Brazilian Tapioca Flour Crepes

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 07/30/21
Brazilian Tapioca Flour Crepes

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

These crepe-like pancakes are a popular street food in Brazil. Made with tapioca flour, they are cooked to order and stuffed with a various sweet and savory fillings, such as cheese, coconut, or chocolate. These bites make a great breakfast, snack, or light meal because they can be stuffed with any and all the fillings that you can think of. With our simple recipe, you can make these crepes at home. The best part? They are naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Manioc, the root vegetable from which tapioca starch is obtained, is a native plant to South America and present in every cuisine in the area. Fried, stewed, pureed, or simply boiled with salt, this root has been feeding locals for centuries, and its versatility is now appreciated in all corners of the world. For these crepes, the starch is moistened with water and then sifted through a fine sieve to produce a snow-like powder. When this is sprinkled onto a hot skillet, it quickly melts together to form a crepe.

Enjoy these crepes with chocolate spread, caramel sauce, melty cheese, coconut and bananas, fruit sauces, nut butter, or any combination of sweet or savory fillings you'd like. Eggs, sausage, chorizo, avocado, and salsa—anything goes with these delicious crepes.

Ingredients

For the Tapioca Crepes:

  • 1 cup tapioca starch, more as needed

  • 1/2 cup water, approximately

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Filling:

  • 1 large banana, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Brazilian tapioca flour crepes ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Add the tapioca starch to a medium bowl. Gradually add the water, 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring with your fingers as you go. The mixture will form clumps; use your finger to break them apart.

    Tapioca starch and water in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Keep stirring and adding water until the entire mixture has formed medium-to-small clumps. You want the mixture to be on the dry side. Adding too much water will make a thick batter, but that's not what you want. If your mixture is too moist, add a little more starch until you find a good balance.

    Tapioca starch and water in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Pass the moistened starch through a very fine sieve into a clean bowl. Use a wooden spoon to vigorously stir the starch in the sieve to help it pass through. Once sieved, add the salt, and stir again.

    Pass the moistened starch through a very fine sieve into a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Working quickly, evenly sprinkle the sifted starch into a thin layer until all the pan is covered. Using the back of a spoon, even out the crepe and allow it to cook for about 30 seconds, or until the crepe slides easily in the pan. 

    Tapioca flour in a skillet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Flip the crepe over with a spatula. Cook for an additional 30 to 40 seconds.

    Tapioca flour crepe in a skillet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Remove crepe to a plate. Wipe the skillet clean after each crepe and repeat the process until you've used all the mixture.

    Brazilian tapioca flour crepe on a plate

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Fill the crepe with your desired fillings like sliced bananas. Fold it in half or roll it up. The crepes should be served warm because they will stiffen as they cool.  

    Brazilian tapioca flour crepes with a banana filling

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Enjoy.

Where Can I Find Manioc Starch?

As the popularity of gluten-free products keeps rising, tapioca starch is more available than it once was. Manioc starch is found in Latin markets or online, but more and more, most groceries carry at least one of two brands of tapioca starch. Look for it in the baking aisle. The starch comes in two varieties, sour (azedo) and sweet (doce). Sour tapioca starch has been fermented briefly before processing. Some recipes for tapioca crepes call for sweet and some call for sour. It's a matter of preference for our recipe—either one works well.

How to Serve Tapioca Crepes

Tapioca crepes are a great blank canvas for any meal of the day. When served with plain butter they're simply delicious, but many fillings can be served on these crepes. Use these as you'd use any other crepe:

  • Cheese: Use a high-in-fat cheese that melts well. Add the cheese to taste, return the crepes to the skillet for a few seconds to melt the cheese, and fold.
  • Guava: Guava paste comes in thick bricks, is available at Latin markets, and is similar to quince paste but much sweeter. You can process some of it with water and make a sweet sauce to fill the crepes.
  • Condensed milk: Use condensed milk to taste, or its thicker cousin, dulce de leche. A few pieces of salty cheese and dulce de leche as a filling is a great combination.
  • Chocolate sauce: Any chocolate sauce or spread of your liking will work. Add some fresh berries for contrast or chopped nuts for crunch.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
107 Calories
0g Fat
27g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 107
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 134mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 3mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)