Gluten Free Crêpes | Sweet and Savory Recipe Ideas (2024)

Gluten free crêpes are so, so easy to make. They make an everyday meal extraordinary!

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 co*cktails), 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 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

Are crêpes gluten free?

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!

Are crêpes healthier than pancakes?

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.

What are gluten free crêpes made of?

Crepes are made of basic gluten free pantry ingredients: the lightest gluten free flour blend, salt, eggs, milk, and a touch of butter.

Should gf crepes be served hot or cold?

Crepes are delicious hot off the griddle, at room temperature, or even cold when made right. You can't go wrong!

Can I use pancake batter to make gluten free crêpes?

No, pancake batter has very similar ingredients, but in very different proportions. You need this gluten free recipe to make gf crepes.

Why is my gluten free crêpes mixture lumpy?

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.

When should I flip my gluten free crêpe?

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!

Why are my gf crêpes rubbery?

Rubbery crepes are typically made with the wrong gf flour blend, especially if yours contained xanthan gum. We need our gum-free gluten free blend for this recipe, but don't worry. It's a really useful one that we use for all sorts of beautiful, delicate gf baked goods.