· Modified: by John Kanell
My favorite Crepes Recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! Create the most delectably buttery, paper-thin French crepes using a super simple method any home cook can master.
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This is the best crepe recipe because you can adapt it to your creative culinary whim, making either sweet crepes or savory crepes, and applicable to any meal. With just 7 humble ingredients (including water!), you can whip up a pile of thin pancakes that are perfect for just about any filling you can dream up. Whether you’re in the mood for savory crepes filled with creamy cheeses, thinly sliced ham, and fresh herbs, or sweet fillings like sweet jams, fresh fruit, and Nutella, these are the perfect vessel.
By combining the ingredients in a blender and mixing for 20 seconds, you’ll be ready to impress your loved ones with delicate, golden-brown crepes to bring a taste of France to your kitchen. For more delicious breakfast recipes, try my quiche Lorraine recipe, eggs benedict recipe, and French toast.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Eggs — use the most flavorful eggs you can for this recipe. Because the ingredients are so simple, a good quality egg will add a lot of flavor to the batter.
Whole milk — whole milk adds richness, but you are welcome to swap in any other dairy or plant-based milk you prefer.
Unsalted butter & salt — if you only have salted butter on hand, omit the added salt. You’re also welcome to use vegan butter if you prefer to stay dairy-free.
Vanilla extract — for warmth and richness. If you’re making savory crepes, feel free to omit it.
How To Make Crepes
1. Combine the eggs, flour, milk, flour, water, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl or blender.
2. Whisk well, or blend for about 20-30 seconds, until the batter is smooth.
3. Pour the batter into a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
4. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Brush the skillet lightly with butter.
5. Pour 3 tablespoons of the batter into the center of the pan and immediately rotate the pan to coat the bottom evenly, or use a wooden crepe spreading to thin out the batter. Cook the thin crepe until light golden brown on the bottom, 30 to 45 seconds.
6. Flip the crepe and cook until lightly browned on the second side, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a large plate and cover it with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, greasing the skillet with butter between each crepe. Serve the crepes warm with fresh fruit, nutella, whipped cream, or powdered sugar.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Start with room temperature ingredients, especially the milk and the eggs. You don’t want the melted butter to seize when it hits the cold liquid!
- Let the crepe batter rest before cooking to allow the flour to fully hydrate for a more tender texture. If you skip this step, the delicate crepes can turn into rubbery ones.
- Work quickly! As soon as the batter is poured you’ll need to spread the crepe out either using a wooden crepe tool like in the photos above, or simply by tilting the pan. Try to smooth it into a circle but don’t worry about it being perfect — in this moment speed is key.
- The first is great practice. I don’t know why, but the first crepe (or pancake!) is always the least attractive of the bunch. Don’t fret! Just keep on practicing, and you’ll have golden-brown circles of deliciousness by the end.
- If using a crepe pan and spreader, make sure the pan is well buttered, and you soak the wooden spreader in water before spreading the batter. Otherwise, the batter will stick tot the spreader and the pan.
- If you’re serving a crowd, you can keep your cooked crepes warm by either covering them with a lid, tenting them with foil, or keeping them on a baking sheet in the oven at 200F as you continue to make the rest of the batch. Alternatively, feel free to make them several days in advance and separate the stack with pieces of parchment before refrigerating. To reheat, use the oven or a brief spell in a warmed pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are they hard to make?
Not particularly, especially if you use the blender to mix up your batter! The trickiest part is moving quickly to spread out the batter on the hot pan. It also takes a bit of practice to flip them, but if you’re confident about making pancakes, chances are you’ll do great at making crepes.
Are these just thin pancakes?
My crepes recipe and pancakes are similar but distinctly different. The key difference lies in their batter. American pancakes have a thicker batter that includes a leavening agent, like baking powder, making them fluffy and thick. On the other hand, crepes have a much thinner, leavening-agent-free batter, resulting in a final product that’s thin and tender.
Are they dessert or breakfast?
Crepes can be served for just about any meal! It really depends on how you fill and serve them. For a sweet breakfast, a simple filling of sweetened homemade whipped cream and fresh berries is fantastic. For a savory breakfast or even lunch, sprinkle in some shredded cheese and a few thin slices of ham or arugula and roll them up, then top with a creamy hollandaise sauce. For a dessert, spread Nutella or chocolate ganache on each crepe and top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
Do they have gluten?
If made as written, this basic crepes recipe does include gluten. However, it should work if you swap in a cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (preferably one that includes xanthan gum).
Do they have dairy?
Again, if the crepes recipe is made as written, yes. That said, you’re welcome to swap out the dairy milk and butter for plant-based or lactose-free versions if needed!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Crepes Recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
5 from 49 votes
Crepes Recipe
Crafted with just 7 basic ingredients, a blender, and a nonstick pan, my homemade Crepes Recipe is an easy way to bring a taste of France to your kitchen. These buttery crepes are ready to embrace any sweet or savory filling you crave.
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Course Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes minutes
Resting time 1 hour hour
Total Time 1 hour hour 17 minutes minutes
Servings 12 crepes
Calories 74kcal
Author John Kanell
Video
Equipment
8” skillet
Mixing bowl or blender
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (4¼ oz/120g)
- ¾ cup whole milk (180mL)
- ½ cup water (120mL)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted plus more for cooking
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Combine the eggs, flour, milk, flour, water, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl or blender. Whisk well, or blend for about 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth. Cover and chill the batter for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Brush the skillet lightly with butter.
Pour 3 tablespoons of the batter into the skillet and immediately rotate the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Cook the crepe until lightly browned on the bottom, 30 to 45 seconds.
Flip the crepe and cook until lightly browned on the second side, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a large plate and cover it with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Repeat the process with the remaining batter, greasing the skillet with butter between each crepe.
Serve the crepes warm with fresh fruit, nutella, whipped cream, or powdered sugar.
Notes
- Start with room temperature ingredients, especially the milk and the eggs. You don’t want the melted butter to seize when it hits the cold liquid!
- Let the crepe batter rest before cooking to allow the flour to fully hydrate for a more tender texture. If you skip this step, the delicate crepes can turn into rubbery ones.
- Work quickly! As soon as the batter is poured you’ll need to spread the crepe out either using a wooden crepe tool like in the photos above, or simply by tilting the pan. Try to smooth it into a circle but don’t worry about it being perfect — in this moment speed is key.
- The first is great practice. I don’t know why, but the first crepe (or pancake!) is always the least attractive of the bunch. Don’t fret! Just keep on practicing, and you’ll have golden-brown circles of deliciousness by the end.
- If using a crepe pan and spreader, make sure the pan is well buttered, and you soak the wooden spreader in water before spreading the batter. Otherwise, the batter will stick tot the spreader and the pan.
- If you’re serving a crowd, you can keep your cooked crepes warm by either covering them with a lid, tenting them with foil, or keeping them on a baking sheet in the oven at 200F as you continue to make the rest of the batch. Alternatively, feel free to make them several days in advance and separate the stack with pieces of parchment before refrigerating. To reheat, use the oven or a brief spell in a warmed pan.
Nutrition
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
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