If you have eggs, milk, and flour in your kitchen, you can make authentic French crêpes at home. No fancy equipment, no complicated technique, and no waiting around for the batter to rest.
This is my grandmother Alice's recipe, passed down to my mother and then to me. I grew up making these crêpes, and after spending eight years living in France, and cooking these crêpes hundreds of times for my French Chef husband, I can testify that these crêpes are a family and friends favorite recipe!
The recipe couldn't be simpler: 1 cup of flour, 2 cups of milk, and 3 eggs. That's it. A little butter for the pan, and you're ready to make beautifully thin, tender crêpes.
We serve the crêpes with everything from a simple squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sugar to fresh berries, Chantilly cream, or a generous spoonful of Nutella.
Whether you're making a French breakfast, hosting brunch, or celebrating La Chandeleur, this is the crêpe recipe you'll come back to again and again.
Bon appétit!
I love crêpes because they are fun and festive, they bring joy to my daughter's face and my husband loves them just as much. As a child, my mom would make the best crêpes and as we got older she taught us the recipe that she learned from her mother, my Quebeçoise "Nanny", Alice Aubin.
TL;DR
- What are French crêpes? Thin, delicate French pancakes made from a simple batter of flour, milk, and eggs. Unlike American pancakes, crêpes don't require baking powder and are perfect for folding around sweet or savory fillings.
- Only 3 main ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 cups milk, and 3 large eggs. That's my grandmother's easy 1-2-3 crêpe recipe!
- Prep and cook time: 25 minutes total, including approximately 5 minutes to prepare the batter.
- Yield: Approximately 10-12 crêpes, depending on the size of your pan.
- Do you need a special crêpe pan? No! A regular nonstick frying pan works beautifully.
- Do you need to let crêpe batter rest? Not for this recipe. You can make the crêpes immediately, although resting the batter is an option.
- How to serve: With butter and sugar, fresh lemon juice, Nutella, maple syrup, or homemade Chantilly cream and fruit compote.
- Why this recipe works: Passed down from my French-Canadian grandmother, this is the simple family recipe I grew up making and now prepare for my own children.
La Chandeleur
La Chandeleur is a French holiday also known as Candlemas. Every year it is celebrated on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas, and is considered the last day in the Christmas Holiday. The French celebrate La Chandeleur by eating crêpes and drinking cider. This super simple crêpe recipe as well as my lemon sugar crêpes recipe are perfect for celebrating La Chandeleur.
These crêpes are perfection. Light and a little spongy, they are great on their own or simply topped with butter, granulated sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice or some fresh berries and Chantilly cream. I love to drizzle real Maple Syrup over the top...miam!
Equipment Needed
A Crêpe pan (with a shallow rim) is ideal, but a regular non-stick frying pan works well too. As long as your pan is non-stick you will be fine. Pictured above the Le Creuset Crêpe pan.
A thin offset spatula like this one is made for icing cakes but is so helpful for flipping the Crêpes.
Ingredients
My grandmother's Crêpes are truly as easy to make as 1-2-3.
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 2 cups of Milk
- 3 large eggs
Butter (about 3-4 tablespoons for the pan - you will need a little sliver on the pan between each crêpe)
Optional: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
How to make crêpes
Batter
- Whisk 3 large eggs in a bowl with 2 cups of milk in a mixing bowl.
- Sift 1 cup of Flour into the egg & milk mixture.
- Whisk together until you get a smooth batter.
- Add a pinch of salt to taste. For flavor I like to add in some lemon zest. Sometimes I will add half a teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract. A tablespoon of Grand Marnier would also make an excellent addition.
- Feel free to add the flavoring you wish for these yummy sweet crepes but they are also yummy without. This batter is excellent when it sits overnight (top with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge) but honestly, I rarely have the foresight to do this. Most times I whip up the Crêpe batter right before eating.
Instructions
- Prepare a Crêpe pan (or simply a nonstick skillet) with a pat of butter on medium heat Spoon a small ladle full of batter into the center of the pan as you swirl the pan in a circular motion to make a very thin pancake. There should be just a paper thin layer of batter over the pan.
