French Gluten free Buckwheat crepe recipe (dairy free, egg free, vegan)

An easy vegan and gluten free crepe recipe that the whole family will enjoy! Here is the traditional French savory buckwheat crepe recipe.

What are crepes / galettes?

First of all, the French name for buckwheat crepes is buckwheat galettes (galettes de sarrasin). In France, and especially in Britany (the region they are from), the word crepe is used for sweet crepes. Whereas the word galette is used for savory ones.
Crepes are traditionally made with wheat flour, milk and eggs. Whereas galettes are traditionally made with buckwheat flour. So you will find here the galette bretonne recipe.

Galettes, like crepes, are kind of a little bit like pancakes but much larger and way thinner than pancakes. Compared to pancakes, the batter is thinner and runnier, with no leavening agent to give them any lift.

Do you eat crepes warm or cold?

That's another reason why I love buckwheat crepe so much: they are very versatile and you can eat them warm or cold.

How do you eat a crepe?

How to eat warm crepes

In France, buckwheat crepes / galettes are typically served warm for lunch or dinner.

They can be filled with all kinds of fillings like ham, cheese, bacon, eggs, vegetables (mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach...), meat or fish.

But the most traditional French filling is the “complète”: a slice of ham, emmental cheese and an egg.

How to eat cold crepes

You can also use crepes to make wraps by spreading your favorite spread on them and adding some lettuce or anything you want. Then roll them and cut them into 4 or 5 pieces.

You can then stick a toothpick on each piece to secure and serve them as an appetizer or at a party buffet.

Or you can put them in your lunch box, along with some salad (like my Belgian endive salad (gluten free, vegetarian) you can see on the picture bellow), it will make a delicious lunch.

How to make buckwheat crepes?

You will need a 12 inch/30 cm non stick skillet / pan. But if you are new to making galettes (or crepes) you might want to use a smaller pan in the beginning.

For a 12 inch/30 cm pan you will need between ⅓ cup to ½ cup (about 100 ml) of batter for each galette. This is enough to create a thin layer of galette batter on the bottom of the pan. Always mix the batter first, before you make each galette to make sure the batter is uniformly mixed.

When the pan is hot, brush a layer of oil on the heated pan. You can use an oil soaked paper towel or cloth or a brush to do that. Make sure that the pan is greased well so that the galettes don’t stick.

Add the measured batter into the pan. Swirl the pan as you add the batter. Work quickly, to spread the batter evenly around the pan all way to the edges, so that you have a smooth edge. Continue to swirl the pan (and occasionally shake it gently), to move the batter around and fill the middle of the pan as evenly as possible.

Once the bottom of the pan is evenly coated with the batter, place it back on the heat and cook.

Cook the galettes until the edges are starting to brown lightly, and they look a little crispy. Gently lift the crepe off of the pan, and flip it over on the second side.

Don’t worry, the first crepe you cook is often an ugly one.

Can I make these ahead of time?

For best result with this gluten free crepe recipe it is better to make the batter ahead of time to make it rest. Prepare the batter at least 1 hour beforehand or even the night before and keep it covered in the fridge.

You can also make the crepes ahead of time as well and freeze them.

To store these galettes, layer each galette on a plate, then cover the whole stack with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. 

If galettes are exposed to air, they will dry out. So it’s important to keep them covered with plastic wrap to prevent this. 

Keep these galettes in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

Can I freeze them?

If you want to keep the buckwheat crepes / galettes for longer than 2 days, then you can freeze them for later. When the galettes have cooled to room temperature, layer them with parchment paper in between each of them to make sure say don’t stick together. Then place them in an air-tight container that is freezer-friendly. This way, you can store the galettes for up to 4 weeks in the freezer. 

Warm them in the same pan you used to make them and fill them as you wish.

Best thing ever : a crepe party maker!!

Let’s stay real, making galettes (or crepes) is time consuming. So the thing that I love to do, especially with friends or family is a crepe party. The thing is, for this, you need a crepe party maker that apparently is not sold in every country (so sorry for that). For those who are able to get their hands on one, really this is the best thing ever!!

You prepare the galette batter (which takes less than 5 minutes) and all types of fillings (see below for ideas). Then you set the table with the crepe party maker in the center. Then all the family members or guests sit around and prepare their own mini galettes with the fillings they want. It is a very exciting time for everyone! It is a fun dinner party and cherry on top of the (gluten-free) cake: nobody slaves in the kitchen!!

Buckwheat crepes savory fillings

Here are some ideas to fill your buckwheat crepes :

• Grilled vegetables, dried or fresh tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, spinach, olives...
• smoked salmon, ham, minced meat, eggs (use quail eggs on the crepe party maker), bacon...
• all kinds of cheese, cream...