Learn how easy it is to make the best french crepes! Light and soft with a crisp edge and buttery texture, they can be served sweet or savory.
Soft, buttery French crepes make a delicious breakfast treat or dessert served with your favorite filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar. But this French crepe recipe is so versatile, it can also be made savory and served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!
I will show you how easy it is to make these French panacakes and share my best tips and tricks and my favorite sweet and savory fillings! It’s surprisingly easy and foolproof to make perfect crepes at home, you don’t even need a special pan to make them.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Versatile – sweet or savory option
- Make-ahead – Crepes can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge
- Simple ingredients that you have at home
- No special pan is needed – a regular non-stick pan works great
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 crepe 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 crepe batter together. They should be room temperature for the best result.
- Butter – Butter adds even more richness and delicious flavor. It also helps to keep the crepes soft. I’m using unsalted butter in this recipe.
- Flour – Flour gives the crepes 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 crepes.
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Blend – Add the milk, water, eggs, and melted butter to a high-speed blender. Blend for 15 seconds, or until completely combined.
- 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.
- Chill the batter – Place the crepe batter in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes– or up to overnight. Chilling the batter helps absorb extra water so the crepes are thin and crisp– don’t skip this step!
- Cook crepes – 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 crepe 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 crepes will still be delicious. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the crepe 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 crepes, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- For savory crepes, 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 crepes helps to keep them soft
- Quick cooking time – Cooking the crepes too slow can make them dry and rubbery, make sure your skillet is well heated before adding the batter
- Gluten-free – To make these crepes gluten-free you can either use AP gluten-free flour or buckwheat flour. The crepes will be more delicate.
- Best Pan – A non-stick pan works best, you don’t need a special crepe pan to make homemade crepes. 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 crepes – This recipe makes traditional crepes that have some caramelization and slightly crisp edges. To make softer crepes 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 crepe off the heat.
- Blender – I recommend to use 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
Yes, crepes can be made ahead! You can either refrigerate the batter for up to two days, keep the crepes warm in the oven for up to two hours, or store the cooled crepes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Crepes are the French version of American pancakes. Because they don’t contain a leavening agent like baking powder they aren’t fluffy like pancakes, but they taste similar. They are thin, buttery, and usually larger and are often filled and folded.
Yes, you can but keep in mind that using self-rising flour will make the crepes puff up and be more similar to traditional pancakes. I recommend using all-purpose flour.
Crepe Filling Ideas
Classic French crepes 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 Creperie and bistro menu in France.
Sweet Crepes
Sweet crepes (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 crepes:
- Jam or other fruit preserves
- Nutella
- Whipped cream, sweetened mascarpone, or creme fraiche
- 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 crepes 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 Crepe Fillings
Savory crepes (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 crepes:
- Eggs: Scrambled eggs and veggies, fried egg
- Caprese: Sliced fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil
- Vegetables: Sauteed mushrooms, arugula, sauteed 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, gruyere, cheddar
- Herbs: minced chives, parsley, basil, or other fresh herbs
Make-ahead and storage
Keep crepes warm: The crepes can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 200F oven for up to 30 minutes.
Store cooled crepes: Cooled crepes can be stored in an airtight container or stacked covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, put crepes 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 crepe batter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
More breakfast recipes to try
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French Crepes
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus more for greasing your pan)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add the milk, water, eggs, and melted butter to a high-speed blender. Blend for 15 seconds, or until completely combined.
- 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.
- Place the crepe batter in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes– or up to overnight. Chilling the batter helps absorb extra water so the crepes are thin and crisp– don’t skip this step!
- 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 crepe 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 crepes will still be delicious.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the crepe is golden brown around the edges and on the bottom side. Then flip the crepe and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat steps 3-5 with the remaining crepe batter, adding more butter to your pan as needed.
- Serve with your favorite fillings.
Notes
- Optional Flavorings
- For sweet crepes, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- For savory crepes, 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 crepes helps to keep them soft
- Quick cooking time – Cooking the crepes too slow can make them dry and rubbery, make sure your skillet is well heated before adding the batter
- Gluten-free – To make these crepes gluten-free you can either use AP gluten-free flour or buckwheat flour. The crepes will be more delicate.
- Best Pan – A non-stick pan works best, you don’t need a special crepe pan to make homemade crepes. 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 crepes – This recipe makes traditional crepes that have some caramelization and slightly crisp edges. To make softer crepes 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 crepe off the heat.
- Blender – I recommend to use a high-speed blender 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.
Florentina says
I made the sweet version today and filled them with Nutella and strawberries. They tasted amazing! Definitely going to make them again.
Florentina says
Hi Julia, these look wonderful. I want to try them and ask you about the sweetened mascarpone. Can you tell me how you sweeten it, and what ratio of mascarpone-sweetener you use?