Easy Crepe Recipe – Light, tender and slightly sweet crepes that make for a fancy breakfast filled with your favorite fresh fruit, Nutella, or dusted off with powdered sugar and whipped cream on the side. Simply, easy, tasty and fancy! PERFECT for Mother’s Day breakfast in bed.
Bonjours Mes Amis!!! How about some crepes? Oui ?
There’s something really comforting about pancakes and/or crepes. Here in our house, we never skip a week without some sort of pancakes; they are my son’s favorite. I alternatively serve him with these African Style Pancakes or these thick and Fluffy Pancakes. Not a tiny trace of pancake will be left on his plate. He’s obviously obsessed with it!
But this time, I’m going to do it MY WAY! Oh yes! Mother’s Day is fast approaching. Annnd it so happens to be my birth month. Je suis tres contente!!! (So happy )
This French version of pancakes are thin and delicate. Crepes bring so many memories while growing up. I was raised in a French colonized country, hence the love of crepes. It wasn’t like a breakfast thing …. more of an afternoon snack or dessert.
If you are throwing a Mother’s Day brunch, this should be on your menu.
It’s easier to fill them up and fold. You can choose whatever you want to go with it. You can make them savory, fill it with a sunny-side up egg, spinach, ham, cheese and even bacon. Or if you have a sweet tooth craving like me, you can fill it with nutella, jam, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream- your call. The possibilities are ENDLESS!
The chocolate filled ones I made in my hometown Yaounde, Cameroon. Oh yes, everyone wants me to make these for them, even when I travel. Couldn’t find strawberries so I made it with chocolate and pineapple on the side. I’m a tropical girl and love pineapples.
The ones with strawberries and whipped cream came out of my Los Angeles kitchen. All are quite tasty. Perfect for Mother’s Day in bed.
While pancake batter is a little thicker and richer, crepe batter is thin and smooth. A blender does a good job of making it smooth. It also doubles as a storage for the batter while keeping in the fridge.
No blender? No worries!
Whisk all the ingredients vigorously in a bowl for a lump-free batter.
Letting the batter rest for an hour or overnight in the fridge helps to achieve a light and airy crepe that won’t tear off easily when cooked and folded. This tip will be helpful if you are cooking for a crowd. I make it the night of the event, let it rest in the fridge and fry the next day. For the most part, I fry immediately after mixing.
So if you are just like me , you can skip the resting stage-
Tilting the pan so the batter can spread easily across the hot pan also creates a paper-thin smooth consistency that crepes are known for. Make sure to cook them using a hot pan with a cooking oil or spray, but I prefer melted butter ’cause it adds a hint of buttery flavor.
Now you know how to whip up a batch of crepes, all you have to decide is what to fill them with. I guess that’s the hardest part. But hey, why not serve them up with a variety of filling. That’ll do the trick. 😉 Go ahead and channel the inner French cook in you.
Happy crepe-ing!
Watch How to Make It
Tips and Notes:
- This crepe here is the sweet version. If you want to have a savory crepe, omit sugar and vanilla and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the batter, depending on your preference.
- Let the crepe batter sit in the fridge for an hour or overnight to relax the gluten which ensures smooth, light and airy crepes.
- Make sure to use a pan with thick bottom so it’ll heat evenly. Start by slowly heating the pan to the desired temp. Before pouring the batter, make sure the pan is hot enough, otherwise your crepe will end up sticking to the pan.
- Don’t flip the crepe too early. Wait til the bottom is light brown and the edges are starting to brown.
- This recipes makes around 6-8 crepes depending on what size of pan you use.
- For sweet crepes, you can fill it with Nutella, fresh fruit, jam and top it with whipped cream or powdered sugar.
- For savory crepes (see note 1), you may fill it with ham, cheese, bacon, egg, spinach or whatever suites you.
Easy Crepe Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups (480ml) milk
- 1-2 teaspoon (4.2g-8.4g) vanilla
- 3 tablespoon (37.5g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2.5g) salt
- 1/2 cup (118.5ml) water
- 2 cups (250g) flour
- 6 tablespoons (84g) melted butter
Instructions
- In a blender, mix in eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar ,salt , water , flour and butter .
- Let the batter rest for about an hour or more in the refrigerator or overnight.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat, then lightly coat the hot pan with vegetable oil, cooking spray, or clarified butter.
- Pour about a ⅓ cup of batter, depending on your fry pan or skillet. Tilt pan so the batter spreads across the bottom of the pan. Cook the crepe for about 1 ½ minute, until the bottom is light brown.
- Lift with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve crêpes warm with fresh fruit, whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Mary Plott says
I’m looking for a creamy center do you have one.
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry I don’t .
Lucia says
Made these crepes. Turned out awesome. Thank you
imma africanbites says
I’m glad you like them, Lucia.
Jena says
By far the BEST crepe recipe. I’ve tried several (including Food Network and Allrecipes) and these are amazing. Easy. Light. Thin. Good flavor (I did 1 tbs of sugar). Filling: lemon, butter, powder sugar. Nutella and banana. My husband kept saying “wow, so good”. Definitely my go to crepe recipe now.
ImmaculateBites says
Aww…Thanks Jen. So happy to hear this .
