Crispy Crepe Recipe (Crêpes Croustillantes)

Quick Summary: These crispy crepes (crêpes croustillantes) are thin French crepes baked low and slow until golden and crunchy, then stacked into a light mille crepe dessert. You make a simple crepe batter, cook the crepes, dry them in a low oven until crisp, and layer them. The whole recipe takes about 40 minutes.

What are crispy crepes?

Crispy crepes, or crêpes croustillantes, are paper-thin French crepes cooked until golden, then dried in the oven until crisp and able to hold their shape. Unlike soft crepes, these keep a satisfying crunch, which makes them ideal for stacking.

The batter itself is a classic French crepe batter. The trick is to spread it into a very thin layer, cook the crepes, cut them into disks, and dry them low and slow until crisp. You do not need any special equipment, just a bowl, a whisk, a spatula, and a crepe pan or nonstick skillet.

This particular version comes from French chef Pierre Augé, winner of Top Chef 2014 and owner of the restaurant La Maison de Petit Pierre. He stacked crisp crepe disks with whipped cream and fresh fruit into a light mille crepe tower.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy to make. You can use homemade crepes or store-bought ones (pancakes do not work for this recipe).
• Make-ahead friendly. Crisp the crepe disks in advance, then pipe on cream and add toppings whenever you are ready to serve.
• A showpiece dessert. The stacked mille crepe presentation looks special and works for any gathering or dinner party.
• Easy to scale. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd with these piled-high crepes.
• Fun for kids. Little helpers love adding the toppings and assembling the layers.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• 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 pecans, 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 the orange flower water, or replace it with ⅓ teaspoon orange zest if preferred.

• Whipping cream: it must be cold to beat it ideally.

• Mascarpone: you don't need to bring it to room temperature in advance; use it cold.

• Sugar: the recipe calls for granulated sugar and icing (powdered) sugar.

Equipment

You need just a few basic tools to make these crispy crepes:

• crepe pan or nonstick skillet
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• round cookie cutter
• piping bag
• electric mixer

How to make crispy crepes

Step 1. Make crepes by following the recipe for authentic French crepes. Let the batter rest, then cook the crepes in a hot pan over medium-high heat.

Step 2. To make crispy crepes, preheat the oven to 230°F (110°C).

Step 3. Using a 3 ½-inch/9 cm cookie cutter, cut three crepe disks from one crepe. Repeat with the remaining crepes (photo 1).

Step 4. Arrange the crepe circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (photo 2), then bake for 30 minutes.

Step 5. To caramelize nuts, place nuts and powdered (icing) sugar in a frying pan (photo 3) and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar starts to caramelize, coat nuts with caramel.

Step 6. Transfer caramelized nuts to the parchment paper and let them cool (photo 4). Then chop nuts into medium-sized pieces.

Step 7. To make the orange whipped cream, whisk the whipping cream, mascarpone, and orange flower water until firm.

Step 8. 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, and sprinkle with chopped caramelized nuts (photo 5).

Step 9. Place the second crepe disk, repeat the process, and finish with a crispy disk.

Step 10. Sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar and chopped nuts (photo 6). Serve immediately.

Expert tips

1. Place a bit of cream on a dessert plate so the stacked crispy crepes stay in place.
2. For the crispiest results, bake the crepe disks low and slow until they are golden and dry. Rushing them at a higher temperature can brown them before they crisp through.
3. Make the crepes as thin as possible. A thin, lacy crepe dries out and crisps up far better than a thick one.
4. Cool the baked disks completely on a rack before stacking. They keep crisping as they cool, and any trapped steam would soften them.
5. Assemble just before serving. Once the cream touches the crepes, they slowly soften, so layer them at the last minute for maximum crunch.

Recipe variations

Once you master the basic crispy crepes, there are easy ways to change them up:

• Honey-caramelized crepes. Brush the crepe disks with a mix of three tablespoons honey and two tablespoons (30 g) semi-salted butter, then bake them until crisp and lightly caramelized.
• Beer-batter crispy crepes. Add lager beer (at least 25% of the milk) to the batter for a lacy, honeycombed texture and extra crunch. See the French chocolate crepes recipe for this method.
• Savory crispy crepes. Skip the sweet toppings and make larger crisp crepes to serve with savory fillings, the way Vietnamese Banh Xeo crepes are served.
• Different fillings. Layer the crisp disks with mascarpone cream, lemon curd, or caramelized apples instead of plain whipped cream.

