I’ve had a hankering for something carb-y and delicious for several days now but wasn’t quite sure what I actually wanted to make. Then it hit me: I hadn’t had crepes in forever and it used to be one of my very favorite gluten-containing treats growing up. It was time to hit the kitchen and do some experimenting!
My first few attempts ended up being way too heavy…they were more like flatbreads than crepes. Don’t get me wrong, we still ate them but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.
Then I realized that I had forgotten about one of my all-time favorite starch sources for cooking: potato starch! Once I got the idea in my head, I really, really wanted it to work. This is because potato starch is one of my favorite and, I believe, most effective way to get in some really great prebiotics to feed your gut bacteria. I talk about how that works in this post about gut motility and at the end of Episode 11 of the Wellness Beets podcast.
Sure, there are healthier ways in to get your prebiotics in…but if a delicious can crepe can move you along in the right direction, I’m kind of a believer in taking advantage of that!
Note: this is originally a primal recipe but it can be modified to be paleo…see my “non-dairy” note below.
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Ingredients:
- 1 cup grass fed milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
(this makes them fairly sweet so decrease the amount if you’re looking for something more savory)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons potato starch
- 3.5 tablespoons coconut flour
- ghee or coconut oil for frying (you can use butter as well but just know that the milk proteins will brown and it’ll make the crepes look less pretty)
Non-Dairy Note: if you can’t enjoy dairy products, you can replace the milk in this recipe with fresh homemade coconut milk. The crepes end up being more delicate so they’re harder to flip but the taste ends up being good. It doesn’t work to buy a coconut milk with any gums or thickeners! If you want something that uses that, this Paleo Naan recipe can be modified to be sweet instead of savory.
Yield: makes about 6 crepes which enough for my husband and I. Double or triple for more!
Steps:
1. Combine your milk, egg, and maple syrup into a medium mixing bowl and whisk together using an electric hand mixer
2. Add in the baking soda and whisk again.
3. Add in the potato starch and coconut flour, one tablespoon at a time, and whisking well until you’ve used it all up.
4. Place a small frying pan over medium heat. You’ll want to heat it up to a pretty hot temperature so that you first crepe doesn’t end up getting cooked unevenly.
5. Melt about half a teaspoon of ghee or coconut oil into your hot frying pan and then ladle 1/4 cup of batter evenly over the pan. It helps to tilt the frying pan at an angle when you first start pouring and then swivel the frying pan from side to side to evenly distribute the batter. It takes a little practice but don’t worry, you’ll be a pro in no time!
6. Cook your crepe for 3-4 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for another minute. At first, your crepes will likely end up being a little thicker until you get the hand of ladling in the batter so you might need to add 1 or 2 minutes for each side.
7. Once the crepe is done, flip it on a plate and then top with a little bit of butter, ghee, or coconut. (This keeps the crepes from sticking together and let’s face it: this just makes them taste more delicious.)
I like topping mine with grass fed or coconut whipped cream, berries, peaches, or, for a more savory twist, caviar!