Video/Recipe: Gluten-free, Grain-free Crêpes

February 22, 2011 · 48 comments

All over the world people make thin, light and wonderfully delicious pancakes called crêpes. This food originated in northwestern France, hence the French name “crêpe”. They can be filled with many things, from meat and savory proteins to very sweet dessert fillings. Traditionally, the recipe involves wheat flour and milk. For those who are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, on SCD or GAPS this won’t work. But fear not! You don’t have to feel deprived. I have a recipe here that is suitable for the diet, as well as simple, quick and very healthy. These crêpes can be used as a wrap for any sandwich-type combination or as a special dessert treat. Additionally, they may be cut into strips, salted and dried in the oven for crispy crackers.

 

Coconut Flour Crêpes

Ingredients

2 eggs (pastured if possible)

1 heaping Tbsp coconut oil,  butter or ghee

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 heaping tsp coconut cream

1/2 tsp raw honey

1-2 Tbsp coconut flour

Instructions

  • Heat your pan to a medium heat when you start to mix the batter.
  • Heat the coconut cream and the oil (or ghee) in a small pan until melted.
  • In a bowl whisk the 2 eggs and add the honey and salt.
  • Add in the coconut cream and oil from the pan and whisk.
  • Lastly, add the coconut flour.
  • Add one Tbsp at a time as you do not want the batter to be too thick.
  • Whisk well to get out all the lumps.
  • After a while you will get to know what is the best consistency for the batter.
  • The mixture should be watery, with a slight body.
  • Let the batter sit for a few moments to allow the flour to absorb some of the liquid.
  • Coconut flour will absorb liquid and thicken up as it sits, so watch that it doesn’t get too thick.
  • The pan should be heated by now.
  • Oil the pan with coconut oil, butter or ghee and set the heat to a little under medium now.
  • You only need to oil the pan one time.
  • Use a ladle to dole out the batter.
  • Fill the ladle about 1/4 full of batter.
  • Pick up the pan and pour out the batter as you move the pan around in a circular motion to distribute the batter as a thin disk.
  • When the edges are browned, flip it over and cook the other side.
  • It takes just a few moments to cook so keep a sharp eye.

This recipe can make 6-10 crepes depending upon the size of your pan and how thin they are. (Professional chefs use special pans and special spatulas to get the perfect crepe. But at home, its OK to use whatever pans and utensils you have on hand. We are not looking for perfection.  We are using the best nutrient dense ingredients possible within the confines of the GF CF diet. And that is much more important than perfection.  Sometimes the worst looking crêpe tastes the best! And after a while you will become very proficient at the technique!)

Variations

  • Replace salt with additionally honey (another tsp) and 1/2 tsp vanilla to make a sweeter dessert crepe.
  • Slice them into strips, place on a cookie sheet with salt and dry in the oven on 180 degrees F for about 50 minutes. They will get crispy. But they do not stay crispy, so eat them right away or within 24 hours.

Fillings

  • Chopped beef or turkey with avocado fillings
  • Chopped lettuce, tomato, cheese
  • Hot pan sauteed apples or pears with cinnamon
  • homemade jam
  • The fillings are whatever you can imagine.

This post is linked to: Real Food Wednesdays,  Monday Mania, Frugal Follies, Pennywise Platter, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Gluten-free Wednesday, Fun With Food Friday, Sweet & Savory, Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Grain-free Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Make Ahead Meals, Mangia Monday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Monday Mania, My Meatless Monday, Allergy-Free Friday, Seasonal Sunday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Foodie Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Turning the Table Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites, Fight back Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Food, My Meatless Monday, Melt in Mouth Monday, Sugar Free Sunday, Savory Sunday, Meatless Monday, Monday Mania, Meatless Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Mangia Monday, Homemaker Monday, Real Food 101, Tuesday Tasty Tidbits, Made From Scratch Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth And Soul Hop,Traditional Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday

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{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }

hellaD February 23, 2011 at 12:49 am

Yum these look fantastic, I haven’t made a crepe in ages it feels like, we have been on the GAPS diet for about a year now, and are feeling a zillion times better already. I have started a Grain-Free Tuesdays recipe bloghop and I was hoping you would like to add these to the mix!
Love your site!

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Jill February 23, 2011 at 7:31 am

Hi hellaD,
I will certainly subscribe to your blog and post on Tuesdays! Thanks! I have a lot of videos and recipes coming soon, using coconut or nut flours. All of the recipes are gluten-grain and dairy free. So glad your are feeling better on the GAPS! Jill

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hellaD February 24, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Nice! Thanks for linking up! Looking forward to your upcoming videos and recipes!

