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.
