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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Published: Apr 9, 2023 · Modified: Dec 29, 2023 by Anina Belle Giannini

    Easy French Crêpes Recipe

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This is the easiest French Crêpes recipe ever! The crêpes come out light and spongy, just like they do in France. With only 3 ingredients and a non-stick pan you can have delicious crêpes to serve for brunch or a special breakfast.

    I suggest serving the crêpes with my Easy Fresh Fruit Compote Recipe - in just a few minutes you will have delicious fresh fruit compote to drizzle over the crêpes. You will also love my Lemon Sugar Crêpe recipe for a South of France twist.

    french crepe with blueberry compote

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    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.

    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.

    Chantilly cream over strawberry crepes

    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. The Canadian in me loves to drizzle real Maple Syrup over the top...miam!

    Fun family breakfast

    Equipment Needed

    ingredients for crepes - flour, eggs and milk

    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.

    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 over night (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.

    Making Crêpes is a great learning exercise for kids


    Cook

    Prepare a Crêpe pan (or simply a nonstick skillet) with a pat of butter on medium heat and then 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.

    Bon Appétit!

    French Crêpes

    Serve once you have made Crêpes with all the batter so that you can actually sit and enjoy with your family. For an extra special treat, serve with Le Chef's Wife Easy Fresh Fruit Compote.

    What is the difference between dessert crêpes and savory crêpes?

    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.

    What is the difference between Crêpes and Pancakes?

    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.

    What to do with leftover crepes?

    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.

    Should you make crêpe batter the night before?

    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!

    What is 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 is perfect for celebrating La Chandeleur.

    How to serve

    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 Le Chef's Wife Easy Fresh Fruit Compote. 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.

    Variations:

    lemons surround a plate of fresh made crêpes with powdered sugar

    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.

    Crepes with homemade Chantilly Cream

    Chantilly cream over strawberry crepes

    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.

    Other recipes you may love

    Quick Easy Baguettes (Baking Baguettes for Beginners)

    Simple French Toast Recipe

    French Toast
    Simple French Toast Recipe with Fresh Fruit Compote

    ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE

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    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 (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that busy people deserve to eat well at home.

    We were just recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:

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    french crepe with blueberry compote

    French Crêpes Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
    • Author: Anina Belle Gianini
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 2-3 people 1x
    • Category: french, crepes, breakfast
    • Cuisine: french
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    The easiest French Crêpe recipe ever! Fun for the entire family to make together and so delicious. Serve with Le Chef's Wife Easy Fresh Fruit Compote.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 cup of Flour
    • 2 cups of Milk
    • 3 large eggs
    • pinch of salt
    • lemon zest or ½ tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions

    1. Whisk 3 large eggs in a bowl with 2 cups of milk.
    2. Sift 1 cup of Flour into the egg & milk mixture.
    3. Whisk together until smooth.
    4. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
    5. 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. 
    6.  
    7. How to cook the Crêpes
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. Cook until lightly browned. I like to have 2 pans going at the same time for efficiency .
    11. 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.
    12. I like to add a fresh pat of butter to the pan for each Crêpe.
    13. 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.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @lechefswife on Instagram

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Neisha Parekh says

      February 23, 2024 at 5:49 pm

      Very easy classic and delicious!

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        February 25, 2024 at 1:23 am

        Thank you so much Neisha 🙂

        Reply
    2. Eugenia says

      April 10, 2023 at 2:21 pm

      This is our favorite breakfast in my family on the weekend! This is so simple! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        April 12, 2023 at 11:21 am

        Thank you so much for your kind note, Brenda! I appreciate it so much. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Brenda says

      April 09, 2023 at 11:34 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        April 12, 2023 at 11:21 am

        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 🙂

        Reply
    4. David K. Starnes says

      January 08, 2023 at 4:52 am

      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!

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        January 08, 2023 at 9:58 pm

        So glad you enjoy the recipe! thank you so much for your comment. Bonne journée

        Reply
    5. Sue C says

      July 24, 2021 at 2:39 pm

      Just made these! So so good! So easy! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        July 26, 2021 at 10:15 pm

        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 🙂

        Reply
        • Sue C says

          July 29, 2021 at 2:19 am

          I will check it out! Merci!

          Reply
    6. Genevieve says

      June 01, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      On the menu for tomorrow morning. Merci! 🙂

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        June 11, 2019 at 12:54 am

        So glad you enjoyed the post! How did your Crêpes turn out? x

        Reply

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    Bonjour. If you are looking for French Recipes, made simple, you are in the right place! I translate the fancy cooking of my French Chef husband into easy-to-follow recipes that busy people with no culinary training, like me, can cook. From French Baguettes to French Riviera classic recipes, I invite you to learn French cooking with me.

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