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It turns out that if you want a foolproof way to introduce more buckwheat into your diet (or if you’re like me and have a large bag of it in your pantry that you’re wondering how on earth you’re going to use up), crêpes are the way to go.
Although I used the same ratio of buckwheat flour to wheat flour that I used when I made the nearly inedible (to me) Maple-Walnut Buckwheat Scones, these crêpes were not only edible, but in fact quite delicious. (It could have been the chocolate hazelnut spread though…or the fact that the Cherry Sauce I made with them is magic…either way, they were good stuff.) Next time I make them, I think I’m going to try a savory filling.
Buckwheat Crêpes (Based on Julia Child’s recipe for Crêpes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking; published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.)
Yields 12 to 16 crêpes
2/3 cup cold water
2/3 cup cold milk
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
A little bit of canola oil, for frying the crêpes
Put the water, milk, eggs, and salt into the jar of a blender, followed by the flours and then the butter. Blend until fully combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary. (The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream; if it’s too thick, add water a little at a time.) Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
To make the crêpes, heat an 8, 9, or 10-inch (I used 9-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, use a pastry brush to brush the skillet with a couple drops of canola oil. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour in a slightly scant 1/4 cup of batter; while still off the heat, rotate the pan to spread the batter out (the batter should spread out along the bottom of the skillet without excess; you can tell if you need to use more or less batter based on this first crêpe).
Place the pan back on the heat; cook until the crêpe is browned on the first side (about 60 seconds), then gently slide a long metal spatula under it and flip it over. Brown slightly on the second side, about 20 to 30 seconds (it will only be a spotty brown on the second side, not evenly browned like the first side). Transfer the crêpe to a wire rack to cool (you can stack them on a plate once cooled), and cook the remaining batter the same way. Fill with anything you like (I filled them with chocolate hazelnut spread and topped them with cherry sauce and a sprinkling of powdered sugar).
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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Hi Faith…just quickly passing by to let you know how I grabbed your recipe and ran with it over the weekend. The only thing I changed was to exchange the whole wheat with ‘white’ Sorghum flour. Gluten-free was on the menu ;o)
Again, thanks for the inspiration.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
what a great way to prepare crepes–these are similar to blinis, but look thinner, with crisp edges. Delicious!
Just beautiful, my dear. Can you use any kind of milk? Or does whole work best? Thank you for sharing such a delectable way to add more grains to my diet. Much love and many blessings.
Monet, I used 2% milk, but I think any would work. Hope you enjoy it, darling!
I just made crepes yesterday and stuffed them with cranberry sauce & honey goat cheese! Wonder if I could use all buckwheat flour in this recipe?
I’m so glad you found a way to use your buckwheat flour that you enjoy! And with Nutella and cherries, who could resist? I’ve never made crepes so guess what? They’re going on my bucket list! :)
Mmm, crepes with Nutella make me think of my time in France, which was way too long ago. Well, if I can’t be in Paris, at least I can savor a sweet taste with these luscious crepes.
Great idea of using buckwheat…a much healthier version of crepes…and hazelnut spread? Cannot go wrong.
Hope you have a wonderful week ahead Faith :-)
These crepes look delicious – can’t wait for Pancake Day now! The cherry sauce sounds like a very moreish accompaniment as well.
i made buckwheat pancakes once and didn’t like them at all. these are much more delicate and can be filled to bursting, which makes them quite appealing. :)
Buckwheat is fabulous in crepes and these look lovely. My Blinis with Sweet and Savoury Toppings also uses buckwheat with a similar ratio, but puffy because of whipped egg white. I agree that Nutella and/or jam are terrific filings/toppings. These would also be nice savoury, wrapped round some poached salmon in lemon creme fraiche with lots of bitey chives.
I love buckwheat flour and I usually consume it in the form of soba noodle.
Happy New Year! :)
Crepes are one of my favorite food/desserts but they are always too heavy and I can hardly finish them, I love how you tried to make them somehow healthy
Beti, I don’t know if I would call these healthy (lol!) but they definitely have a bit more nutrition thanks to the buckwheat and whole wheat pastry flour. I find two crepes to be the perfect serving size without making me feel overly stuffed. :)
What a lovely crepe…I will so need to try this one :)
Buckwheat crepes are really nice wrapped around salmon with creme fraiche, and a glass of Normandy cider :)
Love buckwheat! Those pancakes look wonderful.
I have unused buckwheat, too! The pancakes I made were great, and now I’m inspired to try crepes…yours look amazing!
Yet to find buckwheat in my health store..bookmarked this easy and healthy breakfast to try soon. Love.
I had the same situation with my bag of buckwheat! I bought it to make blinis and then didn’t know what to do with them so I made pancakes. These look lovely! :)
Those are beautiful Faith! I would love a savory one right about now :)
I am not currently planning to use buckwheat but it is good to know you are experimenting for me. When I want the recipe I will head straight back to you!
Tania, You are too sweet! But there really wasn’t much experimentation involved, lol — like I mentioned, I based my recipe off of Julia’s (I give her all the credit ;) ), so it worked like a charm! ;)
Your crepes are gorgeous Faith! Slathering them with your cherry sauce and nutella makes them so irresistible!
I love crepes, specially savory ones. can’t wait to see your recipe for savory fillings! :)
Oh man, crepes are my dessert nemesis. I have yet to master the technique, and dread having to make even the shortest stack. Yours look great though… If you’re ever teaching a class on how to churn those out, sign me up!
I’ve only ever had buckwheat noodles lol so these are all new to me! But i’ve heard really good things about buckwheat and should probably try to incorporate more of it into my diet :)
Thanks always Faith for these great recipes!
I’ve never had buckwheat flour anything but I love crepes so now I’m craving these!
What a delicious way to use up that buckwheat flour!
Happy New Year
Mimi
Beautiful buckwheat crepes, I have to try making a batch of these, they have such a rustic appearance with the darker flours!
These look fantastic! I tried making buckwheat crepes before but I had never had them before and tried to wing the recipe so of course they didn’t work out. Can’t wait to give these a try :)
I am making these this weekend! I’ve had some good experiences with buckwheat flour and some really bad exeriences. I can clearly see this one is bound to be a success :) Happy weekend, Faith!
I made buckwheat crepes on NYE! It was sort of an accident, I wanted a savory breakfast but only had one egg and some buckwheat pancake mix to work with. I filled them with sauteed veggies and they were delicious! I’m hooked! I’ll try your recipe next time!
I have buckwheat flour waiting to be used up too – maybe I\’ll do a crepe this weekend for Saturday breakfast! I bet they\’d be awesome with a savory twist, too.
I’ve never made crepes before, but I bet buckwheat would be delicious and earthy.
I’ve made buckwheat pancakes and scones, now it looks like I better try buckwheat crepes. They look fabulous, Faith!
Happy New Year to you.
I love crepes! I’ve never used buckwheat flour before, but this seems like a good way to try it. You mention a savory crepe- in the past I’ve topped them with sauteed mushrooms and shallots..delicious! Of course, you can never go wrong with Nutella :)
I keep saying I”m going to try making crepes…and then I don’t! I don’t know why I’m so intimidated! These look yum. Nutella like spreads always win me over!
Wonderful crêpes! Buckwheat flour is so versatile and flavorful.
Cheers,
Rosa