Crepe Suzette – warm pillowy soft crepes coated in a delicious orange-infused buttery syrup all made from scratch. A decadent French dessert for date nights at home or for breakfast and/or brunch!
Welcome to our last day of French-themed home cooking week! Have you checked out our French recipes for the last few days? If not, go check out the following:
To complete our list is this popular French recipe CREPE SUZETTE usually served in upscale restaurants. Instead of shelling out big money for a dessert, I’m bringing you this dessert right in the comfort of your own HOME for date nights or just because you want to.
Tout prêt??? Oui, oui!!
What is Crepe Suzette?
Crepe Suzette is a decadent French crepe dessert and probably the most popular crepe dish of all times. This recipe is a marriage of pillowy soft crepes coated in a VERY DELICIOUS rich sauce made with butter, orange juice, sugar and a liqueur – usually Grand Marnier. Did I just pique your interest? Read along.
Crepe Suzette History
Behind this delicious decadent crepe recipe, is also an interesting history. It all started at the Maitre at Monte Carlo’s Cafde Paris in 1895. A 14-year-old assistant waiter Henri Carpentier accidentally created this dish while he was a preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of England.
In Carpentier’s published autobiography book, he said how the sweet liqueurs accidentally caught on fire while he was working in front of chafing dish. There’s no way for him to start all over again as the Prince and his friends are already waiting for their dish. So he tasted it and surprisingly marvelled how the melody of sweet flavors have come together.
Somehow he managed to serve it to the Prince and his friends who actually enjoyed it so much. The Prince eventually asked for the name of the dish to which Carpentier answered as”Crepes Princesse” as a tribute to the Prince. But the Prince suggested to have it renamed instead to Crepe Suzette after his table companion named Suzette. And thus, the birth of this fancy French dessert!
Crepe Suzette Ingredients
Both the crepes and the sauce in this recipe are made from scratch. Yes, I know, the ingredient list might be a bit long but it’s totally worth it compared to the price you’ll be paying for a serving of this when dining at a restaurant. (Believe me, it was quite pricey for crepes.) For the crepe recipe you’ll need:
- eggs
- whole or low-fat milk
- salt
- vanilla
- sugar
- water
- all-purpose
- melted butter
This batter mixture will keep for up to 48 hours in the fridge (See more below). If you see too many bubbles in your batter, that is because you’ve beaten it too long at a higher speed. Let it stand longer before frying. In the event that the edges of your crepes tend to crack, decrease the heat or your batter maybe a bit too thin; whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of flour to thicken.
As you would notice by now, these crepes suzette don’t actually have an actual filling since the magic all happens in the SAUCE.
Crepe Suzette Sauce
The SAUCE! The magical thing that ever happened to the popular French crepes. This sauce makes the crepes an extra mouthwatering treat. To make the Crepe Suzette sauce, you need:
- chilled butter
- freshly squeezed orange juice
- sugar
- finely grated orange and lemon zests (for added flavors)
- Grand Marnier or any other brand of orange-flavored liqueur
- salt
Making this sauce requires temperature control so you won’t end up burning the butter and sugar. The sauce is cooked until sugar has completely melted and the sauce overall has slightly reduced.
Can I Make Crepe Suzette Ahead of Time?
Well, yes, you can!! Simply make the batter and store it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to make, stir the batter first before frying. It should have the same consistency of heavy cream. If you think it’s too thick, thin it out with a little more milk. On the other hand, if the batter seems too thin, whisk on 1-2 tablespoons of flour.
Enjoy!
More French Recipes For You
- French Toast
- Coq au Vin (Chicken Braised in Wine)
- French Onion Soup
- Steak au Poivre
- French Orange Yogurt Cake
- Monte Cristo Sandwich
Crepe Suzette
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole or low fat milk
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla
- 1 tablespoon (12.5 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (79 g) water
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted melted butter
Crepes Suzette Sauce
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) chilled unsalted butter , cut into pieces
- ¾ cup (187 ml) fresh orange juice , (fresh squeezed preferred)
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) finely grated lemon zest
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- vanilla ice cream , for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using a whisk, beat together: eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, sugar, water, flour and melted butter until it is well incorporated and smooth. Or combine all the ingredients, pour in a blender or food processor and blend until mixture is smooth.
- Let the batter rest for about an hour or more in the refrigerator or overnight to make it 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 batter spreads evenly across the bottom of the pan. Make sure to return excess batter back into the bowl. Cook the crepe for about 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 bubbly. Pour orange juice and bring to boil. Add the sugar and zests, reduce the heat to a simmer, 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, 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:
- Crepes Suzette can be made ahead by making the batter and storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about two days.
- After taking out the batter from the refrigerator, when you are about to fry, stir the batter; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it appears too thick, thin with a little more milk.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Fizza says
Can we prepare the glaze one day before?
Chris b says
Loved this
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!! 🙂
Kelli says
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?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it is. Here is the link https://www.africanbites.com/easy-crepes-recipe/. Will have to find out why it isn’t showing up on Pinterest. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Fizza says
Can I omit grand Mariner?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can.
Dalhia says
thanks for this, certainly going to try
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Looking forward for you to try it. And enjoy!
Frank Mosher says
Wait! Where is the tableside flambe? Thje best part??
Chioma says
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!
NGOZI JENNIFER says
i dont understand how you prepare the crepe suzette. please help me
imma africanbites says
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.
Rosalie figueroa says
I love cooking it’s my passion the crepe suzette recipe was fantastique
ImmaculateBites says
So happy to hear this! Thank you so much