Gluten Free Crepes

These tender, flexible gluten free crepes always bend and roll without breaking, and are even better than conventional ones. Made with only 5 ingredients (including salt!), they're so easy to make, and turn an everyday meal into something extraordinary!

Why this recipe works

Gluten free crêpes are simple, French-style pancakes. Light, airy and delicate but never fragile, these pancakes can be served sweet or savory.

The simplest recipes are frequently the trickiest, and the ones most likely to frustrate you when you're new at making them. That's why the method and ingredients here are clear, concise, and specific. And since gluten works against tenderness here, gluten free crepes are actually than “regular” ones.

With my simple blender method that provides an easily pourable batter, and detailed instructions for how to you swirl it around in a hot, lightly greased pan, you'll get good at it fast!

Recipe ingredients

Here's everything you need to make crepes at home, plus some information on what each ingredient does in the recipe:

• 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 with xanthan gum or a substitute will lead to rubbery pancakes. You can also use a gum-free blend as long as it has a finely ground rice flour, like Nicole's Best.
• Eggs: Serve as a binder, adding leavening and elasticity.
• Butter: Butter adds richness, flavor, and tenderness.
• Milk: Adds moisture to hydrate the batter and make it pourable. Whole milk works best because the fat makes the crepes more tender.
• Salt: Brightens the other flavors.

How to make gluten free crepes (step by step photos)

This visual guide for how to make these pancakes at home in your kitchen includes an explanation of the reason behind each step. For full ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.

Place all the ingredients in a blender
In a simple blender or in a tall jar, place the milk, eggs, butter and salt, then top with the flour blend in an even layer. Be sure to place the wet ingredients closest to the blade so the dry flour doesn't get stuck to it. If you're using a blender like the Nutribullet with the blade in the lid, reverse the order of the ingredients.

Blend until smooth
Use a spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients just enough to moisten the flour so it doesn't fly out of the blender when you turn it on.

Switch on the blender at medium speed and blend for 2 to 3 minutes or until very smooth so all the flour is moistened and the eggs are fully beaten. Stop halfway through to scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure everything is evenly mixed.

Transfer and refrigerate the batter
The batter should be pale yellow from the fully emulsified eggs and milk. Transfer it to a container with a tight-fitting lid. A 32 ounce or 1 liter mason jar is ideal. Refrigerate the batter for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days to allow the liquids to fully hydrate the flour for smooth crepes. This steps is often used to relax the gluten in the flour, but that isn't our problem to solve here!

After the batter has chilled
Before cooking with the batter, allow it come to room temperature, which could take about 45 minutes. Since some of the flour will have dropped out of solution, place an immersion blender or tall whisk in the jar and blend or whisk until smooth and well-combined again. The batter should be thicker than milk, thinner than cream (like half and half).

Prepare the pan
Heat a 9 or 10 inch nonstick skillet (a crepe pan with low sides is easiest, but it's not at all necessary) over medium heat for about 1 minute or until it feels almost too warm to hold your open palm right above the pan. Grease it lightly but evenly with cooking oil with a high smoke point like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, avocado or peanut oil.

Cook the first side
Transfer the batter to a large measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout, or use a large ladle. Hold the pan just above the heat at a 45° angle (with the handle pointing up) and pour or ladle about 5 tablespoons or 75 ml of batter in the center of the hot pan.

Working quickly, move your wrist in a circular motion to swirl the batter evenly around the pan, and place the pan down on the heat source. As you swirl, you'll create a very thin layer of batter around the edges, which is what turns the lacy and crispy. Let the crepe cook for about 90 seconds.

Finish cooking
Use a large spatula or your fingers to flip the pancake over and press it down gently onto the pan. Let it cook for another 30 seconds until you can tell it's brown on the second side. Flip again to add more color to the first side if necessary.

Stack the crêpes
Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the pancakes right on top of one another on a parchment paper-lined plate to prevent them from sticking to the plate.

Expert tips

Use the right gluten free flour blend

A rice flour-based gum-free gluten free flour blend without any xanthan gum or substitutes is essential here to avoid rubbery pancakes. And, as always, measuring flour by weight, not volume is needed for precise, reliable results.

Rest the batter first

Allowing your batter to rest in the refrigerator first gives the flours time to absorb the milk. Your batter will be more stable and your crêpes more tear-resistant.

Use the right pan

A non stick pan works best here, but if you have a crêpe pan (which is really just a nonstick skillet with low sides), use that. A well-seasoned cast iron 9-inch skillet is great, too. There are even electric crepe skillets that come with a wooden spreader, but I find that the batter begins to set before you've spread it out evenly if the skillet is hot enough to brown the pancakes.

Preheat the pan for even browning

Warm your pan over medium heat before you begin to swirl in the batter. You'll know from the first crepe pour whether your pan was hot enough.

Keep your pan well-greased

Even nonstick pans should be lightly greased and stay that way, so the batter slides around smoothly before it sets.

Ingredient substitutions

Dairy free

In place of cow's milk, I recommend coconut milk in the carton or unsweetened and unflavored soy milk. Just make sure to use something with fat that has a similar consistency to regular milk. In place of butter, try block-style vegan butter like Miyoko's, Melt, or Trader Joe's brands.

Egg free

There are 3 eggs in this simple recipe, which is a lot to replace. I'm not sure if any of my usual recommendations like chia eggs or flax eggs would work. You might be able to use JustEgg refrigerated plant based eggs.

Storage instructions

Fresh crepes can be made a few hours ahead of time. Just cover the plate, and serve them at room temperature. They’ll still be soft and pliable.

You can also place them in a stack in an air-tight zip-top bag, and refrigerate on a flat surface for up to 3 days. Freeze them the same way for up to 3 months, and then defrost by in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

To refresh unfrozen but still cold pancakes, warm them in a hot, dry skillet, or warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

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