These ricotta filled crepes with fresh fruit and garnished with pistachios are not only easy to make but also so convenient as all the components can be prepared ahead of time. When it’s time to serve them, simply fill your homemade crepes with a sweet ricotta filling and fresh, seasonal fruits.
This breakfast crepe recipe makes celebrating special occasions like Mother’s Day and Easter Brunch stress-free and so easy.
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Introduction
Do you like to entertain but sometimes feel overwhelmed by the thought of hosting friends and family?
One easy solution is to serve foods that can be made ahead of time.
Another suggestion for a casual get-together is hosting a buffet-style breakfast (or brunch) where everyone serves themselves. Make-ahead brunch recipes like baked beans, asparagus frittata, or cheese blintzes are not only healthy and delicious but so easy to prepare.
You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that most of the preparation for these breakfast crepes can be created ahead of time. On the morning of your event, simply prepare the fruit, set the table, bring out the platters and you are ready to entertain.
There are four easy sections to this sweet crepes recipe: the crepes, the ricotta filling, fresh fruits and garnishings.
Basic crepe recipe
The crepe batter recipe I am using today is the same one I recently shared with you. The only difference is the addition of 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest.
Please refer to the full recipe for a step-by-step photo tutorial as well as all my tips to make the best recipe for easy homemade crepes. The recipe is located on the recipe card found at the bottom of this post.
To make ahead: Cool completely before stacking. Wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Sweet ricotta filling
This ricotta filling for these sweet crepes is so delicious that you will want to double the recipe. Once again, please refer to the full recipe for a step-by-step photo tutorial as well as my tips and variations.
To make ahead: Transfer this sweet crepe filling to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to verify the expiry date, if using commercial ricotta or your milk, if making your own homemade ricotta.
Seasonal fresh fruits
Use any combination of seasonal fruits to make a healthy and refreshing fresh fruit salad. Please refer to the full recipe for a step-by-step photo tutorial as well as my tips and variations.
This fresh fruit salad is best the day it is prepared.
Garnishings and toppings
There are so many wonderful ways to garnish crepes. As you can see, these crepes were topped with a dollop of sweet ricotta cheese, a sprinkle of toasted chopped pistachios, a dusting of icing sugar and a mint leaf. Fruit topped crepes are equally delicious.
To assemble
If you are preparing a buffet, simply set out all of your food platters and allow your guests to serve themselves.
To assemble individual plates, this is what I suggest.
Place the second side of the crepe facing upwards on the plate as shown on the photo above.
Spread 2 tablespoons of sweet ricotta on one-quarter of each crepe. Add your fresh fruit. As you can see in the photo above, sliced strawberries are being added.
Fold in half leaving the ricotta and strawberries slightly exposed.
Fold the crepe again, but this time at an slight angle.
Finally, tuck part of the crepe underneath to obtain a perfectly wrapped crepe. Garnish the rest of the plate with sliced fresh fruit.
Top the crepe with 1 heaping tablespoon of ricotta and chopped pistachios.
As an option, garnish with a sprig of mint and a dusting of powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar).
Tips
- Wrap the crepes really well in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying in the refrigerator.
- Roasting the pistachio nuts brings out their flavor.
- Fill a large empty salt shaker with icing sugar to create an easy sugar shaker for your guests.
Variations
- Replace the fresh fruit salad with a fresh fruit platter. You can’t go wrong with fruits that are in season.
- Use yogurt to replace the ricotta.
- Replace pistachios with almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts.
- Can also replace the pistachios with crushed amaretti cookies.
More sweet crepe fillings
If you are looking for different ways to fill and garnish your cooked crepes, strawberry jam, applesauce or a variety of fruit butter like pear, Italian plum or apple are great healthy options. You really can’t go wrong with macerated strawberries. Another crowd-pleaser is a chocolate hazelnut spread and bananas.
Sunday brunch recipes
Are you looking for more weekend brunch recipes? Consider serving this crustless spinach quiche recipe with this delightful strawberry salad. Another family favorite is this ricotta toast with strawberries, especially with local berries! For a sweeter brunch option, consider cinnamon rolls or these sweet buns, great throughout the year.
