Crêpes are one of the easiest and most loved French dishes. It’s one of the first things I learned how to cook as a kid and every time I make them, it always reminds me of home. Everybody loves them whether you serve them simply or dressed up!
Nagi's Notes
I thought my crêpes were fine… right up until JB made his and I discovered what really great crêpes are supposed to taste like. These are crêpes so great you will be happy eating them plain – though no one turns down a little whipped cream and berries! Not even crêpes I had in Paris were as good as JB’s. Hope you love them!
Crêpes
After my cheese soufflé, it was so nice to see how many of you made it and loved it. Thanks to everyone who let me know what they thought.
Today I’m sharing something a lot simpler – crêpes. Making crêpes is part of French life. Simple, cosy, and always fun to share. We even have a day of crêpes called “Chandeleur” on 2 February!
Like many kids in France, this was one of my favourite things growing up. The smell, the sizzling butter, waiting for the first crêpe to come out of the pan. One of those simple little joys in life. Every time I make them now, it brings all those childhood memories rushing back.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make crêpes. Today, we’re focusing on sweet crêpes, but don’t worry, savoury crêpes are coming soon too! We love them just as much, think ham, cheese, mushrooms, and all that good stuff.
Flour – Plain flour / all-purpose flour, sifted to keep the batter lump-free.
Sugar – Just a little bit because the French don’t like their crêpes too sweet.
Eggs – 3 large ones which are 55g/2 ounces each. No need to bring them to room temperature, fridge cold is fine.
Milk – The liquid to thin the batter. Full fat is best but low fat, lactose free and non-dairy will work too.
Water – A bit of an unusual ingredient in crêpes but it lightens the mixture, so they don’t feel heavy. Chef’s tip!!!
Oil – Usually butter is used in the batter but I prefer oil because it makes the crêpes softer.
Butter – To use in the pan for cooking. It brings that golden edge and lovely buttery flavour when cooking. And because it’s French of course!
How to make Crêpes
Making crêpes is simple once you know a few little tricks. Don’t be worried about flipping crêpes, they are less fragile than you think. You’ve got this!
1. Making the batter
Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt, then whisk to combine.
Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Whisk gently and only mix in a bit of the flour. You can’t blend all the flour with just the eggs yet, so just mix in enough to make a thick paste.
Gradually add the milk, whisking between each addition. It will let the batter turn silky and lump-free. It should feel smooth and light, almost like pouring cream.
Whisk in the water and oil until shiny and lump-free. The water lightens the batter, it will help having thin crêpes but still flexible, while the oil keeps them soft and prevents sticking.
Rest for 1 hour covered, on the counter at room temperature. The batter will thicken a little as it rests, this resting step relaxes the gluten, the flour absorbs the liquid, so the crêpes cook up soft and never rubbery.
After resting, the batter should be smooth, a bit thicker, and perfectly pourable.
2. Cook the crêpes
Heat a 24cm / 9.5″ non-stick crêpe pan over medium-high heat (medium if your stove runs hot). If you don’t have one, any good non-stick pan will work, just adjust how much batter you pour in depending on the size, so it spreads nicely without being too thick or thin.
Melt about ½ tsp butter, then wipe it off with a paper towel, you just want a little butter left for flavour, no visible pools. If you leave too much butter, it will stop the batter from spreading evenly. The butter gives flavour and a touch of crispness around the edges.
Pour the batter: using a ladle, scoop up ¼ cup of batter, lift the pan off the heat, ladle most of the batter into the centre, and immediately swirl the pan so the batter coats the surface in a thin, even layer. Still while swirling, use the rest of the batter to fill up the empty spots before it sets. Tilting quickly gives you uniform crêpes. It’s a small trick that helps make the crêpe perfectly round and even, without thick patches or gaps.
Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the underside turns pale golden with light brown speckles.
Flip using a long, thin spatula. Slide it gently under the crêpe without tearing the surface, lift and flip. Cook the second side for about 30 seconds. A long, narrow spatula works best for flipping crêpes because it slides under the thin crêpe without tearing it. Egg flips are too short and wide, and not a great tool for this purpose. If you don’t have one, even a wooden spoon handle or a clean ruler work better. And don’t fear the flip! Crêpes are flexible, they don’t break! 😊
Slide onto a plate and repeat, adding a small bit of butter each time. Stack the crêpes as you go, they’ll stay warm and soft. Serve with your preferred fillings or toppings!
