Buckwheat is an interesting ingredient. It's not actually a wheat, it's "grain-like" for sure, but it's not a wheat or grass. Buckwheat is actually related to sorrel and rhubarb and is more common in Asian countries. It is also gluten free, making these not only low carb crêpes but gluten-free crêpes. Oh, and nut free as well.
So, why do I know about buckwheat? Well, I grew up in West Virginia, and buckwheat is so ingrained in our Appalachian culture that we even have a Buckwheat Festival in the fall every year. In fact, years ago I was in New York City eating at a restaurant with my friend Candace—author and Appalachian storyteller—when after speaking with us for a few minutes, the bread guy said, "I have the perfect bread to bring you. It's something new we're trying, and I just think you'll like it." What did he bring out? You guessed it, a buckwheat loaf.
Now, full disclosure, buckwheat is not what you think of when you think of low carb or keto friendly ingredients, and this recipe could probably be adjusted using a nut flour to lower the carb count even more. However, the carbohydrates in buckwheat are complex ones, and with this recipe you can get crêpes under 5 net carbs or more depending on the size of your wrap. This isn't something you would make on the regular, but as a little treat every now and then, it's perfect.
Pictured: low carb buckwheat crêpe filled with 2 strawberries sliced and a serving of real whipped coconut milk (Gay Lea - 1carb per 2 tbsp).
My friend Candace—mentioned above—actually requested this recipe for an article she's writing for her food column in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. So, let's get to it. Here is how to make low carb buckwheat crêpes, which let's be honest, are basically just thin low carb buckwheat pancakes.
Ingredients
4 extra large eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
3 tbsp melted butter
1 cup buckwheat
1 tsp splenda (omit if making savory crepes)
Butter (or oil) to grease the pan
Directions to Make Buckwheat Crêpe Wraps
Crack eggs into a large bowl and blend with a hand mixer until frothy
Add coconut milk, water, and splenda, and butter and blend some more with the hand mixer until blended
Add the buckwheat and blend/mix until thoroughly mixed and there are no clumps
Heat nonstick pan and grease with butter (this may seem redundant, but trust me it makes the crepes crisp up a little more and easier to flip)
Pour half a ladle of batter into the pan in a thin circle, allow to cook until you start to see bubbles
Take a thin flat spatula and work your way under the crepe and flip
Repeat until all crepes are done
Top with toppings of your choice and enjoy!
TIP
If you want perfectly circular crêpes, consider using a greased large mason jar lid. Keep in mind, this will make smaller crêpe wrappers and will most likely make more than 14 servings. So, adjust the nutritional info accordingly.
Don't be afraid to stir the mixture until it's smooth (which is something you have to generally shouldn't do with normal flour pancakes). There's no gluten in this so the pancakes won't end up being super tough.
Nutritional Info
Makes 14 crepes wraps: info per wrap. **Note** I got these numbers after putting all the ingredients we used into MyFitnessPal. Be sure to add this recipe to what you use to track your macros with the brand of ingredients you use for the most accurate count.
Calories: 52
Fat: 1.8g
Carbs: 6.1g
Fiber: 1.2g
Net Carbs: 4.9g
Protein: 2.9g
We hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, we'd love to see it. Tag us on Instagram using @KaitandKeto!