If you are looking for even more inspirational breakfast and brunch recipes, be sure to take a look at this asparagus ricotta tart as well as these lemon ricotta pancakes.
Recipe inspiration
During my youth, my mother would make savory crepes (crespelle) to create the best cannelloni. She would fill them with spinach and ricotta and smother them with tomato sauce.
I only “discovered” the combination of strawberries, whipped cream and crepes as a teenager. The first time I had strawberry crepes were in a restaurant chain called “The Magic Pan.”
It was only as a young dietitian that I became totally obsessed with ricotta and started experimenting with this wonderful mild-tasting cheese. It’s a lot healthier than using whipped cream and if your family and friends are like mine, you will get rave reviews!
It has since become one of my favorite fillings, along with fresh berries for the perfect crepes.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
If you are new here, welcome! Sign up to receive my weekly e-mail newsletter as well as a free download of my top 10 tips on How to Cook Pasta.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this crepe with ricotta filling, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Ricotta filled Crepes with Fresh Fruit
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Ingredients
Crepes:
- 1½ cups milk room temperature
- 3 eggs room temperature, large
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted and cooled
- ½ cup brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest organic, grated
- 1 cup flour all-purpose, 142 grams
- melted butter for cooking
- 2 sweet ricotta recipe
- 1 fresh salad recipe
- 1 cup pistachios toasted, chopped
- icing sugar optional to garnish
- fresh mint leaves optional to garnish
Instructions
- Combine the milk and eggs in a blender or food processor.
- At medium-high speed, blend until light and airy, about 15 seconds.
- Reduce the speed to low, remove the top feed, and add the sugar and salt with the blender running. Blend for 15 seconds.
- Then add the melted and cooled butter, brandy, pure vanilla extract and orange zest through the top feed and blend for 15-30 seconds.
- Turn the blender off, add the flour and blend until smooth. If necessary, scrape down the sides.
- Chill the batter for 30 minutes.
Let's make crepes!
- Heat a large nonstick pan or an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat. To test if the pan is hot enough, sprinkle a few drops of water over the surface; if they sizzle and evaporate, the pan is hot enough.
- Brush lightly with melted butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour ¼ cup batter in the center of the pan; quickly lift the pan off the heat, tilting and swirling it in a circular motion, until there is a thin layer covering the entire bottom of the pan evenly. Return the pan to heat and continue to cook for another minute or so.
- Once the batter is thinly spread out in your pan, wait approximately 1 minute before flipping it. Physical cues that your thin crepe is ready to be turned include edges that begin to pull away from the side, crisp up and start to look lacy. The disappearance of a shiny gleam on the surface of the batter is another sign.
- Crepes are done when slightly browned. You may have to play with the heat if they brown too quickly.
- Before flipping the crepe, gently lift one edge of the crepe and look for light golden spots. That's another cue to flip. Cook for another 30 seconds or so until the underneath is golden and lightly browned.
- Transfer to your plate. Repeat this process for the rest of the crepe batter.
- Give the batter a quick whisk and repeat this process for the rest of the crepe batter.
To assemble
- When ready to serve, spread 2 tablespoons of sweet ricotta on one quarter of each crepe.
- Add 2-4 tablespoons of fresh fruit.
- Fold in half and then again to obtain a decorative crepe (refer to details in the post.)
- Add 1 tablespoon of sweet ricotta and 1 heaping tablespoon of chopped pistachios.
- Optional: Garnish with a sprig of mint and a dusting of icing sugar.
Video
Notes
- Wrap the crepes really well in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying in the refrigerator.
- Roasting the pistachio nuts brings out their flavor.
- Fill a large empty salt shaker with icing sugar to create an easy sugar shaker for your guests.
- Replace the fresh fruit salad with a fresh fruit platter. You can’t go wrong with fruits that are in season.
- Use yogurt to replace the ricotta.
- Replace pistachios with almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts.
Val
Two of my favorite foods, crepes and ricotta! This is such a great dessert! Thanks for sharing Maria!
Maria
Thanks for your comment Val. Yes, great for breakfast or brunch. Enjoy!