How to serve Crêpes
The French enjoy crêpes for breakfast, lunch, as an afternoon snack or even for dinner, which was always my favourite time. They are delicious any way you serve them, rolled or folded with toppings. My mother used to make them for me rolled up with icing sugar which is the most common way crêpes are served at home in France. The simpler the better!
Here are some favourite toppings for crêpes:
Sugar and Lemon – Classic and simple, sprinkle sugar, squeeze fresh lemon juice.
Berries & Cream – Fresh berries and whipped cream (Chantilly), dusted with icing sugar (+ optional chocolate sauce – use the one in the churros recipe)! As pictured in the post.
Jam or Preserves – Apricot, raspberry, or strawberry jam spread thinly.
Nutella & Banana – The universal favourite. But not Nagi, being the banana hater she is..
Chestnut Cream (Crème de marrons) – Popular in France.
Maple Syrup & (more!) Butter – A simple but great combo.
Vanilla Ice Cream & Chocolate Sauce – Served warm with a scoop melting inside.
Voilà, fresh crêpes ready to enjoy. Don’t stress, soon you’ll be mastering the pan flip like you’ve worked in a crêperie all your life!. And if one sticks to the ceiling, just call it “art nouveau”. 😄 I truly hope it brings as much happiness to you that it does to me!
Bon appétit! – JB 👨🏻🍳
FAQ – Crêpes
I haven’t tested this with gluten flour yet. When I do, I will come back and update the post.
It’s a personal recipe I’ve adjusted over time to work perfectly in any home kitchen. I’ve tried a few variations, but in the end, I always came back to the original version.
You can make the batter a day ahead and keep it in the fridge overnight. Take it out about an hour before cooking so it can come back to room temperature. Then give it a good whisk, it will have thickened a bit more than after the usual 1 hour rest, so add a splash of milk or water to bring it back to a smooth, pourable consistency.
You can cook the crêpes ahead of time. Let them cool, then stack with a small piece of baking paper between each one so they don’t stick. Wrap well or put in a container and keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, warm them in a pan or microwave for a few seconds until soft and warm.
It’s a recipe I’ve had for quite a while, and I’ve made small tweaks over time, so it works perfectly for any home cook. Nagi made it twice before we published it, part of our little routine of testing each other’s recipes. Funny thing though… the recipe makes 15, but she kept ending up with barely 10. I’m not sure what happened to the rest. But it’s only the two of us working at the office and I know I didn’t do it.
Nagi helped me with the photoshoot, I still find photos a bit tricky to get just right, just like with my last two recipes. Herron, our video editor, also helped with the video shoot. I’m getting more confident though, and I should be ready to start filming videos on my own very soon.
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
JB’s Crêpes
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour , sifted
- 3 tbsp caster sugar / superfine sugar , regular white sugar is fine too
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 3 large eggs , (55g/2oz each in shell) – fridge cold is fine
- 2 cups full fat milk , but works with lite milk too
- 1/3 cup water (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or other neutral flavoured oil (Note 1)
- 45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter , cut into small cubes (for cooking)
Topping suggestions
- Icing sugar then rolled – simple French home style
- Berries, whipped cream, melted chocolate or Nutella, icing sugar – as pictured in the post
- More suggestions listed in the post – see above
Instructions
Abbreviated recipe
- Whisk flour, sugar and salt. Add eggs then milk, water, oil and whisk into a smooth batter. Cover and rest for an hour. Cook in a lightly buttered non-stick pan, swirling ¼ cup batter to cover the surface. Cook for 1 minute. Flip, cook for 30 seconds, remove once golden and stack as you go.
Make the batter
- Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt, then whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Whisk gently and only mix in a bit of the flour. You can’t blend all the flour with just the eggs yet, so just mix in enough to make a thick paste.
- Gradually add the milk, whisking between each addition to create a smooth batter with no lumps.
