Vanilla Bean Cassava Flour Crepes with Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
These cassava flour crepes are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and paleo-friendly. Add some strawberry chia seed jam and you’ve got a delicious breakfast!
Oh, time flies so fast. Last year on this date I was living in Chiang Mai, Thailand wondering what I would do all by myself on Valentine’s day. I had just come back from the most soul-awakening trip to Angor Wat, Cambodia (which was only meant to be a quick little visa run, but turned out to be so much more!)…and I figured I’d just chill out on Valentine’s Day. Maybe get a massage, grab some curry and go see a movie.
Well, as it happened, 50 Shades of Grey was opening that weekend and playing at the Maya Shopping Mall, a newer mall with a fab stadium seating movie theater. Now I’ll be honest, at first I was a little nervous to hit up the theater all by myself, especially to go see THAT movie. But then I thought, what the heck – who knows me in Chiang Mai?!
The movie was a flop (compared to the book, don’t you think?)…but those few moments: 1) where I was left thinking, “Hmmm, what am I gonna do on Valentine’s Day in Chiang Mai?” and 2) remembering the looks on all the Thai teenager’s faces when I entered the theater by myself (ha!), will always bring a smile to my face. Travel memories are the best.
So switching gears…did you know that some of the most popular blog posts and recipes on this website have to do with cassava flour? If you’re part of my rockstar Downshiftology community…odds are you found me via a Google search for cassava flour. So what’s all the hub-bub on cassava flour? It’s a wonderful gluten-free, grain-free flour and can be used to make tortillas, chips, cakes, pies and more. For more info on cassava flour, make sure to check out this post.
For a Valentine’s appropriate breakfast, I decided to whip up vanilla bean cassava flour crepes and fill them with sweet, sweet deliciousness – also known as strawberry chia jam. Instead of store bought jam, filled with processed sugar and other nasties, this jam is the real deal. Fresh, organic strawberries, a little lemon juice, maple syrup and Omega-3-packed chia seeds. The chia seeds do all the work of making the strawberry puree thick and jammy, while giving you heaps of nutritional value.
You can make the strawberry chia seed jam the day before if you’re looking for less work in the kitchen on Valentine’s morning. In fact, you could also macerate the strawberries and whip your coconut cream, both used for the topping, the day before as well. Just store in the fridge. Then, your only work on V-day is making the cassava flour crepes and assembling.
My standard cassava flour crepes recipe makes approx 12 crepes, so assuming two crepes per person this breakfast serves 6. To keep all components aligned, I’ve doubled my normal chia jam recipe below to ensure enough for 12 crepes. But if you’re only 2 or 3 peeps, feel free to halve the entire recipe. Or, you could make it all and eat this breakfast again the following day. That’s what I recommend!
Enjoy – and happy Valentine’s Day!
xo
Update: I now have “how to” videos for both the chia seed jam and coconut whipped cream.
If you make this, I’d love to see! Tag your photo with #downshiftology on Instagram.
- 2 lbs strawberries, stems removed and quartered
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 lb strawberries, stems removed and halved
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup
- 1 can (13.5-ounce) full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- maple syrup, to taste
- 1 cup cassava flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup, full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 vanilla beans, scraped or ½ tsp vanilla bean powder
- pinch of salt
- Sliced almonds
- To make the chia jam, add the strawberries, maple syrup and lemon juice to a pot on medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, smashing the strawberries as they cook to help break them down. Once the fruit has started to liquify and is boiling, turn off the heat, add the chia seeds and stir for another minute. Transfer to a high-powered blender and blend for one minute.
- Pour the chia jam into a container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
- To macerate the strawberries, sprinkle the sugar on the strawberries and stir. Let sit for 30 minutes, then stir again. Refrigerate until needed.
- To make the coconut whipped cream, scoop out the hardened cream (leaving the water behind) from the coconut milk can and place in bowl. Add the vanilla extract and use a hand mixer to beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until needed.
- To make the crepes, place all crepe ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix for 1 minute. The consistency should be that of a very thin batter. If it's too thick, add more water. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes, to let the bubbles settle.
- Heat a crepe pan over medium heat. Once hot, lift the pan up, scoop ¼ cup of the batter into the center of the pan and quickly swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Place the pan back on the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Once the top looks dry, flip it over and cook an additional 30-45 seconds.
- Place the cooked crepe on a paper towel and repeat the process until all crepes are made.
- To assemble the crepes, spoon a thin layer of strawberry chia jam (approximately 2 tablespoons) onto a crepe. Fold it in half, then half again. Top with coconut whipped cream, macerated strawberries and almond slices.
Other recipes you might like:
Red Fruit Salad with Honeyed Yogurt
I’m allergic to chia seeds is there a substitute I can use?
You can use regular jam without chia seeds. :)
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Oh yes, the movie was DEFINITELY a flop compared to the books (and just in general, haha – I was not happy with the cast and the choppiness of the “plot”). Love this crepe recipe! Wonderful mix of flavors and the cassava flour – you use that ingredient best, out of ANY recipes I’ve seen elsewhere!
I know, such a disappointment, right? And yep, I’m kinda the cassava girl. Haha. So glad you’re loving these recipes! :) x