If you're looking for a new breakfast recipe, I have just the thing for you. These sweet crepes are tender, soft, and pliable with slightly crispy edges. They are also vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free. My favorite way to serve them is with fresh berries and coconut whipped cream.
They are known all over Europe. The French call them crêpes, the Dutch pannenkoeken, the Austrians Palatschinken, the Czechs palacinky, and the Brits pancakes. While traditional French crepes are a little thinner than European pancakes, to North Americans European pancakes are crepes. They are large and thin (not small and fluffy), filled (not topped), served folded or rolled (not stacked), and typically eaten for lunch, dinner, or dessert (not for breakfast or brunch). Oh, and never are they eaten together with bacon!
At home (Czech Republic), pancakes are traditionally served for lunch. The most common fillings are apricot jam, sweetened quark cheese, or simple vanilla icing sugar-cinnamon. Not necessarily the healthiest meal, but delicious nonetheless. I grew up eating a lot of pancakes because they are really easy to make and the ingredients are pretty inexpensive. So my mom would make them for my sister and I at least once a week.
You might be wondering what the main difference between European pancakes (including crepes) and American pancakes is. The ingredients are almost identical . . . except for one thing - a rising agent. Without baking powder or baking soda, there's no leavening, accounting for the thinness of crepes. In addition, there are more of the wet ingredients in crepes than pancakes, which also helps with the thinness.
Besides the difference in thickness, crepes and pancakes actually taste quite different too. While some of this is likely due to the fact that texture alters taste, the lighter batter offers a lighter taste that is often considered to go well with more food options than pancakes do. The lighter flavor adds to the versatility, allowing crepes to be served either as savory or sweet.
That being said, this particular recipe contains a banana and maple syrup so it lends itself better to sweet crepes.
Tips for Making Sweet Crepes
Ingredients
These crepes are naturally sweet from the banana (hence the "sweet crepes"). Bananas are a great substitution for oil, eggs, and a sweetener in baking. They add richness, moisture, and a hint of sweetness. However, they do have a strong flavor so you'll be able to detect the banana flavor in the crepes. For more neutral-tasting crepes, you could use ½ cup (127.5 g) of apple sauce instead of the banana.
To make these sweet crepes gluten-free, I used a mix of oat flour and brown rice flour. Oat flour makes these crepes moist and chewy while brown rice flour provides light and slightly gritty texture. The flavor of both flours is very neutral (although oat flour does have a slightly nutty taste). Since oat flour can be quite pricey, I make it at home by grinding rolled oats in a food processor (a blender or a coffee grinder work too).
For the liquid ingredients. I used almond milk (any plant-based milk will work) and a splash of maple syrup (optional for slightly sweeter crepes).
Technique
I was considering calling these sweet crepes "blender crepes" because you can make the batter entirely in a blender. If you don't have a blender, you'll need to mash the banana with a fork first and then mix all the ingredients together. Just make sure your batter is completely smooth with no banana chunks in it.
Admittedly, the hard part isn't making the batter, but flipping the crepes. However, as long as you know a few key tricks, perfectly cooked crepes aren't all that hard to achieve. So let's address a few common issues:
- The first crepe always turns out the worst - when you grease your pan before cooking, the oil doesn't coat the pan evenly. It's in random drops. As you cook the first crepe, the batter somewhat spreads the oil across the pan into an even layer. However, the areas that were in first contact with the drops of oil still cook unevenly. That's why the first crepe often has a lacy look on one side and is a little greasier than the rest. To fix this, let the pan warm up first. Then spread a little oil on it, using a paper towel to wipe off most of the excess.
- The batter cooks before you finished swirling it into the corners of the pan - there are two reasons this can happen:
1. Consistency of the batter - crepe batter needs to be very thin so it spreads quickly. If your batter seems too thick and isn't spreading in the pan, whisk in a few tablespoons of plant-based milk to thin it out.
2. Temperature - in general, lower temperatures are better than high because high temperatures will cook the batter before you have a chance to spread it out. - The crepes stick to the pan - you don't necessarily need a crepe pan to make crepes. What you do need, however, is a good pan. Besides nonstick pans coated with teflon (which I don't recommend for health reasons), the best naturally nonstick surface is cast iron. The advantage of crepe griddle are low sides, which make it easier to get a spatula in there to flip the crepes.
