Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Indulge in your chocolate cravings with these Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes! They’re super easy to make and thin, delicate, and soft. Perfect for a special breakfast or a wonderful dessert for the whole family!
Have you ever had some amazing crepes from a creperie? I just love seeing how they make the crepe so thin! I consider going out for crepes such a perfect dessert when it’s a date night!
I give more details in my free motivational guide, Make Cooking Fun!!, how going out to eat can inspire you to make new dishes at home! I’ve always wanted to make my own crepes - especially chocolate crepes! Now it’s the time to do that with this recipe - and believe it or not these crepes are so easy to make! You can enjoy them for a special Sunday breakfast or even for dessert - there’s no bad time for some chocolatey crepes!
Pair these Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes with a nice hot drink, perhaps a S’mores Hot Chocolate if you can’t get enough chocolate, an Indian Turmeric Chai Latte if you want a warm tea with milk foam, or a French Vanilla Cappuccino for a rich cafe experience at home!
Follow along in preparing the best sweet crepes you’ve ever had by watching the video below! If you haven’t already, I’d love it if you subscribe to my YouTube channel, and be sure to hit the bell button so you get notified when my video recipes go live with the written ones! Let’s get cooking!
What are Crepes? How are Crepes And Pancakes Different?
A French delight, crepes are essentially very thin and delicate pancakes. From my research, the word crepe comes from the Latin word “crispus”, meaning “curled up!” They’re called this because crepes can be rolled up into a tube or they are folded in either a triangle or square. More on this soon!
On the other hand, while you make think that pancakes are American, you would be completely wrong! The Smithsonian described the first written record of pancakes coming from the Greeks and Romans as far back as about 500 BC, and there have even been records of millet pancakes in China from round 500 BC to 300 BC. Check out the very interesting history of pancakes here.
That being said, a pancake is described as a “flat cake.” A crepe is a subset of pancakes, and there are many variations of pancakes, such as the South Indian dosa, the North Indian besan chilla (a crispy pancake with gram flour), or the American Dutch baby. Crepes are different from our common pancake because we don’t have the rising agent here, such as baking powder and/or baking soda. That’s why they are thin and stay flat!
Crepes can either be savoury or sweet. For an awesome savory crepe recipe, I totally recommend you try out my Savory Creamy Chicken Crepes! If you want to try a sweet crepe recipe after this, then you’ll love my Nutella Strawberry Banana Crepes! I personally prefer savory crepes over sweet, but I do always keep room for dessert, especially when there’s going to be lots of chocolate involved, like in these Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes!
If you’ve always wanted to check off making your own crepes and to bring this French delicacy into your home, then be sure to make our Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!
Why Are There Lumps in The Crepe Batter?
Likely the batter needs to be whisked more to work out the lumps. Continue whisking or processing in the blender until the batter is smooth.
Why Do you Need to Refrigerate Crepe Batter Before Cooking?
When using flour containing gluten, the process of letting the batter rest allows the gluten to relax to help develop a soft texture in the crepes.
Chilled dough is also helps to easily spread the batter evenly across the pan to create a crepe that is even and thin throughout.
Chilling also helps to prevent any excess bubbles in the batter so to get a smooth texture in the crepe.
How Thick Should My Crepes Be?
Generally, crepes are thin and delicate, resembling the thinness of a piece of paper. About 1/8th of an inch is a measure to keep in mind, but practicing is probably more useful in this context.
Why Are My Crepes Rubbery?
Crepes can become rubbery if too much flour is used or if they are cooked for too long. The batter should be thin enough that it is pourable and spreadable to form a think layer on the pan. Crepes cook really fast so be sure to keep a close eye and flip the crepe when it releases from the pan.
Crepe batter also does not hold very well so it is best to make as much batter as needed immediately and not make this in advance.
Can Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes Be dairy-Free Or Vegan?
