Simple Crepes

Crepes are easier to make than you think. In fact, we believe they're easier than pancakes. They're also more versatile, and can be dressed up with sweet or savory toppings and any number of flavorful fillings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

Crepe batter is thinner than pancake batter because it doesn't contain leavener (that's why crepes are thin, flat, and delicate!). The batter for our simple crepe recipe comes together in the blender, which ensures a smooth crepe batter that has the consistency of heavy cream. You don't need a special crepe pan to cook them, either. Simply use a nonstick skillet.

What Is a Crepe?

A crepe is a classic French dish made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, and milk. Crepes are similar to pancakes, but they are not made with a leavener—like the baking powder and baking soda used in pancakes—which results in a thinner batter and delicate crepes. Crepes can be served by themselves, or used as wafer-thin wrappings for a variety of foods. They are served for lunch or dinner, as an appetizer or the main course—and for dessert.

Are Crepes Sweet or Savory? 

Crepes can be sweet or savory. Savory crepes might have fillings like ham and cheese or smoked salmon and crème fraîche, chicken or seafood in a cream sauce, and spinach and cheese. A little sugar may be added to the batter for a sweet crepe, or the crepe might be unsweetened but sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with a liqueur, or spread with chocolate and nuts, or berries and ice cream. The possibilities are endless.

What You Need

Essential Equipment

You don't need a lot of tools or equipment to make crepes:

Blender: Making the batter in a blender is key to crepe success. It ensures your batter is smooth.

Nonstick pan: You don’t need a special crepe pan to make crepes, but if you already own one, do use it! We find the best vessel for making crepes is a nonstick skillet. Our recipe calls for an 8-inch nonstick skillet. Measure your pan across its base to check the size.

Offset spatula: As we mentioned, crepes are delicate, and an offset spatula is our favorite tool for lifting one side of a crepe to turn it or remove it from the pan (your fingers are also an essential tool in this process).

A plate and paper towels: You'll need these to stack cooked crepes on.

Basic Ingredients

Crepes are made with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen:

• All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, whole milk, eggs, salt, and melted butter

We don't recommend making substitutions with this recipe. Try our gluten-free crepes recipe for an alternative.

Tips For Crepe-Making Success

In addition to making the batter in a blender, these are our secrets for perfect crepes every time:

• Let the batter rest: It's essential to refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes and as long as one day. This time allows the flour to absorb the other ingredients, which produces the most tender crepes.
• Always use a nonstick skillet: We usually use a cast-iron skillet—it's our go-to pan, but not for crepes. They are delicate and can tear, so even if your cast-iron skillet is well seasoned, we recommend you use a nonstick skillet for crepes.
• Brush the skillet with butter: Even though you are using a nonstick skillet, lightly brush the skillet with melted butter before adding the batter.
  
• Pay attention when you're cooking crepes: Crepes are thin and tender and cook quickly; don't leave the stove while you are making them. It takes between one and two minutes for the first side to cook. And once you flip them, about 45 seconds for the second side.
• Stack cooked crepes to keep them soft and prevent them from drying out while you cook more: When cooked, slide each crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate, stacking the finished crepes directly on top of one another—this allows them to steam and stay soft and pliable.