Buckwheat Crepes (with Vegan Option)

Buckwheat crepes are soft and delicious, perfect with savoury as well as sweet fillings. These naturally gluten-free, nutritious crepes are made using 5 ingredients and come together in minutes. This post includes tips for making vegetarian as well as vegan crepes!

Buckwheat crepes are one of the most delicious types of breakfast crepes I know. They are also nutritious as well as quick and easy to make. You can either whisk the ingredients by hand or throw everything in a blender and puree until smooth.

Buckwheat flour is a popular crepe ingredient in various cuisines. Examples include crêpe bretonne, served with either sweet or savoury ingredients, or galette bretonne, typically served with savoury fillings (and often made with water). A lesser known example are pancake-type buckwheat ployes (made without eggs), which are a French-Canadian dish.

My recipe for simple buckwheat crepes is versatile, adaptable and can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack (both sweet and savoury) or even dinner.

How do buckwheat crepes differ from regular crepes

• Flavour: While regular crepes have a mild, almost neutral flavour crepes made using buckwheat flour have a distinctive flavour - nutty, with mildly earthy but also sweet and bitter notes (not unpleasant!). Buckwheat flour, however, does not have the same intensity of flavour as cooked buckwheat groats (great as a side dish, in salads and casseroles) so the buckwheat flavour in these crepes is quite mild.

• Nutrition: Wholegrain/wholemeal buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free and higher in fibre as well as protein than regular flour. It also contains more minerals: manganese, phosphorus, iron and others. This means that crepes made with buckwheat flour are more nutritious than wheat crepes. (See the nutritional information at the bottom of the post for more detail).

• Texture: Buckwheat crepes are just as soft and fluffy as the classic ones. But since they do not contain any gluten, they can be a little more prone to tearing than regular ones. To avoid this, turn them over carefully and do not add too much filling.

How to ensure your buckwheat flour crepes are soft

• Use the correct ratio of dry to wet ingredients. If your batter is too thick (too much flour/too little milk) your crepes can turn out a little tough/rubbery and too thick.
• Follow my recommendations for the amounts of batter to use with a standard sized and mini crepe pans (see below).
• Cook the crepes over a medium heat. If the heat is too high they will brown too quickly and become dry. Lower the heat slightly after you’ve turned over the first crepe.
• Once cooled cover the crepes to prevent them drying.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Buckwheat flour

Buckwheat flour absorbs moisture better than wheat flour, so you need to use more milk than in regular crepes. If you don’t use enough milk your buckwheat crepes will be tough and rubbery, and that’s the most undesirable quality in any crepe! In my view crepes should be soft, first and foremost, and this recipe will give you that!

Other recipes where I’ve used buckwheat flour include gluten free apple muffins and blueberry muffins.

• Milk

Use either full-fat or light/semi-skimmed milk. Alternatively use almond, hazelnut milk or coconut milk (the beverage), if preferred. I do not recommend using rich, thick coconut milk from a can as it’s high in calories and best suited for adding to stews, curries etc.

• Egg

To make eggless buckwheat crepes use ground flaxseed/flaxseed meal instead (see instructions below).

• Vegetable oil

You can use melted butter instead, if preferred, but using oil is more convenient and produces slightly softer crepes. If using butter and making the crepes by hand whisk it in after you’ve added the milk (this will help minimise lumps in your batter).

• Fine sea salt

Adding a bit of salt improves the flavour of the crepes and is important to use no matter what type of filling you are planning to serve them with.

• Cooking spray: for frying.

Use oil instead if preferred. For me cooking spray works better than oil if using a non-stick pan (it covers the surface of the pan more evenly than oil which just escapes to the sides). You can also try to omit greasing the pan altogether if using a good quality non-stick pan.

Equipment:

• Whisk or blender.
• Cup with spout: for pouring milk into the batter (if making crepes by hand).
• Crepe pan: non-stick is best.
• Large plastic/silicone spatula.

How much batter to use

For best results – thin, fluffy buckwheat crepes - it’s important to use the right amount of batter. This amount depends on the size of your pan. To make a single crepe you will need:

• 10 inch/25-26 cm crepe pan: use a little less than ½ cup/80-90ml of batter.
• 6 inch/15 cm mini crepe pan: use approx. approx. ¼ cup/50ml of batter.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Combine ingredients: To a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, egg and oil. If using butter omit the oil, but don’t add the butter at this stage.

Alternatively place all the ingredients, including the milk, in a blender.

2. Add milk: Slowly start pouring in the milk whisking all the time to avoid lumps. Continue until all the milk has been incorporated and the mixture is smooth. (Whisk in the melted butter, if using).

Alternatively puree the ingredients in a blender until velvety smooth.

• TIP: If you’ve made the batter using a whisk and it’s not completely smooth (this can sometimes happen) simply use a stick blender to get rid of the lumps (or pour the mixture into a blender and puree).

3. Rest mixture: Set the mixture aside for 15-20 minutes.

4. Cook crepes: Heat your pan (use medium heat) then coat with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the centre of the pan and swirl the pan gently to spread the mixture evenly. Cook the crepe over a medium heat for about 2-2.5 minutes then using a spatula go around the edges lifting them off the pan. Next slide the spatula under the crepe and flip it over (or carefully lift one side of the crepe with your fingertips and flip over). Cook for 1.5-2 minutes then place on a large plate. Repeat for each crepe.

Yields 7 large crepes.

How to make this recipe vegan

1. To a mixing bowl add the flour (1 cup/125g), salt, oil and 4 teaspoons of ground flaxseed.

2. Start slowly pouring in the milk (unsweetened almond milk works well) whisking all the time until completely incorporated and the batter is smooth. Alternatively place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

3. Set aside for 15-20 minutes, then make the crepes (as per Instructions above).

Serving ideas

Buckwheat crepes can be served with:

• Sweet fillings: delicious with lemon juice and honey, jam, fruit compote, fresh berries and yogurt, mashed banana and honey (my personal favourite!). You can add a tablespoon of peanut butter to most of these fillings for a more substantial meal.
• Savoury fillings: grated cheese (with ham, optionally), spinach, mushrooms, smoked salmon and avocado, tuna spread, salmon spread, omelette, cottage cheese with chives, avocado and ricotta, the possibilities are endless. Use a moderate amount of filling to prevent the crepes tearing (crepes with buckwheat flour are a little more delicate than wheat ones, especially the next day).

Top tips

• Equipment: For best results I recommend using a non-stick crepe pan (easy to flip the crepes over without tearing them).
• How much batter to use: Using a standard sized crepe pan (10 inch/25-26 cm in diameter) you will need a little less than ½ cup (approx. 80-90 ml) of the batter for each crepe.
• Cooking: Cook your buckwheat flour crepes over a moderate heat. If they brown too quickly lower the heat a little. Add the cooking spray after you’ve heated the pan (it will burn if you spray the pan too soon) then immediately ladle the batter onto the pan.
• Serving: Best served warm.
• Storing: Once cooled keep covered to prevent drying. Leftover crepes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• Reheating: Reheat in a microwave.
• Make ahead: You can prepare the batter in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap or pour into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Stir before use. If the batter seems thicker than the previous day or doesn’t spread easily in the pan add a small amount of milk to adjust the consistency.
• Freeze: Separate the crepes with parchment paper, wrap tightly or place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

More crepes recipes to try next

• Polish Crepes with Cheese
• Crepes with Spinach and Cheese Filling
• Polish Crepes with Mushrooms (Krokiety)

See also these other healthy, delicious breakfast ideas!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

How did these simple buckwheat crepes turn out for you? What filling did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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