Are you looking for a crispy crepe recipe to make French Mille crepe with the best dessert presentation ever? It is a French signature sweet treat to serve for a decadent breakfast or finish a romantic dinner.
Who does not love a crepe dessert made in less than 40 minutes? French mile crepe (mille feuille de crêpes in French) is one of the best in this category!
Serve it for breakfast, as a dessert for dinner, or transform it into a romantic, sweet treat.
A long time ago, I bought the book "Simple & Frais" by French chef Pierre Augé and found his beautiful recipe for French Mille crepe dessert.
The chef's idea was to stack crepes to build a crepe "tower," adding fresh fruits and whipped cream.
It was one of the innovations of Pierre Augé, a winner of the "Top Chef" 2014 and an owner of the restaurant La Maison de Petit Pierre in France.
If you have mastered the art of crepe making by following this ultimate guide - the basic crepe recipe, the next step will probably be to experiment with crepe desserts: a crepe cake, stuffed crepes, crepe purses, crepes Millefeuille, etc.
What are crispy crepes?
Crispy crepes are paper-thin crepes cooked until golden brown with crispy edges.
The crepe batter is classic and based on an authentic French crepe recipe.
You should spread the batter into a very thin layer for the best results by tilting a crepe pan in a circular motion.
There is nothing fancy cooking equipment needed. All you need is a large bowl, rubber spatula, hand whisk, and a pan: a crepe pan, non-stick skillet, or crepe maker if available.
Crisp crepes are mostly made large and served with savory fillings, for example, ground pork, green onions, bean sprouts like Banh Xeo Vietnamese crepe.
But the good news is that besides the savory crepes, you can always make a sweet crepes variation. And they are made out of classic French crepes.
Why you should try this recipe
This crispy crepe recipe is a snap to make: you can use homemade crepes or store-bought ones (pancakes do not work for this recipe).
So what better way to enjoy your dinner than with this delectable dessert? The presentation is both cute and individual, which will make you want one too.
Making crispy crepe disks in advance will give you the freedom to serve the dessert at any time. Just pipe on some cream and add your favorite toppings.
Finally, double, triple, or multiply the recipe and throw a party with these delicious, piled-high crepes.
Crepe Millefeuille is the perfect dessert to serve at any gathering - especially if you are looking for something that can be made in advance.
Kids love helping out by adding ingredients and assembling the dessert.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
Also, read about crepes ingredients.
French crepes: follow the recipe to make traditional French crepes. To serve crepes for six people, you will need only six crepes.
It is up to you to make a few crepes or make a whole batch (you will have some extra crepes then).
Nuts: to make caramelized nuts use a mix of pecan, pistachios, hazelnuts, flaked or slivered almonds, or other nuts of your choice.
Orange flower water: it brings an unbeatable flavor to the dessert, although it is optional.
Omit orange flower water or replace it with ⅓ teaspoon of orange zest if preferred.
Whipping cream: it has to be cold to beat it ideally.
Mascarpone: you do not need to bring it to room temperature in advance; use the cold one.
Sugar: the recipe calls for granulated sugar and icing (powdered) sugar.
How to make crispy crepes
Make crepes by following the recipe for authentic French crepes. Let the batter rest, and then cook crepes on a hot pan over medium-high heat.
To make crispy crepes, preheat the oven to 230 degrees F/110 degrees C.
Using a cookie cutter of 3 ½ inches/9 cm, cut three crepe disks out of one crepe. Repeat the same with other crepes (photo 1).
Arrange crepe circles on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper (photo 2), bring them into the oven, and dry them out for 30 minutes.
To caramelize nuts, place nuts and powdered (icing) sugar on a frying pan (photo 3) and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar starts to caramelize, coat nuts with caramel.
Transfer caramelized nuts to the parchment paper and let them cool (photo 4). Then chop nuts into medium-sized pieces.
To make the orange whipped cream, whisk whipping cream, mascarpone, and orange flower water to get a firm whipped cream.
To assemble the dessert, place the first crepe disk on a dessert plate. Then, using a pastry bag with a tip, pipe the whipped cream on top of the crepe, sprinkle with chopped caramelized nuts (photo 5).
Place the second crepe disk, repeat the process, and finish with a crispy disk.
Sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar and chopped nuts (photo 6). Serve immediately.
Recipe variations
There are plenty of recipes for crispy crepes where the edges of crepes are crisp. But what makes crepes crispy, and how to obtain this?
One of the ways to get this honeycombed appearance and additional crispiness of crepes is to add lager beer (at least 25% of the milk) to the crepe batter.
Read French chocolate crepes recipe and learn how to make thin crispy crepes, creating a beer containing batter.
But here, the topic is about such crispy crepes that hold their shape. They are thin French-style pancakes dried in the oven to obtain crispy crepe disks.
In this case, you can stack them to build a Millefeuille, adding whipped cream between layers.
So, it turns out that it is all about drying crepes at the right temperature, which is 230 degrees F/110 degrees C for 30 minutes.
If you want to dry and slightly caramelize crepes, brush crepe disks with a mix of three tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons or 30 g of semi-salted butter (cook this mixture for 1 to 2 minutes in advance).
Then arrange crepes on parchment paper, cover with another parchment and a baking (metal) sheet on top and bake at 390 degrees F/200 degrees C for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet and the parchment paper from the top and cook in the oven for the other 2 minutes. You might need to adjust the cooking time not to burn crepes.
