French crepes are such an easy and delicious recipe that the whole family will love! This family recipe will become a Sunday morning favorite! Use this French crepe recipe for savory or sweet crepes to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
French Crepe Recipe
Crepes are one of life’s little pleasures! These delicious French pancakes can be served for any meal of the day and are wonderful as a sweet treat or served as a savory dish! My family is French, and I love finding ways to celebrate my heritage. Fun fact, my Grandma was born in Alturas, which is just right up the road from Likely!
My aunt has always been wonderful in teaching my sister and me the French ways of living. Her crepe recipe is one that we always enjoy, especially when made with simple ingredients like purpose flour, milk, and eggs.
Table of contents
One of my favorite crepe recipes is a chicken dish served with onions and cream sauce, basically a French enchilada! It’s the best crepe recipe for savory fillings. I also love sweet crepes filled with chocolate & bananas or simply dusted with cinnamon and sugar! Whether you enjoy tender crepes with cream cheese or delicate crepes with fresh berries, the possibilities are endless.
We recently made crepes during my aunt & uncle’s New Year visit, so I thought I would photograph them and take down the recipe to share with you! I hope you enjoy making these perfect French crepes with those that you love. They are a wonderful celebratory dish that allows everyone to get creative with their favorite fillings.
Ingredients
Making crepes requires basic ingredients:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Flour
- Salt
- Butter
How to Make French Crepes
- Gently scramble the eggs and add milk to the eggs, and whisk. Add a pinch of salt.
- Sift the flour into the mixture, whisking as you add. Then, add the butter.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove from the fridge and whisk the batter as it will have separated a bit from sitting overnight.
- The consistency of your batter should resemble half & half. If it is too thick, add a splash more milk and a dash of canola oil until you have reached the desired consistency. NOTE: You want it to be thicker than non-fat milk, but not as thick as pancake batter.
- Use a non-stick frying pan to cook the crepes. Over medium/high heat, add a very small amount of canola oil to the frying pan, allowing it to get glossy. Then, swirl the pan around so that the oil evenly coats the surface of the pan. Use a paper towel to wipe away excess oil.
- Pour batter onto the hot pan, tilt the pan around in a circular motion so that the batter spreads evenly in a very thin layer.
- Cook on medium high heat for 45-60 seconds. Once the edges begin to curl and small golden circles appear on the cooked side of the crepe, flip, and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds (until golden). This recipe makes about 12, 8″ crepes.
Crepe FAQs
Crepes are thin pancakes enjoyed as a delicious dessert or made into a savory meal! The recipe originated in Brittany, made with buckwheat flour, water, and a pinch of salt. The batter was cooked on a hot pan and filled with whatever could be found seasonally. Now, many crepe recipes call for white flour, but buckwheat flour is still a common ingredient (especially in savory variations). The technique spread throughout France and is now enjoyed all over the world!
Crepes are a significant piece of French history and are even recognized on February 2nd with an entire day dedicated to them called le jour des crêpes (the day of the crepes).
Yes! If you’d like to freeze crepes, allow them to cool, then layer them between pieces of parchment paper. Place the crepes in a sealed tight ziplock bag. Will last a month or two. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Reheat on a hot pan or in the microwave (similar to a tortilla!).
Good news – you can make crepes ahead of time! Layer cooled crepes with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Seal in a ziplock or Tupperware, and refrigerate – will last 3-5 days.
Oh yes, you can absolutely serve crepes cold. I prefer them when they are hot, but these little pancakes can be enjoyed cold as well. If serving cold, fresh fruit and yogurt would be a great way to enjoy them!
Technically, you can make crepes with water rather than milk; however, they will not be as rich. The original crepe recipe found in Brittany, France contained only water. It was a quick and inexpensive meal to prepare. I suggest using milk for best results. If you have a milk allergy, you can use almond or coconut milk rather than cow’s milk.
Crepes will last 3-5 days in the fridge. See above for tips if you’re making ahead crepes!
Savory crepes are often made with buckwheat flour rather than white flour. Buckwheat flour is gluten free and is a good option for those with a gluten intolerance. Simply swap white flour for buckwheat flour to enjoy gluten free crepes!
How to Avoid Rubbery Crepes
If your crepes are turning out rubbery there are a few possibilities.
1. Most likely…your pan is not hot enough, and you are cooking the crepes too slowly. Raise the temperature and cook for a shorter amount of time. They should be ready to flip in less than 60 seconds. Which leads me to…
2. You may be flipping too quickly. You want to see small golden brown circles on the crepe when you flip it. If you don’t see that, let it cook longer.
3. You are not refrigerating the batter overnight. The gluten from the flour needs a rest, at least for a few hours, but ideally overnight.
4. You are over-mixing the batter (this is unlikely), but is possible.
5. You are adding too much batter to the pan. Crepes are intentionally incredibly thin, if you pour too much batter into the pan, the crepe will be too thick and can become rubbery.
Best Crepe Fillings
The best filling ideas for French crepes!
Sweet Crepe Fillings
- Cinnamon & Sugar Crepes (my favorite)
- Chocolate & Bananas Crepes
- Nutella Crepes
- Chocolate & Berries Crepes
- Lemon & Sugar Crepes
- Berries & Whipped Cream Crepes
- Simply Powdered Sugar Crepes
- Yogurt & Granola Crepes
- Apples & Caramel Sauce Crepes
- Crepes Suzette
Savory Crepe Fillings
- Spinach, Bacon, and Cream Sauce Crepes
- Cream Cheese & Veggies Crepes
- Diced Ham & Cheese Crepes
- Asparagus & Cheese Crepes
- Cheese, Onions & Mushrooms Crepes
- Chicken, Onion, and Cream Sauce Crepes
Love crepes? Try making a crepe cake! This strawberry & cream crepe cake recipe is a delicious dessert to serve at birthdays, showers, or for Valentine’s Day!
The Recipe
French Crepe Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl gently scramble the eggs. Add milk to the eggs, and whisk. Add a pinch of salt.
- Sift the flour into the mixture, whisking as you add. Once the flour is mixed in, stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove from the fridge and whisk the batter as it will have separated a bit from sitting overnight.
- Check the consistency of your batter - it should resemble half & half. If it is too thick, add a splash more milk and a dash of canola oil as needed, until you have reached the desired consistency. This is an eyeball measurement system. You want it to be thicker than non-fat milk, but not as thick as pancake batter.
- Use your best non-stick frying pan to cook the crepes. Over medium/high heat, add a very small amount of canola oil to the frying pan, allowing it to get glossy. Then swirl the pan around so that the oil evenly coats the surface of the pan. Use a paper towel to wipe away excess oil.
- Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the hot pan, tilt the pan around in a circular motion so that the batter spreads evenly in a very thin layer.
- Cook on medium high heat for 45-60 seconds. It is ready to flip once the edges begin to curl and small golden circles appear on the cooked side of the crepe. Flip, and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds (until golden). Remove and cover until all of the batter is cooked. Makes about 12, 8" crepes.
Learn More About Crepes
All About French Crepes | History of Crepes
More Recipes
If you love breakfast you will love our Strawberry Muffins, our Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze, and our delicious Pumpkin Muffins with Struesel Topping!
Best crepe recipe i have tried! And I have tried a lot. Instructions are very clear and easy to follow!
Should the butter be melted?
Hi! Yes, the butter should be melted.