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Learn how to make gluten free chocolate crêpes with this easy recipe. Fill with fresh whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce for the perfect showstopper dessert!
What's special about this recipe for gluten free chocolate crepes?
Light and delicate without being at all fragile, these simple French-style pancakes with the lacy edges are even better as chocolate crêpes. I'm a big, big fan of easy recipes that just seem like you nearly died trying to make and perfect them.
Like when you make something easy, toss some flour on your face for effect and act all exhausted when you serve it. Cue the violins! These chocolate gluten free crêpes are spectacular in that capacity. First of all, they're French. Oh là là.
Second of all, they are so easy to make, but seem tricky. Really, all you do is throw everything in a blender (wet ingredients first!) and, well, blend until smooth. If you can, refrigerate the batter for an hour or so (or even a couple days, if it's more convenient). If not, no biggie.
Then pour or ladle it into a hot, lightly greased pan and swirl to coat the whole bottom of the pan. Let cook for a minute, flip, then cook for about 30 seconds more. Done. Seriously, that's all there is to it.
Unlike classic crêpes, these chocolate crêpes are lightly sweet (just a bit of confectioners' sugar in the batter) with cocoa powder and oil in place of butter. Oil and cocoa powder are a really good combination in baking.
Making your own fresh whipped cream for serving is even easier than making the crêpes themselves. Just place some chilled heavy whipping cream in a bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), and beat with a hand mixer (or your stand mixer) on medium-low speed until it holds stiff peaks. Add confectioners' sugar to taste, and beat to combine. The secret is in not only beating the cream while it's cold, but in beating it on a relatively low speed. It creates a more stable whipped cream that holds its shape for much longer.
Gluten Free Chocolate Crêpes
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) gum-free gluten free flour blend, (162 grams superfine white rice flour + 54 grams potato starch + 29 grams tapioca starch/flour)
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, (natural or Dutch-processed)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (43 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) neutral oil, (like canolam vegetable, grapeseed or liquid coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
- Fresh whipped cream, for serving
- Chocolate sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, cocoa powder, salt, and confectioners’ sugar, and whisk to combine well. In a separate, small bowl, place the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk until very well combined.
- Alternatively, place the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk in a blender, place the dry ingredients on top, and blend until smooth.
- For best results, cover and place the batter in the refrigerator for about an hour or for up to 2 days.
- Before using the batter, remove it from the refrigerator, whisk until smooth, and allow it come to room temperature. It should be about the consistency of half and half (thicker than milk, thinner than heavy cream).
- Heat a heavy-bottom nonstick 9 inch skillet (or a well-seasoned and lightly greased 9 inch cast iron skillet) over medium heat for 2 minutes. Holding the warm skillet just above the flame, carefully pour about 5 tablespoons (a bit more than 1/4 cup) of batter right into the center of the skillet and swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly across the entire flat surface of the pan.
- Cook over medium heat until the edges and underside of the crêpe are set but the top is slightly wet (about 60 seconds). With a wide spatula, turn the crêpe over and cook until the other side is set (about another 30 seconds). Slide the crêpe out of the skillet onto a parchment-lined plate.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the finished crêpes on top of one another.
- Serve with whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup.
- The crêpes may be covered well with a moist towel or plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for about 2 hours until you are ready to serve them, or wrapped tightly in freezer-safe wrap and frozen on a flat surface until ready to use. Defrost at room temperature, and refresh the crêpes in a warm, nonstick skillet for a few moments per side, per crêpe.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was SO excited for this recipe but alas, I react to tapioca flour (and not in a good way) so I’ll be unable to make them. Any suggestions on an alternative to tapioca flour?
These look absolutely amazing Nicole! I can’t wait to make them this Sunday for breakfast!
This sounds lovely! I am always on the lookout for something different & special to treat family/guests with. Chocolate crepes fit the bill!!
Yummy! Something I learned from my mom is to put the bowl and beaters in freezer for about 15 minutes before whipping the cream.
It’s funny, Mare. I have tried that before, and never really saw much of a difference. As long as the cream is cold and nothing else is warm, the cream will whip. The stability of it after it’s whipped seems to be directly related to how quickly you whipped it, though!