Easy French Crepes

Learn how easy it is to make the best French crêpes! Light and soft with a crisp edge and buttery texture, they can be served sweet or savory.

Soft, buttery French crêpes make a delicious breakfast treat or dessert served with your favorite filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar. But this French crêpe recipe is so versatile, that it can also be made savory and served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner just like our German Pancakes (Pfannkuchen)!

I will show you how easy it is to make these French pancakes and share my best tips and tricks and my favorite sweet and savory fillings! It’s surprisingly easy and foolproof to make perfect crêpes at home, you don’t even need a special pan to make them.

Ingredient notes

Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.

• Milk – Milk adds richness and moisture to the crêpe batter. I’m using whole milk, but 2% and skim should work as well. I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milk.
• Water – Water helps thin the batter. Use room temperature water.
• Eggs – I use large eggs. Eggs help bind the crêpe batter together. They should be at room temperature for the best result.
• Butter – Butter adds even more richness and delicious flavor. It also helps to keep the crêpes soft. I’m using unsalted butter in this recipe. You also need more butter to fry the crêpes, or you can use clarified butter or a neutral oil.
• Flour – Flour gives the crêpes structure, so they aren’t too thin. I recommend measuring using the spoon and level method, as adding too much flour can result in thick crêpes.

How to make this recipe 

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.

1. Blend – Add the milk, water, eggs, and melted butter to a high-speed blender. Blend for 15 seconds, or until completely combined. 
2. Finish – Add the flour (and any optional flavorings) and pulse for an additional 10 seconds, or until any large dry clumps are gone. Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. 
3. Chill the batter – Place the crêpe batter in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes– or up to overnight. Chilling the batter helps absorb extra water, so the crêpes are thin and crisp– don’t skip this step!  
4. Cook crêpes – Heat a large (8”) nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When the pan is just warm, add about ½ teaspoon of butter to the skillet. You want just enough butter to melt and coat the skillet evenly. When the butter has melted, pour ¼ cup of batter into the center of the pan. As you pour the batter, tilt the pan into a circle– this will help the crêpe batter spread into an even circle. If you can’t get the hang of tilting the pan, don’t worry! Just pour the batter into a circle and shake the pan gently to spread the batter into a thin layer– they won’t be as perfectly round, but the crêpes will still be delicious. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until the crêpe is golden brown around the edges and on the bottom side. Then flip the crepe and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. 

Expert tips for success

• Optional Flavorings
  • For sweet crêpes, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. 
  • For savory crêpes, add 3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. 
• Resting time – Letting the batter rest for 20–30 minutes before making the crêpes helps to keep them soft
• Quick cooking time – Cooking the crêpes too slow can make them dry and rubbery, make sure your skillet is well heated before adding the batter
• Gluten-free – To make these crêpes gluten-free, you can either use AP gluten-free flour or buckwheat flour. The crêpes will be more delicate.
• Best Pan – A non-stick pan works best, you don’t need a special crêpe pan to make homemade crêpes. If you are using a pan or skillet without a non-stick coating, make sure it is buttered well.
• Different pan sizes – Depending on the pan size, you need to use less or more batter. For an 8-inch pan, I recommend using about a 1/4 cup of batter.
• Softer crêpes – This recipe makes traditional crêpes that have some caramelization and slightly crisp edges. To make softer crêpes cook them until the surface has just set, but the edges aren’t brown, flip them and cook for 10 more seconds before taking the crêpe off the heat.
• Blender – I recommend using a high-speed blender or a Thermomix for the best texture and consistency. But if you don’t have one, you can also use a whisk, but make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

Crêpe Filling Ideas

Classic French crêpes are usually served folded like in the image above, or rolled up and filled with your favorite sweet or savory fillings. Nutella is one of the most popular sweet filling and ham and cheese is the most common savory filling and can be found on every Crêperie and bistro menu in France.

Sweet Crêpes

Sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées in French) make a decadent breakfast or dessert filled with your favorite spread, fresh fruit, or other sweet filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar! A French favorite is Nutella. Here are a few of my favorite sweet fillings for crêpes:

• Jam or other fruit preserves
• Nutella
• Whipped cream, sweetened mascarpone, or crème fraîche
• Fresh fruit: Berries, thinly sliced apples or pears, fresh figs with honey
• Pie filling: store-bought or homemade cherry, blueberry, or apple pie filling
• Fruit sauces: blueberry sauce or mixed berry sauce
• Cinnamon sugar: 1/4 cup sugar combined with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
• Lemon and sugar: Fresh lemon juice squeezed over the crêpes and white sugar (a French classic)
• Spreads: Cookie butter, dulce de leche, peanut butter, lemon curd
• Syrup: Maple syrup, honey,
• Chocolate sauce
• Strawberry and cream cheese filling or homemade whipped cream

Savory Crêpe Fillings

Savory crêpes (crêpes salées in French) are often made with buckwheat flour, which gives them a darker and less sweet taste, but making them with all-purpose flour is also common. Here are a few of my favorite savory fillings for crêpes:

• Eggs: Scrambled eggs and veggies, fried egg
• Caprese: Sliced fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil
• Vegetables: Sautéed mushrooms, arugula, sautéed or roasted seasonal vegetables, spinach
• Deli meat: Thinly sliced ham or other cured meat like Prosciutto, Jambon de Paris
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Ham and cheese
• Crispy bacon
• Avocado
• Cheese as a filling or topping: Emmentaler, soft goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, Gruyère, cheddar
• Herbs: minced chives, parsley, basil, or other fresh herbs

Make-ahead and storage

Keep crêpes warm: The crêpes can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 200F oven for up to 30 minutes.

Store cooled crêpes: Cooled crêpes can be stored in an airtight container or stacked covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, put crêpes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil, and reheat in a 240F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. You can also reheat them individually in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for about 15 seconds until heated through.

Store batter: The crêpe batter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. 

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