Contents 9 sections
- Why make protein crepes without whey
- The protein crepes without whey recipe
- Nutrition figures for these crepes without whey
- Which flour and which milk for protein crepes
- Can you afford to fill these crepes
- Can you eat these protein crepes regularly
- Our verdict on protein crepes without whey
- What other protein recipes without whey
- Frequently asked questions
Summarise this article with:
💡 The essentials
You do not need whey to make protein crepes: chickpea flour and eggs do the job on their own. Our recipe makes 8 crepes at roughly 7 g of protein and 107 kcal each. The leaner “cutting” version (skimmed milk and egg whites) climbs to 8.2 g of protein for 92 kcal.
- Ingredients: 150 g chickpea flour, 3 eggs, 30 cl almond drink, 1 pinch of salt.
- Why chickpea flour: 22.4 g of protein per 100 g according to Ciqual, more than double plain wheat flour.
We all love crepes, but fitting them into a high-protein diet is another matter. Good news: simply swapping the flour lifts the protein in your batter by around 60% without adding any powder. No whey to buy, no supplement aftertaste: just ingredients you can pick up in any supermarket.
Here is the recipe, its calculated nutrition figures, an even higher-protein cutting version and our topping ideas depending on whether you are bulking or cutting.
🤔 Why make protein crepes without whey?
Whey is a very popular supplement among athletes, and it tops up the protein in your diet very effectively. But it is not essential for protein crepes: pulse flours such as chickpea flour already bring plenty of protein, and the eggs finish the job. It is also the answer if you digest dairy badly or you would rather avoid supplements. For the other options, see our guide to what to use instead of whey.
That said, if you already have whey or you are thinking of buying some, Nutripure should be your first stop: their unflavoured whey isolate contains nothing but whey isolate, with no flavourings and no sweeteners. It will also come in handy for our whey protein crepes. The brand ships from France.
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🥞 The protein crepes without whey recipe
Ingredients (8 crepes)
- 150 g chickpea flour (gram flour)
- 3 eggs (about 150 g shelled)
- 300 ml unsweetened plain almond drink
- 1 pinch of salt
Equipment
A mixing bowl, a whisk and a non-stick crepe pan or frying pan, lightly oiled.
Method
- Tip the chickpea flour and the salt into the bowl, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it.
- Whisk while pouring in the almond drink a little at a time, until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes. If it has thickened too much, loosen it with a splash of liquid.
- Heat the pan and oil it lightly.
- Pour in a small ladle of batter while tilting the pan, let it turn golden, flip it and cook the other side.
- Repeat until the batter is used up.
Chickpea flour has a stronger flavour than wheat flour: if it is new to you, start with a savoury filling, or add a little vanilla or cinnamon to the batter for the sweet version. An earlier version of this recipe said “pea flour”: chickpea flour is the easiest one to find and the one whose figures are published in the Ciqual table.
📊 Nutrition figures for these crepes without whey
Each crepe gives you roughly 7 g of protein for 107 kcal, excluding cooking oil. Per crepe (1/8 of the recipe):
- Calories: about 107 kcal
- Protein: about 7 g
- Carbohydrates: about 9.1 g (of which sugars: 2.1 g)
- Fat: about 4.3 g (of which saturates: 0.7 g)
- Fibre: about 2 g
Four crepes, half the recipe, give you around 28 g of protein for 428 kcal, with no added sugar. Scaled to 100 g of raw batter, that works out at 9.3 g of protein and 143 kcal.
🔬 Our method
We calculated these figures from the ANSES Ciqual food composition table, with no laboratory analysis. For each ingredient (chickpea flour, raw egg, raw egg white, unsweetened plain almond drink, UHT skimmed and semi-skimmed milk, porridge oats, T45 plain wheat flour) we took the values per 100 g from the Ciqual table, multiplied by the quantity in the recipe, then divided by the number of crepes. Assumptions: 50 g per shelled egg, 33 g per egg white, 1 ml of liquid for 1 g. Salt and cooking oil are not counted (about 45 kcal per 5 g of oil).
The “cutting” variation, even higher in protein
For a version with more protein and less fat, swap the almond drink for skimmed milk and the 3 whole eggs for 6 egg whites. Each crepe then moves to roughly 8.2 g of protein, 92 kcal and 1.3 g of fat, which is about 33 g of protein for 4 crepes. An ideal option when you are cutting.
Now go and earn those abs!
⚖️ Which flour and which milk for protein crepes?
