French Crêpes
June is finally here, along with all the trappings of spring. Flourishing lilac blossoms, farmers markets and several extra hours of sunlight. Saturday was the first day of the outdoor Farmers Market. In the early spring the farm stands don’t have many vegetables yet, but are filled with lovely sprouting plants, herbs, eggs and honey. I was able to get my hands on some vibrant looking rhubarb, which I later cooked into a perfectly tart compote. I always forget how much I love rhubarb until spring rolls around and I fall in love with it all over again. Am I the only one that insists on keeping some kind of jam or fruit compote in the house at all times? It’s so handy to top things with (oatmeal, pancakes, ice cream, cake, etc). This past weekend we used it to top crepes, with a few dollops of whipped cream. If you know me at all, you know I’m a francophile at heart. Making French crêpes is one of my favorite things, so I thought I would share my own French crepe recipe with you! They’re incredibly simple to make and you only need a few basic ingredients.
What are French Crepes?
French crêpes are traditional, thin pancakes that are commonly eaten in France. Historically, I’ve read that they originated in the Brittany region of France as a flatbread that was traditionally eaten throughout the day. Today they are quite popular, and there are many variations. In fact, French people even have a holiday that is dedicated to eating crepes- La Chandeleur or le jour des crêpes! This is traditionally a religious holiday, but in France it is celebrated by dining on a much-loved food.
Unlike American pancakes (which are best eaten big and fluffy, if you ask me!) crepes are very thin and flat. Often they have sweet or savory fillings spread on top and then are either rolled or folded. My kids love crepes filled with strawberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar. We have also filled them with chocolate hazelnut spread, various fruit compotes, or sometimes yogurt and honey. In France, crepes are often eaten at lunch or even for dinner- not breakfast. When I make them for my kids at home, it’s almost always for breakfast, but sometimes for their afternoon snack.
Sweet Crepes
Sweet crêpes can also be called dessert crepes or crêpes sucrées. These are the crepes that I most often make and that my kids love! The fillings would often include jam, chocolate ganache or hazelnut spread. Other popular sweet fillings for crepes would be yogurt or whipped cream with fresh fruit, or butter with a dusting of powdered sugar. Crepes Suzette are are crepes that are made with a caramelized sugar, butter and orange zest sauce (they’re absolutely delicious and a French classic!). Another variation of traditional French crepes would be buckwheat crepes- where you would use partial or all buckwheat flour instead of only all-purpose flour.
Savory crêpes
Savory crepes have all kinds of delicious savory fillings in them. Meats and cheese are quite popular- such as ham and Swiss, or bacon and cheddar. Vegetables and herbs are also common in savory crepes, anything from fresh spinach or mushrooms, to chopped parsley or caramelized onions. Some people like to eat crepes with eggs. Another common (though less common) filling is seafood. Shrimp, crabmeat or even bay scallops make for delicious savory crepes! I am often reminded of omelettes when I think of savory crepes because the fillings and fillings combinations are quite similar. If I’m honest, savory crepes are delicious and I don’t make them nearly enough!
French Crepes Recipe
French crepes are actually quite simple to make and crepe batter is similar to the batter used for American pancakes. The main differences between the two are the leavening agent and the quantity of milk used. Crepes are made thin by pouring a bit of batter into the center of the pan and then tilting the pan around in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly across the entire surface of the pan. This is why the crêpe batter is made with more milk than classic American pancakes- you need to have a thin batter so that it spreads easily. With that said, the ingredients you need are simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand:
- All Purpose Flour
- Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Salt
I am definitely one of those home cooks or “mama chefs” that doesn’t measure things! A simple crepe recipe in our house always includes the ingredients listed above, but varies depending on how many people I’m making it for, if I want to have leftover batter, etc. Usually I try to aim for each person to have two crepes each. I have my own go-to classic french crepes recipe, and I make it at least once a week in our household. If this is your first time making crepes, I would start with my simple crepe recipe instead of doing the more traditional variations such as buckwheat crepes or crepes suzette (click for those recipes)! After one or two tries you’ll get the motion and timing down for making perfect crepes and then move onto delicious variations!
Here is my most barebones, basic crepe recipe which makes about 8-10 large crepes:
- 1 1/2 Cups Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
- 4 Large Eggs
- 2 1/4 Cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- Butter (for cooking)
- Any desired favorite toppings (such as fresh fruit, whipped cream, compote, jam or chocolate sauce)
1) Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl.
2) Crack all of the eggs into the flour and gently mix using a whisk, breaking up the eggs yolks. The flour will start to clump and stick to the whisk- that’s okay.
3) Measure out the milk but do not add it all at once, as this will cause small lumps of flour to form that will become impossible to break up no matter how much you mix! This results in lumpy crepe batter. To make a smooth batter simply add the milk in 1/4 Cup increments, mixing between each addition. Once it starts to form a thick paste and there are no (or almost no) lumps of flour, add in the remaining milk and mix well. (Please see my tip below, too!) By the time all the milk has been added you should have a fairly thin batter.