- The crepes tear when you try to flip them - this is the most common frustration when making crepes. Again, there are two reasons this can happen:
1. Temperature - medium-low temperature works best. Heat up the pan slowly. If you try to heat it too quickly you’ll constantly be fiddling with the temperature knob because it will start burning or get too cool. On my gas stove, I put the pan on the largest burner and set the heat slightly below medium.
2. Cooking time - don't flip the crepes too early. If you do, the crepes will tear (guaranteed!). Wait until you see bubbles forming in the center of the batter and the edges turn brown. At this point, the crepe is about 65% cooked. That's why you don't need to give each side equal time before you take it off the pan. - You don't feel confident flipping crepes - practice! The best way to learn how to make crepes is to make crepes. If you've never made crepes before, you're most likely going to fail the first time you make them. But I guarantee that by the last of the batter in the bowl, you will be flipping crepes like a pro!
Before storing your crepes, I would recommend cooling them first on a wire rack so that steam can evaporate. If you stack the crepes when they're still warm, the steam will make the crepes wet (soggy). If you wanna stack them, place a small piece of parchment paper or paper towel between each crepe. Once cooled, store the crepes in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days. In the freezer, they will last up to a few months.
Tools You'll Need
1. Blender (Vitamix 5200) | 2. Griddle (10.5-Inch, Lodge, Cast Iron) | 3. Measuring Cup (2 Cups, Pyrex, Glass) | 4. Measuring Cups (Set of 6, Bellemain, Stainless Steel) | 5. Measuring Spoons (Set of 6, 1Easylife, Stainless Steel) | 6. Turner (5-Inch, Stainless Steel)
Nutrition Refined is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites — at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Sweet Crepes
Ingredients
- ½ cup oat flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 banana
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted (optional)*
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until you reach smooth and pourable batter.
- Heat a skillet (I used cast iron crepe skillet) to a low-medium heat and add a small amount of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for a minute to get hot.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the pan. Immediately pick up the pan and swirl it to coax the batter into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- When the crepe has browned slightly on the bottom (it should take about 2 minutes), carefully work a spatula underneath it and flip. Cook the second side briefly, just to set the batter. Remove from the pan.
- Continue making crepes with the rest of the batter, adding more oil as needed to keep the crepes from sticking.
- If not eating the crepes immediately, cool them on a wire rack first to allow steam to evaporate. If you stack the crepes when they're still warm, the steam will make the crepes wet (soggy). If you wanna stack the crepes, place a small piece of parchment paper between each crepe.
- Store leftover (cooled) crepes in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper in between each crepes (so they don't stick together as they freeze) for up to 1 month.
Eliana Newall
I love your recipes and the way you present them. You are extremely easy to follow, to the point, a true professional. Thank you so much for sharing you food with us.
PetraScott
You are so kind, Eliana. I am so happy you like the recipes! That's honestly one of the best compliments I can get 🙂 Thank you so much for your comment!
Ella
do you have a recipe for your homemade Nutella?:)
PetraScott
Hi Ella - thank you for asking. I am gonna post the recipe next week 🙂 So yes, I do. Just not published yet.
Arina
Hi, can you give the recipe to your homemade Nutella. You mentioned it in the video but I cant seem to find your recipe anywhere. Thanks! Love your videos btw!
PetraScott
Hi Arina - thank you for reaching out. I am gonna post the recipe next week 🙂 And thank you so much for your kind words. I am happy you're enjoying the videos 🙂
Dianand Narine
Nice recipe
PetraScott
Thank you so much Dianand!
Deon
I absolutely love how detailed your recipes are. I came upon your vlog while scrolling through YouTube, and I clicked on this video because I'm trying to lead a vegan lifestyle. I have been a vegetarian for many years now but i still struggle with the transition to veganism. All that to say you're very admirable for what you do and how you do it.
P.s. thank you!
