Easy Gluten-Free Crepes Recipe

My family has had the tradition of crepes for a delicious breakfast on Christmas morning, since before I was born. When we moved to Europe and my dad started taking French cooking classes from Chef Jean Pierre (not the TV personality), the French crepes only got better.

Then, celiac disease.

There was no way I was giving up this family tradition… one built on eggs, milk, and, like so many food traditions, flour.

That first year, I googled and pinned, substituted, and tweaked the balance of ingredients.

Year after year of flipping homemade crepes with my family, I have fine-tuned and simplified this delicious gluten-free recipe. It makes the most wonderful, flexible crepes just waiting to be stuffed with your favorite savory or sweet fillings.

We’ll walk through how to make this perfect gluten-free dessert crepe, fresh ingredients for filling your crepes, and a few easy variations, including dairy-free crepes and savory crepes.

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Gluten-Free Flour

This recipe works best with a gluten-free cup-for-cup baking flour, like King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.

Read my review of several excellent gluten-free cup-for-cup flour options that are readily available in national and regional grocery stores. These flours can often replace regular flour in your favorite recipes “1 cup for 1 cup”. They are particularly good in baked, non-yeast, recipes. As with these French crepes, they might need some tweaking to get things just right, but they are a huge step in making gluten-free versions of your favorite foods possible.

King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, and Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour all contain xanthan gum, an important binder that will keep your crepes pliable. If it’s not already in your flour, add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the batter.

Step-by-Step Directions

This first step is what makes the recipe so easy.

Take your simple ingredients: eggs, milk, gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix for about thirty seconds.

That’s it. Your batter is made. It should be smooth and thin, the consistency of heavy cream.

Let the crepe batter rest in a cold place for at least one hour. I pop my crepe batter in the fridge, but if you have a cellar or a cold room in your house, that works just fine.

This step is in the original Jean Pierre French crepe recipe from my dad, but resting is even more critical when making with gluten-free batter. Rice flour crepe recipes can be gritty. Allowing the batter to rest gives the gluten-free flour time to absorb the liquid ingredients, giving your finished crepes the perfect texture.

Note, you can let your batter rest overnight, but it will thicken considerably. If your batter has thickened to the point it resembles pancake batter, it is too thick. Add milk to thin the batter back to the consistency of heavy cream.

Don’t let not having a crepe pan stop you from making gluten-free crepes. You can use a nonstick skillet in a pinch. But, if you plan on making crepes more than once, I highly recommend a crepe pan! The bottom of the pan is flat for even heating, a low rim makes it easy to get a spatula under the edges for flipping, and it is just the right size to create beautifully round crepes.

I prefer to use two crepe pans to keep things moving. I double the recipe and always have assistant flippers, so it’s easy to manage two pans at once.

Heat the crepe pan on the stove over medium heat.

Coat the hot pan with oil or cooking spray. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, turning the pan in a circular motion until the bottom is coated with the crepe batter.

Cook each crepe for two minutes on one side, using a thin spatula to help release it. When the crepe is ready to flip, it will slide easily around the pan, and the edges will turn golden brown.

Flip the crepe over and cook for another one to two minutes. Flip the crepe with a rubber spatula or toss it in the air, my kids’ preference.

The flipping can take a little practice, so don’t worry if your first crepe doesn’t look perfect. You’ll be an expert crepe flipper in no time.

Reapply the cooking spray or a small amount of oil between every other crepe or so.

Serve immediately with your favorite toppings and fillings. To keep crepes warm, place them in a pancake or tortilla warmer, or in a 200° oven for up to 30 minutes. If keeping warm in the oven, place parchment paper (not wax paper) between each crepe.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Crepe Recipe with Almond Milk

Traditional crepes are as full of dairy as they are of gluten, but these crepes are just as good with two dairy-free adjustments:

1. Use two cups of almond milk, or your other favorite dairy-free milk, such as coconut milk or cashew milk, as a substitute for the two cups of whole milk.
   • Caution if using oat milk! Make sure your oat milk is labeled “gluten-free” if you are on a gluten-free diet. Oats are at high risk of cross-contamination in the field and during processing. The Celiac Disease Foundation recommends that celiacs only eat oats with a gluten-free label. This applies to oat milk.
2. Substitute 3 tablespoons of olive oil for the 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Happily, Jean Pierre’s original French crepe recipe includes an option for oil. This heart-healthy alternative to butter works just as well in these gluten-free crepes.

For almond milk crepes, a flavorful option is to use 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract in place of vanilla.

Then, make this easy crepe recipe as directed.

Make Ahead Tips

There are several options for making ahead.

1. You can make the batter up to 24 hours ahead and store it in the fridge. However, you will need to add an additional 1/4-1/2 cup of milk to return the batter to a liquid right before cooking.
2. Because we have crepes on Christmas morning, I almost always make our crepes one to two days early. They keep beautifully in the fridge for up to two days. I find they still taste good after two days in the fridge, but will be less flexible and tear more easily.
3. To make even further ahead of when you plan to enjoy these gluten-free crepes, store them in the freezer for up to three months.

To store cooked crepes in the fridge or freezer, place a layer of wax paper or parchment paper between each crepe. Wrap the entire stack of crepes in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Fillings & Toppings for Sweet Crepes

You can put just about anything you love in a crepe.

Our family tradition is sweet breakfast crepe fillings: fresh fruit, my dad’s homemade wine jelly, Nutella, whipped cream… My personal go-to is fresh berries rolled into a warm crepe, sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar. My other favorite is homemade cranberry sauce (leftover from Christmas Eve dinner) for a crepe filling, again, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Inspiration for Sweet Crepe Fillings & Toppings:

• Berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
• Fruit: bananas, apples, peaches, pears, oranges
• Jelly/jam: fruit jams, wine jelly, lemon curd
• Cranberry sauce
• Whipped cream, ice cream, crème fraîche, ricotta
• Lemon juice & white sugar
• Honey
• Nutella
• Powdered sugar

Gluten-Free Savory Crepes

To make gluten-free savory crepes, simply omit the sugar and vanilla from the recipe and serve with savory fillings.

Inspiration for Savory Crepe Fillings:

• Ham & cheese
• Ratatouille
• Chicken, spinach & mushrooms
• Bacon & eggs
• Roasted vegetables
• Salmon
• Turkey & pesto

Years after my celiac diagnosis, recipes like these crepes have left me more convinced than ever that anything can be gluten-free and amazing. Wherever you are on your gluten-free journey, I hope you enjoy these wonderful crepes and are inspired to continue your family traditions, unhindered by your gluten-free diet.