Crêpes

This recipe is coming from a longtime crepe enthusiast. I’m so pleased to share my tried-and-true crepe recipe today. You might assume that crepes are difficult to make or require special equipment, but fortunately, it’s not true! In fact, these crepes are a cinch to whip together in a blender. From start to finish, they come together in under 30 minutes.

This recipe is easy to make in a regular skillet. These crepes are a more manageable size to make at home than the large traditional crepes you’ll find at a real creperie. This recipe is quite versatile, too. Use it to make sweet crepes or savory crepes, with regular flour or buckwheat flour. You’ll find all of my tips below, plus a short video that shows the cooking method.

Crepes are similar to pancakes, but thinner and much lighter. You could say that they’re more sophisticated. They are indisputably lower in carbohydrates. And they’re definitely a lovely option for Mother’s Day brunch or any weekend breakfast or lunch.

As an American, my first taste of crepes took place in high school, when Madame Gordy showed us how to make them in French class. During my college semester in France, I sampled crepes across Bordeaux and Paris, with one particularly memorable experience by a fountain in the Latin Quarter.

These days, I satisfy my crepe cravings at one of our favorite local restaurants, French Market, or I make them at home with this recipe! Our toddler loves crepes with Greek yogurt and sliced banana. I hope you enjoy these crepes as much as we do.

Crêpe Ingredients

These classic crepes are made with just five basic ingredients, not counting salt and optional vanilla extract. Here’s what you’ll need:

1) Flour (3 options)

This crepe recipe works equally well with any of these flours, or any combination of them.

• All-purpose flour yields the most “standard” crepe. These crepes are tender and custard-like—you can taste the egg in the absence of a flavorful flour.
• Whole wheat flour is unconventional but I love the lightly nutty flavor. To me, these crepes taste a little more interesting, and they are slightly more nutritious. Note that whole wheat flour should never taste bitter. If it smells off or tastes bitter, your flour is old and should be replaced.
• Buckwheat crepes are often called Breton gallettes in France, due to their popularity in the Brittany region. Buckwheat flour offers robust, nutty flavor that traditionally favors savory fillings. I personally love buckwheat crepes for both savory and sweet crepes, and request buckwheat crepes whenever possible. As a bonus, crepes made with 100 percent buckwheat flour are gluten free.

2) A tiny bit of sugar

A small amount of sugar offers a faint sweetness, but more importantly, it helps prevent the crepes from burning against the skillet. For savory crepes (or versatile crepes that can go sweet or savory depending on the toppings), start with the lower amount offered in the recipe. If you’d prefer your crepes to be on the sweeter side, use the full amount. Either way, it’s not much sugar.

3) Milk of choice

This recipe will work well with any variety of milk. I tested these crepes with whole milk and cashew milk, and both variations turned out beautifully.

4) Eggs

Eggs provide the characteristic custard flavor that you’ll find in classic crepes. They also help bind the ingredients together, especially in regard to the buckwheat crepes.

5) Butter

Melted butter offers some fat that helps the crepes stay nice and tender. We’ll use a little more to grease the pan between each crepe.

Watch How to Make Crepes

Crêpe Tips

You’ll find my simple recipe below. Here are a few tips before you get started:

Use a blender, if you have one.

The blender is ideal because it introduces tiny bubbles into the batter, and the bubbles make crepes more fun to eat in my professional opinion. For buckwheat crepes, using a blender or food processor will really help distribute the flour more evenly through the batter.

Use a stainless steel skillet or non-stick skillet.

The trick to making beautiful crepes in a stainless steel skillet is to let the skillet get nice and warm before you get started. Non-stick skillets also work well. The electric crepe makers used in France have cast iron tops, but cast iron skillets are very heavy, so they’re difficult to lift and swirl with one hand.

Lightly butter the skillet between each crepe.

Without enough butter, your crepes won’t develop any bubbles. Too much butter, and the crepe won’t gain traction. You are using too much butter if the crepe slides all around the pan.

Constantly monitor your temperature.

When you get into a rhythm of making the crepes, you’ll begin to notice when the pan is getting too hot or cold. I always start at about medium heat and continuously tweak the temperature as I go (usually lower). You want the temperature warm enough that the crepes turn lightly golden in spots and produce bubbles as they cook.

How do you know if your pan is the right temperature? The crepe should begin to cook as it hits the pan. Your pan is too hot if you can’t give it a proper swirl before the crepe solidifies (runners shooting off the side of your crepes is a sign that the pan is too hot). If the butter is sizzling and smoking upon impact, your pan is definitely too hot and you need to give it a rest.

Crêpe Topping Suggestions

Sweet toppings

Sweet crepes are typically enjoyed during breakfast or as dessert. They’re also a fun afternoon treat.

• Butter or honey butter
• Fruit: Sliced apple, pears, peaches, strawberries and other berries, bananas
• Chocolate: Finely grated or melted chocolate sauce
• Coconut (shredded) or coconut butter
• Jam, preserves, applesauce or compote
• Honey, maple syrup or powdered sugar
• Lemon curd or a squeeze of lemon juice
• Nuts, including sliced almonds or chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
• Nut butters, like peanut or almond butter
• Nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread)
• Whipped cream, Greek yogurt or custard

Savory toppings

Savory crepes are typically served for breakfast or lunch. For savory crepes, you might prefer to top the crepes while they are still in the warm pan. This gives cheese time to melt. Simply start to top the crepe as it turns more matte than shiny (skip the flipping step). Slide the completed crepe onto a plate, then roll or fold it into quarters.

• Arugula or fresh herbs, including chives, parsley or basil
• Cheese: Gruyère, cheddar, Emmental, goat, Swiss
• Scrambled or fried eggs
• Pesto
• Ratatouille
• Vegetables: artichoke, roasted asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, fresh or roasted tomatoes

Please let me know how your crepes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

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