French Crepe Recipe

I remember the first time I went to Paris, I made it a mission to stop at a creperie and pick up a sweet crepe. I didn’t care if I looked like an obvious tourist, it was a must on my bucket list. Now that I’m back in the States, I love making this French crepe recipe at home whenever I get a craving for this iconic treat. 

French Crepe Recipe

As tempting as some of the savory crepes can be, a dessert crepe will always be my preference.

Not only that, but most of the time, I prefer a basic crepe recipe with a simple crepe filling, like the one shared here.

Fillings like nutella, coconut, or caramel are all well and nice, but strawberry crepes like these just feel classic and perfectly sweet without being too indulgent.

If you’ve never attempted a crepe batter recipe before, don’t fret.

You don’t need a crepe maker nor do you need any special ingredients.

In fact, making a French crepe recipe like this is very similar to making pancakes, and you’ll notice that when you gather your crepe ingredients together.

Easy Crepe Recipe

This easy crepe recipe will prove to you just how easy making French crepes are.

When you’re whisking the ingredients together, you’ll notice that your crepe batter will be a lot thinner in consistency than pancake batter.

Pancake batter typically falls off the spoon slowly in a ribbon-like fashion, whereas crepe batter is much soupier.

This is because crepes are much thinner than pancakes.

So, when you pour crepe batter into your pan, you should easily be able to tip your pan from side-to-side to spread a thin layer of batter along the bottom of the pan.

Like pancakes, your first crepe may not come out perfect.

One reason for this is the excess grease in your pan from the butter.

A workaround to this is to grease your pan using a stick of butter and simply rubbing the stick along the bottom of the pan.

If you simply cut a tablespoon of butter and drop it into the pan, you’ll have excess butter in your pan which will affect the consistency of that first (and maybe second) crepe.

By rubbing the butter in the pan, you’ll have greased your pan just enough to keep the crepe from sticking, but not so much as to affect it’s texture and consistency.

You can also use an oil spray, but you’ll want to be sure it’s just a fine mist. That’s not always as easy to do with certain sprays.

Unlike pancakes, crepes won’t puff up, so don’t be surprised about that.

Pancakes typically have something like baking powder in them to help the batter rise into, well, pan-CAKES.

A French crepe will remain incredibly thin and flat.

This is why crepes are often folded in some kind of manner and stuffed with other ingredients. They’re meant to act as a sort of shell rather than the be the item of real substance on your plate.

When you’re cooking your crepes, you’ll know they’re ready when the edges begin to slightly lift and slightly crisp.

You’ll want to poke around the edges of the crepe to see where it will lift.

If it’s not lifting, it may need 10 to 15 seconds longer to really set. But they get ready pretty fast, so be ready.

When they are ready , you’ll gently flip them over with a sharp-edged spatula and briefly cook the other side.

You don’t need any special chef skills to flip over a crepe, especially if you use a small pan like I’ve outlined in the directions below.

It’s more important to use a sharp-edged spatula than anything else.

Crepe Filling

The best crepe recipe is a simple crepe recipe, so if you want to fill your crepes with salted butter, I would never judge you.

In fact, I’d agree that it’s fantastic. Secretly, it’s my favorite way to eat a crepe.

In Paris, I’ll often get a crepe with salted butter and a sprinkling of sugar. The combination is divine.

I love using that combination for my pumpkin crepes as well.

Those crepes are drizzled with chocolate ganache for a rich, sweet finish.

But if you want to go for some classic flavors and turn these into a breakfast crepe recipe or dessert crepes, I highly recommend filling them with some freshly whipped cream and strawberries.

This is particularly delicious during the spring, when strawberries are juicy, ripe, and naturally sweet.

I advise either making your own whipped cream or, if you must, use something like Cool Whip, which has a thicker consistency than the canned Reddi-Whip options you use to top pie or sundaes with.

The canned whipped cream just doesn’t seem to be able to hold up well inside a crepe, especially when the crepe is folded over the cream.

Homemade whipped cream can be whipped into a thick, frosting-like consistency and makes for a much better filling for this French crepe recipe.

Give this recipe a try, and if you love it, experiment with other seasonal fruits as well!

French Crepe Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

French pancakes filled with freshly, sweetened whipped cream and strawberries. 

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Ingredients

for the crepes

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• tiny dash of salt

for the filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2-4 tbsp powdered sugar (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• fresh strawberry slices

Instructions

For the Crepes

1. Whisk all the ingredients, except the flour, together. Add in the flour, a little bit at a time, whisking just until the flour has been mixed in.
2. Let the crepe batter rest for 10 minutes. Then, give the batter a quick whisk again before using.
3. Grease a non-stick, 6" skillet with unsalted butter and heat over medium heat. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons worth of batter into the pan and tip the pan from side to side to get the batter to spread out throughout the pan.
4. Cook each side of the crepe for 30 seconds before gently loosening up the edges with a large spatula. If it lifts, then the crepe is ready to be flipped. If it doesn't lift up very well, give it 10 to 15 more seconds and try again. Gently lift the crepe out of the pan, then flip over into the pan and cook the other side for another 10 to 15 seconds; remove to cool.

For the filling

1. Simply beat the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer until soft peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat until stiff peaks form. 
2. Spread a layer of cream onto each crepe, add sliced strawberries, and then roll the crepe like you would a wrap.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237

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