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Danielle @ Analytical Mom February 23, 2011 at 9:33 am

Hi, Jill, I found your blog through Real Food Wednesdays and wanted to drop by! I am just getting started blogging as well. We are not GF or GAPS, but are getting our feet wet with Nourishing Traditions and WAPF. I look forward to more great ideas on your blog!
http://mindofthemother.blogspot.com/

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Jill February 25, 2011 at 8:18 pm

Hi Danielle,
Thanks for dropping by. I’m glad you liked this post. I took a peek at your blog and really liked it as well! I’ll be visiting it again.

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Christine February 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm

My sister is a champion crepe maker and these remind me of them so much! These looks so delicious!

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Jill February 23, 2011 at 1:26 pm

Hi Christine,
I’m so glad you like these crepes. They are quite delicious. Hope you like the blog as well. I loved your kale recipe this week!

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Sybil Worden February 23, 2011 at 12:59 pm

WOW Jill, what a great idea! Can’t wait to try them out with our guests this weekend! A great breakfast idea with some fresh berries!

Dave and I have been making a homemade all organic black bean and corn pizza sauce, with fun ouside-the-box ingredients. I will email you the recipe. Maybe you can feature it on here!?! :)
-Syb

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Jill February 23, 2011 at 1:28 pm

Hi Syb!
I’m so glad you are subscribing! There is so much information I will be posting. Yes, please email me the recipe and I will see if I can adapt it for SCD and GAPS (they cannot eat corn…)

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Jerry February 23, 2011 at 9:46 pm

Hi Jill,

Those crepes look fantastic! Truthfully though, my wife has been away in Florida for a 10 days and I’m completely out of food having foraged through several cupboards – and eaten the frozen halibut cakes that were at the back of my freezer – there’s not much left. Too bad you can’t send me these nutritious crepes through the internet. Now where is that can of peas I thought I saw yesterday.

So impressive that you’ve put this site together.

Jerry

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Jill February 24, 2011 at 6:34 am

Hi Jerry!
I guess it’s time for your wife to get home and cook her wonderful meals!But please skip the CAN of peas!

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Chris February 24, 2011 at 12:03 am

Hi Jill,
I found your blog on Kelly’s Real Food Wednesday’s blog carnival. We don’t do gluten free or GAPS but I am aways looking for new ways to incorporate more coconut in my recipes.

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Jill February 24, 2011 at 6:38 am

HI Chris,
Most of my baking is with either coconut flour or nut flours — mainly coconut flour. And I use a lot of coconut oil so you’ll be getting lots of ideas. I loved your site and I will be looking at your recipes!

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June February 24, 2011 at 9:09 am

Hi Jill -
Great video – Looking forward to more posts. Inspiring and so much better than reading a recipe. Thank you for sharing. How do you get a kitchen to stay so clean??
What kind of pan do you use – Is the first crepe as good to eat in spite of the amount of oil needed to begin? How long can you keep them in the refrigerator or can you freeze them in batches?
YOU ARE AMAZING!

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Jason@JLHealth February 24, 2011 at 12:40 pm

Very nice post and I especially like the video touch!

Very good!

Thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop.

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Jill February 24, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Jason,
Thanks for the comments. I love the concept of a “hop”.

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Jill February 24, 2011 at 12:50 pm

Hi June,
Thank you for your compliments. The pan I use is a Le Cruset enamel coated cast iron pan. The one I used in the video is a 10″ fry pan. These are really great pans as the coating will not interact with the food at all. They do take a bit longer to heat up, but once heated, they cook very evenly.
The coconut oil that is used in the recipe is VERY healthy and should be used every day. So the first crepe may have a bit more oil but that is just fine. As you learn more about real food, you will understand the importance of good fats in the diet.
These crepes stay a day or two in the refrigerator, but usually they are eaten up. I would not freeze them as they are very thin and would probably crack. Other coconut flour products like breads and muffins can be frozen indefinitely. I will be posting videos and recipes of lots of coconut flour products so stay tuned!

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FoodRenegade February 25, 2011 at 11:35 pm

Thanks for sharing this in today’s Fight Back Fridays carnival.

All the best,
~KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)

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Jill February 26, 2011 at 5:56 am

Hi Kristen,
Thanks for hosting the food carnival. I love your blog!

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lou lotito March 3, 2011 at 1:50 pm

Jil-I sent your web site to Trina,Lisa and Jimmy. My son who is really into healthy eating, I’m sure will be first to try your recipes.

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Jill March 3, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Thanks Lou,
I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog and the recipes! Much more to come!

