Having observed a recent avalanche of crêpe recipes among my RSS subscriptions, I decided it was time to contribute my own by sharing with you a creation I came up with a few months ago.

I have already mentioned how I discovered quinoa flour in my “Chicken Tenders breaded with Quinoa Flour & Panko” post. What I still haven’t told you, however, is the story of my first experiment with it.

When, on that day, I came across quinoa flour and, without a second thought, immediately tossed a box into my basket, I believed that, quinoa being gluten-free, I had found a substitute for my regular flour.

Well, it turned out to be slightly more complicated than that.
First, because I’ve never liked chemistry. (No offense to any chemists out there!) And so, it didn’t cross my mind that, being gluten free, the quinoa flour would need some extra help to rise. Thus, when I read on the package that it was a good idea to mix it with some other type of flour, I kinda decided to ignore the advice. Besides, I wasn’t going to go back to the store after just having come back from it, would I?

And so, I mixed what I thought would become a loaf of quinoa bread… Well, the end result really did look like a (rye) bread loaf. But the texture… the texture was just not right. Too heavy, too compressed, not fluffy enough. And to top that, I discovered problem #2: quinoa flour has a pretty strong taste.

I wasn’t going to give up so easily though. That day, I decided I was going to come up with something good. Something that didn’t need rising. At least, not that day. Within a second, the idea came to me.

Gluten-free Quinoa Crêpes with Fig Jam.

The success of this recipe completely made up for my bread loaf. Not only does it give you great crêpes, but you can barely notice the quinoa taste – it is very subtle. And the fig jam makes a perfect match for it, creating a sensation that both complements and contrasts.

Ingredients

(For 8-10 regular sized crêpes.)

120g (4.2 oz) Quinoa Flour
30 g (1 oz) melted butter
Dash of salt
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups of milk
2 tsp vanilla or orange extract
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1.5-2 tbsp Ruby Porto (optional)
1-2 tbsp water if needed

Fig jam

Directions

1. Mix very well all ingredients — except for the water, making sure your quinoa flour is not just resting at the bottom of your bowl. The mixture shouldn’t be thick, but shouldn’t be waterish either – aim for the same crêpe consistency as you would with regular flour. At this point, if needed, add the 1-2 tbsp of water.
2. Heat well your pan and apply a thin layer of the mixture. (Quinoa flour tends to have a thicker consistency and to cook for longer, so make sure to spread the mixture evenly and lightly.) Cook one side until golden, turn over, and do the same for the other side. (The melted butter in the mixture should suffice, but if you find it to be sticking, add a tiny bit of extra butter directly onto the pan.)
3. Fill with fig jam as desired and serve.