PetraScott
Aw, thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind comment. Transitioning to veganism is definitely not easy. You're not alone in your struggles. A lot of people have a hard time giving up dairy, for instance. Hope my recipes will help a little bit with the transition. Feel free to reach out if you ever have any questions❤
Gabriela
Great recipes And the best thing is that they are vegan! Keep doing the great job, you are awesome
PetraScott
Aw, thank you so much, Gabriela!❤
luba
love your recipes, tried already 5 of them. cant wait to make more of the delicious food.
was wondering can i substitute brown rice flour for some other plant base flour?
PetraScott
Aw, I am so happy you're enjoying the recipes! Thank you so much for the comment. I haven't tried substituting the brown rice flour, but here are my thoughts: I wouldn't use more oat flour because it would make the crepes too gummy. White rice flour probably isn't a great choice either because it would make the crepes too sticky. Ideally the flour would be a little grainy, like almond flour or quinoa flour. Let me know how it goes if you give a try 🙂
Katrina
I like both the cooked and the Raw versions so a raw crepes and a cooked one are helpful to me, a raw and cooked version is great for lots of things, and your recipes are real nice and easy to find ingredients, having both versions will help people transition, like your husband probably has to get used to it first, your cooked versions are heather then most out there to ,so just my thoughts, we transitioned quite fast to eat 75% raw be cause we did not want to take any more time getting healthy, I was able to jump rite in to raw since I knew it was best for us and my husband felt much better eating raw and juicing, kids just love veggies and dip, it is great!!! we love your videos, I have already made some, we had to go gluten free and your videos have showed me how to make flat bread and wraps that stays together and are bendable that was very inexpressive to my kids!!! They were very excited, now they can have burrito's with lots of raw inside, we also make burritos with collard wraps...I am going to make your crepes and I think they could replace maybe bread? will see it will be a start, I have not tackled raw or baked gluten free bread yet, Have you?
thank you for your videos we love them!!!
WOOLYYUMI
I am also fun of Petra's recipes. I have found her gluten free bread ↓ link below https://nutritionrefined.com/nut-seed-bread/
Her passion for foods and cooking have giving me huge motivation to create healthy delicious foods esp under this circumstance in London ( World ).
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom Petra!
PetraScott
Aw, thank you so much for the kind comment! It means a lot!❤️
Cristina
Dear Petra, I have recently discovered your recipes and already have in plan trying more of them.
I did these pancakes few times and here is my experience: When I didn’t have rice flour, I used coconut flour and I liked a lot the result. I was not sure about the brown rice flour, I thought it will give a bitter taste, so I went for a white rice flour and again we liked the result, kids also enjoyed it.
I will try next time with the brown rice flour and maybe quinoa flour (again, I never used it as I was afraid of the final taste),
All in all, everyone in the family enjoyed the healthy pancakes, thank you for your detailed explanations and short movies, really useful.
I will try soon the homemade Nutella!
Cristina
Cristina
Dear Petra, I have recently discovered your recipes and already have in plan trying more of them.
I did these pancakes few times and here is my experience: When I didn’t have rice flour, I used coconut flour and I liked a lot the result. I was not sure about the brown rice flour, I thought it will give a bitter taste, so I went for a white rice flour and again we liked the result, kids also enjoyed it.
I will try next time with the brown rice flour and maybe quinoa flour (again, I never used it as I was afraid of the final taste),
All in all, everyone in the family enjoyed the healthy pancakes, thank you for your detailed explanations and short movies, really useful.
I will try soon the homemade Nutella!
Cristina
PetraScott
Aw, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and substitutions, Cristina! (love your name, BTW). Hope you enjoy the other recipes too!❤
Cynthia Long
My husband and I own a B&B in Ohio and we get lots of people who need a gluten free breakfast. This recipe looks interesting and wanted to try it. My regular crepe batter I make the night before and store in the refrigerator. Can this batter be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight? Also, if I can't find brown rice flour, do you have other flours that you could recommend as a replacement?
