Want to make great-tasting French crêpes without milk or butter? This Dairy-Free Crêpe recipe is your answer. Same delicious taste and texture, no dairy required.
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Why Make This Recipe
I have been making French crêpes for years, but usually use milk and butter in my recipe. When someone asked me for a dairy-free version of my recipe, I started to experiment. And found, to my surprise, that substituting water and olive oil instead of their dairy counterparts actually works just fine! Here’s why I love this recipe:
- Crêpes anytime! You only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe, and I bet all of them are in your kitchen already.
- Great option for anyone who is vegan, dairy-free, or is just out of milk.
- Make-ahead options for both the batter and the finished crêpes
- Homemade crepes are so easy to make: if you can make regular pancakes, you can make crêpes!
🥗 Ingredients
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. If you are looking for a gluten-free version, mix and match the ingredients from this recipe with this Gluten-Free Crêpes recipe.
- Water: Feel free to use unsweetened/unflavored plant-based milk, such as almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or oat milk.
- Eggs: White or brown, large size.
- Olive Oil: Use any kind of mild-tasting oil for this recipe, such as vegetable oil or coconut oil. Or replace with dairy-free butter. Cooking spray can be used instead of oil for cooking the crêpes.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar, but brown sugar will work too. And feel free to leave this out, especially if you are going to fill your crêpes with something savory. If you are doing sweet crêpes, adding a little vanilla extract can also be delicious.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine 1 cup flour, 1 ½ cups water, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon sugar in large bowl and whisk vigorously until well-combined (about a minute). You can also use a blender for this step—blend for about 10 seconds.
The crepe batter should be much thinner than pancake batter—closer to the consistency of heavy cream. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes. You can leave it up to overnight, but move into the refrigerator if you are not using right away. After resting the batter, give it another quick stir, but try not to whisk so much it becomes foamy on top.
Now heat a 9- or 10-inch crêpe pan or nonstick skillet on medium heat. Pour in a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and use a paper towel to coat the pan evenly.
Pour about ¼ cup of batter directly in the center of the pan, then quickly lift the pan up and roll your wrist in a circular motion as you hold it, so that the batter spreads out in an even thin layer over the pan.
Cook without disturbing the crêpe until you see the edges beginning to brown, then use a non-scratch spatula to flip your crêpe and cook the other side. Use your spatula to peek if you need to—you want the bottom to be just golden brown in spots.
Keep an eye on your heat and turn down or up as needed—the crêpes should take about 2-3 minutes to cook on the first side, and 30-60 seconds or so on the second side.
Repeat with the rest of your crêpes, including oiling the pan between each one. As you finish your crêpes, stack them on a plate separated by wax paper or parchment paper.
Storage Tips
Keep crêpes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separated by wax paper or parchment paper, for 3-4 days. A freezer-safe bag works well for storage as well. Crêpes can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before using. Reheat in the microwave on 80% power.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Dairy-Free Crêpes
Yes, you can. You can make the batter up to 24 hours in advance, stored in the refrigerator. And the crêpes themselves can be made in advance as well. Reheating briefly in the microwave will bring them back to their former glory!
Resting the batter is crucial because it allows the starch in the flour to absorb the liquid, while air bubbles rise to the surface and escape. It also gives the gluten, which forms during mixing, time to relax. This results in a more tender crêpe. Unlike in a hearty artisan bread, you don’t want too much chewiness here.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Adjust the heat under the pan if the crêpe starts to cook too quickly (watch for the lacy edges starting to brown immediately). The pan will start to hold onto the heat the longer you use it, so you will probably need to turn down the burner as you go. Note that if your pan is too hot, your crêpe batter won’t spread out enough and can lead to crêpes that are too thick.
Crêpes will seem a little stiff when you first take them out of the pan, but they soften up quickly as they begin to cool.
If the top of the crêpe batter is very bubbly or foamy, you might want to let it rest a little longer. Cooking the really foamy parts will give you a bubbly crêpe.
