Name: Simple Crepes
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt; 1.5 cups whole milk, room temperature; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

Prep Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Yield:

Makes 12 (8-inch) crepes

Crepes are easier to make than you think. In fact, we believe they're easier than pancakes. They're also more versatile, and can be dressed up with sweet or savory toppings and any number of flavorful fillings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

Crepe batter is thinner than pancake batter because it doesn't contain leavener (that's why crepes are thin, flat, and delicate!). The batter for our simple crepe recipe comes together in the blender, which ensures a smooth crepe batter that has the consistency of heavy cream. You don't need a special crepe pan to cook them, either. Simply use a nonstick skillet.

simple crepes stacked on a plate — Maxwell Cozzi

What is a Crepe?

A crepe is a classic French dish made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, and milk. Crepes are similar to pancakes, but they are not made with a leavener—like the baking powder and baking soda used in pancakes—which results in a thinner batter and delicate crepes. Crepes can be served by themselves, or used as wafer-thin wrappings for a variety of foods. They are served for lunch or dinner, as an appetizer or the main course—and for dessert.

Are Crepes Sweet or Savory?

Crepes can be sweet or savory. Savory crepes might have fillings like ham and cheese or smoked salmon and crème fraîche, chicken or seafood in a cream sauce, and spinach and cheese. A little sugar may be added to the batter for a sweet crepe, or the crepe might be unsweetened but sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with a liqueur, or spread with chocolate and nuts, or berries and ice cream. The possibilities are endless.

How to Fold a Crepe and Other Ways to Serve Them

There are almost as many ways to fold, roll, and serve crepes as there are possible fillings.

The easiest presentation is spread with a light filling and rolled up like a cigarette.
Crepes can be rolled around a substantial filling, similar to a burrito.
Folded in half, then folded again, a crepe forms a triangle—this presentation is popular for flambé crepes and crepes suzette.
Neatly folded into a rectangle that encases the filling is what the French call a pannequet.
Many crepes layered with a filling, rather than folded, creates a crepe cake.

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups whole milk, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

Directions

ingredients for simple crepes recipe — Maxwell Cozzi

Make crepe batter:

In a blender, puree flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day; stir for a few seconds before using.

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Prep pan and add batter:

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. Quickly pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet, tilting and swirling pan until batter evenly coats bottom.

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Cook crepe and flip:

Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges begin to lift from pan, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Use an offset spatula to lift one edge of crepe, then use your fingers to gently flip crepe.

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Finish cooking crepe:

Cook crepe on second side until just set and golden in places on bottom, about 45 seconds. Slide crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate.

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Repeat steps to cook more crepes:

Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with more butter as needed, and stacking crepes directly on top of one another. Let cool to room temperature before using.

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How to Store Leftover Crepes

If not using your cooked crepes immediately, you can store them in the refrigerator or freezer:

In refrigerator: Stack cooked, cooled crepes with wax paper, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to three days.
In freezer: Wrap crepes in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is crepe batter the same as pancake batter?

Pancakes and crepes are similar, but pancake batter typically contains a leavening agent, such as baking powder and/or baking soda, and crêpe batter does not.

What type of pan works best to make crepes?

You don’t need a special crepe pan to make crepes, but if you already own one, do use it! We find the best vessel for making crepes is a nonstick skillet. Our recipe calls for an 8-inch nonstick skillet. Measure your pan across its base to check the size.