Crêpes Bretonnes are a gluten free buckwheat crepe, perfect for sweet or savory fillings. This savory crepe is the perfect canvas for your breakfast dreams. They are quick to make, and feel like an extra special meal filled with cheese, spinach, eggs, and bacon.
Contents
What are Crêpes Bretonnes?
Crêpes Bretonnes is a traditional dish made in Lower Brittany, a region in France. They are crêpes made with buckwheat flour. A gallette Bretonne is a crepe filled with egg, ham and cheese. [source]
Buckwheat originally came from Asia, but grows well in the climate in the Brittany region of France. The Duchess Anne of Brittany in the 16th century is attributed to the rise of the popularity of the dish.
This version uses freshly ground buckwheat groats, rather than store bought buckwheat flour.
Store bought buckwheat flours are toasted, which amplifies the nutty flavor of buckwheat. It’s best used in a combination with other flours to balance the strong flavor.
Grinding buckwheat at home is a simple process. Buckwheat groats are soft, so they become a fine flour after a minute of processing in a blender.
Pancake day gets a little more exciting with these savory crêpes!
The simple recipe is fool prood. Plus, they can be made in an instant. Some recipes call to allow the crepe batter to rest for 2 hours. If you’re too impatient to wait that long for breakfast (I certainly am!), then you’ll love this grind-mix-and-pour version.
What You’ll Need
- Buckwheat Groats (raw)
- Milk (milk, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice)
- Eggs
- Sea Salt
- Salted Butter or Ghee for frying (or coconut oil!)
See this recipe for a sweet buckwheat crepe variation.
Recommended Equipment:
Savory Buckwheat Crepe Fillings
- Cheese (I use an aged white cheddar, but a little grated gruyere cheese is a popular option)
- A fried egg
- Bacon, a slice of ham, or cooked breakfast sausage
- Spinach or baby kale
- Herbs, like basil, Italian parsley, or oregano
- Sun Dried Tomatoes or Roasted Red Peppers
How to Make Crepes Bretonnes
Step 1: Add the buckwheat groats to a blender. Process until a smooth flour forms. Be patient. At first there will be a lot of larger pieces, but it will blend into a soft flour after a minute. (check out this post for other ideas for using freshly ground buckwheat flour).
Step 2: Pour the buckwheat flour into a bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and salt to the blender, then add the buckwheat flour back in. Pulse into a smooth batter.
Step 3: Heat a crepe pan (or a large frying pan) over medium-high heat. Melt butter or ghee to coat the pan. Pour crêpe batter into the center of the pan. Swirl the pan so the batter forms a thin layer completely filling the pan. Use a spatula if needed to spread the batter out and fill holes. Allow to cook about 2 minutes, until firm around the edges.
Step 4: Flip the crepe and continue to cook another 30 seconds. Remove crepe from pan. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes on a plate while you work.
Step 5: Add a crepe back into the pan and add savory fillings, like cheese, spinach, a fried egg, and bacon.
Step 6: Fold the edges of the crepe around the fillings. If the crepe has cooled, it will need to reheat, and then be pressed down to stay folded into the center. Pressing it against melted cheese helps them stick into tidy little packages.
How to Store Leftover Crepes
Crepes can be prepped and reheated for breakfasts for the week. Prepare crepes as directed, and then completely cool. Stack with a piece of parchment between the cooked crepes, and wrap the plate with plastic wrap. Refrigerate crepes for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat crepes in a skillet with a little bit of butter. Add fillings, fold, and enjoy!
Variations & Faq
Crepes too thick? If your crepes are cooking too thick to fold, add a little more milk or water to the batter.
Crepes too thin? If your crepes are too thin, there will be holes in the crepe. This is difficult to do, but is caused by too much milk. Add 1-2 tablespoons of additional buckwheat flour to thicken the batter.
Crepes for Other Meals
The basic french galette recipe starts with these crepes, and layers in sweet or savoury fillings.
French people make crepes for breakfast, dinner, and even dessert, like the famous Crêpe Suzette (crepes drenched in a sweet orange sauce).
Sweet Crepe: To make sweet buckwheat crepes, add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey to this recipe. Fill with fresh berries, whipped cream, or even chocolate sauce.
Other Gluten Free Buckwheat Recipes
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Crêpe Bretonnes (Savory Buckwheat Crepes)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup buckwheat groats
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk regular, or unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice.
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Optional Savory Fillings
- cheese
- eggs sunny side up, fried, or scrambled
- bacon precooked
- ham thinly sliced
- breakfast sausage precooked
- spinach or baby kale
- roasted red peppers
- sun dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Add the buckwheat groats to a blender. Process until a smooth flour forms. Be patient. At first there will be a lot of larger pieces, but it will blend into a soft flour after a minute. (check out this post for other ideas for using freshly ground buckwheat flour).
- Pour the buckwheat flour into a bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and salt to the blender, then add the buckwheat flour back in. Pulse into a smooth batter.
- Heat a crepe pan (or small skillet) over medium-high heat. Melt butter or ghee to coat the pan. Pour batter into the center of the pan. Swirl the pan so the batter forms a thin layer completely filling the pan. Use a spatula if needed to spread the batter out and fill holes. Allow to cook about 2 minutes, until firm around the edges.
- Flip the crepe and continue to cook another 30 seconds. Remove crepe from pan. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes on a plate while you work.
- Add a crepe back into the pan and add savory fillings, like cheese, spinach, a fried egg, and bacon.
- Fold the edges of the crepe around the fillings. If the crepe has cooled, it will need to reheat, and then be pressed down to stay folded into the center. Pressing it against melted cheese helps them stick into tidy little packages.
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