These ricotta crepes have double ricotta love. There's ricotta added into the batter for a tender, nubby texture, plus a topping of whipped ricotta, citrus, and honey.
Whip these up for a festive winter brunch or dessert, or serve them with berries or poached rhubarb in the spring, or with sautéd pears in the fall.
These vibrant ricotta crepes were originally a guest post for my friend Kris over at 80twenty! Kris's site is one of the blogs I most look forward to seeing in my feed each week and her recipes, from soup to bread to drinks never fail to make me swoon.
I made a batch of ricotta crèpes to celebrate the French holiday Chandeleur, which embraces the light returning after a long winter. Also known as Crèpe Day, on February second thin pancakes representing the sun are traditionally eaten together with crocks of hard cider. What's not to love?
The inspiration for this ricotta crepe recipe came from Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain. I traded the original gluteny flours for gluten-free ones: equal parts oat flour, millet flour, and sweet rice flour, and it worked brilliantly. The crepes cook up soft and lacy, studded with curds of ricotta and full of protein.
To the pliant gluten free crepes I add sunny rounds of citrus – cara cara and blood oranges, tangerines, and kumquat – a billow of ricotta whipped cream, a drizzle of honey, and a flutter of mint leaves. All together, it makes for a dish that's as bright visually as it is in flavor.
Try these gluten free ricotta crepes with berries during the spring, peaches and basil in the summer, or sautéed pears and thyme in the fall. They're sure to be a hit for a special brunch.
Orbs of citrus satisfy my craving for color during winter months, but no matter the weather, it's always a good time to get your crèpe on! Get the recipe, below, originally published on 80Twenty.
Cheers!
More Crepe & Pancake Recipes:
- paleo almond flour crepes
- fluffy gluten-free pancakes {dairy-free & vegan options}
- gluten-free almond flour pancakes with citrus {dairy-free, paleo options)
- savory ricotta pancakes with peas & saffron
- gluten-free banana buckwheat pancakes
- lemon ricotta pancakes (gluten-free option)
- Buckwheat Crepes, Any Which Way
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make these ricotta crepes, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Gluten Free Crèpes with Ricotta, Citrus & Honey
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Crepes:
- 1/3 cup GF oat flour (1.25 ounces / 35 grams)
- 1/3 cup millet flour (1.5 ounces / 45 grams)
- 1/3 cup sweet white rice flour (1.75 ounces / 50 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup whole milk (more as needed) (8 ounces / 235 ml)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta (8 ounces / 235 ml)
- ghee or butter, for cooking the crèpes
Ricotta Whipped Cream:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (4 ounces / 120 ml)
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta (4 ounces / 120 ml)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings:
- 2 Cara Cara (or navel) oranges
- 2 blood oranges
- 4 small tangerines
- 8 small kumquats
- a handful of small, pretty mint leaves
- a few tablespoons honey, for drizzling
Instructions
Let’s make crèpes!:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oat, millet and sweet rice flours with the salt. Add the eggs, butter, honey, and 1/4 cup of the milk and whisk to form a smooth, thick batter. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk, then the ricotta. If the batter is thick, add a tablespoon or two of more milk to thin it. (I usually add an additional 2 tablespoons, but I recommend making a tester first to make sure you need it.)
- Heat an 8-inch crèpe pan or skillet over medium heat. Add a small pat of ghee to the pan and use a scrunched up paper towel to wipe it around the pan; you just want a super-thin layer of ghee to prevent stickage, but not so much that the batter slips and slides all over the place when you swirl it around the pan. When the pan is hot, grasp it in your left hand (if right-handed) and pour 1/3 cup of batter onto the left side of the pan. Quickly tilt the pan to the right, shuffling it to spread the batter evenly into a thin layer that coats the bottom of the pan.
- Place the pan back on the flame and cook the crèpe on the first side until the edges are golden and the top is fairly dry, about 2 minutes. Slide a thin metal spatula under the crèpe to make sure it hasn’t stuck (I like using a tiny offset spatula), then grasp an edge with both sets of fingers and flip it over. (Or use a wide metal spatula to flip if you haven’t burned off all your fingerprints yet flipping crèpes.) Cook the crepe briefly on the second side until cooked through, about 1 minute. Fold the crèpe into quarters and slide it onto a large, covered plate to keep it warm.
- As you work, adjust the heat under the pan as needed. You want enough heat to give the crèpes a lacy look, but not so much that the pan smokes or the batter goes crazy when you pour it into the pan.
- Cook the remaining crèpes, repeating the ghee-spreading, batter-shuffling, finger-burning process. It will take a good half hour to get them all cooked.
