Crepe Suzette

Crepes Suzette is a warm, tender dessert boasting crepes coated in a delicious orangey buttery syrup, all made from scratch. Craving a decadent French dessert for a hot date night at home or the next day for a fabulous boozy brunch? This is the one!

Delectable crepe Suzette hot off the stove and ready to enjoy.

French cuisine has always fascinated me. From the cute names to the elegant presentation, their food brims with sophistication. And if you have seen Netflix’s Emily in Paris, you know what I’m talkin’ about.

Good thing I picked up a few French recipes as I explored different cuisines around the world. And one of my favorites is crepe suzette, which is usually served in upscale restaurants with a hefty price tag. So, instead of dishing out the bucks on Paris, you can enjoy this decadent dessert right in the comfort of your own home. Oui! Oui!

Serving up a plate of crepe Suzette for an amazing brunch.

What Is Crepes Suzette?

This decadent French dessert is probably the most famous crepe dish of all time. The marriage of tender crepes coated in a boozy, rich sauce with butter, orange juice, sugar, and liqueur – usually Grand Marnier is incredible. Interested? Great!

Recipe ingredients.
Sauce ingredients.

How to Make Crepe Suzette

Making the batter and cooking the crepes.

Make the Crepes

  1. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, sugar, water, flour, and melted butter well in a medium bowl until well incorporated and smooth. Or combine all the ingredients in your blender (or food processor), then puree until the batter is smooth.
  2. Rest – Let the batter rest for an hour or more in the refrigerator (or overnight) for a crispier crepe.
  3. Heat a crepe pan or skillet over medium-high heat, then lightly coat it with vegetable oil, cooking spray, or clarified butter.
  4. Pour and Swirl – Pour about ⅓ cup of batter, depending on your fry pan or skillet, and start swirling the pan immediately, spreading the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan. Make sure to return the excess batter to the bowl. Cook each crepe for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is light brown. 
  5. Flip – Lift it with a spatula, flip it over to the other side, and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove and place on a plate. Do the same with the remaining batter.
Simmering the sauce ingredients and assembling.

The Sauce and Assembling

  1. Simmer – Heat the butter over high heat in a large skillet until it melts and bubbles. Pour in the orange juice and bring it to a boil. Then add the sugar and zest, reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir until the sugar melts and the mixture reduces slightly (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add the Liqueur – Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur and salt. Set aside.
  3. Fold into Triangles – Fold each crepe into quarters using tongs or spatula to form triangles and arrange them in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping, in a nonreactive skillet. 
  4. Add the Sauce – Pour ¾ of the warm sauce on top of the crepe and place over low heat until crepes are warm, about 5 minutes (optional).
  5. Serve immediately. Gently lift the crepes onto a plate, drizzle with more sauce, and top with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Variations

  • Fruity Surprise – Add more color and textures with fruit slices, such as banana, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, mango, and peach. 
  • Sweet Toppings – Not a fan of orange sauce? Then opt for the classic options such as whipped cream, peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate sauce, or caramel sauce. Yum!
  • Add Crunch – Top with your favorite nuts, like cashews, almonds, and pecans. Or go for more kid-friendly choices, such as Rice Krispies and marshmallows. 

Tips and Tricks

  • Stir the chilled batter before cooking. Crepe batter consistency should be close to that of heavy cream. A splash of milk will thin it if needed. 
  • Too many bubbles in your batter mean it was beaten too long. Just let the batter sit until the bubbles subside before cooking. 
  • There are two reasons the edges of your crepes crack. Your pan may be too hot (decrease the heat), or your batter may be too thin (add a tablespoon of flour to thicken).

Make-Ahead Instructions

Well, yes, you can make this crepe suzette recipe ahead. Store the premade batter in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it for 3 months. Then thaw it in the fridge overnight when ready to use.

Tip: Divide the batter into what you need for the meal and freeze it in a freezer-safe bag because it’s best not to refreeze the batter. And don’t forget to label each bag with the date so you know how soon to use it.

A decadent plateful of crepe Suzette topped with ice cream.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve crepes suzette hot off the stove for an incredible flavor experience. And you can forget the coffee or chai tea latte.

Store the leftover cooked crepes and sauce in separate containers to avoid soggy crepes. Stack the crepes and place parchment paper in between to keep them from sticking. Then wrap them with saran or foil; they’ll stay fresh in the fridge for 3 days or 4 months in the freezer

You can refrigerate the sauce for 3 days if properly stored. Then reheat it in a saucepan or microwave when ready to enjoy.

Reheating – Defrost the frozen crepes overnight in the fridge and reheat them in a skillet on medium-low heat or in a microwave on low. Assemble the crepes and the sauce for serving.

Crepes ready to be drizzled in orange butter sauce for an incredible dessert.

FAQs

Why do they call it crepes Suzette?

