The Authentic French Crêpe Recipe
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/25/2023
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This easy crêpe recipe makes thin and flexible crepes with a restaurant-level quality. It’s an easy recipe, made with simple ingredients, and ready in under 15 minutes. I’m a crepe fan because I’ve spent years making crepes in our family restaurants in the foothills of the Vosges mountains. So you can trust that this recipe has been tested many times over!
French crepes, anyone? You might have tried some of my other classic French desserts like my floating island dessert, my madeleines, or my croffles, so it’s time for the classic of the classics. I am a French girl born and raised in France, so I am a fan of authentic French recipes and truly French crepes.
It’s typically French to serve sweet crepes for breakfast or snacks. But, savory crepes are also served in the French Brittany region as a meal filled with eggs, ham, and cheese. However, savory crepes are made with different flour.
- Sweet Crepe Recipe – Thin, golden in color, and made of all-purpose white wheat flour.
- Savory Crepes – Thicker, heavier, grey-brown in color, and made of buckwheat flour. Try my buckwheat flour crepes to make a savory crepe recipe.
It’s very easy to make a crepe batter crepe. All you need are 6 ingredients, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a non-stick crepe pan.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Following is the full list of ingredients to make your perfect French crepe:
- All-Purpose Flour – Use white wheat flour. Other options are white spelt flour or white whole-wheat flour. For other flour options, try my Gluten-Free Crepes, Almond Flour Crepes, or Coconut Flour Crepes.
- Eggs – The classic recipe uses eggs. For a vegan version, try my vegan crepes.
- Whole Milk or skim milk for a lighter crepe. It will result in crispier crepes. You can also use dairy-free milk alternatives like almond milk, but it makes the crepes slightly crispier.
- Melted Butter – You can make crepes without butter. Simply replace with melted coconut oil or olive oil.
- Sugar or sugar-free alternatives like Monk fruit crystal sweetener or erythritol.
- Vanilla Essence – The crepe batter is flavored with vanilla extract or orange blossom flower water.
Making The Batter
- Add the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, melted butter, and sugar into a large mixing bowl (photo 1).
- Use a whisk or an electric mixer to gradually beat the milk until a smooth batter forms with no lumps (photo 2). A crepe batter is always thinner than a pancake batter recipe, and that’s normal. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the non-stick crepe pan.
Spreading The Crepe Batter
- Oil the pan with an oil spray or melted butter (photo 3). It takes time and practice to perfectly tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread your batter evenly around the pan. First, I recommend pouring no more than 1/4 cup of crepe batter (photo 4). Next, make sure the crepe pan is very hot – preheat over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Then, tilt and swirl the pan in a circular motion at the same time you pour the batter – as you see me do in the picture above. The faster you tilt and rotate the pan, the better the crepe batter spread. As a result, it will cover the crepe pan surface with a thin layer that results in the most beautiful thin, and crispy French crepes.
- Once the crepe is lightly brown, use an offset spatula to loosen the sides and flip the crepe. Finally, keep cooking the crepe on the other side for 1 minute.
- Store the cooked crepes on a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
Tips For Perfect Crepes
So what are the tricks on how to make a perfectly thin and crispy French crepe? Let me tell you my secrets.
- Choosing The French Crepe Pan – The skillet you use makes a big difference in how the crepe will cook and how thin you can spread the batter. You must use a non-stick pan for the best results. It will work in a regular pan, but you will never get such a thin crepe. Otherwise, use a pancake griddle, but it is more difficult to create beautiful round-shaped crepes on a griddle.
- How To Fold A French Crepe – After you cook the crepe, bring it to a plate, add fillings and toppings and fold it. Most French people roll their crepes, and we eat them with our fingers. Restaurant chefs folded crepes in a triangle shape. But whether you fold or roll, always add the fillings in the open crepes. Then put the crepe back into the pan to melt and warm the filling before folding and serving them. Here you go! You now know everything about authentic French crepes! However, don’t hesitate to ask me more by leaving a comment! I will love to help you design your best crepe parties!
Sweet Filling Options
The most popular French crepe fillings are not quite healthy as French people love sweet crepe recipes!
But you can put any number of toppings on a French crepe. The typical amount is 1 to 4.
1. A Spread
The most commonly used on their own or associated with other ingredients are:
- Icing sugar
- Sugar or erythritol for a sugar-free topping
- Jam – strawberry, blueberry, apricot, or use my sugar-free chia seed jam for a healthier twist
- Fruit puree – often apple compote
- Honey or maple syrup or sugar-free syrup
- A chocolate spread – Nutella is the most popular chocolate hazelnut spread sold in France. For a healthier, sugar-free Nutella, check out my sugar-free Nutella recipe.