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Sara March 17, 2011 at 10:01 am

These look and sound wonderful! I think I will try them out next week, possibly. I have just recently started trying to eat fewer grains… not quite grain-free, but I think I’m on that path since I just feel so much better when I skip the grains. I love crepes and have been making sourdough crepes quite regularly this winter. I haven’t made them in about a month and I really miss them. I use them for tacos, tortilla type chips, quesadillas, and rolled up sandwiches. Thanks for posting!

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Jill March 17, 2011 at 11:45 am

Hi Sara,
I think you will really like these crepes. They can also be cut into chips and dried in the oven. We often use them as wraps!

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Christine March 23, 2011 at 12:39 pm

Yummy! My sister used to make crepes all the time and they were really tasty! Now I want to try these – I love that you used coconut flour!

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Jill March 23, 2011 at 1:52 pm

Hi Christine,
I was looking at your site and admiring the photos and then saw your section for other photos! I guess I really do appreciate someone who can take good photos!Thanks for the comment. The coconut flour really makes it light and tasty!

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Shannon @ Cozy Home Scenes March 29, 2011 at 1:43 am

Thanks for sharing how to make these. I used to buy crepes before I tried to cut down on gluten. I’m also glad to see a recipe with the coconut flour. I’ve seen it at the store, but never know what to do with it. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

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Jill March 29, 2011 at 5:58 am

Hi Shannon,
Thanks for commenting. I have a few video/recipes posted using the coconut flour. Check them out at my blog!
RealFoodForager.com

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Traci @ Ordinary Inspirations March 29, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Jill March 29, 2011 at 2:58 pm

Thanks Traci!

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Miz Helen March 31, 2011 at 8:56 am

Hi Jill,
You are becoming quiet the film maker, your video is very good. Your crepe recipe looks very good and I love the idea of making crackers from the crepe. I will try that. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!

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Jill March 31, 2011 at 11:52 am

Hi Miz Helen,
You are so kind!

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kristin April 4, 2011 at 11:33 am

i love crepes – :D

thanks for sharing your GF version!

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Jill April 4, 2011 at 12:32 pm

Hi Kristin,
Thanks for your kind words!

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Nikki Moore April 8, 2011 at 10:04 am

Looks like a tasty recipe…do you suppose there is a substitute for coconut cream? I’m not even quite sure what that is…could I use regular cream, or perhaps whole milk?

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Jill April 8, 2011 at 12:50 pm

Hi Nikki,
Coconut cream can be purchased from Tropical Traditions.com. It can be mixed with water and made into a cream. It is quite delicious! but if you eat dairy I do not see why you couldn’t try a little cream. Just do not make it too watery. Check out the video for the correct consistency of the batter. Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

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Ideal Chef May 6, 2011 at 6:50 am

I find it yummy. Will soon prepare this. Thank you

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Jill May 6, 2011 at 7:29 am

Hi Chef,
Thanks for your comments!

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gluten free desserts July 9, 2011 at 10:48 am

Greetings from Scotland! I enjoyed reading your articles.

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melissa smith July 15, 2011 at 11:01 pm

Can’t wait to try these, but do u have any suggestions for an egg replacer? Flax egg?

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Jill July 16, 2011 at 9:33 am

Hi Melissa,
Sorry, I don’t know of any egg replacer. What is flax egg? Pecanbread.com may have a listing for egg replacer.

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Jen October 12, 2011 at 12:32 pm

I am loving this Jill!   I especially love the idea about crisping the crepes for crackers!  Must TRY!  I love crepes!

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Jill October 12, 2011 at 1:06 pm

Hi Jen,
Thanks so much for you kind words!

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Miz Helen October 14, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Great video and yummy looking crepes! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week end and come back soon!
Miz Helen

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Claudia Riley October 19, 2011 at 1:29 am

I just made Moo Shu Pork and I think these crepes would be great with that dish.  I’m looking forward to trying them.

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Shannon October 20, 2011 at 5:42 am

We had the most amazing homemade crepes in the south of France, years ago on our honeymoon.  Now you have me craving them!
Thanks so much for linking up to MomTrends this week! :o )

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Ammardina December 9, 2011 at 5:26 pm

I made you bread recipe, it was great. Now i want to try this one. I have a question can I skip  the coconut cream. I have coconut milk and coconut yoghurt but not cream.

Thanks alot your recipe so much helpful for my son diet.

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Jill December 9, 2011 at 6:48 pm

Hi Ammardina,
I’m so glad the recipes help. I think 1 tablespoon of the coconut milk would work fine. Just make sure the batter has a little thickness to it.

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