How to serve crispy crepes

Serve crispy crepes as a light stacked dessert. Pipe or spread cream between the crisp disks just before serving so they keep their crunch, then finish with your favorite toppings. A few ways to serve them up:

• Whipped cream. Whisk cream with a tablespoon of powdered (icing) sugar and pipe it between the disks for a simple version.
• Mascarpone cream. Beat cream with mascarpone, flavor it with orange flower water or maple syrup, and sprinkle with chopped caramelized nuts.
• Fresh fruit. Top each layer with clementine, orange, or kiwi slices for a fresh finish.
• Lemon and raspberry. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd, add fresh raspberries, and dust with powdered sugar.
• Caramel apple. Layer caramelized apples with whipped cream or cream cheese between the crepes.
• Rose and praline. Add a few drops of rose water to the cream and sprinkle with crushed pink praline or edible rose petals.

To keep the presentation neat, place a small dab of cream on the plate first so the stacked crepes stay in place. A little imperfection is part of the charm, so do not worry if the tower leans slightly.

Serve the dessert with "Coat Albret", a cider from Loïc and Morgan Berthelot or another apple cider.

Storing & freezing

Crispy crepes are best assembled and eaten right away, while the disks are still crunchy. If you have leftovers, refrigerate the assembled dessert in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, though the crepes will gradually soften once the cream touches them. To stay ahead, keep the baked disks unassembled in an airtight container at room temperature and fill them just before serving.

Freezing the assembled dessert is not recommended, since the cream and crisp texture do not hold up. You can, however, freeze plain crepes: stack them between parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to two months. Thaw them, then crisp the disks in the oven when you are ready to assemble.

Recipe FAQ

What are crispy crepes?
Crispy crepes, or crêpes croustillantes, are thin French crepes baked in a low oven until they turn golden and crunchy. They are often stacked with cream into a light mille crepe dessert.

How do you make crepes crispy?
Cut the cooked crepes into disks, arrange them on a lined baking sheet, and bake them low and slow until they dry out and turn crisp. Keeping the crepes thin and cooling them on a rack helps them stay crunchy.

Why are my crepes not crispy?
Crepes stay soft when the batter is too thick, the oven is too hot, or the crepes are stacked while still warm. Make thin crepes, bake them at a low temperature, and cool them completely before assembling.

Can you use store-bought crepes?
Yes. You can crisp up store-bought crepes the same way, which makes this dessert even quicker. Regular pancakes will not work, as they are too thick to crisp.

How far in advance can you make crispy crepes?
Bake the crispy crepe disks up to a day ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Assemble with cream and toppings just before serving to keep them crunchy.

How do you keep crispy crepes crunchy?
Store the baked disks unassembled in an airtight container at room temperature, away from moisture. Once you add the cream, they soften within a few hours, so fill them at the last minute.

Can you freeze crispy crepes?
It is not recommended to freeze the assembled dessert. You can, however, freeze plain crepes, wrapped in plastic, for up to two months, then crisp them in the oven when needed.

What makes crepes crispy?
Crepes crisp up when the batter is thin, and the crepes lose moisture during cooking. Adding a little beer, rice flour, or cornstarch to the batter and letting it rest gives lacier, crunchier edges. To keep crepes crisp and hold their shape, dry the cooked crepes in a low oven, as in this recipe.

What is the difference between crispy crepes and regular crepes?
Regular French crepes are soft and foldable, while crispy crepes are cooked or oven-dried until golden and crunchy. Crispy crepes hold their shape, which is what makes them ideal for stacking into a mille crepe dessert.

How many calories are in crispy crepes?
One serving of these crispy crepes has about 272 calories.

Love crepes? Try these next!

• Authentic French Crepes Recipe
• Grand Marnier Crepes (Crepes Suzette Flambé)
• French Chocolate Crepes
• Banana Nutella Crepes
• Parisian Crepes Recipe
• Browse all the Crepe & Pancake Recipes

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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.

The recipe was originally published on April 20, 2018. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.