After our last trip to Paris some weeks ago, where I scarfed down buckwheat crepes at every opportunity (Oui! Je voudrais une autre crepe, si’l vous plait! – How’s that for making this site tres international?), I came home, went to Whole Foods, bought buckwheat flour (which isn’t wheat at all), put it in my pantry, and forgot all about it.
That is, until this week when I was dying for something…je ne sais quoi (See, Mom? All that money spent on Study Abroad was worth it! Told you I’d use it someday!) after my morning long-ish runs. You know that feeling? Something satisfying, but not too heavy, and that you can at least pretend is good for you? Okay, you don’t know that feeling? Oh. Well. Anyway.
Then I remembered the buckwheat flour. And Paris. And all the crepes I consumed. So I did what I always do when I have a hankering for something French: I Googled “David Lebovitz“, and voila! (I can’t help myself), there was a very simple buckwheat crepe recipe. David is the master of all things French, and a genius baker, so if he posts a recipe, you can sit back, relax and just follow along.
But that wouldn’t be any fun, now would it? You know I cannot stand to leave well enough alone. I have to mess with things, even when I know it isn’t in my best interest. It’s like a weird compulsion. Tinker, tinker, tinker. Yes, I drive my kids crazy.
Since so many people who read this blog actually come here for the running, a lot of them like their recipes to be a tad bit healthier than the average bear. I (mostly) do, too, so I’m happy to put my tinkering compulsion to a healthier purpose and see if I can make things that are (mostly) good for you and still taste good (there is no way in hell I’m eating something if it doesn’t taste good).
Because David’s recipes are so spot on, though, I was a little hesitant to tinker with it. Why mess with a perfect recipe? But since I had also bought brown rice flour at the same time as the buckwheat flour, and hadn’t used it either, I decided, what the heck. If I completely ruined the recipe, you (and David) would never know, now would you? It would only be one of many secret kitchen failures that would remain secret. But this recipe was so easy – you just throw all the ingredients in a blender and whir away – there was no catastrophe to hide. I ate crepes for two days after my morning runs, and then wished I had more.
David’s (we’re on a first name basis, you know) recipe calls for part buckwheat flour and part all-purpose. I subbed in the brown rice flour and then just kept on substituting, deciding that, while I was at it, I might as well make the crepes dairy free, too. I think you could take this recipe all the way vegan if you wanted to, just sub in tapioca for the eggs. I really like the extra protein from the eggs, and I’m not vegan, so the eggs stayed in for my crepes. But tinker away, my fair readers! Veganize the bejeezus out of these crepes, if you are so inclined.
The tinkered-with crepes came out fantastic – probably more to do with the awesomeness of David’s recipe than any of my shenanigans – light, but really flavorful, and now you have a gluten free, dairy free option. They worked well sweet (Banana Hazelnut – see picture at top), and savory:
Buckwheat Crepe with Ham and Roasted Asparagus
And somewhere in between:
Buckwheat Crepe with Peanut Butter and Berries
Buckwheat Crepes (adapted from David Lebovitz) – Gluten Free and Dairy Free
2 cups almond or soy milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons coconut oil (for sweet crepes) or canola/olive oil (for savory crepes)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buckwheat flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown rice flour (or any other fine milled flour)
3 large eggs
Mix all ingredients together, either in the blender or with a whisk.
In a non-stick skillet, over medium to medium high heat, add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or a canola/olive oil. Pour in a small ladleful (about 1/4 cup) of batter and swirl it around your skillet to cover the bottom evenly. When bubbles form and burst (about one minute), gently turn the crepe over (this takes a little practice, but you’ll get the hang of it). Adjust the heat as you go so that the crepe cooks through but doesn’t scorch.
Fill with whatever your brain can conceive and eat right after a run (yes, you must go run). So yummy!
Mom, ultrarunner, four-time US 24 Hour National Team member, adventure athlete, food writer. Graduate of the Pro Cooking Program at the New School of Cooking, Los Angeles. Will run for food.
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We’ve been doing our long runs through a park that hosts a farmer’s market every Saturday morning and there is a Crepe stall set up just next to where we’re running. We usually hit it after we’ve been running for two hours and the smell of the cooking crepes is exquisitely cruel to hungry runners. I’ve been craving them. And that chocolate and banana one looks just like what I’ve been craving.
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