Buckwheat Banana Crêpes with Figs & Berries: A Little Breakfast Luxury

Some breakfasts are made to be eaten standing at the kitchen bench. Others deserve a plate, a proper seat and a moment to enjoy every mouthful.

These buckwheat banana crêpes with figs and berries fall firmly into the second camp. Think delicate, golden crêpes, creamy nut butter, fresh fruit and a scattering of crunchy cacao nibs. A little bit fancy? Perhaps. Complicated? Not at all.

From my book, Eat to Heal, this recipe brings together simple ingredients in a breakfast that feels special without requiring an elaborate shopping list. The batter needs just a bowl, a whisk and a few minutes to rest. Then it’s a matter of swirling, flipping and piling on the delicious bits.

They’re lovely for a slow weekend breakfast, a brunch for two or one of those mornings when you feel like giving your usual toast a well-earned holiday.

A little love for buckwheat

Despite its rather misleading name, buckwheat is naturally gluten-free. It’s actually a seed used much like a grain, with an earthy, nutty flavour that works beautifully alongside fruit and nut butter. Buckwheat also provides fibre and plant compounds, including the antioxidant rutin. Quite a lot going on for such an unassuming pantry ingredient.

Here, buckwheat flour forms the base of a simple batter with ground flaxseed, a pinch of sea salt and your choice of filtered water or unsweetened milk of choice.

The finished crêpes are thin and tender rather than thick and fluffy, perfect for folding around all those lovely toppings.

Why a slightly green banana?

You might notice that this recipe calls for a slightly green banana rather than the heavily speckled one you’ve been saving for banana bread. There’s a reason for that.

As bananas ripen, some of their starch turns into sugar, making them softer and sweeter. Less-ripe bananas retain more resistant starch: a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and can provide food for bacteria in the large intestine. The amount varies with ripeness, so a slightly green banana isn’t nutritionally identical to a fully ripe one.

For this recipe, choose a banana that’s firm but pleasant to eat, with a little green remaining on the skin. We’re after a delicious breakfast, not a jaw workout.

The toppings make it

This is where breakfast starts to look like something you’d order at your favourite café.

Almond or walnut butter adds a creamy layer beneath the fruit, while figs bring a beautiful, jammy sweetness. Raspberries and blackberries add a little tartness, and cacao nibs give you that lovely contrast of crunch against the soft crêpes.

The optional finishing touches are just that, optional. Add a drizzle of honey or yacon syrup, a few mint leaves or a dusting of cinnamon if you have them. There’s no need to send out a search party for a sprig of mint.

And if fresh figs aren’t available, softened dried figs make a lovely alternative.

Buckwheat Banana Crêpes with Figs & Berries

From my book, Eat to Heal

Serves 2 — makes 3–4 medium crêpes

Ingredients

Crêpes

• ½ cup buckwheat flour

• 1 tsp ground flaxseed

• Sea salt

• 1 cup (250 ml) filtered water or milk of choice

• Coconut oil, for cooking

Filling

• 2 tbsp almond or walnut butter

• 1 slightly green banana, sliced

• 2 fresh figs, sliced, or 3 dried figs, softened in warm water

• ½ cup fresh raspberries and blackberries

• 1 tsp cacao nibs

• Drizzle of honey or yacon syrup, optional

• Mint leaves, optional

• Pinch of cinnamon, optional

Method

1. In a bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, flaxseed, a pinch of sea salt and the water or milk to make a thin batter. Let sit for 5–10 minutes to thicken slightly.

2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with a little coconut oil. Pour in a ladleful of batter, swirling to coat the base. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the surface is dry and the edges lift easily. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining batter.

3. Spread each crêpe with nut butter, then layer with the banana, figs and berries. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and finish with a drizzle of honey or yacon syrup, mint leaves and a pinch of cinnamon, if using.

A breakfast worth sitting down for

What I love about this recipe is the combination of everyday simplicity and a little breakfast theatre. A swirl of batter, a handful of berries, a fig sliced open to reveal that gorgeous centre, nothing overly complicated, just ingredients given a chance to shine.

Fold your crêpes, pour yourself something lovely and take a seat. This is one breakfast worth putting on a plate.