Home » Blog » Simple French Crepe Recipe

Simple French Crepe Recipe

5 from 2 votes

You can’t go wrong with this Simple French Crepe Recipe. Easy to make and a great addition to a weekend breakfast or brunch. Served here with lemon and sugar for a classic touch.

Crepes

Originally published on June 20th, 2015. Updated on April 11th, 2023 to include new photos, recipe tips, frequently asked questions and more relevant information.

What are These Crepes Like

  • Difficulty – Crepes are medium difficulty to make. They only use basic ingredients but the technique to getting them wafer thin, can take practice. See photos below in post!
  • Taste – These crepes have a light and delicate taste. They are fantastic served with lemon and sugar as shown here or you can add your favourite toppings.
  • Serving – This recipe makes approximately 10 large crepes. You can use a smaller pan for this recipe and yield more crepes.

Ingredients

  • Milk – This recipe uses whole milk.
  • Eggs – Large eggs.
  • Sugar – A small amount of granulated white sugar is added to the crepe batter.
  • Salt – Regular table salt is used to enhance flavour.
  • Vanilla extract – Adds a rich flavour to the crepes.
  • Brandy – This is completely optional, but it adds HUGE flavour to the crepes.
  • Flour – All purpose flour or plain flour is used for these crepes.
  • Butter – Melted butter is added to the crepe batter as well the crepes are cooked in butter.
  • Lemon wedges – These crepes are finished off with fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar.

Instructions

  1. Make the crepe batter – In a blender, combine milk, eggs, sugar and salt. Mix on high speed for around 10 seconds. The batter will be foamy. Turn the blender to low and add the melted butter, vanilla and brandy. Blend for a few more seconds. Add the flour all at once and blend until combined.
  2. Pour batter into pan – Place crepe pan over moderate high heat and melt butter until it begins to smoke. Pour enough batter into the pan to just cover the surface. As you pour, quickly tilt the pan in all directions to spread a thin layer of batter across the bottom. Only pour in enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
  3. Cook crepes – Cook the crepe over moderate high heat until bubbles just begin to form on the exposed surface, 1-2 minutes. Lift up edge to check the cooking process. If the crepe starts to burn before it is cooked through, turn down the heat. If it is not nicely browned after 2 minutes, turn it up. When the underside is browned, flip and cook for another minute or less. Remove from pan and keep in a warm oven covered loosely with foil.
  4. Serve – Continue the process until you have cooked all the crepes. Serve with lemon wedges and sugar.

Recipe Tips

  • Use a heavy bottomed skillet/frying pan – For best results and even cooking, it’s best to use a not stick heavy bottomed skillet.
  • Tilt pan and pour batter quickly – The secret to thin even crepes, is pouring the batter quickly and rotating the pan as you pour. Remember, do this quickly and coat the entire pan with a thin coating of batter.
  • Cook over a medium heat – Start with a medium to high heat and reduce heat as needed. The edges should go crisp while the centre stays soft.
  • Cook time – The stated cook time is how long it would take you to make the entire batch. Each crepe will cook in approximately 2 – 3 minutes.

What to Serve with Crepes


Frequently Asked Questions

Should crepes be crisp or soft?

Perfectly cooked crepes are wafer thin and have a crisp edge while being soft in the middle.

Is Crepe batter and pancake batter the same?

While crepe batter and pancake batter use almost identical ingredients, they are different. Crepe batter is thinner and does not use a rising agent.

What is the best flour to use for crepes?

The best flour to use for crepes is all purpose flour or plain flour.

Can you make crepe batter ahead of time?

Yes, you absolutely can. Because it doesn’t contain any baking powder or baking soda, you can keep it in the fridge up to over night before using.



Wild Berry Compote Filled Crepes

Indulge yourself on a weekday morning with these decadent Wild Berry Compote Filled Crepes. Perfectly wafer thin traditional French crepes filled with a slightly sweetened wild berry compote.
Check out this recipe

Berry Filled Mini Dessert Crepes

What better way to head into Saturday than with these Berry Filled Mini Dessert Crepes! They are as light as air, filled with soft pillowy fresh whipped cream and topped with tart berries. A perfect brunch or even dessert!
Check out this recipe

Cinnamon Crepes with Mascarpone Cream & Raspberries

Fancy up breakfast a bit with these light as air crepes topped with Mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries.
Check out this recipe

Crepes on a plate with lemon.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Simple French Crepe Recipe

You can’t go wrong with this Simple French Crepe Recipe . Easy to make and a great addition to a weekend breakfast or brunch. Served here with lemon and sugar for a classic touch.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Dairy, lemons
Servings: 10 crepes
Calories: 139kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup brandy optional
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • Butter for cooking
  • Lemon wedges and sugar to serve

Instructions

  • In a blender, combine milk, eggs, sugar and salt. Mix on high speed for around 10 seconds. The batter will be foamy. Turn the blender to low and add the melted butter, vanilla and brandy. Blend for a few more seconds. Add the flour all at once and blend until combined.
  • Place crepe pan over moderate high heat and melt butter until it begins to smoke. Pour enough batter into the pan to just cover the surface. As you pour, quickly tilt the pan in all directions to spread a thin layer of batter across the bottom. Only pour in enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
  • Cook the crepe over moderate high heat until bubbles just begin to form on the exposed surface, 1-2 minutes. Lift up edge to check the cooking process. If the crepe starts to burn before it is cooked through, turn down the heat. If it is not nicely browned after 2 minutes, turn it up. When the underside is browned, flip and cook for another minute or less. Remove from pan and keep in a warm oven covered loosely with foil.
  • Continue the process until you have cooked all the crepes.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

  1. Use a heavy bottomed skillet/frying pan – For best results and even cooking, it’s best to use a not stick heavy bottomed skillet.
  2. Tilt pan and pour batter quickly – The secret to thin even crepes, is pouring the batter quickly and rotating the pan as you pour. Remember, do this quickly and coat the entire pan with a thin coating of batter.
  3. Cook over a medium heat – Start with a medium to high heat and reduce heat as needed. The edges should go crisp while the centre stays soft.
Nutrition Facts
Simple French Crepe Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 crepe)
Calories 139 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 68mg23%
Sodium 300mg13%
Potassium 82mg2%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 245IU5%
Calcium 53mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

By on June 20th, 2015
Photo of author

About Julia Pinney

More Posts by this author.

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.