My kids recently discovered one of those fancy crepe places in the mall. You know, the ones that charge $8 for a flat Nutella filled pancake? To save money I decided to make them homemade instead using the best traditional French crepes recipe I could come up with.
And now I’m sharing that delicious recipe with you!
Crepes are one of my favourite easy hot breakfast ideas for my family for a bunch of reasons. First of all, both kids and adults find them delcious. Second, all my picky eaters can customize their crepes with whatever fillings and toppings they like best.
Everyone is happy when we make homemade crepes!
Are French Crepes Hard to Make?
If you’ve been avoiding making crepes at home because you’re worried they’re hard to make I’m here to set the story straight: No, French crepes are not hard to make; they’re actually really easy!
Since they’re thin and cook quickly, it only takes a few minutes to whip up enough for the whole family. The only tricky parts of making crepes are 1. Flipping them and 2. Serving everyone while the crepes are still hot.
If you can master that, you can master crepe making.
What Do You Need to Make Traditional French Crepes
The other thing I like about French-style crepes is that they only use a few ingredients and supplies. You can make these without anything fancy.
- Milk, I use skim milk
- Water
- Eggs
- Flour
- Butter or oil
- A good quality frying pan
That’s it! Seriously, crepes are made with just 5 ingredients (plus a bit of salt.)
Where’s the Sugar and Vanilla?
A lot of crepe recipes have sugar and vanilla extract included in the ingredients. The truth is, these are optional, and you can add them if you want, but they’re not typically found in French crepe recipes.
Even French pancakes call for no vanilla and minimal sugar, but crepes especially don’t ask for sugar. The idea is you add sweet or savory ingredients to your crepes and these provide the extra flavoring.
What I’m saying is even if you do like sweet things (I have a sweet tooth too) I suggest leaving sugar and vanilla out of your crepes.
Why Add Water?
Crepes batter needs to be thin to spread out over the pan and I find water does a better job of thinning it out than just milk alone. It also helps balance the flavors and gives you a lighter, less rich texture and taste that more closely resembles traditional crepe recipes.
Make 1 Hour Ahead (If Possible)
One last tip I have for you before I share this full French crepe recipe is that it turns out even better if you’re able to refrigerate your crepe batter for a least 1 hour before cooking. (Actually, this is true for pancakes too.)
You could also safely make this the night before and store the batter in an airtight container in the fridge. Just give it a light stir before cooking.
French Crepe Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1.5 cups of milk (I use skim milk)
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of flour
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter or oil
- Salt (pinch or to taste)
Make The Crepe Batter
- Crack 4 eggs into a mixing bowl and beat lightly.
- Add the 1.5 cups of milk and 1 cup water to the eggs, then mix to combine.
- Mix in 2 cups of flour until smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Add the 4 tablespoons of butter or oil and pinch of salt. Stir.
- Batter should be quite thin. If it’s too thick, you can add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Refrigerate 1 hour. If you’re in a hurry you can skip this step, but it does make the crepes turn out better.
How to Cook Crepes
- Heat a medium sized pan on medium-low heat.
- Add a generous amount of butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Ladle enough crepe batter to cover the pan in a thin layer. Twist the pan or use a silicone spatula to spread it out evenly.
- The crepe should cook quickly. You can tell it’s ready to flip when the batter is drying and the crepe easily separates from the pan.
- Using a silicone spatula, go around the outside of the crepe to release it from the pan. Then flip using your favourite technique; I like to use the spatula to do it.
- Cook the other side until done, usually only 1-2 minutes.
- Fill with your favourite toppings and serve immediately.
What Are Good Fillings and Toppings for Crepes?
The amazing thing about crepes is you can top or fill them with almost anything. Here’s some ideas that should be a hit, but don’t be afraid try your own combinations based on your preferences.
Banana Nutella Crepes
Nutella is probably my kids’ number one crepe filling. It’s delicious on its own, but even better if you add some fruit in with it. Banana Nutella is probably the easiest (and most delicious) combination.
Just make sure you slice your bananas quite thin so they’re spread out evenly inside the crepe.
Blueberry Crepes
You can mix some blueberries right into the batter but I find that it’s harder to get those nice, thin crepes when you do. Instead, add fresh or frozen blueberries to the inside of your crepe or on top for a delicious breakfast treat.
One fun idea is to take frozen blueberries and microwave them for 30-60 seconds so they’re mushy, then add in. You can also mash fresh blueberries or combine either fresh or frozen berries with whipped cream for a treat.
Finally, blueberry syrup also tastes great on crepes!
Savory Salmon and Eggs Crepe Recipe
Take this crepe recipe as a base and turn into a savory breakfast treat using smoked salmon and scrambled eggs as filling. What I like to do is actually add in some savory ingredients like chopped parsley, chives, or herbes de provinces into to the crepe batter before cooking.
This might be a little fancy for some kids but it’s a delicious addition to a weekend brush, special date idea, or something special to serve to guests.
Savory Crepe Filling Ideas
- Various fresh or dried herbs of your choice
- Onions, especially mild ones like chives, green onions, or shallots
- Scrambled eggs
- Salmon, crab, and other light or smoked fish
- Chicken and other meats, including cured meats
- Cheese, especially gruyere
- Finely chopped and raw or cooked vegetables, especially broccoli, tomato, and spinach
- Cream or white sauce toppings
- Cream cheese
- Butter or herb butter
- Ricotta or cottage cheese
- Hollandaise sauce
Sweet Crepe Filling and Topping Ideas
- Real maple syrup
- Whipped cream
- Sprinkles
- Icing sugar
- Homemade or purchased fruit syrup
- Fresh or frozen fruit including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mango, peach, and bananas
- Jams and jellies
- Nutella or chocolate spread
- Chocolate chips
- Cinnamon spread
- Melted chocolate
Crepe Making FAQS
The Best French Style Crepes
This is hands down my best recipe for making French style crepes. They can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients for a fun family breakfast or brunch idea.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1.5 cups of milk (I use skim milk)
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of flour
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter or oil
- Salt (pinch or to taste)
Instructions
Make the Batter
- Crack 4 eggs into a mixing bowl and beat lightly.
- Add the 1.5 cups of milk and 1 cup water to the eggs, then mix to combine.
- Mix in 2 cups of flour until smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Add the 4 tablespoons of butter or oil and pinch of salt. Stir.
- Batter should be quite thin. If it’s too thick, you can add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Refrigerate 1 hour. If you’re in a hurry you can skip this step, but it does make the crepes turn out better.
Cook Crepes
- Heat a medium sized pan on medium-low heat.
- Add a generous amount of butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Ladle enough crepe batter to cover the pan in a thin layer. Spread it out.
- The crepe should cook quickly.
- Flip crepes when they're drying up and release from the pan.
- Use a spatula to lift and flip crepe.
- Cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Fill and serve immediately.
Notes
If you're in a hurry you can skip the refrigeration time.
For a sweeter crepe, add 2-4 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
op and fill crepes with whatever sweet or savory foods and sauces you like best!
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