According to the story, 14-year-old assistant waiter Henri Carpentier accidentally created this dish while preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales. The prince loved it and asked for the dish’s name, which Carpentier answered as “Crepes Princesse” as a tribute to the prince. But the prince suggested naming it after his companion, Suzette. And thus, this fancy French dessert was born!

Crepe vs. Crepe Suzette

Crepes Suzette is made with regular crepes and ramped up with an extraordinary orange butter sauce. The secret is in the sauce, baby!

Pancakes vs. Crepes

Pancakes have a thicker batter, rise beautifully, and become fluffy once cooked due to baking powder. While crepes have a thinner batter with no leavening agents, making them flat and thin when cooked. And they’re ideal for wrapping sweet and savory fillings, while pancakes are better topped with syrup and fruit.

What to Serve With Crepe Suzette

The perfect brunch is even more fabulous with turkey breakfast sausagebacon, breakfast potatoes, and an omelet on the side. Or include them in a breakfast charcuterie to really impress. And a cup of joe, pumpkin spice latte, my go-to, creates a complete Sunday brunch.

More Exquisite French Recipes to Try

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.

Crepe Suzette

Warm, tender crepes coated in a delicious orangey buttery syrup, all made from scratch. Craving a decadent French dessert for a hot date night at home or the next day for a fabulous boozy brunch? This is the one!
Makes 10-12 crepes
4.84 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (240ml) milk (whole or low-fat)
  • ¼ teaspoon (1g) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon (12.5g) sugar
  • cup (79ml) water
  • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted

Crepes Suzette Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
  • ¾ cup (187ml) fresh orange juice (fresh squeezed is best)
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (6g) finely grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) finely grated lemon zest
  • 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
  • ¼ teaspoon (1g) kosher salt
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

The Crepes

  • In a medium bowl, using a whisk, beat: eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, sugar, water, flour, and melted butter until well incorporated and smooth. Or combine all the ingredients, pour in a blender or food processor, and blend until the mixture is smooth.
  • Let the batter rest for an hour or more in the refrigerator or overnight so the crepes can get crispy.
  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then lightly coat the hot pan with vegetable oil, cooking spray, or clarified butter.
  • Pour about ⅓ cup of batter, depending on your fry pan or skillet, and start swirling the pan immediately so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom of the pan. Return the excess batter to the bowl. Cook the crepe for 1-2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Lift with a spatula, flip over the other side, and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove and place on a plate. Do the same for the remaining batter.

Crepe Suzette Sauce

  • In a large skillet, heat butter over high heat until it completely melts and bubbles. Pour orange juice and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and zests, reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir using a wooden spatula until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly reduced, for about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur and salt. Set aside.
  • Fold crepes into quarters using tongs or spatula to form triangles, and arrange them in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping, in a nonreactive skillet. Pour ¾ of the warm orange liqueur mixture on top of the crepe and place over low heat until crepes are warm, for about 5 minutes (optional).
  • Serve immediately, spooning crepes and sauce onto each plate and top with vanilla ice cream.

Tips & Notes:

  • Stir the chilled batter before cooking. Crepe batter consistency should be close to that of heavy cream. A splash of milk will thin it if need be. 
  • Too many bubbles in your batter mean it was beaten too long. Just let the batter set until the bubbles subside before cooking. 
  • There are two reasons the edges of your crepes crack. Your pan may be too hot (decrease the heat), or your batter may be too thin (add a tablespoon of flour to thicken).
  • Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 2crepes| Calories: 458kcal (23%)| Carbohydrates: 59g (20%)| Protein: 9g (18%)| Fat: 20g (31%)| Saturated Fat: 12g (75%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g| Monounsaturated Fat: 5g| Trans Fat: 1g| Cholesterol: 121mg (40%)| Sodium: 243mg (11%)| Potassium: 240mg (7%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 21g (23%)| Vitamin A: 802IU (16%)| Vitamin C: 23mg (28%)| Calcium: 94mg (9%)| Iron: 3mg (17%)

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17 Comments

  1. Must give this a try, I grew up eating the ones my dad made. It was seldom that they even made it to the table. We’d often be handed one fresh and hot rolled up to just enjoy. Ours were typically plain, no orange sauce….its been years!

    1. Your dad sounds awesome! Can’t wait for you to try this recipe. Do let me know how it turns out for you :)!

  2. A couple months ago I made your recipe for regular crepes and I loved it. I don’t see that recipe on this site or a Pinterest anymore. Is the crepe recipe here the same as the other one?

  3. I so enjoy your recipes. They have infused a desire in me to explore and be creative. Thank you!
    Looking forward to trying out this!

    1. Hi. Please refer to the instructions in the recipe box. First, you have to make the crepes per instructions until you used up all the batter. Then make the sauce and set aside. On a non-reactive skillet you fold and arrange the crepes, pour the sauce over it and place the skillet over low heat for about 5 minutes and serve. Hope this clarifies everything.

4.84 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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