French Crêpes are undeniably elegant, but are as easy to make as pancakes. This classic recipe will walk you through my technique for perfect crêpes every time.
Once you have the technique down, you’ll want to check out some of the delicious ways you can use crêpes. These Breakfast Crêpes filled with eggs and cheddar and these Sweet Mango Crêpes are two of my favorites.
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Why this is the Best French Crepe Recipe
I have been making crêpes for years, both for my family and also during my career as a personal chef. I’ve taught my recipe to kids in cooking classes and prepped crêpes for 12 as part of a celebratory brunch. What do I love about them?
- Takes less than 5 minutes to make the batter
- Only a few simple ingredients, most of which you likely have on-hand
- Easy to make in advance
- So many delicious ways to fill them!
French Crepe Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect for these crêpes. You can also replace up to ¼ cup of the flour with whole wheat flour without affecting the texture. If you want to try a gluten-free version, see these Gluten-Free Almond Flour Crêpes. Or try using buckwheat flour, which is traditional for savory crêpes in France.
- Milk: I prefer 2% or whole milk for this recipe, though you can use skim milk if you prefer.
- Butter: Choosing unsalted butter lets you adjust the salt content yourself. If you have salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
Note: See my dairy-free crêpe recipe for substitutions for the milk and butter in this recipe.
How to Make French Crepes
- Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup milk, ½ cup water, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and ½ teaspoon salt in a blender.
2. Blend until the mixture is smooth—only 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 an hour, and up to overnight. (Refrigerate if you are not going to use it for more than an hour.) After resting the batter, give it a gentle whisking to recombine.
3. Heat a crêpe pan or nonstick skillet on medium, cut off a sliver of butter, and swirl it around the pan. Use a paper towel to coat the pan evenly with the melted butter. Pour about ¼ cup of crêpe batter directly in the center of the pan, then quickly lift the pan up and roll your wrist around in a circular motion as you hold it, so that the batter spreads out in a thin even layer over the pan. Cook until you see the lacy edges begin to brown.
4. Use a non-scratch spatula or crêpe turner to flip your crêpe and cook the other side. You may ruin the first crêpe, just like the first pancake is often the test of whether your pan is not hot enough or too hot.
5. Keep an eye on your heat—you want the crêpes to cook for about 1-2 minutes on the first side, and 30-60 seconds on the second side. Repeat with the rest of your crêpes, including buttering the pan between each.
6. As you finish your crêpes, stack them on a plate or cutting board separated by squares of wax paper or parchment paper.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a blender or don’t want to use one, just whisk the crêpe ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well-combined (about a minute).
- If your batter has a layer of foam on top from being aggressively blended, just skim it off before making your crêpes. (You can also just leave it, but it will make some of those first crêpes a little bubbly.)
- Adjust the heat under the pan if your crêpes start 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 may need to turn the burner from medium heat to medium-low heat 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.
- If you keep your crêpe batter in the refrigerator overnight, it will separate as it sits. Just stir gently to bring the batter back together.
- Want to get serious about your crêpe-making? Treat yourself to a nice crêpe 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 will work just fine.
- Now that you have your crêpes, how will you fill them? My kids alternate between wanting a thin layer of Nutella on their crêpes or the classic French approach of spreading butter on the crêpe, then sprinkling with sugar before rolling up. Of course you can go savory too, and fill with everything from scrambled eggs to ham and cheese. Or just fold and top with fresh berries, fresh fruit, or whipped cream. This Strawberry Coulis makes a lovely topping too!
- You also may want to know more about how to fold or roll crêpes. The easiest way is just to sprinkle or spread the filling across the entire crêpe and then roll up starting at one side and continuing to the other side. This method is best for thin fillings like a layer of Nutella or butter and sugar.
- For heartier crêpe fillings, I recommend the triangle method. Fill one half of a crêpe, then fold over the empty side. Fold over again into a stacked triangle shape. If you are making very large crêpes, you can also put the filling in the middle of the crêpe and then fold up each edge slightly to form a square with the filling exposed in the middle.
- In addition to filling these traditional French crêpes with all sorts of ingredients, you can also flavor the crêpes themselves to complement the filling. For sweet crêpes, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the recipe and reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon. You can also try adding small amounts of spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. For savory crêpes, try adding fresh herbs into the batter.
French Crepe FAQs
In France, crêpes are served on La Chandeleur (Candlemas), which is on February 2nd. Legend has it that great wealth will come your way if you can toss a crêpe in the air and catch it in your pan while holding a gold coin in your other hand.
Resting gives the starch in the flour time to absorb liquid, and gives the gluten which develops when you mix the batter a chance to relax. (Gluten makes for an excellent artisan bread, but chewy crêpes are not so appreciated.) In addition, resting lets the air bubbles rise to the surface and release. All of that makes for a more tender crepe.
While it might be tempting to freeze your crêpe batter, I wouldn’t recommend it. Milk separates when it is defrosted after being frozen, so the batter will break.
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. If you freeze them, thaw in the refrigerator before using. When you’re ready to eat one, heat it gently in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Other Delicious Crêpe Recipes
Now that you’ve got a basic recipe for crêpes, check out how you can jazz them up with different flavors and fillings:
If you try this French Crêpes 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!
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French Crepe Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 125 grams
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter for cooking
Instructions
- Combine the flour, milk, water, eggs, butter, and salt in a blender, and blend until the mixture is smooth—only 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 an hour, and up to overnight. (Refrigerate if you are not going to use it for more than an hour.)
- After resting the batter, give it a gentle whisking to recombine. Then heat a crêpe pan or nonstick skillet on medium, cut off a sliver of butter, and swirl it around the pan. When the butter melts, 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 until you see the lacy edges begin to brown, then use a non-scratch spatula to flip your crêpe and cook the other side.
- Keep an eye on your heat—you want the crêpes to cook for about 1-2 minutes on the first side, and 30-60 seconds on the second side. Repeat with the rest of your crêpes, including buttering the pan between each.
- As you finish your crêpes, stack them on a plate separated by squares of wax paper or parchment paper.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this French crêpe recipe, 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!
Molly Pisula says
I have several crêpe recipes on my blog, but this is the OG! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.