- Whisk in the water and oil until the batter is glossy and pourable. When you dip a spoon in, it should coat the back lightly. Not too thick, not too runny. (Note 1)
- Cover and rest for 1 hour at room temperature. (Note 2)
Cook the crêpes
- Heat a 24cm / 9.5" non-stick crêpe pan over medium-high heat (medium if your stove runs hot). If you don’t have one, any good non-stick pan will work, just adjust how much batter you pour in depending on the size, so it spreads nicely without being too thick or thin.
- Melt about 1/2 tsp butter, then wipe it off with a paper towel, you want just a little of butter left, no visible pools. (Note 3)
- Pour the batter – Using a ladle, scoop up ¼ cup of batter, lift the pan off the heat, ladle most of the batter into the centre, and immediately swirl the pan so the batter coats the surface in a thin, even layer. Still while swirling, use the rest of the batter to fill up the empty spots before it sets. Tilting quickly gives you uniform crêpes.
- Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the underside is lightly golden and flip using a long spatula and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. (Note 4 & 5)
- Slide onto a plate, then repeat, adding butter each time.
To serve
- Stack your crêpes as you go, they’ll stay soft and flexible. Serve warm either rolled burrito style with the ends tucked in to hold everything or folded into quarters with your favourite topping! (see ingredients)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life Of Dozer
Walk? Non, non… Crêpes? Oui, oui!!!
Crepes were also the first food my Hungarian grandmother taught me to make (although we call them palacsinta) when I was a kid.
I now cook for my gluten- and dairy-free family. I used our homemade 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend (sweet rice, brown rice, sorghum, tapioca, potato, xanthan) as well as dairy-free milk, and they turned out fabulous!! Since GF flour is more absorbent, I had to add another cup of water to achieve the right consistency.
We served them to guests the traditional Eastern European way, rolled up with jam, and everyone loved them. They couldn’t tell that they were gluten- and dairy-free.
Random question – instead of the water, my grandmother used to add sparkling water. Is that of any benefit to the batter?
I made these for Sunday night supper. Cinnamon sugar and lemon are traditional here but we did have a few with Biscoff spread too. Thanks for a great recipe.
Can`t wait to make these. Mum used to make heaps of Pancakes for my brother and i back in GB on Shrove Tuesday (Pancake day) and we ate them with malt vinegar and sugar as Lemons back in the day were rare (not hot enough in the UK to grow) and
expensive. I brought my son up to eat them like that too and they`re delicious.
It’s been over 25 years since I’ve made crepes. Bought a new crepe pan after seeing this recipe. While I only got 8 crepes (finally got the hang of it again) and they could have been browner, they are delicious. Wish I could post a picture.
Sorry I forgot to star rate in my previous message
Thank you JB and Nagi. We had the four grandchildren over for a Fri/Sat sleepover – so I made the batter on Friday night ready for the Saturday morning chaos. A real winner – they absolutely wolfed them down. The recipe will definitely be on repeat. Looking forward to the savoury version. Thanks for all the Dozer updates.
I made these for my family, and they enjoyed them. As I’m gluten intolerant, I halved the recipe and made them with gluten-free flour. They weren’t great, but unfortunately, there are some recipes that don’t work with gluten-free flour.
These are so good and so easy with the recipe explained. My husband and I ate almost the whole batch with Lemon and Sugar for Sunday night dinner. He was skeptical but was won over. Ill be making these again. Thanks JB
Delicious! Made these lactose free and they turned out perfectly fine. I haven’t made crepes in years. This is definitely a reliable recipe. Made these for a Sunday morning treat for the family. They dont break, they are a little sweet for me, I personally will only put 2 tblsp in next time but then again this recipe would suit the masses. Served our with Rhubarb& Apple stewed with cream. Even the 4 &6 yr old loved them. I look forward to seeing the savory version. I have fond memories of my mother making these with a bolognese sauce and cheese.
Hi Bel, that’s honestly the perfect summary of what I love hearing! Memories, giving it a go and the whole family enjoying it. Rhubarb and apple sounds absolutely amazing! And great call on adjusting the sugar to suit you. I’m so glad the lactose-free version worked too. Thank you for sharing this, and the savoury version is definitely coming!
