Ahhh.. these Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecakes Crepe Pockets are out of this world! The crepes used in this recipe are made out of a light cheese batter. You heard it right, there’s cheese right in the crepe batter, making them extra soft and tender. Inside, we have a light and creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling.
These stuffed crepes are perfect for a Sunday brunch, or any special occasion. Actually, considering how nutritious they are, why not eat them every morning? Also, dressed up with a little whipped cream, these crepes would make a perfect healthy dessert!
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On my blog, I have multiple crepe recipes. My Easy Homemade Crepes are perfect for any filling, sweet or savory. Sweet Cheese Blintzes, a classic slavic dish, make a great breakfast or dessert.
Cheesecake Stuffed Crepes
Today’s recipe is very special. I found the batter recipe for these crepes over on Instagram (in Russian). It had a very unique list of ingredients, while cooking instructions were pretty straight forward. In other words, I HAD to give it a try!
The crepes turned out incredibly soft and tender. Nothing similar to classic french crepes (which I love!). Right away, I knew this recipe was a keeper. Now, I just had to find the perfect filling. It had to be soft and light, but with a little bit of a texture. All the flavors in the filling had to compliment the crepes, brining the whole dish together.
I absolutely love the combination of farmer’s cheese filling and crepes. It reminds me of my childhood, when my sisters and I would stuff a huge batch of Cheese Blintzes for a family Sunday brunch. But this time, I wanted something a little extra for the filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake is probably one of my all time favorite desserts. I still remember the first time I tried it at my aunt’s house. She’s a great cook and amazing baker! Her pumpkin cheesecake tasted better than any cheesecake I’ve ever tried. So I decide to add a little bit of pumpkin to the farmer’s cheese filling to create a pumpkin cheesecake flavor, while keeping the dish light and healthy.
This is how these amazing Pumpkin Cheesecake Crepe Pockets were born.
I hope I didn’t bore you with this little story behind the recipe. I always feel like these stories bring me and my reader a little closer. Please, share your food stories in the comments below, and let’s connect over on Instagram.
Healthy Crepes, how?
I’ve mentioned before, that this recipe is healthy. But can crepes be healthy?
“Healthy” probably means different things to different people. In my opinion, wholesome ingredients with moderate amount of sugar, or even a good quality sweetener, can make a beautiful healthy dessert.
Classic crepes usually have butter and sugar in them. This is a lighter and healthier alternative. They’re so good that you don’t even have to stuff them with anything, if you prefer.
This is also a flour-free recipe. These crepe pockets are made out of milk, eggs, and farmer’s cheese, providing a good amount of protein and calcium.
To sweeten the filling I’m using monkfruit sweetener. Monkfruit sweetener is a sugar-free, calorie-free sweetener, that can be used as a 1:1 sugar replacement in any recipe. Give it a try, if you haven’t already!
Ingredients
milk
You can use any milk of your choice to make the batter. I am using whole milk in this recipe.
eggs
As with any pancakes or crepes, eggs work as a binding agent in the batter, brining everything together.
farmer’s cheese
Farmer’s cheese is a fresh cheese, similar to ricotta or cottage cheese. It can be found at most European stores or online. You can also make your own farmer’s cheese at home, using this easy recipe.
Farmer’s cheese makes these crepes extra flavorful and tender. It also adds a good amount of protein.
Check out my Farmer’s Cheese Casserole recipe to find out more about farmer’s cheese.
corn starch
This is a flour-free recipe, so we’re suing corn starch instead. It provides structure for the batter.
sweetener
I am using monkfruit sweetener to make this recipe lower in calories. Feel free to add regular sugar to your crepe pockets instead.
oil
Oil prevents crepes from sticking to the pan. Use any neutral oil or melted butter.
boiling water
Adding boiling water at the very end creates thin and elastic crepes.
baking powder
The reaction between farmer’s cheese and baking powder helps create the beautiful little wholes you see all over these crepes. This makes them even softer.
How to make Crepe Pockets
This is a super easy recipe!