Mary says
I cannot wait to try. Can the crepes be made ahead and put in the freezer for later use
Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
Yes they can. Defrost them in the fridge the night before, for faster reheating.
Kechi says
Made this today, and it was a winner!!!
I sure will be making it again.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad you loved it, Kechi.
Janet Peterson says
I have made these at least 10 times…and every time my family is sooooo happy!!
Favorite toppings are banana with chocolate sauce and whipped cream and Nutella with strawberries. My husband likes them plain with a little syrup.
They are delicious. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Oooohhh sounds delish!!! This is an all-time favorite at my house too! Glad you love it :). Thanks for the feedback, Janet!
Elijah says
Best and easiest recipe for crêpes that I’ve come across!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad you love it, Elijah :).
Odette says
Woww looks yummy, but please do you allow the paste to stay overnight in the refrigerator before frying?? I didn’t get that part well..
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Odette. Leaving the batter to rest overnight or for an hour in the refrigerator before frying leads to really light airy crepes that do not tear off easily when cooked and folded. But most times, I fry the pancakes almost immediately and they still taste great 🙂 !
Solange says
Can I ask you which flour do you use plain or self raising
ImmaculateBites says
I use plain flour .
Agnes Barnabas says
Just tried my own Crepe now and it came out perfect. Thanks my kids enjoyed it.
imma africanbites says
Wohooo! Thanks for letting me know.
Femme cuisine says
Hello,
If i do not have butter can I use oil instead?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you sure can.
Amanda says
Very watery. I followed the recipe and it came out super watery, couldn’t use it…
imma africanbites says
Sorry to hear it turned out that way for you. This has been my go-to crepe recipe though, and it works perfectly fine every time.
Chris says
I used a bit more milk than the recipe calls for, but I didn’t use the half cup of water because they looked liquidy enough …they turned out great! My students all the way over in Shanghai loved them!!!
Terriann Riedel says
Perfect and delicious crepes everytime thank you x
Imma says
Crepes are my all time favorite so I’m so glad you love them as well!
Quynh says
This recipe was perfect! Thank you.
Imma says
You’re very welcome!
Emily James says
Delicious! Easy! But one recipe makes a TON! I got excited and doubled it and I have crepes coming out my ears.
ImmaculateBites says
I hear you Emily. I always make 2 batch and Freeze the batter to use later. So happy to hear it worked out well .
Eli says
Easily the best crepe recipe I’ve made! Delicious and buttery, with a light and crisp texture suitable for any sweet filling.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it is. Thanks for the feedback Eli
Carmen says
I haven’t tried it yet but it looks awesome!
Ur a great cooker!
imma africanbites says
Thank you. Looking forward for you to try this. Enjoy!
Lea says
Delicious , yummy (pity about the high calories) had to stop myself from finishing
the batch.
Coco says
Okay this was the best crepe recipe I have ever encountered. Thank you!!!!!
imma africanbites says
Yaaay! Thank you for the glowing feedback. Glad it turned out well for you.
Bibi Nkwenji says
Thanks Imma,
Love me some crepe. I used liquid peak milk and prestige unsalted butter…. the result was just what I wanted. Thanks so much for the tips.
You are awesome
imma africanbites says
I’m so happy it turned out well for you. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Shilpa Singal says
What can I replace the eggs for veg option
imma africanbites says
Hi, Shilpa. I haven’t tried making this recipe eggless. However, you can check some crepe recipes online that are egg-free like this one here >> https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18100/eggless-crepes/
Jenny says
Thank you for this recipe. My daughter requested it for her birthday and they recipe turned out perfect and was easy to make. They tested delicious.
imma africanbites says
Belated happy birthday to your daughter, Jenny! Glad you all liked it.
B. Arthur says
Absolutely delicious!! Your recipe was on target and very closely characterizes my grandmother’s (who was raised in a community of French settlers in Louisiana. This is a keeper for breakfast with family and friends.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for the glowing feedback! I appreciate it. 🙂
Yashera says
How long does batter keep for?
ImmaculateBites says
Mine usually last up to 24 hours, without an after taste.
Carl Larson says
My family is from Kilsborg, Sweden so we grew up eating Swedish pancakes, your recipe is indentically like ours, tender, sweet and just the right texture. This is right on!…we top with powdered sugar and lingonberry jam.
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Thank you so much for letting me know, Carl!
imma africanbites says
Hello. So sorry to hear about your first comment. Writing isn’t my forte, too, but reading books and writing everyday certainly helps a lot to improve your writing skill. I also join some writing groups on FB and follow writing blogs like copyblogger.com. Hope this helps. 🙂
Patrick says
Nice one there
imma africanbites says
Thank your for stopping by, Patrick!
Heather Anne van Schalkwyk Hall says
Hi Imma 🙂
Your crepe recipes makes me ‘homesick’ for Africa, where I too was born, although not as far North as you were, but way down in Pretoria. What we call pancakes there are like your crepes 😀
Thank you for your super ideas – great to eat at any time – always such a treat!
Heather.
imma africanbites says
Thanks for stopping by, Heather! I was there for a few weeks and I’m already missing it now that I’m back in the U.S. 🙁
mommypharma says
Nice one, I always love your recipes
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