Gluten free crêpes are so, so easy to make. They make an everyday meal extraordinary!
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What are crêpes?
Gluten free crêpes are simple, French-style pancakes. Light, airy and delicate but not fragile, these pancakes can be served sweet or savory.
I often serve them simply, with roasted chicken and vegetables and a bit of cheese. Simply fill the crêpes like you would a taco or burrito before serving warm.
What is gluten free crêpe batter like?
The consistency of the crepe batter should be like half and half: thicker than whole milk, thinner than heavy cream. Swirl the crepe batter around. You get good at it—fast.
The first pancake is always for the cook, as it may be rather unfortunate looking. It will still taste great!
Why this is the best gluten free crêpes recipe
Made with only a handful of basic gluten free pantry ingredients, gluten free crêpes are one of the simplest recipes you'll find. But it's the simplest recipes are frequently the trickiest—and the ones most likely to frustrate you when you're new at making them.
This recipe makes the best crêpes because we use the most appropriate ingredients, in just the right amounts. And the method is clear, concise, and specific. Just how I like it!
Gluten free crêpes ingredients
Since the ingredients are so important in this recipe, it's worth taking some time to talk about what each does. The more you know before you begin, the more successful you'll be.
- Gluten free flour blend – This recipe calls for our gum-free gluten free flour blend, made with superfine white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch. Anything else will lead to rubbery pancakes. Xanthan gum has no place here!
- Salt – I bake and cook with kosher salt, which is much easier to measure accurately than table salt. You can also use lightly flaked sea salt.
- Eggs – The eggs are the backbone of this recipe. They serve as a binder, and as the only leavener.
- Butter – Butter adds richness, flavor, and tenderness.
- Milk – Avoid any flavored milk here, whether your milk is dairy or nondairy. And make sure it has some fat, which adds tenderness.
Sweet or savory crêpes?
You can serve gluten free crêpes in so many ways, whether sweet or savory. There's no sugar in the batter, so they start out quite neutral in flavor.
Simple syrups for serving gluten free sweet crêpes
In many of the photos here, I've served the crêpes with a lemon simple syrup. If you'd like to make a simple syrup, here's how:
To make “rich” simple syrup, which is best for drizzling (and for using in cocktails), simply combine twice as much sugar-in-the-raw (granulated sugar works, too, but sugar-in-the-raw dissolves more fully) as water in a saucepan. Whisk to combine completely.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and continue to simmer gently until the sugar is completely dissolved, and the sugar has just begun to thicken (about 3 minutes). Transfer to a heat-safe container to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator.
To make simple syrup, the process is the same, but the ratio of sugar to water is 1:1 instead of 2:1.
To make lemon syrup (“rich” or not), replace 1/4 of the water with freshly-squeezed lemon juice. To increase lemon flavor, add a strip of lemon rind after whisking together the sugar, water and lemon juice and keep in during simmering. Discard before storing.
Make them tonight. I bet you have all the ingredients right now. They're a great alternative to traditional gluten free pancakes, and more versatile, too!
More ideas for serving sweet crêpes
You can wrap crêpes around fillings, or sprinkle them on top with more than just a simple syrup. Try:
- Powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar on top, with berries inside
- A smear of nut butter inside, like Nutella or peanut butter—or try heating them a bit and drizzling on top
- Filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit, and topped with chocolate sauce or strawberry syrup
Serving ideas for gluten free savory crêpes
Wrap your pancakes around nearly any savory filling you can imagine. Our favorite is crispy gluten free chicken tenders!
Here are some other ideas:
- Try a cream cheese filling with a sprinkle of everything but the bagel seasoning
- Fill with scrambled eggs and bacon
- Smoked salmon and chives make a hearty breakfast
- Try filling your crêpes with sliced lunch meats for a light dinner; ham and cheese savory gf crepes sound just about perfect!
Tips for making the best gluten free crêpes
The right gluten free flour blend for gf crêpes
Our gum-free gf flour blend, not an all purpose gluten free flour blend, is essential here. No xanthan gum or guar gum should be used! And, as always, measuring flour by weight, not volume is needed for precise, reliable results.
Avoid tears by resting your gluten free crêpes batter first
Allowing your crepe batter to rest in the refrigerator first gives the flours time to absorb the milk. Your crepe batter will be more stable and your crêpes more tear-resitant.
Deciding between a frying pan vs. crêpe pan
A non stick pan works best here, but if you have a crêpes pan (which is really just a nonstick skillet with low sides), you can of course use that. A seasoned cast iron 9-inch skillet is great, too. There are even electric crepe skillets, but that's not necessary.
