Crepes with Creamy Chocolate Custard Filling

The recipe I use is Foodal’s budino al cioccolato, a homemade Italian chocolate custard.

The base is a mix of egg yolks, heavy cream, whole milk, and granulated sugar. Instead of cocoa powder, we melt coarsely chopped dark chocolate into the hot mix for a richer, thicker end result.

Finished with a little butter, salt, and vanilla extract, this creamy custard can be enjoyed while still warm and runny directly off the stovetop.

But when allowed to chill for a few hours, ideally overnight, the liquid gradually sets into a very thick texture that can be smeared or piped without it losing shape.

Budino al cioccolato on its own? Simply beautiful! But budino al cioccolato as a crepe filling? Outrageously, fantastically, indulgently brilliant!

It’s an unexpected dessert to make, when most assume there will be either cake or cookies at the end of a dinner.

The finished rolls can be eaten by hand, perfect as a casual treat, or for your little ones to easily eat and enjoy.

Because the crepes are dry, they can be picked up cleanly with your hands without a big mess. Just mind the filling coming out from both ends!

But if you’d rather serve them as a composed dessert, we like plating two or three with dollops of freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Roll right this way to the recipe!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Chill the Custard

Prepare Foodal’s recipe for budino al cioccolato, exactly as it is written.

This is essentially a stovetop pudding preparation, made by slowly cooking egg yolks with chocolate, dairy, and sugar on a low heat setting.

Once the pudding reaches the right consistency while cooking – it should thickly coat a spoon or spatula – remove the pot off the heat and transfer the custard to a heatproof bowl.

Immediately place a large piece of plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the pudding. The plastic wrap helps to prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the custard as it cools.

Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator. Allow the pudding to cool completely, at least 4 hours or overnight. It will set as it cools – it will be a thick, spreadable consistency and shouldn’t be runny.

The pudding can be made and kept in the refrigerator in advance for up to 3 days.

Step 2 – Prep and Make the Crepes

Prepare Foodal’s recipe for basic crepes, exactly as written. The recipe will yield 12 10-inch crepes.

Keep in mind that you need to set aside about 30 minutes for the batter to rest, which helps develop the texture and elasticity.

I prefer to make the crepes on the slightly thinner side for this particular format, since these will be rolled and will result in multiple concentric layers. You can thin out the batter with a little extra milk, or a little less flour, without compromising the texture or the final yield.

Shingle the crepes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you assemble during the next step – they will not stick to each other.

The crepes – when unfilled – can also be made in advance. Once completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days.

Ready to use them? Because they tend to stiffen when cold, gently rewarm each one in a clean skillet, warming them at low heat for a minute or two on both sides.

Step 3 – Prep Toppings

Make this homemade treat even more special with a few garnishes!

Before assembling, now is the best time to prepare your toppings so you aren’t scrambling to whisk, whip, and chop when you should be ready to serve.

I love them with dollops of homemade whipped cream and thinly shaved chocolate.

You can buy a store-bought whipped cream, or easily make your own. Whip together about a cup of heavy whipping cream with a spoonful of powdered sugar and a small splash of vanilla extract, either by hand with a whisk, with a hand mixer, or with the whisk attachment of your stand mixer. Store the whipped cream in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

And to create shavings, use a vegetable peeler to peel across the length of one side of a semisweet chocolate bar, and collect all the shavings on a plate or bowl.

Step 4 – Assemble

Transfer the chilled and set pudding to a large piping bag fitted with a large, 1/2-inch-wide round tip.

You can read all about our suggested decorating tools in our review, and learn the basics of cake and pastry decorating in our tutorial, including how to cleanly fill and use a piping bag.

Place one crepe completely flat on a clean cutting board or plate. It should not be folded or wrinkled.

Working from left to right, horizontally pipe a thick, straight line of pudding on the bottom third of the crepe. The line of pudding should reach from one end to the other with no border – this ensures you’ll be able to see a little peeking out both sides when it is rolled. How cute!

Without squishing and flattening the filling, gently – yet tightly! – roll the bottom of the crepe over the filling, continuing to roll it upwards to create a narrow tube shape. Position the seam so it is facing down, which will help to keep the tube shape sealed.

For reference, this will be very similar in technique to how you roll cinnamon rolls.

Set the assembled roll aside on a serving platter. You can also use a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Repeat the filling and rolling process with the remaining custard and crepes, placing the completed rolls next to each other. They will not stick together.

Step 5 – Garnish and Serve

Once they are filled and rolled, they are at their best quality when consumed immediately.

Serve two or three rolls per dessert plate, all depending on how many you want to offer for each portion.

Take the whipped cream out of the fridge, and place a generous dollop over the rolls. Scatter some shaved chocolate over the whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy!

Lighten ‘Em Up

Don’t want to deal with all the dairy and all the gluten?

We can fix that!

For alternative recipes that still invoke a creamy, dreamy filling and thin, delicate wrapping, utilize some of our diet-friendly options.

For the filling, make our surprisingly decadent vegan avocado pudding, made with ripe avocados, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.