Almond Flour Crepes with Roasted Fruit

My recipe for almond flour crepes is an easy and delicious way to enjoy a sweet gluten-free breakfast, brunch, or dessert. And there’s a ton of brunch-making experience to back it up.

Being in charge of the crepe station at a busy restaurant brunch service was always an exciting adrenaline rush for me.

As the crepe cook, you were not only responsible for feeding the guests, but entertaining them, as well!

Working that station every weekend reminded me of a carnival sideshow exhibit:

Here you are taking the stage, with a crowd of curious (and hungry) patrons surrounding you, waiting with bated breath for the performance that will soon ensue…

For one weekend, and one weekend only, behold! Nikki Cervone, the determined pastry cook who tirelessly dreams of a bigger and better life, here to bring you… CREPES!

Any cook who has worked the station before knows a few sleight of hand techniques – easy tricks that are able to immediately win the crowd’s attention and affection:

Make a BIG burst of flames with just a little rum in the sauce! The crowd will gasp and applaud!

Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the flames to create fun little sparks! The kids will laugh and giggle!

It was a perfectly rehearsed system of making the crepe, making the sauce, and serving the guest – the show would go so smoothly, even on the busiest of brunches with hundreds of covers.

But the one flaw that could potentially ruin the whole operation’s excitement was the look of disappointment from a guest who has dietary restrictions, particularly those who eat a gluten-free diet.

They could never experience the sweet pleasure of those thin, delicate pancakes. A basic recipe is typically made with a base of wheat flour.

Well, my next performance time slot is specifically dedicated to my wheat-free crowd – prepare to be delighted, entertained, and well fed!

The batter has many similar ingredients to a typical recipe. You’ll immediately recognize the milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt.

But by replacing the wheat flour with almond flour and tapioca starch, the batter transforms into a delightfully gluten-free version.

They will have a slight texture to them from the ground nuts, but that very subtle grittiness plays well with the roasted fruit filling.

For this the filling, I take inspiration from Foodal’s recipe for roasted blueberries to serve with the crepes. I lightly roast the berries with maple syrup and cinnamon, until they just start to soften and burst.

Roasting is a smart choice to make, as you can cook the fruit in the oven while leaving the stovetop clear for cooking the batter.

It’s also a strategic recipe to choose, because the juicy blueberries release some liquid into the maple syrup, effortlessly creating a delectable sauce to drizzle on top!

No more disappointed faces – we’re all smiles here! Enjoy this gluten-free recipe as soon as the mood strikes for a sweet breakfast!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep the Batter Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F. This is for roasting the blueberries in a later step!

Measure out the almond flour, granulated sugar, tapioca starch, salt, milk, and vanilla extract. Crack the two eggs into a bowl.

Melt the butter, and let it cool. If the butter is still hot, it will re-solidify when you add it to the cold milk and eggs, causing the butter to form small chunks that won’t properly mix into the batter.

Measure out the oil and place it in a separate bowl. This will be used for greasing the pan and will not be added to the batter.

Step 2 – Make the Batter

Whisk together the almond flour, granulated sugar, tapioca starch, and salt in a large bowl.

Is your almond flour clumpy? Don’t make the batter just yet! First, sift the almond flour to break up any large clusters. This will help to form a smooth batter without any clumps.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a separate small bowl.

Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while whisking constantly, until a smooth and thin batter forms.

Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes to slightly thicken the batter. After 10 minutes, it should look like a thin pancake batter – it will still be a little runny, but shouldn’t be too watery.

If the batter is too thin, gradually add almond flour a tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. If the batter is too thick, gradually add more milk a tablespoon at a time until it is thinner.

Step 3 – Prep the Roasted Fruit Ingredients

While you are letting the batter sit, this is the perfect time to prep and roast the fruit. Rinse the blueberries in a colander and measure out the maple syrup and cinnamon.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and transfer to an ungreased and unlined 8-inch rimmed square baking pan.

Step 4 – Roast the Fruit

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast the blueberries for about 10 to 15 minutes, until they soften and start to release their juices.

The majority of the blueberries should still maintain their shape.

Set aside to cool as you cook the batter.

Step 5 – Cook the Batter

When the batter is ready, dip a paper towel in the canola oil and thinly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch nonstick skillet. Heat the skillet over low heat.

Pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the pan. You can use a measuring cup to help with this. A full 1/4 cup will make a crepe that’s too thick.

Immediately tilt the pan and quickly swirl the batter to evenly coat the entire bottom of the pan with a thin layer.

Uh-oh… are there some holes in the batter after you swirled? You can fix this! Quickly drip some batter from a spoon to fill in any holes.

Cook without moving the pan, until the edges of the crepe are dry and getting slightly brown, for about 1 to 2 minutes.

You don’t want it to brown too quickly or too much – once it cools, it may be too brittle to fold or roll. So be sure to keep an eye on the color of the crepe as it cooks and the heat level.

Here’s the tricky part: flipping the crepe! Be quick and confident!

This batter is even more delicate than a traditional pancake batter, so you want to be as gentle as you can and as quick as possible without ripping it.

Loosen the edges of the crepe from the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Gently slide a spatula underneath one section, grasp the edge with your fingertips, and flip FAST!

Once you flip it, cook for another 30 seconds, just until the other side is lightly cooked without too much browning.

Carefully flip the crepe onto an ungreased large plate or sheet pan. Set aside to cool as you repeat the steps above with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with a very thin coating of oil between each crepe.

The crepes will not stick together, so you can layer them on top of each other as you transfer them out of the pan.

Step 6 – Assemble and Serve

When ready to serve, fold each crepe in half, and then in half again to create a quarter fold. Repeat with the remaining crepes.

You can also choose other shapes: leave them flat, fold just once in half, or place the blueberries in the middle of a flat crepe and roll it up!

Place two crepes on each plate. Divide the blueberries and any liquid they’ve released on top of the crepes. Top with freshly whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy while the blueberries are still warm!