Crepe (French Crêpe)
KOENFrenchDessert⏱ 30 minEdit history

Crepe (French Crêpe)

A thin French pancake from just flour, milk, and eggs. Sugar and lemon, jam, Nutella, or fresh fruit all suit it, making it as good for breakfast as for dessert — and it needs nothing more than a single pan.

Ingredients

4servings
  • Flour · cake or all-purpose1 cup
  • Milk1.25 cup
  • Eggs2
  • Sugar1 tbsp
  • Salt1 pinch
  • Melted butter · plus more for the pan2 tbsp
  • Vanilla extract · optional0.5 tsp
  • Toppings (optional)
  • Sugar & lemon juice · the classic
  • Jam or Nutella
  • Strawberries, banana
  • Powdered sugar · to finish

Steps

  1. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, pour in the milk, then sift in the flour and whisk until lump-free.

    ⏲ 2 min
  2. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. The batter should be as thin as pouring cream so it spreads thinly.

    ⏲ 1 min
  3. Chill the batter 30 minutes to let the gluten relax for a more tender crepe.

    ⏲ 30 min
  4. Heat a pan over medium heat, brush with a little butter, ladle in the batter, and swirl the pan to spread it thin.

    ⏲ 1 min
  5. When the edges turn golden and the top looks dry, flip and cook just 20-30 seconds more.

    ⏲ 1 min
  6. Slide onto a plate and repeat until the batter is gone.

    ⏲ 1 min
  7. While warm, add sugar and lemon, or jam, Nutella, and fruit; fold in half or roll up, and dust with powdered sugar.

Tips & Variations

Variations

  • Crepe Suzette: Simmer in an orange-butter sauce for a showpiece dessert.
  • Savory galette: Use buckwheat batter and top with ham, cheese, and egg.
  • Nutella banana: Spread Nutella, add banana, and fold into a triangle.
  • Crepe cake: Stack thin crepes with cream between each layer.

Tips

  • Keep the batter thin — adjust with milk so it flows like pouring cream.
  • The 30-minute rest is key; bubbles and lumps settle out for a smooth batter.
  • The first crepe usually fails — treat it as a test to dial in the pan heat.
  • Tilt and swirl quickly so the batter spreads thin and even.

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