4) Set an 8-inch or 10-inch pan onto the stove and set to medium heat. Give the pan a few minutes to heat up, and then drop a small pat of butter into the pan. The pan should be hot enough that the butter will make a sizzling sound and begin to melt right away. Use a butter knife to spread the butter around the pan as it melts, coating the surface evenly. I like the to let the melted butter brown a bit because it adds a nice color and subtle caramel-y flavor to the crepes, but this is optional!
5) Pour a couple large ladle full (about 1/3-1/2 cup worth) of batter into the center of the pan. Before the batter cooks, use the handle of the pan to lift the pan off of the burner and tilt it around in a circular motion so that the batter spreads evenly across the entire surface of the pan. Once it has spread, set the pan back onto the burner and allow the crepe to cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. You’ll see the edges and surface begin to look like they are cooked and no longer a liquid batter. Use a spatula to flip the crepe and cook on the other side about 15-20 seconds. The crepe should be soft and “floppy”- not at all stiff or crispy! If it is stiff and crispy then you’ve cooked it for too long and you need to either cook it for less time, or turn the heat down a little bit.
6) Repeat step 4 and 5 (starting at melting more butter in the pan) with the remaining batter until you’ve it all. If you find you have enough crepes and still have leftover batter you can leave it in the fridge and reuse within a couple days.
7) To dress the cooked crepes, lay one flat on a plate and sprinkle, spread or drizzle in your favorite fillings. Then you can either roll or fold the crepe with the fillings inside. Dust with powdered sugar if you want!
Simple French Crepes Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Measure the flour and salt into a large bowl.
- Crack all of the eggs into the flour and gently mix using a whisk, breaking up the eggs yolks. The flour will start to clump and stick to the whisk- that's okay.
- Measure out the milk but do not add it all at once, as this will cause small lumps of flour to form that will become impossible to break up no matter how much you mix! This results in lumpy crepe batter. To make a smooth batter simply add the milk in 1/4 cup increments, mixing between each addition. Once it starts to form a thick paste and there are no (or almost no) lumps of flour, add in the remaining milk and mix well. By the time all the milk has been added you should have a fairly thin batter.
- Set an 8-inch or 10-inch pan onto the stove and set to medium heat. Give the pan a few minutes to heat up, and then drop a small pat of butter into the pan. The pan should be hot enough that the butter will make a sizzling sound and begin to melt right away. Use a butter knife to spread the butter around the pan as it melts, coating the surface evenly. I like the to let the melted butter brown a bit because it adds a nice color and subtle caramel-y flavor to the crepes, but this is optional!
- Pour a couple large ladles full (about 1/3-1/2 cup worth) of batter into the center of the pan. Before the batter cooks, use the handle of the pan to lift the pan off of the burner and tilt it around in a circular motion so that the batter spreads evenly across the entire surface of the pan. Once it has spread, set the pan back onto the burner and allow the crepe to cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. You'll see the edges and surface begin to look like they are cooked and no longer a liquid batter. Use a spatula to flip the crepe and cook on the other side about 15-20 seconds. The crepe should be soft and "floppy"- not at all stiff or crispy! If it is stiff and crispy then you've cooked it for too long and you need to either cook it for less time, or turn the heat down a little bit.
- Repeat step 4 and 5 (starting at melting more butter in the pan) with the remaining batter until you've it all. If you find you have enough crepes and still have leftover batter you can leave it in the fridge and reuse within a couple days.
- To dress the cooked crepes, lay one flat on a plate and sprinkle, spread or drizzle in your favorite fillings. Then you can either roll or fold the crepe with the fillings inside. Dust with powdered sugar if you want!
Notes
A tip for perfect batter
Here is a quick, pro tip for avoiding lumpy crepe batter: For best results, add and mix in the milk a little bit at a time so that the flour milk and eggs for a thick "paste". This helps break up all the little lumps of flour. Once you have a smooth (though very thick), pasty batter then add the remaining milk! Personally, I add the milk about 1/4 cup at a time for the first cup, mixing in between additions, until there are no lumps of flour. Then I add the remaining milk all at once to thin out the batter. This will ensure perfect french crepes!A tip for cooking
I have never used a crepe pan or a nonstick pan. I use a 10" stainless steel pan and have never had a problem with crepes sticking as long as I melt butter in the pan for each crepe. Another thing to note is that if you are using a smaller (or larger) pan, the amount of crepe batter you use and cooking time might vary a little bit! Obviously to cover the surface of a 6" pan you will need less batter than for a 10" pan.
A tip for perfect batter
Here is a quick, pro tip for avoiding lumpy crepe batter: For best results, add and mix in the milk a little bit at a time so that the flour milk and eggs for a thick “paste”. This helps break up all the little lumps of flour. Once you have a smooth (though very thick), pasty batter then add the remaining milk! Personally, I add the milk about 1/4 cup at a time for the first cup, mixing in between additions, until there are no lumps of flour. Then I add the remaining milk all at once to thin out the batter. This will ensure perfect french crepes!
A tip for cooking
I have never used a crepe pan or a nonstick pan. I use a 10″ stainless steel pan and have never had a problem with crepes sticking as long as I melt butter in the pan for each crepe. Another thing to note is that if you are using a smaller (or larger) pan, the amount of crepe batter you use and cooking time might vary a little bit! Obviously to cover the surface of a 6″ pan you will need less batter than for a 10″ pan.