- Meanwhile, make the ricotta whipped cream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine the heavy cream, ricotta, honey, and vanilla. Whip on medium-high until the mixture holds soft peaks. Cover and chill until needed.
Prepare the citrus:
- Rinse and dry the fruits.
- Cut the ends off of an orange. Place the orange cut-side down on a cutting board and use a sharp chef’s or serrated knife to pare away the skin and pith, following the curve of the fruit. Turn the orange on its side and cut into thin rounds, removing any seeds. Repeat with the other oranges and tangerines. Slice the kumquats into thin rounds and remove the seeds.
Serve:
- Re-warm the cooked crèpes in the hot pan, and place two on each of four plates. Divide the citrus rounds over the crèpes and top with some pretty, small mint leaves (or tear large ones into pieces). Spoon some ricotta whipped cream to the side of each crèpe and drizzle the whole thing with a bit of honey. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Super Citrus:
Black Sesame Kumquat Financiers {Gluten-Free}
Fresh Bergamot Truffles
Grapefruit, Ginger and Lemongrass Sake Cocktails
One year ago:
Lavender Kumquat Shrub {Drinking Vinegar}
Two years ago:
Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Olive Oil Cake
Three years ago:
(Gluten-Free) Über Chocolate Cookies
Four years ago:
White Bean, Kale and Farro Soup with Parsley Pesto
Five years ago:
Breakfast Bars with Tart Cherries, Chocolate and Pecans
Banana Brown Sugar Pecan Scones
sabine says
What a fresh & uplifting recipe! Sunny colors of citrus fruit make me dream of warmer days to come while having lots of snow here in the South of Germany!
Alanna says
Wow, I can only imagine. Thanks Sabine!
Miranda | Miranda's Notebook says
I envy you all your Californian sunshine! Those crepes look so delicious and refreshing. xxx
Alanna says
We're such spoiled brats. :
Sini says
I think "stunning" is the right word to decribe this babes.
Alanna says
Aw thank you Sini!
Linn The girl in oslo says
That looks very good :)
Alanna says
Thanks!
Marisa Bergamasco says
What your cat did say about the crepes? I think it could be the best opinion of all!!
Great post, as usual!!
Fondly,
Marisa
PD from the still very hot summer of Buenos Aires (104 F) !!!
Alanna says
Haha, I think he likes them! :)
AmandaPaa says
sweet lord! these look amazing. i will probably beg you to make them when i come visit. and love the cat picture... :) xo
Alanna says
You got it! :)
Michelle Lopez says
Stunning as USUAL. I've never heard of ricotta crepes (pancakes and donuts yes, but crepes? genius!), but the texture looks unbelievable.
Alanna says
That Kim Boyce is a genius! :)
Ashley Pitt says
Gorgeous! And nice job on the guest post! :)
Alanna says
Thanks :)
curlsnchard.com says
This recipe is amazing and honestly makes me want to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night (if I just had ricotta at home...). I always love your pictures so much, words are not enough to describe it!
Alanna says
DO IT! Thanks!
Jaime Hammack says
i'm not even sure i could describe why, but seeing the candid shot at the bottom made my heart swell with joy. these are beautiful. so are you!
Alanna says
Awwww! Reading your sweet note made MY heart swell with joy. Thank you!!
Nora says
Thank you for this recipe, and for introducing me to 80twenty. Her food, like yours, is right up my alley! I have fond memories of Sunday mornings when my mom would make us crepes for breakfast. I have been craving them again lately, but could never get the gf flours just right. So, I've been stuck with this "what's worse, mediocre crepes or none at all?" dilemma. Thanks for rescuing me from crepe purgatory!
Alanna says
Yes, Kris's site is the best! I've made some sad GF crepes myself, so I'm glad I could help. Lucky you to have gotten crepes for breakfast from your mom!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
The French really know how to do Holidays! Crepes and cider sounds pretty FAB! Gorgeous photograph, Alanna!
Alanna says
I know, right?? Thanks Liz!!
Bea says
This is absolutely divine.Can't stop thinking about THESE pancakes since I saw the pictures this morning! :)
Alanna says
Aw, thank you Bea!
Rochelle Hutchinson says
Such a stunning plate of food! All the colours!!!
Alanna says
Gotta love bright citrus. Thank you!
Cathleen says
Whoa.. this is gorgeous! I am totally craving these crepes right now!
Alanna says
Thanks!
Oxana says
YUM!
Amazing photos! The crepes look so delicious!
Alanna says
Thank you Oxana!