Technically yes, our Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes can be dairy-free. You simply need to replace the whole milk with your favourite plant-based alternative. However, I do recommend you use soy milk or coconut milk to achieve a similar texture to the whole milk, as these are richer. If you are going to use a plant-based milk with a thinner consistency, such as oat milk or almond milk, then you can use less liquid. Keep in mind that whatever plant-based milk you choose will not yield exactly the same results in taste and texture as cow’s milk. As for the butter used for cooking, you can replace it with olive oil or any plant-based oil of your choice. You can even use a plant-based butter substitute if that’s what you want to use.
Unfortunately, I can’t give a direct one to one substitute for eggs in this gluten-free chocolate crepe recipe, so it would be hard to veganize it. I’ve heard of using a “flax egg” to replace eggs with a mixture of flaxseeds and water, but I’ve never tried this before and I can’t guarantee how well this would work. Sorry! If you want to learn more about it, check out this recipe.
Tools Needed For Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes
If you want to truly have the best crepes, I recommend that you invest in a crepe kit which will consist of a crepe pan and the crepe spreader and spatula.
Before you get discouraged and think you can’t make crepes at home - don’t worry! I actually don’t have any of these tools! Maybe I’ll get them one day if I see I’m making crepes more regularly, but today’s not that day! You can make incredible crepes with only three pieces of equipment:
ZWILLING MADURA Plus - non-stick pan
The end product will still be thin and crispy, but of course you’ll get that 5% added boost to the authenticity of the crepes by using a crepe kit. Just something to be mindful of!
Here are other tools that you’ll need to make perfect chocolate crepes:
Ingredients for Chocolate Crepes
Time to review the ingredients needed for our Chocolate Crepes! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card to see all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later! You’ll also be able to scale the recipe based on how many crepes you want to make and all ingredient measurements will automatically be adjusted for you - no need to do ratios!
For the batter
Flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour to make delicate and soft thin crepes. However, if you have a gluten intolerance or you’re making these crepes for someone who is sensitive to gluten, I recommend you use the 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. This ensures that the ratio of milk to flour is the same as with the standard crepe batter recipe I’ve developed in the past, and I don’t notice a difference in taste or texture! Rice flour is also a good gluten-free alternative.
Egg: The eggs will bind all the ingredients together in the batter.
Milk: I’ll be using whole milk here. I’m a big fan of using whole milk in all of my cooking and baking now for the richest results. You can get away with using lower fat milk, but the batter will be its best with whole milk.
Lemon: A bit of lemon zest totally transforms these crepes! A little bit will go a long way and freshen up your crepes!
Cocoa powder: Any cocoa powder will work here.
Salt: An essential ingredient to bring out the flavours!
Sugar: We need to sweeten our crepes up, especially to balance out the bitter cocoa powder! We only need a small amount.
Butter: Butter is needed to cook our crepes on the pan.
For the filling
Bananas: Thinly sliced bananas. Make sure the bananas aren’t green because they won’t be sweet, nor should they be brown or else they won’t slice well and they’ll be mushy!
Strawberries: Freshly picked strawberries will of course be optimal, but if you have frozen strawberries then that’s good too, and that’s what I used! Just ensure you give them enough time to defrost before adding them into your crepe!
Whipped Cream: I’m going to be using whipped cream from an aerosol can, but if you want you can certainly make your own Homemade Whipped Cream! You’ll get the best results if you use this combined with a whipped cream dispenser!
For topping
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes
Time to get cooking our awesome Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes!
We’ll go over how to make your batter and how to add the toppings. For more details on how to make your crepe batter and tips for the most amazing thin French crepes, be sure to check out my Classic Crepe Batter recipe!
Make the Batter
How to Make Batter by Hand
Measure the flour, milk, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, lemon zest and eggs in a bowl and whisk until combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15-30 minutes.
How to Make Batter in a Blender
Measure the flour, milk, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, lemon zest and eggs in a food processor and blend for 5-6 pulses or until combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15-30 minutes.
Preparing the Crepes
Heat a non-stick pan or crepe pan on medium heat and add 1/4 to 1/3 Cup of batter at the centre of the pan. Swirl the pan around to spread the batter thin. If you have a crepe spreader, this would make this much easier.
