This Easy Crepe Recipe is very simple to make. These French-style pancakes are delicious served plain or filled! Follow my easy tips for a crepe success!
They are easy to make for breakfast, like my Sheet Pan Pancakes or the Peanut Butter Overnight Oats.
By the looks, crepes may seem like a fancy, difficult dish to make. This could not be further from the truth. The secret is in a good batter recipe and a good pan. You can make beautiful crepes, ready for filling or served plain, with just a few ingredients. I like to make a large batch and keep them in the fridge to use throughout the week.
Ingredients:
- flour: I used all-purpose
- milk: whole, 2% or half and half
- eggs: large
- sugar: I used granulated
- butter: I used unsalted; you can use oil but butter gives crepes better flavor
- vanilla extract: use good quality extract
- salt
How to make crepes?
- Place all ingredients in a blender, ending with flour.
- Blend until smooth.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Heat up crepe or non-stick pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan, swirl around the pan.
- Once the batter appears dry and light yellow, flip the crepe. Cook for 10 seconds and remove onto a plate.
- Repeat until all batter is used.
- Fill or top crepes and serve.
Can I make crepes ahead of time?
Yes! The beauty of this recipe is that you can prepare the batter ahead of time and cook crepes the next day OR you can chill the dough for at least 3o minutes, then cook crepes and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave or in the oven.
What pan is best for making crepes?
A must for making crepes is a good pan. You need a pan with non-stick surface. There are plenty of them on the market but if you want to avoid non-stick coatings, I suggest looking into carbon steel. It is very similar to cast iron but much lighter. I have a crepe pan from de Buyer, a French company that makes carbon steel pans. It is very easy to season, clean and nothing truly sticks to it.
A note on a spatula: I recommend using a long and skinny spatula, if possible. I use my fish spatula and it works perfectly!
How to serve crepes?
Some people treat crepes like pancakes and serve them with sweet topping and fruit. But once you decide to add a filling, a world of possibilities opens up.
Sweet crepes
You can go the sweet route or the savory route. Cream cheese, Nutella, peanut butter, or whipped cream are all great options. Even my apple pie filling or cheesecake dip delicious as a crepe filling. A dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup and you are all set! Crepes cakes are also popular and this recipe is perfect to make one. Use this recipe to make crepes Suzette.
Savory crepes
You can also make creamy mushroom chicken filling, a sauteed vegetable mixture and bake it all with a pasta sauce. Perfect dinner idea with crepes!
Fill them with scrambled eggs, ham, cheese and sauteed veggies and serve with hollandaise sauce.
Difference between crepes and pancakes:
Pancakes are fluffy and thick because the recipe calls for leaveners. Crepes are supposed to be thin and flat since there is no baking soda or baking powder added to the batter.
How to fold crepes?
There are many ways you can fold them. You can fold them in half and then in half again to fan out. See the first photo below. If you want to fill them, place filling on one half of the crepe, then fold and roll, like a French omelet.
Best tips for making crepes:
- Place ingredients in a blender starting with wet and ending with flour. This will prevent the batter from having flour clumps.
- The crepe batter needs to be thin, so the amount of flour needs to be less than the liquids.
- You can store the batter in a blender jar but it is better to pour it into a bowl or a container. Most blender manufacturers do not recommend storing the liquid in blenders for longer periods of time. Also, it will be easier for you to scoop batter while frying.
- When you pour the batter into the pan, swirl it immediately to spread it into a thin circle. You can help it with the back of a spoon.
- Once the batter dries and turns from cream white to pale yellow, the crepe is ready to be flipped. One side will be brown and the second one will be lighter. This is completely normal.
- Use a crepe OR a non-stick pan. I use carbon steel crepe pan and they never stick! Even the first crepe is perfect.
More breakfast recipes:
For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Breakfast category.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!
This Easy Crepe Recipe is very simple to make. These French-style pancakes are delicious served plain or filled!
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- Place ingredients in a blender starting with wet and ending with flour. This will prevent the batter from having flour clumps.
- Blend until smooth.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Heat up crepe or non-stick pan. Pour ¼ cup of batter into pan, swirl around the pan.
- Once the batter appears dry and light yellow, flip the crepe. Cook for 10 seconds and remove onto a plate.
- Repeat until all batter is used.
- Fill or top crepes and serve.
- You can store the batter in a blender jar but it is better to pour it into a bowl or a container. Most blender manufacturers do not recommend storing the liquid in blenders for longer periods of time.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Majda says
If I leave out eggs due to allergy in fam. will it still taste same? Or what would be the best substitute?
Anna says
Hi Majda! I did not test this recipe without eggs.
Teresa Chipman says
What temperature to heat? Medium?
Anna says
Yep!
Sara Welch says
What a great way to start my day tomorrow! These look perfectly light and delicious! Yum!
Beth says
This is so delicious and yummy! My kids love this recipe!
Betsy says
Love crepes so much! I used to always get them at IHOP with the lingonberries…but I don’t go to IHOP much anymore…and it doesn’t matter because THESE crepes are so much better!!