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. 

Crepes vs. Galettes

As tempting as some of the savory crepes can be, a dessert crepe will always be my preference. In fact, crepes with savory fillings are often called galettes in France, and they tend to be enjoyed right before sweet crepes.

I mean, who said you can’t have both, right?

I’m also a bit of a purist and prefer a basic crepe recipe with a simple crepe filling, like the one shared here.

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

What are the ingredients for crepes?

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

You don’t need a crepe maker or crepe pan, nor do you need any special ingredients. Some all-purpose flour, eggs, butter, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, salt and water are all you need.

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

Are crepes and pancake batter the same?

This easy crepe recipe will prove to you just how easy making French crepes are. It will also show you just how much the batter for homemade crepes and homemade pancakes are similar.

When you whisk the ingredients together, you’ll notice that your crepe batter will be a lot thinner in consistency than pancake batter (P.S. you may see some people use a blender in certain crepe recipes to mix everything, but I just don’t think it’s necessary).

That’s because the ratio of ingredients are different, in addition to crepes also missing a key ingredient that pancakes often contain: baking powder. I’ll explain more below.

What’s the difference between a pancake and a crepe?

In addition to using a different ratio of ingredients, the consistency and appearance of a pancake and crepe are different. Pancake batter typically falls off the spoon slowly in a ribbon-like fashion, whereas crepe batter is much soupier.

Again, the ratio of ingredients is different, which is why crepes are runnier. Also, remember what I said about crepes missing baking powder in the list of ingredients?

The lack of baking powder also means a French crepe does not puff up at all in the pan, and will remain incredibly thin and flat, aka thin pancakes.

What is the secret to great crepes?

Aside from having a yummy recipe, like the one shared here, it’s important to follow a couple of tips and tricks when you cook crepes at home.

First of all, because crepe batter is runny, you should be able to quickly pour into your pan and easily tip your pan from side-to-side to spread a thin layer of batter along the bottom of the pan.

Doing this step quickly is key to getting a nice even crepe. Don’t be alarmed if, like pancakes, your first crepe does not come out perfect.

One reason for this is the excess grease in your pan from the initial buttering of the pan. This causes variations in the way the first crepe can look and feel.

A workaround to this is to grease your pan using a stick of butter, simply rubbing the stick along the bottom of the pan rather than dropping a tablespoon of it in there. Simply adding a tablespoon of butter into your pan will produce excess melted butter, 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 too much. You can also use an oil spray, but you’ll want to be sure it’s just a fine mist; blotting the pan with a paper towel can help in these instances too.

In addition to working quickly and greasing your pan the smart way, I recommend using a non-stick, small skillet to cook your crepes. Yes, you won’t get the big crepes you often do at a crepe stand in Paris, but it will be so much easier to flip the crepes over.

When you’re cooking your crepes, you’ll know they’re ready when the edges begin to slightly lift and form a buttery crisp edge. 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 (very important!) and briefly cook the other side.

Video Tutorial for Crepes

If you’re interested in a video tutorial for crepes, be sure to check out my French pastry course.

I share this recipe and so many more French pastry classics in there with step-by-step video instructions to make your experience foolproof at home.

How to store crepes as you’re cooking them?

If you’re not serving your crepes as you go and want to stack them to assemble later, I recommend layering some wax paper between the crepes. It makes it so much easier to remove them from each other when you are ready to fill them.

If you’re making a batch of crepes and have extras, you can also layer them with wax paper in between, then pop them into a zip-top bag and store them in the fridge (to be eaten within a few days) or the freezer.

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 melted salted butted and a tablespoon of sugar sprinkled over it. 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 variations 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 because canned whipped cream or things like Cool Whip just don’t hold up inside a crepe the way homemade crème Chantilly does.

Crème Chantilly is typically whipped into a thick, frosting-like consistency and makes for a much better filling, especially under the weight of fresh berries.

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

Other crepe variations on the blog to try:

• Chocolate Crepes
• Crepes Suzette
• Pumpkin Crepes
• Salted Caramel Crepe Cake