For the crepe batter, simply combine all the ingredients, using a blender, food processor, or whisk by hand. Cook like you normally would any crepes. Let cool and move onto the filling.
To make the pumpkin cheesecake filling, just blend all the ingredients together with a hand mixer or blender. It’s that easy!
To assemble the Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed Crepes, lay a crepe flat on a working surface, brown side up. Spread 1/4 of the filling over the crepe and fold into a triangle. Repeat with the rest of the crepes.
Now to the final step, baking the crepe pockets. Melt a little bit of butter in a cast iron skillet or small baking dish inside a preheated oven. Once the butter is melted, lay your crepes inside the baking dish in a single layer. Top each crepe with a thin slice of butter, and put back into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks – Crepe Pockets
- To prevent crepes from sticking, preheat you pan really well before pouring in the batter.
- To make thin crepes, pour just enough batter to coat the pan. Don’t add too much batter at a time.
- Use a blender or food processor to get smooth batter, with no lumps.
- Serve these stuffed crepes cold for a true pumpkin cheesecake flavor; Or hot if you’re a sweetened cheese blintzes fan.
- Double or triple the recipe to make a bigger batch.
- Use one of the topping ideas below to dress them up.
Topping Ideas for Crepes
These crepe pockets are amazing on their own. But who can stop you from making them extra delicious?
Here’s some of my favorite topping ideas:
- homemade whipped cream, recipe from sallysbakingaddiction.com
- powdered sugar and cinnamon
- orange marmalade
- salted caramel sauce, recipe on my Instagram
- melted chocolate, drizzled
- praline pecans
- vanilla ice cream
- yogurt
Make-ahead Breakfast or Dessert
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed Crepes make a delicious make-ahed breakfast or dessert.
Simply prepare you crepes, by stuffing them with the filling and folding in a triangle shape. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to bake.
You could also mix all the batter ingredients, except for the boiling water, and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add boiling water and continue with the cooking instructions, as the recipe card suggests. You can also pre-mix and refrigerate filling ingredients overnight.
OR: Freeze cheesecake stuffed crepe pockets wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil. Defrost in the fridge and bake like normal.
More recipes with Farmer’s Cheese
Farmer’s Cheese Casserole – healthy and delicious cheesecake, perfect for breakfast or dessert.
The Best Syrniki – delicious Russian pancakes.
Homemade Farmer’s Cheese – easy step-by-step recipe.
Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Crepe Pockets
Ingredients
For the crepes
- 60 g Milk
- 15 g Corn Starch
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 30 g Farmer's Cheese or tvorog
- 15 g Sugar or monkfruit sweetener
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- pinch of Salt
- 15 g Boiling Water *added at the end
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 Egg
- 75 g Farmer's Cheese or tvorog, or drained cottage cheese
- 60 g Pumpkin Puree
- pinch of Salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla optional
- 10-15 g Sugar or monkfruit sweetener
- 1/2 tsp Pumkin Spice or cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Honey optional
For cooking
- 2 tbsp Butter
Instructions
To prepare Crepes
- To make crepe batter, simply combine all the ingredients, except for the boiling water, using a blender. Let the batter rest covered for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat your pan. Add boiling water to the crepe batter and quickly mix. Cook crepes over medium to high heat until golden on both sides.
To make the Filling
- For the filling, combine all the ingredients with a blender.
Assembling and cooking Stuffed Crepes
- To assemble the stuffed crepes, lay a crepe flat on a working surface, brown side up. Spread the filling evenly over the crepe and fold the edges in. Now, fold the crepe in half, and one more time in half. You should end up with a triangle crepe pocket. Repeat with the rest of the crepes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, with the baking dish inside. I am using a small cast iron skillet. Remove the baking dish out of the oven and add 1 tbsp butter. Let it melt.
- Place the crepe pockets in the baking dish in a single layer. Add thin slices of the remaining 1 tbsp butter on top of each crepe.
- Bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Optional: dust with powdered sugar for extra sweetness.