The flour you pick matters more than anything else: with the same recipe (150 g flour, 3 eggs, 30 cl liquid), chickpea flour gives a far more protein-rich batter than oats or wheat. The liquid counts too: almond drink brings only 1.1 g of protein per 100 g according to Ciqual, against 3.6 g for skimmed milk. Here is the comparison per 100 g of raw batter:
| Batter (per 100 g) | Protein | Calories | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickpea + eggs + skimmed milk + egg whites (cutting version) | 10.2 g ★★★★★ | 114 kcal ★★★★★ | 1.6 g ★★★★★ |
| Chickpea + eggs + semi-skimmed milk | 10.5 g ★★★★★ | 149 kcal ★★★☆☆ | 4.9 g ★★★☆☆ |
| Chickpea + eggs + almond drink (our recipe) | 9.3 g ★★★★☆ | 143 kcal ★★★☆☆ | 5.7 g ★★☆☆☆ |
| Porridge oats + eggs + almond drink | 6.4 g ★★★☆☆ | 145 kcal ★★★☆☆ | 6 g ★★☆☆☆ |
| T45 plain wheat flour + eggs + almond drink | 5.8 g ★★☆☆☆ | 142 kcal ★★★☆☆ | 4.3 g ★★★☆☆ |
If you eat dairy, skimmed milk is the best liquid for a protein crepe. Stick with almond drink if you are avoiding cow’s milk, bearing in mind that it mostly brings liquid and very little protein.
ℹ️ Good to know
Plant proteins are not so “incomplete” that you have to combine them at every single meal. ANSES, the French food safety agency, points out that pulses are low in sulphur amino acids and cereals low in lysine, but that protein sources in France are varied enough that systematic pairing is not required. In these crepes, the eggs complement the chickpea flour anyway.
😈 Can you afford to fill these crepes?
Of course! Just match the filling to your goal, and count it in your calories for the day.
The best fillings when you are bulking
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts)
- Banana and a drizzle of honey
- Savoury side: egg, grated cheese, ham
The best fillings when you are cutting
- Fromage blanc 0%, a French fresh cheese close to quark (7.3 g of protein for 48 kcal per 100 g according to Ciqual)
- Fresh fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
- Apple puree with no added sugar
- Savoury side: low-fat soft cheese, spinach, chicken breast
🍽️ Can you eat these protein crepes regularly?
Yes, as long as they fit your calorie and macronutrient targets. For context, ANSES sets the nutritional reference value for protein in a healthy adult at 0.83 g per kg of body weight per day, and recommends that protein makes up 10 to 20% of your daily calories. These crepes are therefore a good way to rescue a meal that is too low in protein, provided you vary your sources across the week: eggs, fish, meat, pulses, dairy.
🏆 Our verdict on protein crepes without whey
This is our favourite recipe for anyone who wants protein crepes without a supplement: three main ingredients, no added sugar, and around 28 g of protein for four crepes. The trade-off: a chickpea taste you have to enjoy, and slightly less protein per calorie than with whey.
It is not for you if you are allergic to eggs or to pulses such as chickpeas, nor if you are vegan without adapting the recipe. If you have an allergy, kidney disease or you are pregnant, ask your doctor before making big changes to your protein intake.
🍰 What other protein recipes without whey?
As good as they are, there is more to life than crepes! Here are our other protein recipes without whey, plus the ones with it, just in case:
- Protein bars without whey
- Protein pancakes without whey
- Protein shake without whey
- Protein pancakes with whey
- Our crepe recipe using whey
Buon appetito!
❓ Frequently asked questions
How do you make crepes high in protein without whey?
Swap the wheat flour for chickpea flour and keep eggs in the batter. According to Ciqual, chickpea flour contains 22.4 g of protein per 100 g, against 8.4 g for T45 plain wheat flour. Skimmed milk and egg whites push the protein higher still.
How much protein is in a protein crepe without whey?
About 7 g per crepe with our recipe, and 8.2 g with the cutting version. For the same weight of batter, the same recipe made with T45 plain wheat flour contains roughly 40% less (5.8 g against 9.3 g per 100 g of batter).
Can you make these crepes without eggs?
Yes, chickpea flour binds well enough to make pancakes without eggs, but you lose some of the protein. Add more liquid in that case and expect slightly thicker crepes. Recalculate the figures using your own quantities.
How long do chickpea crepes keep?
3 to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 3 months in the freezer, going by Health Canada’s guidance for cooked egg-based dishes. Keep them in an airtight container, separated by baking paper.
📚 Sources
