Easy Crepe Recipe

This easy crepe recipe is really a foolproof guide to making French crepes at home! It’s one of my favorite French recipes that we go back to time and time again!

There’s no need for any special crepe pans, store-bought mixes, blenders, or the need to rest the batter for any length of time. And here’s the best part, you probably already have all of the ingredients you need already on-hand.

Looking for another pantry breakfast idea? Try my Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe, another great weekend treat you can make with pantry basics!

A board topped with 3 folded crepes with powdered sugar

When to Serve Crepes

  • In France crepes are typically served as a snack or a dessert with every filling imaginable, from jam and Nutella, to chestnut paste, caramel sauce or whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
  • But here in the States we typically serve them for breakfast or brunch. They are great with your favorite jam, or with a little melted butter, lemon and powdered sugar.
  • Or serve them as a dessert with vanilla ice cream and my homemade hot fudge sauce drizzled on top!
  • For a savory route try my Chicken and Mushroom Crepes Recipe, which makes for a wonderful lunch or brunch recipe.
  • Or try my traditional Cheese Manicotti recipe that also crepes as opposed to pasta noodles, which makes them light as air!

What’s the Difference Between a Crepe and a Galette?

  • Traditionally, the term “crepe” refers to a thin pancake that is sweet and served as a dessert or snack in France.
  • A galette, on the other hand, is a savory “crepe” made with buckwheat flour.
  • They are heartier in nature and have a wonderful earthy flavor to them.
  • They are traditionally served with hard cider and you find them mostly in traditional “Creperie Restaurants” popular in the Brittany region of France.
  • It’s not uncommon in France to have a savory ham and cheese galette, followed by a sweet crepe for dessert.
ham and cheese galette served with Cider
A Ham and Cheese Galette Made with Buckwheat Flour

What’s The Secret to a Great Crepe?

  • Personally it comes down to a few factors.
  • If you whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt and then add the milk first, it will eliminate any clumps right from the start.
  • This will provide you with a silky smooth crepe batter.
  • A smooth batter will produce a light and springy crepe.
  • Then add the eggs, the melted butter.
A mixing bowl and crepe ingredients spread out on a counter
Crepes use basic ingredients you probably already have on-hand

Crepe Batter vs. Pancake Batter

  • Crepe batter is different than pancake batter for a few reasons.
  • The most important one being it has less ingredients in it and no leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.
  • Secondly, the consistency of crepe batter should be thinner than pancake batter.
  • This might sound like a strange reference, but I’ve found it to be true. Crepe batter should be the consistency of interior wall paint. This will produce the best thin, yet sturdy crepe.

Selecting the Right Pan

  • The second factor to a great crepe is the pan.
  • Don’t fall prey to those “fancy crepe pans” I think they are more problematic than they are worth!
  • The problem I have found with the crepe pans is that they are too small, typically around 8″-10″.
  • So if you pour a ladle of batter in it your crepe will be too thick. And if you ask my French husband, the mark of a professionally made crepe is its thinness.
  • In my opinion, the best pan for making crepes is a 12″ non-stick pan.
  • The reason I like this pan is that a 12-inch pan is a perfect size to hold a standard size ladle of batter.
  • It will create a large crepe that is also lighter and thinner than if you used a crepe pan.
  • It’s also helpful to have a standard ladle and metal spatula for loosening the crepe from the sides of the pan.

12 Inch Non Stick Skillet with ladle, spatula and grapeseed oil

Use Grape-seed Oil

  • When heating your pan, resist the temptation to grease it with butter.
  • A crepe pan needs to very hot and butter will just burn. Instead, use a non-flavored oil with a high smoke point.
  • I always have the best success with grape-seed oil but you could also use vegetable oil or canola oil.
  • Be sure to grease your pan with a paper towel so it’s a thin layer of oil you are heating, making sure you also grease up the sides of the pan as well.

How Hot Should The Pan Be?