- When the batter starts to bubble, it is time to give a quick flip with a spatula (an offset spatula works great for this).
- Cook until lightly browned. Don't worry if the first crepe doesn't turn out perfectly, adjust the temperature of the pan and forge ahead. If your butter gets too dark, simply wipe it up with a paper towel, let the pan cool and start again.
- Also there is no need to worry if the edges of the crepe are not perfectly round. My trick is to fold each crepe into a triangle before serving and no one is the wiser if your crepes are different sizes or misshaped!
- I like to have 2 pans going at the same time for efficiency . Pile up the cooked Crêpes as you go on a cookie sheet in the oven (set to the lowest heat possible) so that they stay hot. I like to add a fresh pat of melted butter to the pan for each Crêpe.
- This recipe makes about 10 Crêpes and can easily be doubled or tripled! For 4 adults I suggest doubling, or tripling the recipe.
How to serve Crêpes
Serve once you have cooked crêpes with all the batter so that you can actually sit and enjoy with your family.
For an extra special treat, serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit compote and chantilly cream. I like to spoon about ¼ of a cup of compote over each plate. My favorite crêpe fillings are blueberry, peach or strawberry compote. My kids are big fans of Nutella!
Crêpes are also delicious topped with whipped cream.
Tips for Making Perfect French Crêpes
Making French crêpes is easy once you get the hang of swirling the batter around the pan. Here are my favorite tips for getting them right.
1. Make sure the batter is thin.
French crêpe batter should be much thinner than American pancake batter. It should pour easily and spread quickly across the pan when you tilt it. This is what gives crêpes their delicate texture.
2. Use a nonstick pan.
You don't need a special French crêpe pan. A regular nonstick frying pan works beautifully. Lightly butter the surface before pouring in the batter.
3. Swirl the pan immediately.
As soon as you pour the batter into the center of the pan, lift and tilt it in a circular motion. You want a very thin layer of batter covering the bottom.
4. Don't flip too early.
Wait until the surface begins to set and the edges start lifting away from the pan. Gently loosen the crêpe with a thin spatula before flipping.
5. Don't worry about the first crêpe!
In our kitchen, the first crêpe is usually the test crêpe. It helps you adjust the temperature of the pan and figure out how much batter to use. Consider it the cook's treat!
6. Keep cooked crêpes warm.
Stack the finished crêpes on a baking sheet in a very low oven while you cook the rest of the batter. That way everyone can sit down and enjoy them together.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make delicious savory crepes by substituting buckwheat flour for all purpose and using savory fillings such as ham, cheese and fried egg. Sweet crepes are amazing with a sweet filling maple syrup, jam, nutella, fresh berries or fruit compote.
American Pancakes are generally thick and fluffy and use a leavening agent (such as baking powder) to rise. French pancakes (Crêpes) are light, tender and thin and easy to fold in your favorite fillings.
Crêpes can be kept in the fridge in plastic wrap for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and put in a hot oven (350 degrees) for 10-15 minutes.
This recipe does not require you to make crêpe batter the night before - it is super simple and I often make the batter right before cooking. You certainly can make the batter the night before, but I rarely have the foresight to do this!
Variations:
Lemon Sugar Crêpes are so easily made with this recipe by adding lemon zest to the batter and topping with fresh lemon juice and granulated sugar. You will also love my Bastille Day Crêpes for festive brunch.
Crepes with homemade Chantilly Cream
Storage Instructions
Crêpes can be kept in the fridge in plastic wrap for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. To reheat, wrap in aluminum foil and put in a hot oven (350 degrees) for 10-15 minutes.
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ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing firm and a non-profit in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
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French Crêpes Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 people 1x
- Category: Breakfast, crepes, french
- Cuisine: French
Description
The easiest French Crêpe recipe ever! 3 ingredients and no crepe pan required. Fun for the entire family to make together and so delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of Flour
- 2 cups of Milk
- 3 large eggs
- pinch of salt
- lemon zest or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter for greasing the pan between each crepe
Instructions
- Whisk 3 large eggs in a bowl with 2 cups of milk.
