than a minute.
- Using the classic orange sauce for the crêpes prevents the dish from tasting overly vegetal.
With the notable exception of carrot cake, carrots are typically associated with savory dishes like salads and soups, but if I’m being honest, I much prefer them in desserts. Their natural sweetness makes them easy to incorporate into cakes and pastries, where their vegetal notes shine alongside other sweet baking staples such as honey and vanilla. My new favorite way to make desserts with carrots is this recipe from our Birmingham, Alabama–based test kitchen colleague Craig Ruff that incorporates carrots into crêpes Suzette, the French dessert of crêpes served with a flambéed sauce of orange juice, sugar, and orange liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier. It’s a dessert that’s near and dear to my heart, and one I must order every time I see it on a menu.
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano
Like the original, Craig’s crêpes are bathed in a velvety and bittersweet orange sauce. For an extra dose of sweetness and color, however, he incorporates both cooked carrots and carrot juice into his crêpe batter, which comes together quickly with the help of a blender. As a side note, though many recipes call for refrigerating the batter for at least an hour to let the gluten rest—which results in more tender crepes—Craig and I have both found little to no difference—which is why Craig skips it below. This means this recipe comes together faster than many crêpe recipes.
Cinnamon in both the crêpe batter and sauce gives the dessert a warm, spiced note, and complements the earthiness of the carrots. It may not be traditional crêpes Suzette, but is every bit just as delicious. And it’s extra pretty, to boot.
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano
The recipe was developed by Craig Ruff; the headnote was written by Genevieve Yam.
Classic Crepes Suzette Get a Colorful Twist With This Everyday Ingredient
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For the Crêpes:
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2 medium carrots (3 ounces; 85 g each), peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) tap water
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2 large eggs
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1 1/2 cups (355 ml) carrot juice
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4 1/2 ounces all purpose flour (128 g; 1 cup)
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1 1/2 ounces unsalted butter (42 g; 3 tablespoons), melted, plus more for skillet
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2 teaspoons granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
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1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Orange Sauce:
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4 ounces unsalted butter (113 g; 8 tablespoons)
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1 teaspoon orange zest and 2/3 cup fresh juice from 2 medium oranges
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1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar (50 g; 1/4 cup)
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1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
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1 ounce orange liqueur (30 ml; 2 tablespoons), such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
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1/2 ounce cognac (15 ml; 1 tablespoon)
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Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
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For the Crêpe Batter: In a medium bowl, combine carrots and water. Cover with a heat-proof plate and microwave on high until carrots are tender, about 3 minutes. Using a colander or fine-mesh sieve, drain carrots. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, about 10 minutes.
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In a blender, combine eggs, carrot juice, flour, butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and carrots. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl or measuring cup.
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Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium. Brush with a thin layer of butter, and reduce heat to medium-low. Add about 1/4 cup crêpe batter, swirling and tilting pan immediately to spread batter into a thin, even layer.
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano
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Cook until edges of crêpe start to brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Using a long spatula, flip crêpe and cook until a few brown spots appear on the bottom, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet. Fold crêpe into quarters by folding it in half, then folding in half again. Repeat process with remaining batter, wiping skillet clean and lightly buttering skillet as needed.
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano
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For the Orange Sauce: In a large stainless steel skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add orange zest and juice, sugar, and cinnamon stick, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened and reduced by about 1/3, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano
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Working with 1 crêpe at a time, use tongs to gently dip both sides of folded crêpe into sauce, then release into the sauce. Repeat with remaining crêpes.
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Add orange liqueur and cognac, and using a long-handled lighter, carefully ignite sauce, and cook over low heat, shaking the pan, until flames have died out and sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Discard cinnamon stick. Spoon sauce over crêpes and serve immediately.
Serious Eats / Robby Lozano
Special Equipment
Microwave, colander or fine-mesh sieve, blender, nonstick skillet or crêpe pan, long-handled lighter
Make-Ahead and Storage
The crêpe batter can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Cooked crêpes can be stacked with parchment paper between each layer, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Once sauced, the crêpes should be eaten immediately.
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