How to serve crispy crepes
Your personal preference is to pipe a cream with your favorite pastry tip or spread the cream.
It does not affect the taste of the crepe dessert. Moreover, some imperfection in desserts is trending now.
Cream is always a delicious option, but it can also be customized to suit your preferences. Here are some ideas on how you might personalize this dessert.
Whisk whipped cream with one tablespoon of powdered (icing) sugar and pipe it between crispy crepe disks: simple and delicious.
Or beat whipped cream with mascarpone, flavor it with orange flower water or maple syrup, pipe it, and sprinkle with chopped caramelized nuts (the recipe is below).
As you build your crepe tower, top your crepes off with whipped cream. Then add fresh fruit slices (clementines, oranges, or kiwis) to make the treat taste even more delicious.
Or add a few drops of rose water to the cream and sprinkle the dessert with crushed Pink Praline or petals of edible rose buds.
The tangy taste of lemon combined with the sweetness of raspberries is absolutely mouthwatering. If you love citrus flavors, this dessert will be a must-have for your cooking list.
Just spread a thin layer of lemon curd, arrange a few fresh raspberries, sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar, then repeat this operation with other crepes.
Love caramel? Then place a layer of caramelized apples followed by whipped cream or cream cheese between crepes.
Storing and freezing
This crepe dessert is best served once assembled. You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 24 hours.
It is not recommended to freeze the assembled dessert, but you can make crepes and freeze them covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 months.
Expert tips
- Place a bit of the cream on a dessert plate so that stacked crispy crepes remain in their place.
- Serve the dessert with "Coat Albret" - a cider from Loïc and Morgan Berthelot or another apple cider.
Love crepes? Try these next!
Browse all the Crepe & Pancake Recipes
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PrintRecipe card
Crispy Crepe Recipe (Crêpes Croustillantes)
Looking for a crispy crepe recipe to make French Mille crepe that has the best dessert presentation ever? It is a French signature sweet treat to serve for a decadent breakfast or finish a romantic dinner.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Crepes
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
6 French crepes
For the whipped cream:
- ⅔ cup + 3 ½ tablespoons (200 g) whipping cream
- 2.8 oz. (80 g) mascarpone
- 2 ½ tablespoons (35 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon orange flower water
For caramelized nuts:
- 30 g nuts (pecan, pistachios, hazelnuts, slivered almonds)
- 3 ½ tablespoons (25 g) powdered (icing) sugar
For the decoration:
- powdered (icing) sugar
- chopped caramelized nuts
* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- Make French crepes by following the recipe for authentic French crepes.
- To make crispy crepes, preheat the oven to 230 F/110 C. Using a cookie cutter of 3 ½ inches/9 cm, cut three crepe disks out of one crepe. Repeat the same with other crepes. Arrange crepe circles on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, bring them into the oven and dry them out for 30 minutes.
- To caramelize nuts, place nuts and powdered (icing) sugar on a frying pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar starts to caramelize, coat nuts with caramel. Transfer caramelized nuts on the parchment paper and let them cool. Then chop nuts into medium-sized pieces.
- To make the orange whipped cream, whisk whipping cream, mascarpone, and orange flower water to get a firm whipped cream.
- To assemble the dessert, place the first crepe disk on a dessert plate. Using a pastry bag with a tip, pipe the whipped cream on top of the crepe, sprinkle with chopped caramelized nuts. Place the second crepe disk, repeat the process, and finish with a crispy disk. Sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar and chopped nuts. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Place a bit of the cream on a dessert plate so that the stacked crispy crepes remain in their place.
- Serve it with "Coat Albret" - a cider from Loïc and Morgan Berthelot or another apple cider.
Nutrition
- Calories: 272
- Sugar: 10.6 g
- Sodium: 77 mg
- Fat: 18.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.8 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 6.4 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
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.
The recipe was originally published on April 20, 2018. It has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Erika says
I haven't had a crepe in a long time and this reminds me I need to make some soon!
Irina says
Thank you Erika! You have just reminded me to make these crepes again. Just need to spoil my guys at home:)
Rhonda Albom says
Wow, this looks great. I never heard the word Millefeuille before, but I think it's about to become a favourite. Also, those caramelized nuts sound like a fantastic bonus treat on their own.
Irina says
Oh, Rhonda, you will fall in love with the whole family desserts called Millefeuille once you try those. And caramelized nuts: they are the best snack ever.
Nart says
Wow, these look so delicious. I never knew the trick is to add lager beer!!
Irina says
Yes, adding beer to a crepe batter makes the crepes crispy! Please, enjoy the recipe, Nart!
Krissy Allori says
I love crepes. I haven't made them in way too long. I'm going to change that this weekend. I have everything I need. Thank you for the great recipe.
Irina says
You are very welcome, Krissy! Have a great weekend!
Toni says
Completely delicious! Thank you for your detailed explanations and photos. It made it so easy!
Irina says
You are welcome, Toni! Please, enjoy the recipe.
Mirlene says
These crepes are amazing! I made them for my family and they could not stop eating it. Great recipe!
Irina says
Thank you, Mirlene, for letting me know that you loved the recipe! 🙂
Emmeline says
Oh, this sounds seriously amazing!! I shouldn’t have read this post before breakfast now; this is all I can think about. 😅
Irina says
So, just give it a try, Emmeline! Please, let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by.