Let the crepe set and once you are able to slide the crepe around, carefully flip the crepe use a crepe turner or a fish spatula. Briefly cook the other side and then flip it back.
Transfer the cooked crepe to a plate and repeat the same with the remaining batter.
Add the sliced bananas or strawberries or both down the middle, followed by whipped cream, right over the fruits and then carefully roll the crepes into a cigar.
Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, and for optional toppings add chocolate chips, and Skor bits.
You can also serve warm with ice cream or gelato if desired! Enjoy!
Other Filling Ideas
Jam (I would recommend strawberry or blueberry!)
Nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter)
Whiskey Caramel Sauce (for adults only please!)
Chocolate chips (white, semi-sweet, or dark)
Chopped nuts (I recommend almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios)
Ice cream
Tips To Make Perfect Chocolate Crepes
Over-mixing = Bad: Don’t over-mix the batter, we don’t want to overwork the eggs. This will ensure the crepes stay nice and soft.
Let the batter refrigerate: This allows the batter to spread easily on the pan, with lesser bubbles and helps develop a softer texture in the crepes.
Maintain reasonable heat: Make sure the pan is not too hot otherwise the pancakes will become too brown and crispy. A good way to test for this is when you add butter to the pan it should remain white. If it turns brown and nutty instantly, take the pan off the heat for a minute or so.
Use a delicate hand: Crepes are delicate, use a crepe turner/fish spatula/thin spatula to turn the crepes.
Can I make These crepes ahead of time?
Crepes are the best when you serve them to order, so please enjoy them fresh! I really don’t recommend you cook crepes in advance and eat them later, they just won’t be the same.
If you really need to save some time then you could make the batter a couple of hours prior to cooking in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. I wouldn’t recommend you pre-slice your bananas or else it will turn brown.
Additionally, I do not recommend you cook the crepes stuffed with the filling and store that for later. The filling will become mushy and the whipped cream will disintegrate. No fun!
If you really need to make these in advance, you could cook the chocolate crepes and leave them unfilled in the refrigerator, then fill them when you’re ready to heat. Be sure to delicately reheat them over the stove on low heat. Cooked crepes will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Chocolate Goodness for Breakfast!
I’m always in the mood for chocolate! If you love chocolate just as much as I do, then get your day started off right with these recipes:
Watch How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes here:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!
Gluten Free Chocolate Crepes
Ingredients
- 1 Cup all purpose flour or 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- 1 1/4 Cup milk
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- butter, for cooking
- bananas, as needed
- strawberries, as needed
- whipped cream, as needed
- powdered sugar, as desired
- Skor bits, as desired
- chocolate chips, as desired
Instructions
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, milk, lemon zest, salt, sugar and eggs in a food processor and blend for 5-6 pulses or until combined. Do not over-mix the batter. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 15-30 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan or crepe pan on medium heat and add 1/4 to 1/3 Cup of batter at the centre of the pan. Swirl the pan around to spread the batter thin. If you have a crepe spreader, this would make this much easier.
- Let the crepe set and once you are able to slide the crepe around, carefully flip the crepe use a crepe turner or a fish spatula. Briefly cook the other side and then flip it back.
- Transfer the cooked crepe to a plate and repeat the same with the remaining batter.
- Add the sliced bananas or strawberries or both down the middle, followed by whipped cream, right over the fruits and then carefully roll the crepes into a cigar.
- Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, and for optional toppings add chocolate chips, and Skor bits. You can also serve warm with ice cream or gelato if desired!
Notes
Nutrition info is an estimate.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
188.69Fat (grams)
4.61 gSat. Fat (grams)
2.2 gCarbs (grams)
31.69 gFiber (grams)
2.31 gNet carbs
29.4 gSugar (grams)
11.79 gProtein (grams)
6.5 gSodium (milligrams)
243.67 mgCholesterol (grams)
63.21 mg
Follow me
Meet Anadi
Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
