Homemade French Crepes are so much fun and surprisingly easy to make with a simple batter and nonstick skillet. They can be sweet or savory, depending on your preference!
In this recipe
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Origin of the crepes
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Make dough from scratch
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Sweet or savory?
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Crepe pans
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5 steps to making crepes
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Save crepes
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Crepe fillings
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For a dish that seems so fancy, crepes are surprisingly easy to make at home. After all, they’re just thin pancakes – but oh, what pancakes!
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How to make french crepes
Are crepes really French?
The ancient origins of crepes (which rhyme with ‘steps’) lie in Brittany on the coast of France, where their popularity spread and made them one of today’s most popular national dishes. Crepes can be sweet or savory, with plenty of filling options for both.
Forget intimidating cooking skills or fancy gadgets. Crepes just require patience. Once you get the hang of making them, there’s no stopping you.
How to make crepe batter from scratch
For best results, beat the smooth batter of eggs, flour, and milk in a mixer. The batter should be the consistency of cream when you start making the crepes. If it thickens too much while sitting, just stir in a little more milk. (The flour will thicken the batter the longer it rests, just like regular pancake batter.)
Sweet or savory dough? Your call!
The crepes I make with this recipe are sweetened with sugar, but if you want to make them savory just omit the sugar.
You can also experiment with adding other flours, e.g. B. with a combination of white and wholemeal flour. Savory crepes from Brittany are traditionally made with buckwheat flour! You may need to adjust the amount of milk when working with whole wheat flour to get the right consistency.
What type of pan to use for crepes
For best results when making crepes, use an 8- to 9-inch non-stick skillet or seasoned crepe pan. A stainless steel pan may have trouble sticking unless it’s very well seasoned. A seasoned cast iron skillet might work, but it’s heavy and difficult to handle quickly.
How to Make French Crepes in 5 Steps!
The technique for making crepes is simple:
- Heat the pan over medium-high heat and rub butter from the end of a stick (to add flavor and color).
- Scoop about 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan, then immediately take the pan and tip it to spread the batter across the bottom of the pan.
- Return the pan to the heat for a minute or two, or until the bottom of the crepe is browned and the top looks set.
- Slide a rubber spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the crepe and use either your fingers or the spatula to flip it over to the other side.
- Another 30 seconds and your crepe is ready.
When each crepe is cooked, stack them with the others on a plate. Keep cooking until the batter is all gone, then eat it!
How to store crepes
Cooked and refrigerated crepes can also be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to a week. Warm them up in the oven or in a hot pan before filling and serving.
What kind of filling do you use?
Now comes the fun part: the filling!
Hot out of the pan, sweet crêpes can simply be buttered and sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice. Or you can spread them with your favorite jam and roll them up for a quick snack or breakfast treat.
Some more cute decadent stuffing ideas include:
- Sweetened ricotta and peaches
- Mascarpone and berries
- Nutella
- peanut butter or nut butter
- whipped cream and chocolate sauce
- Vanilla ice cream and candied pecans with maple syrup.
Fill savory crepes with one of these ideas:
- Ham and cheese
- Boiled asparagus and cheese
- mushrooms and shallots
- Bacon with Eggs
- Brie and pear
- Smoked fish and potatoes
The list goes on. And further.
If you can’t get to Paris and stop at every corner for a crepe snack, you can certainly have your own little creperie at home! Enjoy your meal!
More delicious dough-based recipes to try!
- Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes
- How to make fluffy buttermilk pancakes
- Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Buckwheat pancakes
How to make french crepes
Use whole milk for the best flavor and color.
For savory crepesskip the sugar and vanilla in the batter.
For the strawberry crepes picturedMix 2 cups of peeled ripe strawberries with 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam to create a smooth sauce (add additional water to thin it if needed). Serve crepes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some freshly sliced strawberries and a few spoonfuls of sauce drizzled on top.
ingredients
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3 big eggs
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2 1/3 cups milk
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1/4 Cup sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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prize Salt
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2 1/3 cups (290G) all purpose flour
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Butter, for the pan
method
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Prepare the crepe batter:
In a mixer, pulse eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour for 7 to 10 seconds or until batter is smooth. Pour into a bowl. (The batter can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the batter thickens too much, add additional milk before cooking to thin it to the consistency of cream.)
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Heat and grease pan:
Heat an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet or well-seasoned crepe pan over medium-high heat until hot. Using one end of a strip of butter, brush the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of melted butter.
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Start cooking the crepes:
Pour 1/3 cup batter into center of pan. Immediately grab the pan and tilt and swivel to spread the batter evenly on the bottom.
Bake 1 to 2 minutes or until the crepe is golden brown on the bottom.
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Flip the crepe:
Using a rubber spatula, loosen the edge of the crepe all around. Holding the edge with your fingertips, gently but quickly flip the crepe to the other side (or use a spatula if that feels more comfortable).
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Cook an additional 30 seconds, or until the crepe is golden brown on the bottom:
Put the finished crepe on a plate.
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Repeat until all the batter is used and stack the crepes on top of each other on the plate
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Assemble crepes:
Place a crepe on a plate and fill it with the filling of your choice. Either roll up or fold the crepe into quarters and top with additional toppings, if desired. Serve warm.
If you’re not eating them right away, let the crepes cool, then cover the stack with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Heat in a buttered pan.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 310 | calories |
| 7g | Fat |
| 50g | carbohydrates |
| 11g | protein |