Preheat the pan for even browning
Get that pan heated to medium before you begin to swirl in the batter. You'll know from the first crepe pour whether your pan was hot enough.
Keep your crêpe pan well-greased
Even nonstick pans should be lightly greased and stay that way for each crepe, so everything slides around the moment the batter sets.
Making gluten free crêpes in advance
Even gluten free crêpes come out best when you make the batter ahead of time, and let it rest first in the refrigerator. It gives the flours a chance to absorb the milk, making a more stable batter that's easier to shape and swirl.
Storing leftover gluten free crêpes
You can make these crêpes themselves, too, up to a couple of hours ahead of time. Just cover them, and then serve them at room temperature. They’ll still be soft and pliable and delicious.
Freezing gluten free crêpes
Feel like freezing them? You can do that, too. Place the stack of pancakes in an air-tight zip-top bag, and freeze on a flat surface. Defrost by placing them in the refrigerator or kitchen counter.
Reheating gluten free crêpes
You can warm them in a hot, dry skillet, or add your favorite fillings and warm them in the oven or microwave. They're one of our best gluten free flatbread recipes.
Gluten free crêpes ingredients and substitutions
Gluten free, dairy free crêpes
The milk in this recipe doesn't have to be cow's milk. You can use your favorite unsweetened nondairy milk (mine is almond).
In place of butter, you could use vegan butter. Even Earth Balance buttery sticks would work (although I don't often like them).
Can you make gluten free, egg free crêpes?
There are 3 eggs in this recipe. That's simply too many eggs to be able to successfully replace them with something like a “chia egg.”
FAQs
Generally, no, crepes are made with wheat flour of one sort or another, so they're not gluten free. To make gluten free crêpes, you need a gluten free recipe like this one!
Crepes are made without any sugar in the batter, and can be served as a light, savory dinner when filled with delicious savories like we discussed above. If you serve them sweet, though, they're not healthier than pancakes.
Crepes are made of basic gluten free pantry ingredients: the lightest gluten free flour blend, salt, eggs, milk, and a touch of butter.
Crepes are delicious hot off the griddle, at room temperature, or even cold when made right. You can't go wrong!
No, pancake batter has very similar ingredients, but in very different proportions. You need this gluten free recipe to make gf crepes.
Did you blend the ingredients well? Were your ingredients cold, especially the butter? If so, it will clump and stay that way until warmed and reblended.
Cook each crêpe on the first side over medium heat until the edges and underside are lightly golden brown. It only takes about 90 seconds or less, and you can use your spatula to lift an edge a bit to peek under, but the edges usually give it away!
Rubbery crepes are typically made with the wrong gf flour blend, especially if yours contained xanthan gum. We need to use something that doesn't contain xanthan gum already in the blend, since it will always contain too much. You may also have poured too much batter in the pan at once, leading to crepes that are just too thick.
Gluten Free Crêpes Recipe
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)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) milk at room temperature
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend and salt, and whisk to combine well. In a separate, small bowl, place the eggs, butter 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. The batter will thicken a bit as you whisk.
- For best results, cover the bowl and place the batter in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 2 days.
- Before using the batter, remove it from the refrigerator, whisk until smooth, and allow it to come to room temperature. The batter should be about the consistency of half and half (thicker than milk, thinner than heavy cream). Transfer the batter to a large spouted measuring cup.
- Heat a heavy-bottom nonstick 9 inch skillet (or a well-seasoned 9 inch cast iron skillet) over medium heat for 2 minutes. Grease it lightly with cooking oil spray.
- 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.
- Once you get a rhythm going, you should be able to begin swirling as soon as the first drop of batter hits the pan. Cook over medium heat until the edges and underside of the crêpe are lightly golden brown (about 90 seconds).
- With a wide spatula (and/or your fingers, carefully), turn the crêpe over and cook until the other side is lightly golden brown (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.
- The crêpes may be covered well with a moist towel 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 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.
Notes
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Sam and Heather says
Seriously, five ingredients, three whisk stirs, and 90 seconds to cook. These delicious, delicate crepes are delightful. My wife mixes ghee and chocolate peanut butter powder into them, or a fried egg and some bacon, I have tried my hand at a savory rolled crepe wrap. These are a constant staple in our house. Nicole, you are the best.
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Sam!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much, Sam!!
David says
I have celeac disease so this a good recipe plus I’m making it for my mom’s birthday
Hajar says
So yummy, I made it for my son that have celiac.. and he loved it
Darren says
Great recipe, worked well with Namaste flour. I added a touch of honey to mine to give a lightly sweet flavor.