If you keep your crêpe batter in the refrigerator overnight, it will separate as it sits. Just stir it gently to bring the batter back together.
Want to take your crêpe-making to the next level? Treat yourself to a nice pan like this Cuisinart crepe pan (affiliate link). These pans have a good weight and conduct heat evenly, ensuring your crêpes cook perfectly. Plus, their low sides make it easier to slide a spatula under the crêpe for flipping.
Another helpful tool is a wooden crêpe turner (affiliate link), which is long and flat, making it easier to lift and flip crêpes without tearing them. While not essential, both tools can make crêpe-making a pleasure! That said, a good non-stick pan and a wooden or plastic spatula work just fine.
Wondering how to fill your crêpes? From savory fillings to sweet fillings, there are so many options! My kids love sweet crepes spread with some regular or vegan butter and sprinkled with sugar. Or filled with Nutella and whatever fresh fruit or berries you can find. Another delicious vegan crepe filling is strawberry jam (or really any kind of jam). And of course there are many possible fillings for savory crepes too, like roasted vegetables, shredded chicken in salsa, or scrambled eggs.
If you’re looking to pair your crêpes with another dairy-free option, try this Strawberry Banana Smoothie without Milk, for a delicious dairy-free breakfast.
Other Delicious Crêpe Recipes
Now that you’ve got your basic dairy-free crêpe recipe, you might want to check out one of these recipes to find some delicious fillings to go inside.
If you try this Dairy Free Crêpe recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Dairy Free Crêpes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Combine the flour, water, eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and sugar in large bowl and whisk vigorously until well-combined (about a minute). You can also use a blender for this step—blend for about 10 seconds. The batter should be much thinner than pancake batter—closer to the consistency of heavy cream.
- Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes. You can leave it up to overnight, but move into the refrigerator if you are not using right away.
- After resting the batter, give it another quick stir, but try not to whisk so much it becomes foamy on top.
- Heat a 9- or 10-inch crêpe pan or nonstick skillet on medium heat.
- Pour in a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and use a paper towel to coat the pan evenly.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter directly in the center of the pan, then quickly lift the pan up and roll your wrist around as you hold it, so that the batter spreads out in a thin even layer over the pan.
- Cook without disturbing the crêpe until you see the edges beginning to brown, then use a non-scratch spatula to flip your crêpe and cook the other side.
- Use your spatula to peek if you need to—you want the bottom to be just golden brown in spots.
- Keep an eye on your heat and turn down or up as needed—the crêpes should take about 2-3 minutes to cook on the first side, and 30-60 seconds or so on the second side.
- Repeat with the rest of your crêpes, including oiling the pan between each one.
- As you finish your crêpes, stack them on a plate separated by wax paper or parchment paper.
Notes
Keep crêpes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separated by wax paper or parchment paper, for 3-4 days. A freezer-safe bag works well for storage as well. Crêpes can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before using. Reheat in the microwave on 80% power. Expert Tips:
Adjust the heat under the pan if the crêpe starts to cook too quickly (watch for the lacy edges starting to brown immediately). The pan will start to hold onto the heat the longer you use it, so you will probably need to turn down the burner as you go. Note that if your pan is too hot, your crêpe batter won’t spread out enough and can lead to crêpes that are too thick. Crêpes will seem a little stiff when you first take them out of the pan, but they soften up quickly as they begin to cool. If the top of the crêpe batter is very bubbly or foamy, you might want to let it rest a little longer. Cooking the really foamy parts will give you a bubbly crêpe. If you keep your crêpe batter in the refrigerator overnight, it will separate as it sits. Just stir it gently to bring the batter back together.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made these dairy free crêpes, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
mschray says
Have you ever tried making this crepe recipe on a sheet pan and then bake it in the oven. I would love to know if that can be done with this recipe.
Molly Pisula says
Hmm, I have never tried that before. I honestly have no idea how that would turn out! Will have to try it!