Classic French Crepes (easy Crepes Recipe)

Classic French crepes - Learn how to make perfect crepes that are perfect for any meal including desserts. Soft, buttery and absolutely delicious. - 1

This is the most complete guide on how to make crepes! A super easy crepes recipe to make the best French crepes that are soft, buttery, and delicious!

This easy crepes recipe is very versatile as a sweet or savory option for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or even dessert!

Whipped cream filled light crepes served on a plate with strawberry slices. - 2

What are crêpes?
What’s the difference between crepes and pancakes?
Crepes ingredients
How to make crepes
Expert tips for the best crepes recipe
Make ahead and storage instructions
Crepe fillings and toppings
Frequently asked questions

Soft, buttery, versatile, and maddeningly delicious, what’s not to love about crepes? Add this crepes recipe to your arsenal of easy recipes that’ll be loved by all!

What are crêpes?

The origin of crepes is a fascinating one, and you can read all about it here . In essence, crepes are the European cousin of American pancakes.

They are delicate, thin pancakes that are popular in France, and they are irresistibly soft, delicious, and buttery.

Most people make sweet crepes, but savory crepes are most definitely a thing too. Crepes can be filled with anything from fruity jam or Nutella to ham and cheese, bacon, cooked meat, seafood etc.!

Traditionally, crepes are made with buckwheat flour and filled with savory fillings (called Galette Bretonne). But you can make savory crepes with flour-based crepes too.

Crepes are popular in many different types of restaurants throughout France, Europe and elsewhere. And they are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, i.e. basically whenever you crave some.

A stack of freshly made crepes on a black wire rack. - 3

What’s the difference between crepes and pancakes?

Crepes are larger, thinner, and more delicate than pancakes, because the batter is also thinner with no leavening agent to give them any lift and make them fluffy like pancakes. The taste of crepes is very similar to that of pancakes, but they are not as fluffy.

In the UK however, pancakes are similar to crepes, except they are a little thicker than regular crepes. But the batter for French crepes and UK pancakes is similar and has no leavening agent.

Here I’ll show you how EASY it is to make classic French crepes, and share some pro tips on how to make crepes. You’ll learn how to make sweet crepes and savory crepes, how to fill them and serve them, PLUS I will share ingredient substitutions to make gluten free crepes and vegan crepes as well.

Stack of freshly cooked light crepes cooling on a black wire rack. - 4

Crepes ingredients

Milk – Milk makes the difference for the taste of crepes. You can use 2% or full fat milk for best results. You can also use plant-based milk instead. Water can be used as well, but I prefer to use milk or a mix of water and milk.
Eggs – I use large eggs. Each egg is about 52 – 55 g, without the shell.
Melted butter or oil – Butter is the best option for flavor, but you can easily substitute with oil as well. I like to add a little fat to the batter to make the crepes a little softer and a touch richer in flavor.
Salt – These French crepes will taste very bland without salt. So, make sure to add salt to your crepes batter.
Sugar – Just a little bit of sugar helps balance the flavor of the crepes. But if you’re making sweet crepes, feel free to add more sugar to make the crepes sweeter.
All purpose flour – This batter only needs a little flour. Too much flour will thicken the crepes batter and you won’t be able to cook nice, thin crepes. You can easily substitute the AP flour with wheat flour, buckwheat flour (traditional flour for savory galettes), or other GF flours.

Labeled ingredients needed to make French crepes in separate bowls. - 5

How to make crepes

This easy crepes recipe is very straightforward. The basic steps to make French crepes are as follows.

Combine all the ingredients.
Let the batter rest or chill.
Cook the crepes one at a time on a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Fill and serve. Voilà!

Close up of a stack of soft, light crepes on a wire rack. - 6

Ingredient ratio for perfect crepes batter

The main ingredients for French crepes are flour, eggs, and liquid (milk or water). According to Ruhlman, the ratio for these ingredients is 8 : 8: 4 (that is 8 oz of eggs or about 4 eggs, 8 fl oz of milk or 1 cup, and 4 oz of AP flour or scant 1 cup).

However, I find that this ratio gives me crepes that are a bit too eggy for my taste, so I add more milk and less eggs to my crepe batter.

So my ingredient ratio for crepe better is 6 : 10 : 4 (that is 6 oz of eggs, 10 fl oz milk, and 4 oz of flour).

That ingredient ratio is the base for the best crepe recipe in my opinion.

