Here’s the cool thing about crepes: they are often naturally gluten free! I’m definitely not an expert on the history of crepes, but what from everything I’ve read, buckwheat was just as much, if not more a part of the development of crepes than wheat was! Neat, huh?
Now, ironically enough, these hazelnut crepes are not made with any buckwheat flour! I stumbled upon these one of the first times I made crepes, when I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed for another crepe recipe. I made a few substitutions and ended up with something delicious!
A few notes about ingredients. First of all, the hazelnut flour. It’s one of the more uncommon GF flours so it can be difficult to find. I am able to buy it at a local health food store, but I know some mainstream grocery stores also carry it. This type of flour can go bad, so store it in the refrigerator to increase the shelf life. Next, the melted butter. I frequently leave butter out of recipes or replace them with olive oil in the name of health. Sometimes you wouldn’t know the difference and other times it’s a mess. In the case of these crepes, I’ve found that adding a little butter or oil to the batter makes the cooking process go smoothly, by keeping the crepes from sticking to the pan. If you want to sub oil in for butter, go for it! If you want to leave it out all together I think you will have a great end result, too, just spray your pan if the crepes start to stick! Lastly, the sugar. You have a few options here. If you are not eating refined sugar you can leave it out completely and these will still be delicious. I’ve also used Stevia and cut the sugar down to just under a teaspoon. When I make these for my husband I double the sugar. He seems to be immune to extra calories and loves anything sweet. My preference, 2 tsp, is what is listed in the recipe.
These slightly sweet crepes are excellent for breakfast or dessert. I have them for breakfast, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and feel like I am having dessert for breakfast. I’ve often made a batch of these over the weekend and heated up a few in the microwave each morning that week for a quick breakfast. Crepes seem to be just as good reheated as they were fresh out of the pan.
Now, you might be thinking that making crepes sounds difficult, and I’m here to tell you it is not! There’s a few tricks, but it’s really quite simple. I plan to do a full post with a photo tutorial on how to make crepes soon. Until then, try following the directions below. Consider your first few crepes as experiments until you perfect your technique! Even if the crepes ending up looking strange they will probably still taste delicious!
Hazelnut Crepes
Ingredients (makes 1-2 dozen crepes, depending on the size of the crepes)
- 2 eggs
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 c hazelnut flour
- 1/2 c white rice flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbs melted butter
Cooking Directions:
1. In a blender, food processor, or large bowl and an immersion blender (I’ve used all three methods, and they all work) mix eggs, milk, and salt.
2. Slowly add in each of the flours and the sugar.
3. Lastly, add the butter.
4. Heat a non stick skillet to medium high heat. Spray it with olive oil or cooking spray.
5. Pour some batter (try 1/4c to start with) into the center of the pan and then lift the pan off the burner and tilt it around in a circle, slowly. The batter will spread out across the pan.
6. Put the skillet back on the burner. After a minute or two the crepe will start to bubble. When it does, flip it over with the spatula.
7. Cook for a minute or 2 longer. The crepe will be solid at this point, so you can lift up an edge and check for doneness. I cook mine until the bottom has some golden brown spots.
8. Repeat with remaining batter. Top crepes with cinnamon sugar, syrup, or fold up your favorite sweet filling inside.
Tastefully Gluten Free 