Durian Crepe — chilled pancake parcels of durian and cream
A durian crepe — often sold as a durian pancake — is a Southeast Asian dessert of a thin, soft crêpe, cooked on one side only, folded into a square parcel around fresh durian flesh and lightly sweetened whipped cream, and served cold. It is made in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, where the city of Medan is especially known for it, and is sold chilled in dessert shops, cafés and durian stalls. The cream softens the fruit's intensity, which is why it is often recommended as a first taste of durian.
i. Origin & history
The durian crepe is a recent dessert built on an older Hong Kong model. Hong Kong dessert shops popularised the mango pancake — known in Cantonese as mong gwo baan gik, the second word a transliteration of 'pancake' — a thin crêpe folded around mango and whipped cream and served chilled, often as part of a dim sum meal. Southeast Asian bakers adopted the format and filled it with the region's most prized fruit.
In Indonesia, pancake durian became a signature of Medan in North Sumatra, a city with a strong local durian culture and Chinese-Indonesian bakeries. Boxes of frozen durian pancakes are a popular souvenir to carry home from Medan, packed in cold boxes for the flight. In Malaysia the same dessert, often called a durian crepe, is sold in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and the durian-growing regions of Pahang and Johor, and premium versions advertise their variety — Musang King, D24, Black Thorn.
In Singapore, durian crepes and the related durian puffs (choux buns filled with durian cream) are staples of dessert shops and durian-themed cafés. Durian season brings a crop of new combinations, including durian mille-crêpe cakes and durian crepes made with pandan or charcoal batter.
Durian itself has a long history in the region, and its strong, sulphurous scent and custardy flesh divide opinion like few other foods. Desserts that pair it with cream, coconut or sticky rice — such as the Thai sticky rice with durian or Malaysian durian ice cream — are a gentler introduction than the fresh fruit.
ii. Why the crêpe is cooked on one side only
The crêpe for a durian pancake is not a French crêpe with lacy, browned edges. It is a soft, flexible wrapper, cooked gently on one side until just set and never turned. The top stays smooth and pale; the underside is barely coloured. Laid cooked-side down and folded, the pale side becomes the outside of the parcel, giving the neat, smooth, almost satin finish typical of the dessert.
Low heat is what keeps it that way. On a medium-high pan a thin crêpe browns and becomes brittle at the edges, so it cracks when folded. On a low heat it sets slowly into a soft, pliable sheet. A small amount of butter in the batter keeps it supple, and resting the batter lets the flour hydrate and the bubbles settle, giving a smoother, stronger crêpe. Straining it removes lumps that would make holes.
The cream must be whipped stiff enough to hold its shape but not grainy. Cream that is too soft spreads and leaks from the folds; over-whipped cream becomes buttery. Firm peaks, chilled thoroughly, give clean, plump parcels. Some bakers stabilise the cream with a little mascarpone or gelatine so the crepes hold for a day in the display cabinet.
Durian flesh should be ripe, creamy and seedless, and broken into large chunks rather than mashed, so that each bite contains recognisable pieces of fruit. Overripe durian becomes watery and bitter.
iii. Ingredients
Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 100 g plain flour
- 15 g cornflour
- 25 g caster sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 280 ml whole milk
- 25 g butter, melted, plus a little for the pan
- ½ tsp pandan paste or a drop of yellow colouring (optional)
- 300 ml double or whipping cream, chilled
- 25 g icing sugar
- 320 g ripe durian flesh, seeds removed
Durian varieties differ widely: Musang King and D24 are rich, sweet and bittersweet; Thai Monthong is milder and firmer. Fresh is best, but good-quality frozen durian flesh from Asian grocers works well — thaw it in the fridge. Cornflour in the batter gives a smoother, more tender crêpe. Whipping cream of 35% fat or more whips firm; light creams will not hold. The yellow tint is customary in Medan-style pancakes and the green of pandan in many Malaysian versions; both are optional.
iv. Method
- Whisk the flour, cornflour, sugar and salt. Whisk in the eggs and half the milk to a smooth paste, then the remaining milk, the melted butter and the colouring, if using. Strain and rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat a 20–22 cm non-stick pan over low heat and wipe it with a little butter. Pour in about 3 tbsp of batter and swirl to coat the base thinly.
- Cook for 1–1½ minutes, without turning, until the top is completely set and dry to the touch and the underside has not browned. Slide onto a sheet of baking paper. Repeat, stacking the crêpes between paper; you should have 8.
- Whip the cream and icing sugar to firm peaks. Chill until needed.
- Lay a crêpe cooked-side up. Spread 2 tbsp of cream in the centre, add about 40 g of durian in chunks, then top with another 2 tbsp of cream.
- Fold the bottom edge over the filling, then the two sides, then the top, to form a square parcel. Turn it seam-side down onto a tray.
- Chill the parcels for at least 30 minutes before serving, so the cream firms.
v. Tips & common mistakes
- Keep the heat low. Browned crêpes are brittle and crack on folding; the crêpe should stay pale.
- Do not flip. The smooth, uncooked-looking top is the side that faces out.
- Cool the crêpes before filling. Warm crêpes melt the cream instantly.
- Whip the cream firm. Soft cream spreads and leaks from the folds.
- Use chunks, not purée. Mashed durian makes a soft, wet filling; chunks keep shape and flavour.
- Wrap well for the fridge. Durian scent spreads to everything; keep crepes in a sealed box.
vi. Variations
Mango pancake, the Hong Kong original, uses mango; strawberry and mixed-fruit versions are common too. Pandan durian crepe uses a green batter, and durian mille crêpe stacks many crêpes with durian cream into a cake. Some bakers fold durian into the cream rather than layering it, making a smoother filling. Durian puffs pipe the same cream into small choux buns.
Other durian desserts on this site include durian ice cream and sticky rice with durian. For other crêpe parcels from the region, see the Indonesian dadar gulung, a pandan crêpe rolled around palm-sugar coconut, and for a lighter cream-and-fruit dessert, the Japanese-style matcha roll cake.
vii. Serving & storage
Serve durian crepes cold from the fridge, one or two per person, as a dessert or afternoon treat. They are rich, so small parcels are best.
They keep 1 day in an airtight box in the fridge. They also freeze well, as the Medan souvenir boxes show: freeze on a tray, then pack tightly for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge for 30–60 minutes, or eat partly frozen, when the cream has the texture of ice cream. Unfilled crêpes, stacked between baking paper and wrapped, keep 2 days in the fridge.
viii. Common questions
What is a durian crepe?
A durian crepe is a thin, soft crêpe folded into a parcel around fresh durian and whipped cream and served chilled. It is popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, where it is often called a durian pancake.
Where do durian pancakes come from?
The format comes from the Hong Kong mango pancake, and the durian version became famous in Medan, Indonesia, and in Malaysia and Singapore. Medan durian pancakes are a well-known souvenir, sold frozen.
What does a durian crepe taste like?
The cream softens durian's strong aroma, so it tastes rich, sweet and custardy, with notes of caramel, almond and onion-like savouriness depending on the variety. It is milder than eating the fresh fruit.
Can I use frozen durian?
Yes. Frozen durian flesh thawed in the fridge works well and is easier to find outside Southeast Asia. Drain any liquid and break it into chunks before filling.
Should durian crepes be eaten frozen?
They can be. Many people eat them partly frozen, when the cream is like ice cream. Otherwise thaw them in the fridge and serve cold.
How long do durian crepes keep?
About a day in the fridge in a sealed container, or a month frozen.