There are two ways to make crepe batter – with a whisk (in a bowl), or with a blender.

With the blender, you can add all the ingredients and blend the crepe batter until you get a smooth batter. But with a whisk, there is a particular method in terms of how to mix the crepes ingredients to prevent lumps.

Using a bowl and whisk

Whisk the mix with the salt and sugar. Add all the wet ingredients into a jug and stir to combine. Add about half of the milk mixture into the flour and whisk to create a smooth, thick paste.

Only mix until the flour has no lumps. Add the rest of the liquids and mix in. This will ensure that the flour will not form lumps for the crepe batter.

Using a blender or stick blender

You can use a regular blender or stick blender. However, I prefer to use a stick blender . Place all the crepes ingredients in the blender, making sure to add the dry ingredients first to the bottom. Then blend for about 1 – 2 minutes until you have a smooth crepe batter.

For perfect results, I recommend leaving the crepe batter to rest for a little while to allow for the gluten to rest. You can even make the batter the night before and let it chill in the fridge overnight as well.

The crepes are then cooked on a skillet over medium heat, allowing the crepes to be cooked quickly. This quick cooking time allows your homemade crepes to be soft and buttery, without drying out.

Flour, milk, oil, sugar and salt in separate bowls along with several white eggs. - 7

No need for fancy pans or special equipment

While there are fancy crepe pans in the market, you absolutely don’t need an expensive crepe pan for this easy crepes recipe. A regular non-stick skillet / pan works just as well.

You could use a French skillet pan to make the crepes as well, just make sure to butter the pan well so that the crepes don’t stick. If you’re new to making crepes, a regular non-stick pan is the best option.

How to make crepes in different-sized pans

Here, I use a 10 inch pan to make 10 inch crepes. But you can also use an 8 inch or 12 inch pan, depending on what you have at hand.

As a rule of thumb, here are the measurements I use to make classic French crepes in different-sized pans.

8 inch pan – about 3 tbsp of batter (about 45 – 50 mL)
10 inch pan – about 1/4 cup of batter (about 60 mL)
12 inch pan – about 1/3 cup of batter (about 75 – 80 mL)

This is enough to create a thin layer of crepe batter on the bottom of each of these pans.

Crepe batter swirled on a hot non-stick pan. - 8

Cook the crepe batter

When the pan is hot, brush the surface with butter or oil. I prefer to use butter.

Add the measured batter into the center of the pan. Swirl the pan as you add the batter. Work quickly to spread the crepe batter evenly around the pan all way to the edges, so that you have a smooth edge. Continue to swirl the pan (and occasionally shake it gently), to move the batter around and fill the middle of the pan as evenly as possible.

Once the bottom of the pan is evenly coated with the batter, place it back on the heat and cook.

Browned and slightly crisp edges of the crepe batter on the non-stick pan. - 9

Wait for browning edges before you flip over the crepe for classic French crepes

At this stage, you have two options; you can either make extra soft crepes, or traditional crepes.

For extra soft crepes

Soft French crepe with very light caramelization on a white plate. - 10

For traditional crepes

Cook the crepes until the edges are starting to brown lightly, and they look a little crisp (about 40 – 50 seconds). Gently lift the crepe off of the pan, and flip it over to cook for about 10 – 15 seconds on the second side, until you have brown caramelized spots.
These crepes will definitely have caramelization on both sides.
These are the kinds of crepes that are made in creperies and used in typical French dessert crepes, like crêpes suzette for example.

After cooking the crepes, stack them up on a wire rack or plate and cover the crepes with a clean cloth napkin. These easy crepes can be served warm or at room temperature with your favorite toppings or fillings. These really are delicious blank flavor canvases that can be served with so many complementary options; sweet crepes, savory crepes, breakfast crepes, dessert crepes, fruit crepes, vanilla crepes, protein crepes etc.! See below for plenty more ideas.

Expert tips for the best crepes recipe

By mixing only some of the liquid with the flour at first , you’re making sure that there are no lumps in your crepe batter.
Due to the high liquid to flour ratio, the flour shouldn’t develop too much gluten. But letting the batter rest at least 20 – 30 minutes before cooking will give you the best crepes that are soft, buttery and delicious! You can even let it rest in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Use butter instead of oil to butter the pan . It adds a lovely buttery flavor to the crepes while preventing them from sticking to the pan.
Cook with even, medium (to medium high) heat. Make sure that the pan is evenly heated and there are no hot spots.
Use a measuring cup to portion out the batter for each crepe . This will ensure even thickness with each crepe.
Use a rubber spatula to get under the crepe to flip it over and/or remove it from the pan. Start by loosening all around the edges first, before flipping over the crepe.
Stack the cooked crepes on a wire rack , and cover them with a cloth napkin to prevent them from drying out.

