Authentic French Crêpes (Ready in 15 Minutes)
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/25/2023
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This easy crêpe recipe makes thin and flexible crepes with a restaurant-level quality. It’s an easy recipe, made with simple ingredients, and ready in under 15 minutes. I’m a crepe fan because I’ve spent years making crepes in our family restaurants in the foothills of the Vosges mountains. So you can trust that this recipe has been tested many times over!
French crepes, anyone? You might have tried some of my other classic French desserts like my floating island dessert, my madeleines, or my croffles, so it’s time for the classic of the classics. I am a French girl born and raised in France, so I am a fan of authentic French recipes and truly French crepes.
It’s typically French to serve sweet crepes for breakfast or snacks. But, savory crepes are also served in the French Brittany region as a meal filled with eggs, ham, and cheese. However, savory crepes are made with different flour.
- Sweet Crepe Recipe – Thin, golden in color, and made of all-purpose white wheat flour.
- Savory Crepes – Thicker, heavier, grey-brown in color, and made of buckwheat flour. Try my buckwheat flour crepes to make a savory crepe recipe.
It’s very easy to make a crepe batter crepe. All you need are 6 ingredients, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a non-stick crepe pan.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Following is the full list of ingredients to make your perfect French crepe:
- All-Purpose Flour – Use white wheat flour. Other options are white spelt flour or white whole-wheat flour. For other flour options, try my Gluten-Free Crepes, Almond Flour Crepes, or Coconut Flour Crepes.
- Eggs – The classic recipe uses eggs. For a vegan version, try my vegan crepes.
- Whole Milk or skim milk for a lighter crepe. It will result in crispier crepes. You can also use dairy-free milk alternatives like almond milk, but it makes the crepes slightly crispier.
- Melted Butter – You can make crepes without butter. Simply replace with melted coconut oil or olive oil.
- Sugar or sugar-free alternatives like Monk fruit crystal sweetener or erythritol.
- Vanilla Essence – The crepe batter is flavored with vanilla extract or orange blossom flower water.
Making The Batter
- Add the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, melted butter, and sugar into a large mixing bowl (photo 1).
- Use a whisk or an electric mixer to gradually beat the milk until a smooth batter forms with no lumps (photo 2). A crepe batter is always thinner than a pancake batter recipe, and that’s normal. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the non-stick crepe pan.
Spreading The Crepe Batter
- Oil the pan with an oil spray or melted butter (photo 3). It takes time and practice to perfectly tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread your batter evenly around the pan. First, I recommend pouring no more than 1/4 cup of crepe batter (photo 4). Next, make sure the crepe pan is very hot – preheat over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Then, tilt and swirl the pan in a circular motion at the same time you pour the batter – as you see me do in the picture above. The faster you tilt and rotate the pan, the better the crepe batter spread. As a result, it will cover the crepe pan surface with a thin layer that results in the most beautiful thin, and crispy French crepes.
- Once the crepe is lightly brown, use an offset spatula to loosen the sides and flip the crepe. Finally, keep cooking the crepe on the other side for 1 minute.
- Store the cooked crepes on a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Carine’s Tips
What are the tricks on how to make a perfectly thin and crispy French crepe? Let me tell you my secrets.
- Choosing The French Crepe Pan – The skillet you use makes a big difference in how the crepe will cook and how thin you can spread the batter. You must use a non-stick pan for the best results. It will work in a regular pan, but you will never get such a thin crepe. Otherwise, use a pancake griddle, but it is more difficult to create beautiful round-shaped crepes on a griddle.
- How To Fold A French Crepe – After you cook the crepe, bring it to a plate, add fillings and toppings and fold it. Most French people roll their crepes, and we eat them with our fingers. Restaurant chefs folded crepes in a triangle shape. But whether you fold or roll, always add the fillings in the open crepes. Then put the crepe back into the pan to melt and warm the filling before folding and serving them. Here you go! You now know everything about authentic French crepes! However, don’t hesitate to ask me more by leaving a comment! I will love to help you design your best crepe parties!
Frequently Asked Questions
Find below my answers to the most common questions on this crepe recipe.
You can make the French Crepe Batter with a blender instead of using an electric beater. Make sure to blend on low or medium speed.
Yes, you can make this crepe recipe without a mixer, it works just as well with a hand whisk.
Making a crepe cake with this recipe is very simple! Stack eight to 10 crepes and add any of your favorite fillings in between them.
You can then top them up with fresh fruits and a raspberry jam.
This recipe is perfect when filled with sweet ingredients, but you can absolutely make a version with savory fillings for brunch.