- Peanut butter – homemade or natural peanut butter.
2. Dry Ingredients
- Coconut
- Sliced almonds
- Sugar or powdered sugar
- Cinnamon
3. Other Sweet Crepes Fillings
- Fruits – fresh fruits like fresh berries and bananas are often associated with chocolate spreads or cooked apples with cinnamon and sugar.
- Spirit – French crepes with Grand Marnier are very popular. It is a crepe filled with crystal sugar and then covered with the French spirit Grand Marnier. The crepe is then flambeed and served hot. It is a very spectacular dessert in French restaurants. Other alcohols used in crepes are Cognac in combo with apples. Try my Crepe Suzette Recipe for all the details!
- Whipped cream or cream cheese
Savory Fillings
If you prefer your crepe savory, there are many ways of making a delicious salty breakfast or lunch with this recipe.
Prepare your crepes and fill them with:
- Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche, and Dill: place the salmon and crème on your cooked crepe while still on the hot pan, fold the sides, and add the dill just before serving.
- Bacon, Sour Cream, and Onions: Cooked the bacon on another pan, spread the sour cream on the crepe, add the bacon and sliced onions. Cook for about a minute and serve.
- Ham and Cheese: Place some of your favorite cheese on the crepe still on the hot pan, add a layer of sliced ham, and spread some more cheese. Fold the crepe in half and cook for another minute.
- Egg Crepe: Prepare a sunny side up egg, place it on the crepe (still on the pan), and add a touch of bearnaise sauce or my 3-Ingredient Alfredo Sauce.
- Mushroom Crepe: This is my favorite version. Prepare my Mushroom Sauce and pour it on the middle of the crepe, cook for another minute, and serve hot.
Healthy French Crepes Alternatives
They’re not low in carbs, that’s for sure! French crepes are made with refined white-wheat flour, sugar, and milk, and all of these ingredients are high in carbohydrates and sugar. However, it is a traditional recipe, and as a French person, I am proud to host this on my low-carb recipe blog to remember my roots.
I know it is not the healthiest recipe in the world, and since I eat low-carb now, I created my own low-carb crepe alternatives. Traditional French crepes don’t taste like eggs. However, low-carb crepe alternatives have a stronger egg flavor. So if you don’t mind the carbs, stick to this recipe.
Otherwise, have a look at my low-carb crepe recipes below.
If you want another type of classic breakfast, try my Liege Waffles or my Pancakes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Find below my answers to the most common questions on this crepe recipe.
French people eat crepes anytime for afternoon tea, birthdays, and breakfast but always with many friends or family members. We invite friends to crepes parties all the time.
French loves eating crepes as a social thing. In France, some families have a crepe-party maker that allows six people to sit around the table, and everyone can cook their small crepes in front of them.
It is a fun simple food that gathers everyone around the table and welcomes creativity as anyone can add their favorite crepe fillings.
You can make the French Crepe Batter with a blender instead of using an electric beater. Make sure to blend on low or medium speed.
Yes, you can make this crepe recipe without a mixer, it works just as well with a hand whisk.
Making a crepe cake with this recipe is very simple! Stack eight to 10 crepes and add any of your favorite fillings in between them.
You can then top them up with fresh fruits and a raspberry jam.
This recipe is perfect when filled with sweet ingredients, but you can absolutely make a version with savory fillings for brunch.
Add spinach, pan-fried mushrooms, grilled chicken, tomato slices, and fresh cheese like ricotta for delicate savory crepes.
Each year on February 2 is what French people call ‘La Chandeleur’ – Candlemas in English – or the day when a whole country eats crepes!
It is a tradition, and most French families will eat French crepes for the occasion.
No one knows for sure why crepes are associated with a once-religious holiday, but there are a few hypotheses.
It is possible that crepes – essentially large and thin pancakes – symbolize a round, yellow sun coming back after the winter.
Another possibility is that it’s around that time that winter wheat harvests happen. If flour was made in too large batches, making crepes was a way to use it.
It is such a deeply rooted tradition that I still make crepes on that day even though I moved to New Zealand years ago. The tradition says that we must eat them only after 8 pm.
More Crêpe Recipes
If you like simple, healthy, authentic crepes recipes, you’ll also love these:
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French Crêpe Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup White Wheat Flour
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract optional
- 1 teaspoon White Sugar optional
- 2 cups Milk
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted or vegetable oil of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, melted butter, and sugar if used.
- Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat in the milk gradually until a smooth batter forms with no lumps.
- Heat a lightly buttered crepe pan over medium/high heat.
- Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, then tip and rotate the pan to spread the batter as thinly as possible.
- Cook until lightly brown on both sides – about 1-2 minutes on each side and serve hot with your favorite fillings.
Notes
Want My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook and many ebooks, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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Hi there do I need to use white wheat flour ? Or can I use all purpose flour?
All-purpose works fine!
This recipe works!!!
I appreciate having a recipe that explains it all and comes out at the top of the class! THANK YOU!!!
You are a brilliant chef AND a brilliant teacher!
Thank you 😍😍
First time making crepes and they came out great! So delicious! Thank you for this recipe and directions. Question though. Cooking for a crowd and thinking of making cinnamon apple stuffed crepes. Do you think it’s possible to make and stuff crepes a the night before, place in pan and then stick pan in the oven in the morning for a quick warm up?
Here’s a better idea: if you let your batter sit in the fridge overnight, the taste of the crepes will be enhanced. So I would suggest doing that and on the morning of presenting them, slice your apples and cover them in cinnamon. But to answer your question about reheating them in the oven, we do this all the time but with ham and cheese so it totally works!
Loved how these crepes came out. Did not have a crepe pan and had to use an 8″non stick pan. Came out smaller but perfect. Also used 100% wheat flour because that was all I had in the house. The crepes were so very very delicious.
Absolutely fabulous! All 3 kids love this recipe, they’re mates too!Thanks for creating something so tasty.
Love this simple but delicious recipe. I fill mine with a cream cheese filling and fresh berries! My husband can’t believe how good they are! Thank you
Having to get crepes so thin always seemed a big challenge. This recipe was so good and easy. It came out flawless even without a crepe pan a 10″ skillet worked just fine.
This recipe was perfect. The first crepe was a little wonky, but my technique got better with each one. The taste and texture were fantastic and exactly as I hoped. I’ve been disappointed by a crepe recipe in the past, but very happy with this one. We will definitely make these again. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Is the vanilla confused with the sugar? 1 tablespoon of vanilla to 1 teaspoon of sugar seems off somehow? Thank you!
No, the ratio is right. French crepes have a strong vanilla flavor but not much sugar in the batter as you add the sweet toppings after. Feel free to change ratio if you like your batter sweeter or with a less strong vanilla flavor.
If anyone is curious about making this free of gluten, dairy, and eggs, I used gluten-free all purpose flour, a mix of coconut and oat milk (because I prefer oat and didn’t have enough), and flax eggs. They actually turned out to be some wonderfully fluffy pancakes but I was just glad that tweaking the recipe didn’t end up with a disaster to throw away! I think next time I will use egg replace instead of flax eggs because it’s more rubbery and probably leads to the right texture that you’re going for with crepes.
My family ate this recipes as written and really enjoyed it. I didn’t have fresh berries, so we served it with canned cherry pie filling (I know I know! I’m sorry!!) and a homemade whipped cream cheese filling. (Vegan sour cream for mine.)
Definitely the perfect and easiest recipe
Hi Carine,
How long do you rest the crepe mixture before you start making the crepes?
You don’t have to rest the crepe batter, you can but it won’t change much
This was my first time trying this recipe and the crepes came out perfectly. This will be my staple crepe recipe from now on.
Amazing! Thank you so much! It’s difficult to find authentic recipes – you’re bookmarked!
And thank you for the history and explanations. Very interesting.
Oh wow!!! I have been missing these for years since my last trip to Europe. These are amazing!!!!
Delicious! Thank you.
My kids fell in love with fresh crepes on a trip to Paris and request them often. This is the best recipe I’ve found. We all loved them.
Hello! I have two questions that I hope you can answer:
1. Can I use this crepe recipe for both savory and sweet fillings?
2. I’ve read that white-wheat flour is different than American, all-purpose flour. Which one do you use? Thank you and I can’t wait to try.
Yes you can use the recipe for both sweet or savory filling. However, if making savory crepes, skip the sugar in the batter. All purpose flour and white wheat flour are the same and can be used in same amount in recipes.
I subbed in 1/2 c. buckwheat flour with excellent results! Thank you:)
Delicious. I did a stack of crepes using this recipe, omitting the sugar however. On top I had crispy bacon and fried eggs, topped with maple syrup. I’ve made this using buckwheat flour too which is an excellent healthy and gluten free alternative to the plain wheat flour.
Perfect! Just like my mom used to make.