Stack of cooked classic French crepes on a white plate showing both caramelized sides of the crepes. - 11

Make ahead and storage instructions

Making crepes is a bit time consuming, so it’s definitely good news that you can make crepes ahead of time.

I personally like to make the crepe batter the night before, and keep it covered in the fridge for the following morning.

However, you can make this crepes recipe more in advance as well. Plus, if you make extra crepes, you can store leftovers for a later date too. Here’s how.

Refrigeration and reheating

To store these crepes, I like to layer each crepe between parchment paper, then wrap (or cover) the whole stack with plastic wrap, and store in an air-tight container.

If crepes are exposed to air, they will dry out. So, it’s important to keep them covered with plastic wrap to prevent this.

Keep these crepes in the fridge for up to 3 days, and you can preheat the crepes in batches in the microwave (parchment paper is microwave-safe). Make sure to set the microwave cook time to between 15 – 20 seconds at a time to prevent the crepes from over-heating and getting soggy.

Freezing and reheating

If you want to keep the crepes for longer than 3 days, then you can freeze them for later.

When the crepes have cooled to room temperature, wrap them the same way as mentioned above, then place them in an air-tight container that is also freezer-friendly. This way, you can store the crepes for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Let them defrost at room temperature or in the fridge, and warm them in the microwave as needed.

When you’re ready to serve/eat the crepes, simply cover the crepes with another plate on top and microwave for about 30 seconds. The top plate allows the crepes to heat through steam, so that they don’t dry out. Remove the top plate as soon as you’re done microwaving so that the crepes don’t become soggy.

A stack of light crepes folded over into quarters on a white plate. - 12

Crepe fillingsand toppings

You can use a variety of fillings for crepes! Make them into sweet crepes with sweet fillings and toppings OR savory crepes with savory fillings and toppings. Here are some ideas for crepe fillings and crepe toppings.

For sweet crepes

Lemon and sugar (a classic!)
Whipped cream and berries (strawberry crepes are always a hit)
Nutella crepes
Banana crepes
Cinnamon and sugar
Honey
Roasted nuts
Fruity jams and spreads like this strawberry jam , plum jam , grape jam , fig jam etc.
Chocolate sauce or ganache (you could even make chocolate crepes as a variation of this easy crepes recipe!)
Sweetened Greek yogurt
Whipped cream cheese
Banana and caramel/butterscotch (check out this salted caramel chocolate crepe cake! )
Fresh fruit
Sweet coconut filling like in these Sri Lankan sweet coconut stuffed crepes (pani pol)
Chocolate and strawberries
Lemon curd , or passion fruit curd and whipped cream
Ice cream , toasted nuts, and chocolate sauce

Lemon and sugar crepes served on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream and a fork. - 13

For savory crepes

Cooked meat (I love creamy chicken and mushrooms)
Cooked seafood
Bacon or ham
Savory jams and spreads like this mango jalapeno jam , tomato jam etc.
Sauteed mushrooms
Sauteed greens
Egg crepes
Cheese crepes
Cheese sauce or a béchamel sauce
Herbs
Herbed or spicy whipped cream cheese
Ham and cheese crepes
Bacon and eggs
Curried meat filling to make Sri Lankan fried savory rolls (Chinese rolls)

How to fold crepes or roll up

Place the filling in the middle, from edge to edge, and roll up the crepe into a tube with the filling in the middle. You can also top the crepes with a cheese sauce and grill it for a crepe casserole.

OR, place the filling only in the middle and fold over the edges of the crepe a little way towards the middle. This is what is done to make a crepe bretonne.

OR, spread the filling or sprinkle the filling over half of the crepe. Fold the crepe first in half, and again into quarters. This is what I did to make the lemon and sugar crepes below.