Add spinach, pan-fried mushrooms, grilled chicken, tomato slices, and fresh cheese like ricotta for delicate savory crepes.
Each year on February 2 is what French people call ‘La Chandeleur’ – Candlemas in English – or the day when a whole country eats crepes!
It is a tradition, and most French families will eat French crepes for the occasion.
No one knows for sure why crepes are associated with a once-religious holiday, but there are a few hypotheses.
It is possible that crepes – essentially large and thin pancakes – symbolize a round, yellow sun coming back after the winter.
Another possibility is that it’s around that time that winter wheat harvests happen. If flour was made in too large batches, making crepes was a way to use it.
It is such a deeply rooted tradition that I still make crepes on that day even though I moved to New Zealand years ago. The tradition says that we must eat them only after 8 pm.
More Crêpe Recipes
If you like simple, healthy, authentic crepes recipes, you’ll also love these:
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French Crêpe Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup White Wheat Flour
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract optional
- 1 teaspoon White Sugar optional
- 2 cups Milk
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted or vegetable oil of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, melted butter, and sugar if used.
- Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat in the milk gradually until a smooth batter forms with no lumps.
- Heat a lightly buttered crepe pan over medium/high heat.
- Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, then tip and rotate the pan to spread the batter as thinly as possible.
- Cook until lightly brown on both sides – about 1-2 minutes on each side and serve hot with your favorite fillings.
Notes
Want My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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Perfect! Just like my mom used to make.
It’s been my experience that like pancakes, the first one tends to not turn out that great.
Something about the butter needing to be “seasoned” by cooking the first one.
I’m not a scientist, but that’s how it seems to work.
Yes!!
First time making crepe and followed this recipe. Lovely result! Decided to not add vanilla since it will be paired with smoked salmon and it still turned out good. Husband loved it!
Loved the recipe as it had no waiting time after mixing it….and it tasted wonderful….Had it with pea ut butter and banana and chrunchy cookie spread..
Can the batter be stored in the fridge for a few days. If cooked and stored how do you reheat the crepes. Thanks for the recipe.
Sure, in an airtight container.
Was great!! I swapped sugar for a little maple syrup to avoid the white sugar. Thanks!!
Easy and toasty
I was wondering do I have to use regular milk? Can I use Almond milk or maybe can milk?
Yes, any milk works including almond milk, enjoy!
Can i make the crepes chocolate and how much cocoa do i use? Thank you
Probably yes, I would add more than 2-3 tbsp. of it will dry out the batter
First time ever making crepes and I used this recipe. So easy to make and they were delicious! Can I make the batter the night before and refrigerate it for the next morning?
Absolutely!
Can I substitute with plain white flour?
Yes sure, that’s actually what the recipe is calling for plain white wheat flour
Thank you for the detail. I’ve been making crêpes all my life. My favorite food!
Love the recipe. About how much batter should I pour into the pan for one crepe? 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 cup (USA)? What type of oil is best to use for the pan?
Thanks
Richard Nicholus
Thanks for your great recipe! I have been to France many times from the USA. I understand the love of crepes, especially in Brittany.
Do you ever use the wooden crepe spreader to spread the crepe dough evenly in the pan?
Thanks.
You don’t have to use a wooden spreader, I simply tilt my pan to spread the batter thin and evenly. It take a bit of practice to tilt it fast with the right angle to spread it perfectly but it avoid the wooden tool you see in French crepes restaurant. Enjoy
This crepes looks
so nice and I am going
to try them. For what
period can it be kept after
baked?
Thanks
You can store the crepes in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure you cover the plate to make sure they don’t dry out.
Good recipe! However a few of them were rather hard, but it might have been because I used GF flour. Also would be good to note that oil is best to use rather than melted butter and that you need at least one or two more spoons of it – first crêpe stuck to my non-stick pan even though it was well buttered
Don’t add any cold water to keep the crêpe batter thin?
Excellent recipe, you made my wife’s Mother’s Day and my life a little easier. Happy Wife, happy life. She’s great and she deserved a delicious breakfast. Enjoy your day.
You are an amazing partner, making crepes for your wife on Mother’s day is so sweet. I am so glad she loves them. Happy Mother’s day to her too, XOXO Carine
Super easy and delicious!
Thank you! Enjoy the recipes on the blog, XOXO Carine
So easy and delish!! Using your recipe for the second time! Also the second time I’ve ever made crepes???? Thank-you!
That’s wonderful! Thank you.
This recipe makes the best crepes. I have never made them before and they came out perfectly. Great with marmalade filling.