The most difficult part of a gluten-free diet has to be bread.
It’s the one food item that I’ve fumbled several times when trying to make something gluten-free taste and feel right.
A lot of people don’t realize that gluten isn’t really a “food” - it’s a protein. It’s the protein that gives dough its stretchy, elastic texture and helps hold everything together.
Gluten-free breads can be gritty, dry, and fall apart fast.
My mother always made the best crepes (palačinka, as we grew up calling them). I’d always seen her throw a few ingredients into a blender and whip them up in no time. My filling of choice as a child was almost always Nutella (gluten-free in Canada) or fruity jams.
This was one of the first foods I wanted to tackle because who doesn’t love crepes? They’re thin, pliable, you can fill them with whatever you fancy, and that soft, smooth texture is unbeatable.
My usual process for finding gluten-free recipes is to search online, look at several recipes to make sure I have what I need, and then put something together based on what I’ve seen.
I failed a couple of times before my crepes came out intact.
The Pan Was the Problem
Patience isn’t my strong suit, so I’m sure there’s something I needed to learn here, but I was using my large stainless steel frying pan. They repeatedly stuck to the pan and ended up being dog food. No one was interested in my crumbled crepe bowl.
Turning messed-up food projects into a bowl with toppings is my go-to when I screw up.
And while I’m not always a patient, methodical person, at least I’m persistent.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Everything recommended here is something I’ve actually purchased and tried myself.
Here are two products I purchased to make my dreams of tasty gluten-free crepes a reality:
See the non-stick 12” crepe maker I bought on Amazon →
I prefer stainless steel pots and pans, but I needed to make the non-sticky crepes.
See the small blender I bought on Amazon →
I actually bought this for protein smoothies, but the 32 oz blending jar (the largest attachment) is perfect for blending this crepe batter.
The Crepes That Finally Cooperated
First, I adjusted the recipe to fill the 32 oz jar on the Cuisinart blender I purchased from Amazon.
This makes approximately 9–10 crepes.
You can put the ingredients into the blender jar in whatever order you like. Just make sure everything is blended well.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp water
- 4½ tbsp oil (I use canola.)
- 1½ cups gluten-free flour blend (Mine contains xanthan gum.)
- Pinch of salt
Let the Batter Rest
A common piece of advice is to let the batter sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, and I do this. It gives the gluten-free flour time to fully absorb the liquid, which helps make the finished crepes less gritty.
I haven’t gone straight to making the crepes after blending because I don’t mind letting the batter sit while I clean up my mess.
The Slightly Imperfect Art of Crepes
Once I’ve turned on the crepe maker and let it warm up for about five minutes, I pour the batter into a ½ cup measuring cup for each crepe. That way, each one starts with roughly the same amount of batter.
Making the crepes is still a bit of an art form. I pour the ½ cup of batter onto the non-stick surface and spread it into a circle the best I can.
They aren’t always perfect giant circles but remember that practice makes perfect - and perfect is the enemy of good.
My favourite saying.
When the edges start to look dry, gently lift the crepe and give it a quick flip. Leave it for another 30 seconds or so, then flip it onto a plate. Keep going until your batter is gone.
Fill them with Nutella, jam, fruit, or whatever else you feel like putting inside a crepe.
They’re soft, flexible, delicious, and no one will know they’re gluten-free.