French Crepes

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Let’s say ooh la la as we whip up some this easy French crepe recipe that can be made ahead of time and frozen ready to be turned into a dessert or stunning breakfast!

So when I visited Paris, one of the items that was on my “must eat list” was crepes. So while waiting in the line to see the Eiffel Tower I seized the opportunity to try a truly authentic French Crepe. Filled with Nutella of course. Because while in Paris.

But for the longest time making French Crepes  completely FREAKED. ME. OUT. They seemed so complicated. The whole swirling of the pan thing. Then my sister convinced to get over my fear and make them already. They were easy she said. So I decided….let’s finally get over my fear and make them.

Boy, oh boy am I glad I did. They truly were easy.  They were quickly whipped up in one bowl and before I knew I was all ooh la la and making crepes the French way.

What is a crepe?

Crepes are a French thin style pancake. Unlike American pancakes that call for a leavening agent such as baking soda or baking powder, crepes have none. So they end up being a very thin pancake.

Then they are usually rolled or folded with a sweet (or savory!) filling.

Ingredients For This Crepe Recipe

• Flour – I just used 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Just make sure you measure your flour correctly.
• Milk – I used regular whole milk, but any milk will work.
• Eggs – You will need 2 large eggs
• Melted Unsalted Butter – I always recommend using unsalted butter vs. salted butter because it’s fresher and I can control the amount of salt added.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla is always best!
• Salt – A little salt always help to balance out sweetness. I use kosher or sea salt for best pure salt taste. 
• Sugar – Just a little granulated sugar is all you need to sweeten your crepes.

(and if you want to make some homemade ganache – some chopped chocolate and heavy cream as shown in the photo below!)

How do you make French crepes?

Making French crepes is easy. The batter comes together quickly. You want to mix all of your crepe batter ingredients together in a bowl. 

Make sure to whisk well to get out an lumps. You can also use a blender, or stick blender to make the batter to ensure it’s smooth. But I’m lazy and for the longest time didn’t have a blender! So I made do with my whisk. 

You must then let your batter sit for 20-30 minutes to let the gluten relax, and let the flour absorb the liquid properly. If you don’t, you will want to throw away the first few! So give it a rest. Go get some dishes done. Check your email. Come back. Let’s do the crepe thing.

Then you want to pre-heat a non-stick skillet and grease it well. You can use a non-stick cooking spray or oil or butter. Just wipe it down so the skillet has a nice coating of grease but isn’t visible.

Once the pan is heated, you want to ladle about a 1/4 cup of your batter (this is for an 8-inch pan – for a 10 or 12-inch pan I’ll use a little more) into the center of your pan. Then immediately pick your pan up off the stove and swirl the pan so the batter spreads out to the edges into a nice thin pancake. I just keep rotating the pan around so the batter goes to the edges of the pan. 

Allow the crepe to cook on one side until golden brown then flip over (about 1 minute). Then cook on the second side until also golden brown (will take less time than the first side). I usually flip it and let it cook for an additional 15-20 seconds on the second side. If you want yours a tad crispier than go for a little longer.

Tips for making crepes

They do take a bit of time to make an entire batch. Totally worth it, though. Couple things I learned my first venture out.

1.  Grease Your Pan. You can grease the skillet with non-stick spray, butter or oil. But butter will give you the best flavor. Just make sure to wipe the skillet with a paper towel so it’s greased but not pooling with your choice of grease.

2. Let The Batter Rest.  You want to let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes. This lets the gluten relaxes and results in a soft and tender crepe.

3. Swirl to spread the batter out.  Ladle the crepe mixture directly in the center of the pan. THEN swirl the pan so it spreads into a nice thin circle. There is really no science behind this but to spread the batter out evenly. Then let them cook for about a minute before flipping it over. You want to see the edges of the crepe starting to brown before you flip. 

