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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Thanks for stopping by!
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!
Siena Van Brabant says
The batter was quite thin, so I added another 50g of white rice flour. Let it sit for a while longer. Total of 2 hours. Some tips I’ve learned over the years… Don’t use a cast iron pan. It’ just too heavy to maneuver to swirl the batter, and can cause problems if it isn’t seasoned properly. I used a non-stick crepe pan. Stir the batter each time before pouring the portion into the pan. Also, I use a higher heat (80%) to get nice browning on the first side before flipping. Once the batter has cooked (less than one minute), wait a bit longer for some browning on the outside edge before flipping. The second side doesn’t take as long to fry. It’s only for a bit of colour since it’s already cooked. If you plan to eat them for breakfast or a dessert, add a touch of vanilla or grated citrus rind to the batter before cooking. It elevates the flavour. I haven’t tried to add in anything for savory dishes, but that is certainly an option. I did find the crepe a bit tougher than the wheat version recipe I have, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. However, since I cannot eat wheat anymore, I would definitely cook this again. Thank you for the recipe.
Nicole Hunn says
It sounds like you weren’t using the flour blend I specify, Siena, which is why the recipe didn’t turn out as intended. Adding that much more flour, particularly a single ingredient flour and not a blend, creates an entirely different recipe that I would never expect to turn out. I’d expect it to be stiff and not tender, just as you described.
Clio says
Can it be made dairy free as well as gf
Nicole Hunn says
Please see the text of the post under the heading “Gluten free, dairy free crêpes”
Lana says
Hi! I made the batter but it is very thin. I thought if I leave it in the fridge overnight, it would help, but it didn’t. What flour or starch should I add to thicken the batter? Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
For proper consistency of the batter, please see the how to video on this page. It isn’t a thick batter. Beyond that, and without knowing where you may have deviated from the recipe as written, here is what I always recommend for troubleshooting:
Stephanie says
super easy! I mixed the batter in a blender and the crepes cooked beautifully – easy to flip and no breaks, great flavor
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad, Stephanie! Thank you for sharing that.
Courtney Gray says
SO GOOD!
A couple notes though:
– they take a long time to cook, so be prepared for that
– I usually make them right after I make the batter, but then I chilled it overnight as described, I found that make the crepes way more brittle and didn’t cook the same. Next time I cook them I will go back to cooking right away
– they freeze or refrigerate well for quick reheating throughout the week, separated by parchment paper
Jessah Sims Im a 4th grade student says
These look so good and I can’t wait to try them!!
Nadine says
Nicole, thank you for sharing this recipe! We recently went gluten-free and this is one of the first gluten-free recipes we tried – it’s amazing! I make everything from scratch and consider myself a major foodie and can’t tell you how thrilled I am to find such a good crepe recipe. Crepes are one of our favorites. I never doubted gf crepes would be great as Vietnamese pancakes tend to use some rice flour in the mix. Thanks again!
Sharon says
These crepes are awesome wrapped around hotdog and dipped in ketchup and mustard. Kind of like a corn dog without a stick. My husband and I were so frustrated with gf hotdog buns that just fall apart. And it has the added bonus of freaking out a chef friend who thinks crepes are only for sweet fillings!
Nicole Hunn says
Haha that sounds like a neat party trick, Sharon! So glad you liked them. Yes, store-bought gf shaped buns (hot dog buns, hamburger buns) are really disappointing all around. I do have a really good gf hot dog bun recipe, if you’re interested.
SHAMEUS says
I’m very grateful for this recipe, which I’ve made for my family every second Saturday for two years! One change I made is using brown rice flour instead of white. It gives more nutty depth to the crepe. Plus I use a cast iron Comal (which has no rim so you can flip them easily) and some wooden crepe tools. Both–very inexpensive– help make thinner larger crepes. And they are good for making Galettes too, which are also gluten free, more savory, and a good brunch. Thanks for this recipe in any case. Gave me the confidence to start experimenting with flours and serve gf food that’s just as good.
Amanda says
“Just egg” works wonderfully to replace eggs and I’ve also had perfect success using banana as an egg replacer in this recipe as well! Just choose wisely for the savory or sweet flavor you’re going for!
Diana Gamboa says
great receipe! I am curious, why is xantham gum not reccomended?
Nicole Hunn says
I discuss xanthan gum a few times in the text of the post, Diana!
CM says
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I just tried it this morning, I followed the recipe exactly (scaled it for a yield of 8 crepes) and it was very good but it tasted more like an egg wrap than a crepe. Not sure where I went wrong but may try again without as much egg to get more of a crepe.
Muriel says
Awesome! Crepes were always a great family meal until I became celiac. These are just like the ones I use to make.
Thanks so much Nicole. I can always trust your recipes to be excellent.
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Muriel! I’m honored to have your trust, and will always endeavor not to let you down. :)
Rebecca Kalinchuk says
These remind me of being a kid. My Mum (I’m from England) used to make crepes and separately heat packages of frozen cod that came in either a parsley or a butter sauce. She’d saute some mushrooms, mix them with the flaked fish with a bit of the sauce, then roll them up and pour the rest of the sauce over the top. A squeeze of lemon, some mashed potato & peas and I was a happy girl!
That or we’d celebrate Shrove Tuesday a.k.a. Pancake Day with them. We were encouraged to flip the pancakes up in the air and hope they’d land nicely in the pan! A cheer would go up for a good flip. They were served with a good squeeze of lemon and golden syrup. Absolutely delicious! I made them for my celiac suffering son and I was very happy with the results.
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you were happy with the results, and able to bring back memories, Rebecca!
Mary Bennett says
Can I substitute Arrowroot flour for potato flour in the crêpes recipe please?
Nicole Hunn says
There’s no potato flour in this recipe, Mary. If you mean potato starch, yes, that should be fine.
Carol says
Made these crepes and they were great. So easy and they came out fine.
Nicole Hunn says
Glad to hear it, Carol! Thanks for sharing your positive experience.
Chris’s says
Can you use almond flour as opposed to the three flour blend?
Nicole Hunn says
Definitely not, Chris. Almond flour can only be used in recipes that are developed for it, like the Paleo recipes on the blog.