Hi Bel, I too like you am keen for the savoury version. I have memories of a savoury crepe cake – ham, cheese and dill or something – so so delicious.
Also, my Mauritian friends mother used to make these coconut version of the kid snack crepe and she always had one extra for me in her lunch box when I was growing up. Oh, such fond memories, I’d forgotten. Wish I could replicate the sweet coconut drizzle or filling she used to make, it was so so heavenly!
Thanks JB for the recipe/confidence to make these little versatile gems!
The recipe steps are unclear if you follow them without watching the video. The step where you add eggs to the flour and whisk reads as though you have to whisky the eggs into all the flour. Then once thats done start adding milk. I ended up with dough like mixture then lumpy mixture after the milk
Hi Nicole, so sorry about that. I’ve updated the recipe now, and I hope it avoids any confusion going forward. These kind of comment really help us. Thanks for pointing it out and I appreciate you giving it a go!
Thanks:) I did make the crepes with the lumpy mixture and it was still delicious. Ill give it another try next weekend!
I made this this morning after the recipe came to my inbox at 12am just as I was wondering what to make for breakfast for my 2 girls. This recipe was quick, easy and delicious. I served with powdered sugar, strawberries, blueberries and a drizzle of melted chocolate. I got a thumbs up from the kids. Winner here!
Recipetineats is one of my favorite go to sites & The Doser rounds it off perfectly. In south africa we make them slightly thicker, called pannekoek (pancake), eat them most of the time sprinkled with cinnamon sugar & lemon, and traditionally will make them on rainy days – thus rainy days may be referred to as pannekoek dag (day), even pannekoek weer (weather). I will try the your thinner version.
Thanks for your comment Christina and thank you for sharing how South Africans make crepes, we love learning about these traditions, it really adds to our food knowledge. I hope you enjoy this version too. Let me know how you go!
I adore Crêpes and will try yours next. I usually make a berry compote and whipped cream for mine. My recipe is almost the same as your except 1 less egg and no water. Will be interesting to see what the water and extra egg produce. They will be our dinner for tonight. Thank you JB and everything you and Nagi do always looks and tastes delicious. Dozer is so cute dressed up!
Thanks for giving this a go Mary! Please let me know how it goes!
Many thanks for posting this recipe, my children love Crêpes! 🥞 I have struggled to find a decent pan. Please let me know your recommendations – this goes out to all the website friends, too. Oh, and Roger, go do your trolling somewhere else. 👹
Hi Rea, you are very welcome! Any mid-range good non-stick crêpe pan will work. 🙂
Look at you go, Viv!!!
Wow wow, my granddaughter and I made these, and to think that finally at 65 I made my first great crepe. Thanks so so much for the recipe. I’m going to experiment on how the batter can sit overnight for a breakfast continuation.
Thanks Viv! So glad it worked out well!
I tried these within half an hour of receiving the recipe in my inbox 🙂 so yummy and great texture! My only question is for some reason when using a long thin theyre tearing when I try and flip them. I am using a 26cm pan as I don’t own a 24cm pan so increased the mixture tipped onto the pan to 1/3cup. Do you have any tips on what I could be doing wrong? Thanks in advance 🙂 my family love them! A keeper for sure!!!
Hi Kim, thanks you for making them so quickly! It can happen, make sure to cook the first side long enough so it sets properly and it will be fine 🙂
Thank you JB! The aha! moment for me in your video was how you rolled up the crepes! So neat! I had always wondered why mine looked so flat and ordinary.
Yes, just like a burrito 🙂
what size spatula did you use, JB?
Hi Janet, the length of the part used to flip the crêpes is about 20cm.
In my standard crepes recipe I add half to a tablespoon of orange blossom water. I made this recipe and did the same. Awesome crepes. Is orange blossom water something that is used regularly in crepes in France?
I’ve definitely seen people using orange blossom water in crêpes before yes. Thanks for make the recipe Sue!
What? No crepe Suzette? Sacre Bleu !
Haha don’t you worry Sarah! We’ll eventually post it.