Crepes

A complete guide for making the best crepes at home! I'm sharing all my secrets to making a perfectly thin & tender crepe with buttery crisp edges using only 7 simple ingredients without using any special equipment. Enjoy them with your choice of sweet or savory fillings, the variations are limitless!

📌 Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Say goodbye to a thick rubbery crepe! The paper-thin layers create a beautiful texture, just like the famous crepe shops.  
• There is no need to rest the batter. The simple steps are so manageable even for your busy morning and night.
• You don't need a fancy crepe pan; just use a regular non-stick pan in your kitchen, just like when making japanese souffle pancakes!
• You'll only need 7 simple ingredients. (6 basic ingredients + 1 optional ingredient)
• It works great both as sweet and savory crepes. Check out a list of fillings and toppings ideas in this post to get inspiration!

Making crepes at home may seem intimidating, but everyone gets surprised after knowing how easy that is! It can be made quickly with just a regular pan.

But like so many desserts, it can be challenging to perfect it without knowing the essential tips & tricks. If you made it before, you may have encountered issues, such as:

• The texture is thick and rubbery. 
• The surface is burnt.
• It is stuck to a pan.
• It gets torn.

And so on 😩 But no worry! In this post, I will address troubleshooting tips so that you can successfully make authentic crepes in the comfort of your kitchen. Go through each section to cover all the essential tips and be a master of crepes!

Let's get started.💪🏻

📌 What Are Crepes?

Crepe is a French-style pancake that is delicately thin and doesn't contain any leavening agent, such as baking powder and baking soda, unlike fluffy American pancakes, such as banana pancakes. It is incredibly versatile, with unlimited choices of sweet and savory fillings. 

About 2 decades ago, I learned how to make a vanilla crepe cake at a cooking school in Tokyo and was so hooked by the fun process of making it. The amazing buttery smell spread over the entire room as we cooked them, and I remember I was beyond excited at being able to make a dessert that I could only eat at cafes and pastry shops before.

It quickly became my frequent menu choice, especially whenever I wanted to bake without an oven. To this day, I feel like making them every few months or so to open up a little crepe shop at home on the weekend.

📌 Ingredients To Make Crepes

7 ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Glutens in flour helps to bind all ingredients together and creates the "sheet."
• Granulated sugar: It helps to moisten the crepe as well as caramelize the surface more. You can also omit it to make savory crepes.
• Salt: It adds more depth to the flavor.
• Egg: Egg also helps connect all the ingredients while adding a soft texture. 
• Unsalted butter: Butter adds incredible flavor and beautiful caramelization, which is highly recommended for making authentic French crepes. 
• Whole milk: Lots of liquids are needed to thin out the batter and make a perfectly thin crepe. Use whole-fat milk for the best result.
• Dark rum (optional): Like my French pastry teacher used to say "Rum makes everything delicious.", It makes the crepe taste slightly more flavorful and sophisticated. You can omit it if you like!

📌 8 Steps To Make Crepes

1. Mix the dried ingredients.
2. Add eggs and mix until.
3. Add melted butter and mix.
4. Add milk and mix.
5. Add rum and mix.
6. Heat a non-stick pan at medium heat. Apply a thin layer of melted butter over the heated pan.
7. Spread the batter thinly on a pan.
8. Flip the crepe and cook the other side for 5 - 15 seconds. Drop it on a cloth or paper towel.

📌 Step-by-step Instructions To Make Crepes

Now, go through the detailed instructions with the essential tips and step-by-step photos.

1. Mix the dry ingredients.

Whisk the dry ingredients together: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. 

2. Add eggs.

Mix until the batter looks very smooth. Scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl to pick up all the flour.

3. Add melted butter.

Mix well until it's evenly incorporated.

4. Add milk.

1. Add about one-third first and mix well until the batter looks even. (Mix slowly at the very beginning to avoid spilling milk.)
2. Add the rest of the milk and mix. Scrape off the sides of a bowl on the way to ensure it's evenly incorporated.

5. Add dark rum.

Mix until it's evenly blended.

6. Heat a non-stick pan.

1. Heat a non-stick pan at medium-low to medium heat. 
2. Apply a thin layer of melted butter right before you pour the batter. Coating a thin layer of melted butter helps to prevent crepes from sticking to the pan. It also adds better caramelization on the surface.