Strawberry and cream crepes served on a plate with chopped pistachios. - 15

If you liked this crepes recipe, then you my also like these classic recipes,

How to make perfect choux pastry
Classic chocolate eclairs
Homemade pancake and waffle mix
Classic pound cake
Fluffy pancakes & pancake mix

Equipment and tools I use for this easy crepe recipe

Whisks – A good set of whisks is a must for all of your baking needs.
Blender – Any good blender will do. I use my Vitamix blender, which is a pretty powerful blender.
10 inch nonstick pan – I used this nonstick crepe pan for crepes, but you can use any nonstick pan you have at home.
Flat spatula – To easily flip the crepes.

Close up of folded crepes with a whipped cream filling and berries and nuts as toppings. - 16

Recipe

Savory Cheese Thumbprint Cookies with Bourbon Tomato Jam - These savory cookies are the NEXT BEST THING! Buttery, herby cookies with delicious cheddar cheese, and an amazing tomato jam! Comes together easily and its PERFECT as an appetizer, party food, or as a snack! - 17

A savory twist on your classic jam-filled sweet thumbprint cookie. These Savory Thumbprint Cookies with an incredible Bourbon Tomato Jam are the PERFECT party appetizer.

These savory cookies are insanely flavorful, easy to make and vegetarian!

If you thought we spent all of December eating homemade Twix candy bars , or buttery melting moments cookies , or chocolate beer truffles , ginger cookies , or drinking white hot chocolate , that would only be partially true. 🙂

After all we made thumbprint cookies too! Except, these aren’t the kind you’d expect. These babies are savory cookies (just like my thyme and cheddar cheese savory cookies !). Savory Thumbprint Cookies with Bourbon Tomato Jam to be precise. I’m going to be quite frank, there’s no way I can do these cookies any justice with words here.

These are some of the best cookies (savory or otherwise) that I’ve had, and I don’t say that lightly. And that bourbon tomato jam is a guaranteed crowd favorite!

Mr. K is very easy to please when it comes to the food I make. He’s one of the least picky eaters out there and he will literally eat anything I put in front of him (bless him) with gusto.

If he’s fairly quiet, then I can expect a standard “good food, thank you” response. But the more vocal he gets, the more he enjoyed it, I can tell. And these savory cookies, he couldn’t stop talking about!

Why we love these savory thumbprint cookies

Crisp on the edges, soft in the middle, with a kicked up sweet and spicy tomato jam in the center, these cheesy savory cookies are just so flavorful and unique!
And these make the best starter recipes for your Christmas party or New Year’s Eve party. Or any other occasion for that matter.
And these are vegetarian cookies to boot.

Imagine how your guests would be bowled over when they realize that these aren’t actually sweet cookies. Plus, this might be your only chance to get the better of your friend’s annoying kid, when he/she bites into one of these thinking they are regular sweet thumbprint cookies.

That expression alone would be worth the effort, would it not? Not that I would know. I mean, I’d never do such a thing. Noooo, never.

before baking

Aaaand they are so easy to make, even my hubs could make them. Seriously. The dough comes together quickly and you just make an imprint with your thumb to fill up with some delicious jam/jelly. So really, you got no excuse not to make them.

They’d do really well as a party appetizer or even as tea time snacks . I made these because I needed a break from sweet cookies and bar recipes .

As a huge fan of classic thumbprint cookies , I decided to give them a spicy, savory, flavorful twist. The result is truly glorious.

after baking

About the cookies

These cookies are crazy delicious with a fantastic jelly center. Here I made a cheese and rosemary cookie dough base and gave it a little bit of a spicy kick, using deseeded jalapeno. So the cookie on its own tastes insanely good, if you choose not to have a jelly/jam center.

Bourbon tomato jam

This just might be my favorite part about these cheesy thumbprint appetizers.

I filled these up with an amazingly flavorful tomato jam that incorporates garlic and a few spices and then kicked it up with bourbon! Bourbon folks. Does it not scream PARTY APPETIZER??

Besides, slow roasted tomatoes , this tomato jam is my favorite way to preserve juicy tomatoes all summer long.

bourbon tomato jam

Honestly, these came out even better than I expected, and we have now frozen the remaining cookies for later.

Storage instructions

You can easily refrigerate or freeze the formed cookies (before baking) without filling the center with jam, no issues there.

Or even freeze the baked cookies in a single layer (if you stack them, the jam can stick to the bottom of the cookies).

These cheesy savory thumbprint cookies will go really well with all kinds of fun cocktails , so all in all, these were meant to take center-stage at a party.

Oh, and I made an even more amazing, flavorful dip for these cookies, and you can find the recipe for that super easy, sweet and spicy dip in my spicy mango relish post.

Recipe