Eileen says
Fresh winter citrus and crepes sounds like such a great combination! Yes please!
Alanna says
Heck yeah!
Tessa | Salted Plains says
So gorgeous, Alanna! The mint and honey flavor with the ricotta and all that beautiful citrus sounds heavenly. Lovely, lovely.
Alanna says
Aw, thank you Tessa! I've been loving your citrus creations as of late, too. :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Just gorgeous, I love the citrus topper!
Alanna says
Thanks Laura!!
Aysegul Sanford says
Your photography is so so beautiful. Honey, citrus, and mint with ricotta sounds so yummy!
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
Those crepes look so yummy. I believe your cat agrees too! :)
Ambee Jacoby says
I am also on a gluten free diet so I'm eating gluten free foods. Your recipe is great. I'm gonna try it too. Anyway, http://glutenfreefamily.net is an informative site that you can use if you need more information about gluten free diet and foods. Try it! :)
Katherine says
Shopping for flours tomorrow! Serving with my mother’s home grown super sweet and delicious grapefruit!m and oranges - yay for check in luggage :)
Alanna says
Ha! Mmm that sounds so delicious. Let me know how you like 'em!
Kate says
I've made gluten crepes dozens of times with my little stainless steel pan, but when I tried this recipe, it stuck like mad. Like, had to scrape it clean. Was about to scrap the whole thing and try another recipe, then I got out my cast iron and voila - perfection. No stickage. SO, warning to all those that attempt these crepes - use cast iron! Or maybe nonstick pan (I don't have any of those).
Variation: I used non-dairy milk and did not add honey. Worked great. Thanks for the recipe!
Alanna says
Thank you for the feedback! I'm so sorry these stuck for you. My pan is also not nonstick, and some other type of metal, I'm not sure what. Very curious! I'm SO glad the cast iron worked and that these were a success! Thanks a bunch for trying out the recipe. :)
Kate says
Alterations for crepes only:
I just made these again, with some changes. I wanted to see what would happen if I omitted the ricotta and honey, and used safflower oil instead of melted butter. I also used 1/2 tsp of salt as last time they were a little salty for my taste. They turned out PERFECT. Just like the "normal" all-purpose flour ones I used to make. I heated up tiny bits butter in my cast-iron to prevent from sticking, and used a ladle to measure out batter as it was very thin. When done, we added a spoonful of chopped fruit and a dollop of plain whipped cream, wrapped up like a tube, and devoured. My kids favorite breakfast :) I'm not sure how my son walked to school this morning as he ate, like, at least 10.
Anyways, thank for for experimenting with this flour combo - such a great alternative to buckwheat crepes (which I find rather bitter).
Alanna says
Well I'm going to try your variation ASAP because those sound absolutely delicious! And LOL about your son! Thanks so much for experimenting with this recipe and for the note. :)
Cami says
This recipe was DELICIOUS! I did different toppings, but the batter made excellent crepes, both taste and texture. I used almond milk, but otherwise followed the recipe and it was super easy. Thank you for a great GF recipe for a favorite treat!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you liked the crepes and that almond milk worked well in them! Thanks a bunch for the note and rating.
Elizabeth says
I had a very hard time making these. They weren't lacy (so maybe too thick?), but completely came apart when I flipped them. I used a non-stick crepe pan. Measured dry ingredients by weight, no substitutions. I finally got an alternate system that salvaged some of the batter: after cooking one side, I slid it onto a plate, then invert the hot crepe pan over the plate etc. Not fun. The crepes that didn't fall apart were tasty, but I was sad that only about half of the batter ended up in a serveable form. I did let the batter rest for maybe 30 minutes, but I think that should have made the batter more stable, not less so. By the way, big fan of your book and your blog! Wish this one worked for me today.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for the note and for your feedback. I'm really sorry to hear that this recipe gave you trouble - that must have been incredibly frustrating!
You used sweet rice flour here (as opposed to regular rice flour) correct?
My hunch is that adding an additional egg could help the batter stick together better, and it might help thin the batter a little also if it was too thick. Additionally, using a couple tablespoons of tapioca flour in place of the millet or oat flour might help make these more sticky. I've never tried these in a nonstick pan, but I wouldn't think that would cause the crepes to fall apart. And I agree that resting the batter should make them more stable. Was the pan hot enough and did you get some color on the crepes like in the photos? I could imagine the crepes not firming up enough to flip if the pan were too cool.
I wish you could come over and we could make these together to troubleshoot! I'm really glad you're liking the other recipes here and in my book. Please let me know if you experiment with this recipe some more! I'd like to try them again myself now. :)