  • The secret to a nicely browned crepe is high heat! This is why those electric crepe machines never work, they don’t get hot enough!
  • Then they also become too flimsy and don’t become golden brown.
  • Once you see the pan start to smoke ever-so-slightly then, ladle in the batter and you’ll be good to go!
  • Once the crepe batter hits the pan, spread it by swirling the pan, don’t touch the batter!
  • Instead, let gravity do the spreading for you. You’ll end up with an even spread that way. You can watch me do it in my video demo of this recipe below in the recipe card.
  • Then let the crepe sit and cook for 1-3 minutes. The photo below shows that this crepe is in the process of cooking, but not ready to be flipped.
  • Do not attempt to flip your crepe too soon, otherwise, it will fall apart when it comes time to flip.

a cooked crepe on a wooden board with a spoon filled with orange marmelade

Know When to Flip!

  • Once you see the edges of the crepe start to turn golden brown, that’s the time to flip!
  • The best tool to use is a thin metal spatula.
  • Place it under the crepe and loosen the edges all around.

Use Your Fingertips to Flip

  • Then, I think the easiest way to flip a crepe is with your fingertips.
  • This is where the eggs come in to play. The eggs add elasticity to crepe batter which adds strength.
  • Never trust a crepe recipe that has under 2 eggs in it, they will be too fragile and really hard to flip. Once you flip your crepe, allow it to cook for about 1-minute more on the other side.

How To Remove Your Crepe From The Pan

  • To remove your crepe from its pan, just slide it off the pan onto a cutting board or plate.
  • No need to try and use a spatula for this job.
  • The slide will preserve its shape and prevent it from tearing.

The Best Way to Store Crepes

  • The best part about crepes is that they can be made in advance! As a result, they  work really well for a brunch or a dinner party.
  • You can make them a few hours ahead or even up to 2 days ahead.
  • Line a large piece of foil with paper towels then slide them off as they are ready. Allow them to cool before wrapping them up.
  • But as you stack them, be sure they are all going the same direction!
  • It doesn’t matter which direction, it just needs to be the same direction. This will prevent them from sticking to each other.
  • Then cover them with another sheet of paper towel, and wrap them tightly in tin foil and refrigerate. Then all you have to do is unwrap them from the foil and pop them in the microwave, in the paper towel, for about a minute or two until warmed through.
  • I do this when I want to serve my Apple Cinnamon Crepes with Salted Caramel Sauce for dessert.
Verticle Image of crepes on a long platter stacked and served with apples on top
Apple Cinnamon Crepes with Caramel Sauce

Please let me know if you make this Recipe

by leaving a rating and review below!

Easy Crepe Recipe

Easy Crepe Recipe

Yield: 8 crepes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

This easy crepe recipe is really a foolproof guide to making crepes at home! Personally, I feel this is the best crepe recipe because it's the simplest! There's no need for blenders or batter resting for hours, and you probably already have all of the ingredients already on hand.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (120 g) of All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups (475 ml) of milk
  • 1 tbsp (13 g) sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten well
  • 4 tbsp (60 ml) melted butter
  • assorted jams for filling
  • powdered sugar for dusting
  • grapeseed oil for greasing pan (or some other non-flavored oil like vegetable oil or canola oil)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl add the flour, then pour in the milk, and whisk until very smooth. Then add the sugar and salt and beaten eggs. Then add the melted butter.
  2. Dab some grapeseed oil on a paper towel and liberally grease a non-stick 12" skillet. Heat pan on high heat, until very hot.
  3. Ladle out 1 serving of batter with a standard-sized soup ladle. Swirl batter around the pan, until it completely covers the bottom, but does not ride up on the sides. Your crepe will be easier to flip and remain more uniform in shape if you prevent the batter from riding up.
  4. Once the batter looks dry on the top and the edges begin to turn golden brown, take a long, skinny metal spatula and slide it under all the sides, loosening it from the edge. Then raise up one side, gently grab it with your hands and flip!
  5. Cook for 30-40 seconds on the other side until golden brown. Spread inside with butter and jam, or butter and fresh lemon juice, fold in half, and then in quarters. Sprinkle with powdered sugar on top. And serve immediately