What type of pan should I use for crepes?

Use any non-stick frying pan. I tried it with a pan that was not non-stick or an old scratched non-stick pan that doesn't do the job well anymore, and my crepes stuck to them. Avoid them to save your time and effort! You can also use a crepe pan if you have it.

7. Spread the batter thinly over a pan.

Repeat the 3 steps:

1. Lift the heated pan and pour a little less than ⅓ cup of the batter (80% of the capacity) into a 10-inch (25 cm) pan. Shake the pot well as you pour it to spread it wider.  
2. Swirl the pan in a circular motion and spread the batter to the edges of the pan before it begins to set.
3. Turn the position of a pan once or twice while cooking it to deliver the heat evenly. 

8. Flip it and cook the other side. 

Once you start seeing a nice golden brown color on the edges, it is a sign that you have the same caramelization on the bottom surface. Flip right away!

1. Flip the crepe and cook the other side for 5 - 15 seconds. This process also prevents each crepe from sticking to each other when they are stacked together.
2. Flip a pan and drop it on a cloth or paper towel.

How to flip crepes

There are so many ways to flip crepes, but the way I find most easy is using two long chopsticks. (or any long sticks)

When you use chopsticks:

1. Place a stick closer to the edge, about 2 inches (5 cm) away. 
2. Hang the edge over it using the other chopstick, lift, and flip a crepe.
3. Rotate the stick to remove it easily without dragging a crepe. (Watch the video tutorial to check the movement.)

When flipping it by hand:

Use heat-resistant gloves. It is very hot!

Repeat 1 - 8 until you run out of the remaining batter.

Now, repeat the process! The first layer doesn't always look great, but you'll quickly get used to the moves after some practice!

And that's it!

Wrap them when you can not use them right away to prevent them from getting dried.

📌 Tips For Storage And Making Ahead

How should I store crepes, and what's the shelf-life? 

Place wax paper or parchment paper on each layer and pile them together to avoid the risk of them getting stuck. This is not necessary when you are not storing them.

Wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or put them in a ziplock to prevent them from getting dried. Store them for up to a few days in the fridge or a few months in the freezer. Enjoy it right away for the best taste.

Can I make the crepe batter ahead and store it in the fridge? 

Yes! Be careful with 2 things: 

1. Flours tend to sink on the bottom after some time. Mix the batter well before using it to make it even again. 
2. The batter gets slightly firmer when it's cold due to the butter inside. Warm it a bit or leave it at room temperature for some time if necessary so that you can spread the batter thinly for a very thin crepe!

📌 The Troubleshooting

My crepe is too thick. Why? 

The common cause is pouring too much batter. I always do a little less than ⅓ cup for a 10-inch pan. Adjust the amount depending on the size of the pan you are using. 

Also, the batter can be thick if the recipe contains less amount of milk. The amount of milk in this recipe may seem like a lot, but is needed to create a thin batter for a perfectly thin crepe!

I can't create the lacy caramelization on the surface.

The classic crepe has a beautiful lacy caramelization of the surface. Oftentimes, the heat is too low when the caramelization doesn't look so fine. (It still tastes great, so I don't think it's something you should care about so much.)

Applying butter each time you spread the batter also helps to create stronger caramelization.

It is burnt or has lots of holes on the surface.

You get more lacy, detailed caramelization with high heat, but try not to go too high since it could lead to some cons, such as:

• It's harder to spread the batter to the edges since it cooks up fast. 
• It could lead to a burnt surface when we can not catch up with the speed.
• You'll see tiny holes on the surface since the eggs cook up before the bubbles calm down.

Hold medium to medium-low heat to make the process easier.

The batter spreads beyond the edges of the bottom pan.

When the batter goes beyond the bottom of the pan, you can easily scrape it off with a chopstick or spatula while it's still soft before it gets cooked through.

My crepe is stuck on the pan.

Use a non-stick pan. Greasing the butter before pouring the batter also helps a bit to take them off easily.

