Crepes Recipe (Basic Crepes)

Grab this basic crepes recipe to make a delicious stack of easy homemade crepes and serve them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They will be perfect whenever you use a specialty crepe pan or a nonstick pan.

So how to make your crepes to perfection? After reading this article, you will never have to worry about making crepes again.

I am going over the best tips and tricks for getting that perfect crepes just right.

If you have ever tried French crepes, you know that crepes are thin and large cousins of pancakes. So if you are a crepe fan, this guide will have plenty for your taste buds.

But Dutch Baby pancake? That is my weekend go-to. Check out the recipe so that next time your family is craving breakfast at home, they can have one too.

Jump to:

• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make crepes
• Recipe variations
• Equipment
• How to store crepes
• Expert tips
• Frequently asked questions
• Look for the best crepes recipes? Try these next!
• Need to adjust your baking pan size?
• Recipe card
• Comments

Why you should try this recipe

A recipe for crepes is simple and easy to make with just three basic ingredients - flour, eggs, and milk.

Add a pinch of salt for an enhanced flavor and some melted butter. Then forget about greasing your pan when cooking: your crepes won't stick while flipping.

So, this is a 5-ingredient crepe recipe - it is the perfect starting point for your next adventure in crepe savviness.

This basic crepe recipe is perfect for all your favorite flavors, whether sweet or savory.

The same applies to crepes themselves - they are also versatile in terms of fillings and easygoing in terms of preparation time.

So you don't need to wait for special occasions: make them at any time.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Room temperature crepe ingredients make the difference when mastering the art of crepe making.

Flour: the recipe calls for all-purpose flour that gives the structure to crepes.

Salt: it brings flavor to the batter and cooked crepes.

Eggs: use large eggs to make the recipe.

Milk: the recipe uses whole milk, but you can replace it with low-fat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk. However, the crepes' texture and taste won't be the same.

Butter: just a little butter brings the buttery flavor and taste to crepes and eliminates the necessity of greasing a pan. Replace unsalted butter with semi-salted butter if desired.

Sugar: this ingredient is optional. Add a small amount of sugar, for example, one tablespoon of granulated sugar, vanilla, or brown sugar, to make dessert crepes.

How to make crepes

To make the crêpe batter, melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave and let it slightly cool.

Using a flour sifter, sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well, add eggs, and mix with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture is thick, add milk little by little.

Work the batter well with a spoon or hand whisk to aerate it, then pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. You will obtain a very smooth batter.

Add cooled melted butter and mix to combine. If the butter starts to solidify, it is okay.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Refrigerate it if you let it rest overnight.

Resting the crepe batter allows for relaxing the gluten and allows the flour to absorb the liquid. This step is the key to making perfect crepes.

To cook crepes, heat a crepe pan or a 9-inch/23 cm non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Gently pour a ladle of crepe batter into the center of the pan. Immediately, tilt it around to coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of batter.

Watch for the edges of the crepe: once they are golden brown, the crepe is ready to be flipped.

Once you have loosened up the edges with a flexible turner, shake the pan back and forth to release the crepe. Then with the use of the turner or spatula flip the crepe.

If you can flip the crepe on the pan with your wrist (a unique technique), you are lucky enough: you don't need a spatula. Cook the second side of the crepe.

Continue with the remaining batter until it is used up. Serve crepes warm on a large plate.

Recipe variations

If you want to get out of the ordinary and out of this basic and easy crepe recipe, use the ideas below.

For an extra layer of flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon of dark rum, Calvados, or Grand Marnier to the batter.

Then make a zest from ½ lemon or orange and add it to your batter for added zing.

You can take your breakfast to the next level by adding bitter cocoa powder to the batter. Finally, try making chocolate crepes, and top them off in whatever way you like.

You can never go wrong with a delicious crepe cake. Stack your crepes, add some whipped cream and canned or fresh fruit in between for the perfect birthday-worthy dessert.

Or why not flambe your crepes in an orange sauce or prepare crispy crepes and make them taste like a restaurant-style dessert?

Finally, the possibilities for toppings are endless.

You can go with sweet fillings such as fruit, homemade condensed milk, whipped cream, lemon curd, chocolate sauce, maple syrup, caramelized peaches, a drizzle of melted chocolate, Nutella, or even some crumbs.

Choose ham, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, scrambled eggs, and basil for savory crepes.

You can easily play with crepes by folding them to create different shapes such as triangles, double fold, roll, pocket-like, purse-like, cone, etc., for an added twist.

So, now is the time to let your imagination run wild to upgrade easy crepes to a delicious meal or dessert.

Equipment

You can easily measure out your ingredients for a crepe recipe by using either a kitchen scale (preferable method) or measuring cups and spoons.

The best crepe batter is simply made by mixing ingredients in just one mixing bowl.

All you need to do this with your hand whisk, then pour the mix through a fine-mesh sieve for perfect crepes every time.

But if you want an even smoother consistency, the batter could be mixed in a blender.

You can cook crepes on any non-stick pan, although it is recommended that you get a specialty crepe pan with low edges.

It is a must-have for those who love crepes and make them regularly.

If you’re looking to invest in a quality chef's pan, then the crepe pan by Cuisinart is the one. You will not regret it.

How to store crepes

The crepes are best eaten warm, once made, but you can keep them at room temperature to serve the same day.

To serve your crepes later in the day, place them on a foil-lined serving plate. 

Place the plate onto a half-filled saucepan with hot water. Keep the heat low under the saucepan until your guests arrive.

You can refrigerate crepes by covering them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil for 2 days. 

Make sure to wrap them well around the plate to keep the crepes' softness and flavor.

To prevent the crepes from sticking together, separate them with parchment paper (or wax paper).

Can you freeze crepes? Yes, you can freeze cooked crepes for 3 months.

Just separate each crepe with parchment or cling film, double wrap with plastic and aluminum foil, then place in a ziplock bag or airtight container, and freeze. 

To thaw crepes, bring them to the fridge overnight or the counter for a few hours. To reheat, put them in the microwave for several seconds.

Expert tips

1. For a lighter batter, replace half the milk with water or beer.
2. If the crepe batter seems too thick, add a little milk.
3. Please don't skip the resting time: it allows the gluten to relax, resulting in the best crepes ever.
4. Cook crepes over medium to medium-high heat: all stovetops are different.
5. Make sure to heat your pan very well; in this case, even the first crepe will be perfect.

Frequently asked questions

Look for the best crepes recipes? Try these next!

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.