Question 1

What are Crepes? How are Crepes And Pancakes Different?

Accepted Answer

A French delight, crepes are essentially very thin and delicate pancakes. From my research,  the word crepe comes from the Latin word “crispus”, meaning “curled up!” They’re called this because crepes can be rolled up into a tube or they are folded in either a triangle or square. More on this soon!

On the other hand, while you make think that pancakes are American, you would be completely wrong! The Smithsonian described the first written record of pancakes coming from the Greeks and Romans as far back as about 500 BC, and there have even been records of millet pancakes in China from round 500 BC to 300 BC. Check out the very interesting history of pancakes here.

That being said, a pancake is described as a “flat cake.” A crepe is a subset of pancakes, and there are many variations of pancakes, such as the South Indian dosa, the North Indian besan chilla (a crispy pancake with gram flour), or the American Dutch baby. Crepes are different from our common pancake because we don’t have the rising agent here, such as baking powder and/or baking soda. That’s why they are thin and stay flat!

Crepes can either be savoury or sweet. For an awesome savory crepe recipe, I totally recommend you try out my Savory Creamy Chicken Crepes! If you want to try a sweet crepe recipe after this, then you’ll love my Nutella Strawberry Banana Crepes! I personally prefer savory crepes over sweet, but I do always keep room for dessert, especially when there’s going to be lots of chocolate involved, like in these cocoa crepes!

If you’ve always wanted to check off making your own crepes and to bring this French delicacy into your home, then be sure to make these creps as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started on your cooking journey for free by signing up to my newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

Question 2

Why Are There Lumps in The Crepe Batter?

Accepted Answer

Likely the batter needs to be whisked more to work out the lumps. Continue whisking or processing in the blender until the batter is smooth.

Question 3

Why Do you Need to Refrigerate Chocolate Crepe Batter Before Cooking?

Accepted Answer

When using flour containing gluten, the process of letting the batter rest allows the gluten to relax to help develop a soft texture in the crepes.

Chilled dough is also helps to easily spread the batter evenly across the pan to create a crepe that is even and thin throughout.

Chilling also helps to prevent any excess bubbles in the batter so to get a smooth texture in the crepe.

Question 4

How Thick Should My Crepes Be?

Accepted Answer

Generally, crepes are thin and delicate, resembling the thinness of a piece of paper. About 1/8th of an inch is a measure to keep in mind, but practicing is probably more useful in this context.

Question 5

Why Are My Chocolate Crepes Rubbery?

Accepted Answer

Crepes can become rubbery if too much flour is used or if they are cooked for too long. The batter should be thin enough that it is pourable and spreadable to form a think layer on the pan. Crepes cook really fast so be sure to keep a close eye and flip the crepe when it releases from the pan.

Crepe batter also does not hold very well so it is best to make as much batter as needed immediately and not make this in advance.

Question 6

Can These Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes Recipe Be Dairy-Free Or Vegan?

Accepted Answer

Technically yes, these chocolate crepes can be dairy-free. You simply need to replace the whole milk with your favourite plant-based alternative. However, I do recommend you use soy milk or coconut milk to achieve a similar texture to the whole milk, as these are richer. If you are going to use a plant-based milk with a thinner consistency, such as oat milk or almond milk, then you can use less liquid. Keep in mind that whatever plant-based milk you choose will not yield exactly the same results in taste and texture as cow’s milk. As for the butter used for cooking, you can replace it with olive oil or any plant-based oil of your choice. You can even use a plant-based butter substitute if that’s what you want to use.

Unfortunately, I can’t give a direct one to one substitute for eggs in this gluten-free crepe recipe, so it would be hard to veganize it. I’ve heard of using a “flax egg” to replace eggs with a mixture of flaxseeds and water, but I’ve never tried this before and I can’t guarantee how well this would work. Sorry! If you want to learn more about it, check out this recipe.

Unfortunately, I can’t give a direct one to one substitute for eggs in this gluten-free crepe recipe, so it would be hard to veganize it. I’ve heard of using a “flax egg” to replace eggs with a mixture of flaxseeds and water, but I’ve never tried this before and I can’t guarantee how well this would work. Sorry! If you want to learn more about it, check out this recipe.

Question 7

Can I make These crepes ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

Crepes are the best when you serve them to order, so please enjoy them fresh! I really don’t recommend you cook crepes in advance and eat them later, they just won’t be the same.

If you really need to save some time then you could make the batter a couple of hours prior to cooking in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. I wouldn’t recommend you pre-slice your bananas or else it will turn brown.

Additionally, I do not recommend you cook the crepes stuffed with the filling and store that for later. The filling will become mushy and the whipped cream will disintegrate. No fun!

If you really need to make these in advance, you could cook the crepes and leave them unfilled in the refrigerator, then fill them when you’re ready to heat. Be sure to delicately reheat them over the stove on low heat. Cooked crepes will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.