PetraScott
HI Cynthia - I haven't tested the recipe without the brown rice flour, so I can't say for sure. However, here are my thoughts. You need the flour to be a little grainy, so I think almond flour or quinoa flour would work really well here. Coconut flour will definitely not work because it's too absorbent. I wouldn’t use more oat flour because it would make the crepes too gummy (if you do try adding more oat flour, you might need to add a little more water). White rice flour probably isn’t a great choice either because it would make the crepes too sticky. As I mentioned, ideally the flour would be a little grainy. Let me know how it goes if you give a try
PetraScott
I just realized I haven't answered your first question. I haven't tried making the batter ahead of time, but it may work. Oats do thicken with time (like overnight oats for example) so it may be hard to get them as thin the next day. Also, bananas tend to darken when exposed to air, so the crepes may turn out a bit darker.
Evgenia
These crepes are a very good idea if you want to eat healthy crepes! I had some difficulties with the first one and it was a little bit challenge to make them thin!
So, when I was making the second crepe, I tried to play with the heating - when I put the batter in the frying pan I had a low-level heating and when the crepe became almost ready I increased the heating to the medium. In this way I achieved to make thin crepes and had no problem in taking them off from the skillet! :))))
We ate them simple and with your home made Nutella.
Thank you, Petra!!!
PetraScott
Oh really? That's really good to know. I am sure others will find this info really helpful 🙂 Thank you for sharing your tips and feedback, Evgenia!
Rachel
Hi Petra! All your receipes look so delicious! Is it ok to use almond flour and quinoa flour for this receipe? Thank you for all you do. You are amazing!
PetraScott
Thank you so much, Rachel! ❤️ I have never tried this combo, so I'm not sure. I have tested so many flour combinations for this recipe and oat + brown rice flour turned out the best. That being said, I think that you would get away swapping the brown rice flour for almond flour (because they have similar textures). If you wanted to make it grain-free, I would probably try buckwheat flour in place of oat flour. Is that an option for you?
Yumi
Hi Petra
Thank you so much for your meticulous & methodical way of teaching. I've learnt so much from you! Please keep up your fantastic efforts!
For this recipe, can I use atta flour instead of oat flour? I have a lot of atta flour to clear..
Thank you
PetraScott
Hi Yumi - thank you so much for the kind comment! I have never cooked with atta flour, but based on what I read about it, I think that it would work. You might want to half (or quarter) the recipe to test it out (so you don't waste a lot of ingredients in case it does not work). Hope the crepes turn out great 🙂
Laura
The crepes turned out delicious! I ground the oats and brown rice to make the flour, and we doubled the recipe for a good feast :-)! My daughter and husband loved them too. Healthy crepes are hard to make, so thank you so much for this recipe!
Laura
Forgot to rate the crepes :-)!
PetraScott
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and share your feedback, Laura! I appreciate it more than you know ❤️
Ash
Hi Petra, is there a way you can make this savory, I mean any substitutes for banana? By the way, I love all your recipes, keep up the good work!
PetraScott
Thank you for the kind words, Ash. I have never tried this recipe without the banana, so I'm not sure. I make a similar recipe with applesauce and it works great (but it's still not very savory). I am sorry I couldn't be more helpful. You could also try this recipe: https://nutritionrefined.com/coconut-psyllium-flatbread/ I have heard from a lot of people that they use this recipe for crepes 🙂
Bobby
AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to try these
I am a beginner at making crepes
PetraScott
Hope you enjoy them, Bobby 🙂
Carley Tinney
So yummy and easy to make!!
PetraScott
So happy to hear that, Carley! Thank you so much for the feedback ❤️
Mer
Hi Petra! This looks so yummy, I was wondering how much applesauce I could substitute for the banana? Thanks so much!!
PetraScott
Hi Mer - I would recommend using 1/2 cup (127.5 g) apple sauce in place of the banana.
Shir
Hi
This recipe is good maybe for gluten intolerance however for coeliac people it’s not good so would you kindly tell us what to put instead of oat flour.
Thanks
Shir
PetraScott
Hi Shir - I would probably try buckwheat flour in place of the oat flour. Is that an optional for you?
Nam
Thank you, i did it.i love it.its like pancake if i add a little bit of plant milk.
PetraScott
Thank you for the feedback, Nam! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
CHARLOTTE BOULOGNE
Petra i did it and it was delicious !
PetraScott
Yay! That's awesome! Thank you so much for sharing, Charlotte!❤️