These flourless gluten free quinoa crepes are a healthy, dairy-free breakfast or brunch option that feels like a treat.
Made from whole soaked quinoa - not flour - they're naturally high in protein, Candida Diet friendly, and perfect for both sweet and savoury fillings.
If you're trying to avoid processed flours or follow a low-sugar, gut-healing diet, these crepes are a delicious staple.
Light and bendy with a mild nutty taste, they're great with sautéed veg and a fried egg or sweetened with berries. Add a dollop of my dairy and sugar-free blueberry lemon yogurt for a high protein treat.
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💕 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quinoa is a fantastic addition to any diet, particularly on the candida diet, as it is a low carbohydrate grain alternative. Quinoa also has several health benefits - it is high in fibre and is a good source of iron and calcium.
But what quinoa is probably most celebrated for, is that it is a protein source with a high quality and balanced composition of essential amino acids (superior to wheat, barley, and soybean).
Quinoa contains 8 out of the 9 essential dietary amino acids required by humans. Amino acids are essential for our digestion, immunity and for building and repairing muscle and tissue. This definitely makes it a food worth stocking up on!
Another reason to love this recipe is the fact the texture is practically identical to that of a regular crêpe made with wheat flour and milk. The flavour is also very mild with a very subtle nutty quinoa edge.
And lastly, these crêpes are great for making leftovers! Simply store any leftover crêpes in the fridge for up to two days.
📋 What You'll Need to Make Gluten Free Quinoa Crepes
- Dried quinoa - The star of the recipe! Whole soaked quinoa creates the structure and texture of these flourless crêpes. It's naturally gluten-free, high in protein, and rich in fibre, making it ideal for gut health and the Candida Diet.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Helps to make the crepes light and fluffy.
- Eggs - Eggs act as a binder, holding the crêpes together and creating a light, flexible texture. They also add extra protein and healthy fats.
- Coconut Oil - This healthy fat contributes to the smoothness of the batter and helps the crêpes crisp up slightly when cooking. Coconut oil is also anti-fungal and fits perfectly with a Candida-friendly diet.
- Plant Milk - Thins the batter to achieve the perfect pourable consistency. Choose unsweetened almond, coconut, oat, or soy milk depending on your preferences or dietary needs.
- Pinch of Salt
Optional extras for sweet crêpes:
- Vanilla Powder - Adds subtle sweetness and flavour. You could also substitute for ground sweet cinnamon. You can buy vanilla powder, but I like to make my own zero waste Pure Vanilla Powder. Skip this for savoury versions.
- Xylitol - Gives a gentle hint of sweetness without feeding Candida. I personally cook these without xylitol and instead use xylitol as a crunchy topping paired with lemon juice instead.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥣 How to Make Gluten Free Quinoa Crepes
The secret ingredient in this recipe is quinoa. We use the whole uncooked seed to form a batter which will then be fried up to create a deliciously light and fluffy crepe that can be stacked, folded or rolled!
Step 1: Measure out your dried quinoa.
Step 2: Top the quinoa with double the amount of water. Leave to soak for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Once ready to cook, rinse quinoa thoroughly using a fine mesh sieve to remove bitterness. Drain well.
Step 4: Add soaked quinoa, eggs, coconut oil, plant milk, apple cider vinegar and salt (plus vanilla powder or sweetener if using) to a blender.
Step 5: Blend until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Ensure there are no grains of quinoa left on the sides.
Step 6: Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium / high heat and lightly grease with coconut oil. Pour in a small amount of batter and quickly tilt the pan to spread into a thin layer. The amount of batter you need will depend on the size of your frying pan. You need to pour quickly as you want to spread the mixture around the pan before it has had a chance to cook.
Step 7: Cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles form and the edges lift. It took mine exactly one minute until it was ready to flip 😊.
Step 8: Loosen the crepe with a light shake of the pan, summon your inner confidence, and flip. Cook the second side until golden (slightly quicker on this side at around 45 seconds). Repeat with the remaining batter.
Hint: Don't worry if the first crêpe breaks - it's the test round!
🥞 Why You Should Soak Your Quinoa
There are three reasons why we must soak the quinoa in advance:
- Soaking the quinoa will slightly soften the dried seeds, making it easier to blend, therefore creating a smoother texture. If you skip the soak, your batter may end up on the grainy side.