- Sift 1 cup of Flour into the egg & milk mixture.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- Add a pinch of salt to taste.
- For flavor I like to add in some lemon zest. Sometimes I will add half a teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract. A tablespoon of Grand Marnier would also make an excellent addition. Feel free to add the flavoring you wish but they are also yummy without.
- How to cook the Crêpes
- Prepare a Crêpe pan (or simply a non-stick frying pan) with a pat of butter on medium-low heat and then spoon a small ladle full of batter into the center of the pan as you swirl the pan around to make a thin, round Crêpe.
- There should be just a paper thin layer of batter over the pan. When the batter starts to bubble, it is time to give a quick flip with a spatula.
- Cook until lightly browned. I like to have 2 pans going at the same time for efficiency .
- Pile up the cooked Crêpes as you go on a cookie sheet in the oven (set to the lowest heat possible) so that they stay hot.
- I like to add a fresh pat of butter to the pan for each Crêpe.
- This recipe makes about 10-12 Crêpes and can easily be doubled or tripled.
Notes
This batter is excellent when it sits over night, but honestly, I rarely have the foresight to do this. Most times I whip up the Crêpe batter right before eating.
Camille Martin says
Such a great recipe! The crêpes turned out light, soft, and delicious. I’ll definitely be making them again!
Anina Belle Giannini says
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!This recipe is so special to me too. Bon appétit!
Ani says
I can't remember if I've ever commented on this recipe. I'm French and I've tried more crepe recipes than I can count... This is the only one I'll ever make from now on (and I have for a few months, since I found this recipe). It is perfection, foolproof, quick and delicious! I make it with both normal milk and almond milk sometimes and it works every single time. I just made it today, 2 days before my due date (it's chandeleur after all) to try to be active and get this baby out 🙂 and I didn't want to struggle in the kitchen. It went sooo smoothly, even though I'm barely focused. Love it!! Thank you so much for this!
Anina Belle Giannini says
OMG!!!! This is the sweetest comment ever! Thank you so much for sharing. Best of luck with your new baby - you will love making crêpes with them when they are older - it is my kids' favorite thing to do on the weekends together. Best, Anina Belle
Colleen Comeau says
As always, another great recipe from you that tastes great. I do have one question. Do you use a specific type of flour.
Neisha Parekh says
Very easy classic and delicious!
lechefswife says
Thank you so much Neisha 🙂
Eugenia says
This is our favorite breakfast in my family on the weekend! This is so simple! Thank you for sharing!
lechefswife says
Thank you so much for your kind note, Brenda! I appreciate it so much. Enjoy!
Brenda says
Best crepe recipe ever!! I have tried other recipes & it never turned out. I would end up with a goopy mess stuck to the pan. I'm 29 & today (finally) I was able to make crepes successfully!! I also made blueberry compote to go along with it. My partner & I loved them. I also appreciate the way you recommend certain equipment to use...this is very helpful for an amateur like me. Thank you!!
lechefswife says
Good morning Brenda, Your comment made my day!! Thank you SO much for sharing and giving a 5 star rating. I am so glad that you enjoyed the crepes. You have many more leisurely crepe mornings in your future 🙂
David K. Starnes says
Very tasty, hot, fresh, thin, and a little different than waffles, pancakes etc.
Great for lunch/brunch too....stuffed w/ Spinach, Cheese.
I like them with heated melted, gooey peanut butter, and a drizzle of hazelnut nutella...fresh fruit on the side!
lechefswife says
So glad you enjoy the recipe! thank you so much for your comment. Bonne journée
Sue C says
Just made these! So so good! So easy! Thank you for the recipe!
lechefswife says
Dear Sue,
Thank you so much for your kind comment and for the 5 star rating! I am so glad you enjoyed them!
You might also enjoy the French toast recipe next weekend 🙂
Sue C says
I will check it out! Merci!
Genevieve says
On the menu for tomorrow morning. Merci! 🙂
lechefswife says
So glad you enjoyed the post! How did your Crêpes turn out? x