Annie’s Gluten-Free French Canelés

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Annie's gluten-free French canelés fooled her workmates. They bit through the caramelised shell, reached the soft custardy centre, and asked if she had finally found a proper bakery. She had not. She had simply replaced the plain flour gram-for-gram with WEATZERO® All-Purpose Flour.
Annie Le | WEATZERO® | July 2026
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Refrigeration Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 16 caneles
Course: Dessert
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Notes Ingredients Equipment Method

Notes

From Experience: Wins, Fails, and What Stuck

MOULD SIZE & YIELD. This recipe was developed for medium canelé moulds, approximately 5–5.5 cm top diameter, 5 cm tall, holding 60–70 mL each. The batter makes roughly 800 mL total, enough for 16 medium canelés filled three-quarters full (~45–50 mL of batter each).  If your moulds are a different size, divide the ~800 mL of batter by your mould’s ¾-fill volume to work out your yield — e.g. small 30–45 mL moulds will give you closer to 24–30.
GIVE THE BATTER TIME. Chill the batter for at least 12 hours. For the best custardy texture and fuller flavour, allow it to rest for 24 to 48 hours.
WEIGH YOUR WEATZERO® FLOUR. Use exactly 125g of WEATZERO® Millet-Based All-Purpose Flour. Annie replaced the plain flour gram-for-gram, without changing the original quantity of flour.
ADD THE MILK GRADUALLY. Begin by whisking a small amount of the lukewarm milk mixture into the eggs. This gently brings the egg mixture up to temperature and helps create a smooth batter without lumps.
WHISK THE RESTED BATTER. The batter will settle while chilling. Whisk it for approximately 2 minutes before filling the moulds, ensuring the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
LEAVE ROOM IN THE MOULDS.  Fill each mould approximately three-quarters full, or leave about 1cm of space at the top. Overfilling can cause the batter to rise too far above the mould and prevent the base from caramelising evenly.
THE FIRST HOT BAKE MATTERS. The first 20 minutes at the higher temperature help the shell begin setting. Reduce the heat without opening the oven so the temperature falls gradually and the canelés continue baking evenly.
LOOK FOR DEEP CARAMELISATION. Canelés should be deeply golden brown rather than lightly coloured. Oven temperatures and mould materials vary, so the final baking time may require a small adjustment.
UNMOULD THEM STRAIGHT AWAY.  Turn the canelés out as soon as they leave the oven and place them on a wire rack. Leaving them in the moulds traps steam and can soften the crisp shell.
ENJOY THEM ON THE DAY THEY ARE BAKED.  The contrast between the crisp caramelised shell and soft custardy centre is at its best on the day of baking.

Ingredients
 

Milk Mixture
  • 2 cups (500g) Full Cream Milk
  • 2 tbsp (30g) Unsalted Butter
Batter
For the Moulds
  • 1 tbsp (15g) Unsalted Butter – or as needed
weatzero-gluten-free-caneles-equipment

Method
 

Prepare the Milk Mixture
  1. Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan.
  2. Warm gently over low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Do not allow it to boil.
Prepare the Batter
  1. Place the whole egg, egg yolks, salt and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined.
  3. Slowly pour approximately one-quarter of the lukewarm milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
  4. Add WEATZERO® Millet Based All-Purpose Flour, and whisk until smooth with no visible pockets of flour.
  5. Slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture while continuing to whisk.
  6. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth, thin and evenly combined.
Chill The Batter
  1. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter for at least 12 hours. For the best result, chill it for 24 to 48 hours.
Prepare the Moulds
  1. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and whisk well for approximately 2 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F) conventional. Allow the oven to heat fully for at least 15 minutes before baking.
  3. Generously grease the inside of 16 canelé moulds with softened butter, coating the bases, sides and grooves.
  4. Place the prepared moulds on a baking tray.
  5. Fill each mould approximately three-quarters full, leaving about 1cm of space at the top.
Bake
  1. Place the tray in the oven and bake at 220°C (428for 20 minutes.
  2. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 180°C (355°F).
  3. Continue baking for approximately 50 minutes, or until the canelés have a deeply caramelised brown shell.
  4. Check the colour near the end of the baking time. Add a few more minutes if the shells are still pale.
Cool
  1. Remove the tray from the oven and immediately turn the canelés out of their moulds.
  2. Place them upside down on a wire cooling rack.
  3. Allow the canelés to cool completely for approximately 2 hours. The exterior will become firmer and crisper as it cools.
    Store any leftovers loosely covered at room temperature and enjoy within 24 hours. Avoid an airtight container, as trapped moisture quickly softens the caramelised crust.
Serving Suggestions
  1. Canelés are best served at room temperature or slightly warmed in the oven to restore their signature crisp, caramelised shell. Their rich, custardy centre make them ideal for breakfast, afternoon tea, or an elegant dessert.
  2. To refresh the crust, warm the canelés in a low oven for a few minutes. This helps re crisp the outside while keeping the centre soft and custardy.
  3. Serve them on their own or with a simple accompaniment such as warm salted caramel, Chantilly cream or clotted cream.

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