4. Then it’s time to flip. Cue scary music. If it doesn’t flip easily, give it another minute on that side. I used a fork to pick it up one side and with a spatula was able to give it a flip. If it doesn’t perfectly flip over just fix it. Julia Child completely understands. And in fact, you don’t even need to flip. True French crepes aren’t flipped, but I prefer to have a lightly golden color on both sides.

5. Cook for less on the second side. If you are flipping these over, then you want to cook them for much less time on the other side. About 15-20 seconds is all it will take. Sometimes I’ll admit I may cook it for a few extra seconds because I like mine a bit on the crispier side! 

6. Keep them warm. Keep them cooked ones covered while you cook the rest. Cover the whole stack with a dish towel to keep them warm.

Can you make them ahead of time?

Yes you can make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate overnight.

Or if you want to make the crepes ahead of time to serve later, then just layer cooked crepes with parchment between each crepe and wrap the whole stack in plastic wrap so as not to dry out. 

Store the wrapped crepes in your fridge for up to 3 days. And then simply reheat in your microwave in small increments until warmed through. Just be careful and not to heat too much as they might turn soggy. I microwave in 10-second increments.

Can I freeze crepes?

Yes!  They freeze incredibly well.  Simply layer parchment paper between each crepe then wrap in plastic wrap or put in a plastic bag. They will freeze up to 3 months. So any time you need a quick dessert or breakfast you will have crepes ready to go.

And then I just let them thaw in the fridge, or at room temperature is also fine, and then I reheat them in the microwave again for 10 seconds at a time until they are warmed through.

Do you need a special pan?

Absolutely not. You do not need any special crepe pan to make crepes. Don’t let that thought stop you from making crepes.

All I have ever used is a non-stick skillet to make crepes in.

How much batter do I add to the pan? 

This will depend on the size of your skillet. Use this as your guide:

• 8-inch pan – about 3-4 Tbsp (about 1/4 cup)
• 10-inch pan – about 4-5 Tbs. (generous 1/4 cup)
• 12-inch pan – about 1/3 cup

Recipe Substitutions:

• Gluten free: You can try these with buckwheat flour for a gluten free option or your favorite gluten free mix. I have not tested with either. 
• Milk substitution: I love using whole milk for these for best flavor and richness, but yes you can substitute whatever milk you would like. Low-fat, almond, soy, oat or other plant-based milks. 
• Vegan: I haven’t tested this but I think a vegan egg replacement would work well! A “flax egg” might make the crepes be a bit grainy with bits of flax of them, but might still work.
• Blender method: Yes I’ve made crepe batter in a blender before, or used a stick blender for a super smooth texture. I’m just lazy and prefer to whisk my batter smooth.

Filling Ideas

The possibilities with crepes are endless.  I decided to fill mine with strawberries topped with an easy and decadent chocolate ganache.

For the ganache, simply heat 1 cup of heavy cream over low heat and then pour over 8 ounces of chopped chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then stir until smooth.

Here are some other crepe filling ideas!

• Nutella (with fresh fruit, strawberries are my personal choice)
• Sliced Bananas with caramel sauce
• Whipped cream and fresh fruit
• Sweetened cream cheese or mascarpone
• Lemon Curd
• Ice-cream
• Yogurt
• Maple syrup or honey
• Or make them savory! Omit the vanilla and sugar and then fill with scrambled eggs, ham, cheese, or whatever you want! Heck make a pizza crepe. That would be delicious.

More French baking recipes to try

• Chocolate Baileys Macarons
• Chocolate Dipped Macarons (with vanilla filling)
• How To Make French Madeleines
• Homemade French Baguette Recipe
• Chocolate Eclairs
• How To Make Choux Pastry
• Cream Puffs

Tools Needed To Make French Crepes

• Non-stick skillet <– I know there are fancy crepe pans out there, but I just rely on a good non-stick skillet to get the job done.
• Ladle – I find it easier to just ladle the mixture onto the pan, but a glass measuring cup works well too. 
• Good whisk <– I love this whisk because it also has  bowl scraper as part of it. 
• Flat spatula <– To flip the crepes with

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