Notes

  • These can be made a few hours ahead or even up to 2 days ahead.
  • Line a large piece of foil with paper towels then slide them off as they are ready onto the paper towel.
  • Assure all your crepes are stacked in the same direction (top-up or bottom-up) this will prevent them from sticking.
  • Then keep refrigerated until ready to serve. To reheat microwave crepes in the paper towel until warm.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 113mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 5g
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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29 Comments

  1. The first person to say a crepe batter is different from pancakes and has made it so easy to make perfect crepes. Going to have to try a few more of your pastries.

  2. This recipe never fails! I’ve made it multiple times, and from the beginning they turned out perfect. I omit the sugar if I want to fill them with something savory and they still work. Today, I was attempting to make Crepe’s Suzette and followed the Jacques Pépin recipe from Food and Wine. I really wish I had just gone with my first instinct to use your recipe and make the sauce from the Food and Wine recipe. Those were way too thick, even after adding more milk. They have the springy consistency, but definitely a lot more dense. Yours are perfect! Lesson learned. A mistake that will not be made again. Thank you, Beth for your awesome recipes 😊

    1. Ha! Aww I’m so happy to hear that these crepes have been a success for you! 🙂 But sorry you had to suffer through the thick crepes! It’s the extra egg in my recipe that makes them nice and springy 🙂 They’ll be here for you when you need them next time!

  3. Hello, thank you for this yummy recipe. Can’t wait to make these. If I want to make ahead when do I fill them and do I store them flat or folded like in the recipe?

    1. Ahh, great question! The best way to store them is flat, stacked with them all going the same direction that way they won’t stick (meaning don’t stack bottoms, and tops, stack all bottoms down etc) Stack on a paper towel, and then wrap in foil. Then reheat in the microwave and fill as needed. Hope you enjoy them!

  4. Beth, how many oz does your ladle hold, as I have two different sizes and just not sure which one is standard. Thanks in advance

  5. Great recipe! I just made these today and they were wonderful! I used coconut oil when cooking them and it worked really well! Thanks for the recipe!! 🙂

  6. These are amazing! Especially When they are served “ihop” style! I am normally a terrible flipper but your tips in the blog post and video REALLY helped me! My family loved them! Perfect for Sunday breakfast.

  7. This is THE BEST! I thought my crepe making days were over after so many failed attempts with other recipes. This batter is perfectly runny allowing it to easily spread thin on the pan. The edges are crisp and the middle stays in tact when I flip it. Beth is right – you don’t need a fancy crepe pan!

  8. I just made this recipe, and its amazing! The crepes came out perfectly and were so easy to make! Thank you Beth 🙂 Will be making soon again

  9. Thank you so much for this excellent recipe Beth! Today is my mom’s birthday, and she LOVES crepes. She always orders them when we go out for breakfast. So, my dad and I woke up extra early to surprise her with some homemade crepes, and this recipe was perfect. For filling, I made a simple compote with some frozen mixed berries, and a batch of Chantilly whipped cream. My mom was so surprised and happy, and she absolutely raved about the crepes. A thousand times better than iHop 🙂 I will definitely save this recipe to make again for her! Thank you Beth!

    1. Aww I’m so glad to hear that! Yes I know and love those crepes at IHop too! Ha! Now that you know how easy they are you can spoil your family with these anytime you want! 🙂 So glad they were a hit!

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  11. Dear, Beth! I made these crepes this morning and they turned out GREAT! Even I was surprised, because after trying so many pancake recipes (mostly vegan) at one point I just started to think that pancakes are not something I can make and I just had to live with it. But no.. tried your recipe and they were everything crepes should be, at least in my opinion anyway 🙂
    By the way, if you have a recipe for vegan pancakes (any kind), please kindly make a video and share with us 🙂

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  13. This recipe is perfect Beth! Thank you so much for the video. It makes everything so much easier and really boosts my confidence to try something new. 🙂