Chestnut crepes with honey mascarpone (GF)

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These chestnut crepes or pancakes are easy to make, naturally gluten-free and have a delicious, gently sweet nutty flavor. The sweet and creamy honey mascarpone pairs perfectly to make a tasty snack, breakfast or even dessert.

two rolled up chestnut crepes on top of more on plate with chestnuts around plate

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You may remember that I used chestnut flour in my mince pies before Christmas. Well, every now and then I keep trying to think of things that the chestnut flour would be good in but haven’t done all that well since, maybe because chestnuts just don’t quite feel seasonal at the moment.

However, I did come across chestnut pancakes which looked nice and easy so it seemed silly not to give them a try, particularly since we do like pancakes in our house. I put my own twist on the typical filling and the result was a really tasty dish that would be a great dessert, that you could also just about justify for breakfast.

two rolled up chestnut crepes on top of others laid out flat on plate viewed from overhead with some mascarpone in bowl above

There is a traditional Italian type of pancake or flatbread made just with chestnut flour and water called necci. I debated sharing those (and may well at some point) but I also like this version with added egg.

I think it’s worthwhile both for the protein and to help the texture and taste. The egg helps hold them be a bit firmer and less likely to crack.

Since these are best thin, you do have to do your slight swirly action to move the batter around the skillet/frying pan (since I’m assuming, like me, you may not have a proper crepe-making set up at home). It’s a pretty runny mixture so easy enough to get it to spread.

These pancakes are naturally gluten-free and so make an easy alternative to regular crepes if that’s something you are looking for.

Many recipes I saw served chestnut pancakes with an orange cream, and I could see the fresh creaminess was a good match, but I decided to go for something slightly different with this honey mascarpone. You can make it both with a touch of rosewater or without, either way is delicious.

In fact it’s so good, I think I might have to find some other uses for the filling. I think it would be pretty good with a nutty or chocolate cake for example. If you experiment then let me know what you come up with!

a crepe in skillet with first cooked side up

Rosewater is such an incredible flavor that I keep meaning to use a bit more and it works really well here with the nuttiness in these pancakes. But it’s one you need to take care not to overdo it (it can be strong), and not to everyone’s taste. So feel free to skip.

These chestnut crepes are easy to make, with a lovely nutty flavor. The honey mascarpone may seem a little decadent but it goes so well, you really don’t want to miss it. Whether you are specifically looking for gluten free pancakes or not, these are definitely worth a try.

two chestnut crepes rolled up and part view of others under them on plate, small bowl with spoon in it behind

Try these other twists on pancakes:

two rolled up chestnut crepes on top of more on plate

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