📌 Crepe Fillings & Toppings

Find your favorite toppings and fillings ideas from the list below! It'll also be so much fun to line many toppings and fillings for your family and friends to let them customize their own crepes!👩🏻‍🍳

Sweet crepes

​Fillings

• Whipped cream: It never goes wrong with fluffy whipped cream and delicious crepes! Customize other fillings and toppings as you like. 
• Jam: I love the combination of whipped cream, a thin layer of tart jam, and sliced fresh fruits.   
• Pastry cream: The smooth and creamy texture goes perfectly with tender crepes. Pair it with jam, ganache, whipped cream... your choice!
• Chocolate ganache: The rich, melty chocolate is a must-try addition for chocolate lovers. 
• Chocolate whipped cream: By paring ganache and this fluffy cream, it will create a rich chocolate crepe that is not too heavy.
• Cream cheese whipped cream: My favorite way is to pair it with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, which resemble an amazing strawberry cheesecake flavor.
• Caramel sauce: It adds a luxurious rich flavor and texture. My favorite combination is a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, slices of banana, and toasted pecans. 
• Nutella: It makes a dreamy crepe for all Nutella lovers! 
• Mascarpone cheese: Make tiramisu crepes by using coffee crepes, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder.
• Sour cream or Yogurt: I tried it with a thin layer of whipped cream, greek yogurt, slices of peach, blueberries, and drizzles of raw honey. It was so refreshing for the hot day!
• Fruit puree: The bright & tart flavors go so well with whipped cream, fresh fruits, etc. 
• Lemon curd: It is a must-try filling if you love lemon desserts. Pair it with whipped cream to balance out the tartness.  
• Honey or Maple syrup: A drizzle of honey or maple syrup adds the natural sweetness that goes perfectly with fresh fruits, cream cheese, yogurt, etc.

Toppings

• Fresh fruit: Use your favorite fruits. My favorites for crepes are fresh berries, oranges, bananas, mango, kiwi, and peach. 
• Toasted nuts: The crunchy texture goes perfectly with the soft crepes. Walnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds... your call! 
• Sprinkles: It will instantly excite kids! Try a birthday crepe with rainbow sprinkles. 
• Chocolate chips: Add the crunchiness if you love chocolate. Mini chocolate chips or diced chocolate are recommended. 
• Cocoa powder or Matcha powder: Add the rich & dark flavor to complete the crepe! 
• Powdered sugar: Just a dash of powdered sugar makes a crepe look very fancy.
• Crushed toffees: I love them with caramel sauce, bananas, chocolate fillings, etc. 
• Ice cream: Add a scoop of ice cream on top of a crepe if you want to go extra special! Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mango... Yum!
• Fresh Mint: The green accent makes your crepe look like the ones you see at cafes. 

Classics

• Crepe Suzette: One of the classic French desserts. I was shocked at how delicious it was when I first had it. Never thought orange sauce goes so well with it!
• Crepe Cake (Mille Crepe): You can also make a whole cake by layering the crepes and fillings.

Savory crepes

Omit the sugar from the recipe for savory crepes. Here are some of the popular filling options:

• Ham: Ham or smoked turkey with plenty of gruyère cheese tastes fantastic together. 
• Bacon: With sunny-side-up egg and cheese. Simple is the best! 
• Cheese: Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, gruyère cheese, cottage cheese, etc. Pick one that most suits other fillings!
• Avocado: It is a great addition to make a salad crepe, Mexican-style crepe, etc. 
• Ketchup & Mustard: They never go wrong with meaty fillings. 
• Chilli sauce: Add the kick if you love spicy food.
• Mayonaise: Pair it with tuna, potato salad, salmon, sausage, avocado, etc. 
• Sausage: Everyone would love it with sausage, lettuce, mustard, and ketchup.
• Egg: Your choice of sliced boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, or sunny-side-up eggs. 
• Corn: A great addition to tuna, potato salad, etc.    
• Lettuce: Add a layer of fresh lettuce to add the crispiness. 
• Shrimp: Try it as an alternative to meat.

📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!

Watch this video to learn how to make the French crepes visually and have a deeper understanding of the process.

Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it 😉

📌 More French Dessert Recipes

If you like this homemade crepe recipe, try other beloved French dessert recipes! 

• Vanilla Madeleines
• Cream Puffs
• Eclairs
• Creme Brulee
• Opera Cake

💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.