- The second reason is that by soaking the quinoa, you are breaking down the saponin-containing coating which causes a bitter flavour often associated with quinoa. Rinsing quinoa thoroughly helps to remove the bitterness, but soaking beforehand is even more effective. The result is a much milder, more neutral flavour to the crêpe.
- Finally, by soaking the quinoa in advance, you are also enhancing the nutritional profile of the quinoa. Soaking the quinoa helps to lower the naturally occurring levels of phytic acid. Additionally, soaked quinoa is easier to digest which makes the nutrients in the quinoa more easily absorbed.
🥄 Equipment
I like to use my Nutribullet for convenience as I can make the batter in advance and then store the cup (18 oz / 500ml) in in the fridge for when I'm ready to fry.
⚖️ Variations
- If you are vegan, feel free to swap each egg in this recipe for a flax egg made from 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2.5 tablespoons water.
- For a savoury meal, skip the sweetener and vanilla and flavour with chopped herbs and garlic. Serve with fried eggs, avocado, kimchi or your favourite protein.
🍽 What to Serve With Gluten Free Quinoa Crepes
- For a classic French approach, sprinkle your freshly cooked, still warm crêpe with a little xylitol and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a crunchy, tangy dessert.
- Serve with some yogurt and fresh berries - why not try my super easy and quick dairy-free lemon and blueberry yogurt recipe.
- In the mood for brunch? Serve with some sautéed spinach and a runny fried egg.
❓ FAQ
You can, but the recipe is designed for whole soaked quinoa for better texture and nutrition.
Yes! Layer them with parchment paper and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a pan.
They're not keto, but quinoa is lower in carbs than grains like wheat and oats. It's high in protein and fibre, making it a great option for the Candida Diet.
More Candida Diet Breakfast Ideas
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Quinoa Crêpes - No Flour Needed!
Ingredients
- 100 g dried quinoa
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 organic eggs
- 1 tablespoon organic cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil plus extra for frying
- 100 ml plant milk I used oat milk
- Optional extras:
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla powder
- 1 teaspoon of xylitol or 4-6 drops liquid stevia
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak the quinoa in double the amount of water for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
- Once soaked, thoroughly rinse and drain the quinoa through a fine mesh sieve.
- Add the soaked, drained quinoa along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until the batter is completely smooth.
- Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and pour in enough batter to fill the centre of the frying pan. Next, angle the frying pan to pour the batter to the outer edges of the pan.
- Leave the crêpe to cook for around one minute. It is ready to flip once bubbles start to form on the surface, and the batter has dried.
- Flip the crêpe and cook for a further minute.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy these crêpes with sweet or savoury toppings.
Notes
Last step! If you make this recipe, will you do me a huge favour and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review letting me know what you thought? It really helps! Thanks for your support!!
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional info is approximate and for general guidance only. Unit conversions are automatically generated and may not be accurate.
Eugenia says
Absolutely yes! I can't believe o ate a crepe again and I can say tastier than the flour version! I didn't follow the recipe to a T because I don't have a scale or measuring cups but still turned out delicious! I added some ground almond powder aswell. I ate 3 of the completely plain they were that good! The rest with tahini honey and cinnamon. Thank you so much for this! Looking forward to trying more recipes! Gluten free can be "easy" but flour free has been a mission and I'm so happy to be able to eat comfort foods again!
Carly says
Yaaaay so happy to hear this review Eugenia, thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂 I am chuffed that you enjoyed the recipe, I agree they taste just like regular white flour crepes don't they! I have mine with xylitol and lemon juice as I love the crunch - this is how I enjoyed them (except with granulated sugar) as a young child, so it is very nostalgic! Thanks again
Daniella says
This recipe is amazing!! My last crepe was in Paris and this recipe definitely rivals it! The flavor is great, can't even tell it’s quinoa-based. Super easy to make and comes together quickly. 10/10! Thank you Carly for sharing all your amazing recipes, they have really brightened my candida journey!
Carly says
Hi Daniella! You are such a sweety thank you so much for the kind words and for spreading such positivity it means a lot! 😊 I love this recipe too, what did you enjoy with your crepes in the end? I love this recipe with some crunchy granulated xylitol and some fresh lemon juice myself! Thanks again for the rating 💚
aina says
How many crepes does the recipe makes?☺️
Carly says
Hi Aina! This recipe will make around 8 crêpes 💚