Description
Easy homemade crepes are soft, thin, buttery, and wonderfully versatile. They can be served sweet or savory, making them perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or dessert. With a simple batter and a few easy cooking steps, you can make delicate French-style crepes right at home.
Ingredients
For the Classic French Crepes
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar for savory crepes
- 3 tablespoons sugar for sweet crepes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour, scant 1 cup
For Cooking
- 2 tablespoons softened butter or oil, plus more as needed
For Lemon and Sugar Crepes
- 1–2 lemons, sliced thick or cut into wedges
- ¼ cup vanilla sugar
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Add the milk and eggs to a large bowl or jug and whisk until combined.
- Add the oil or melted butter and whisk again.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and appropriate amount of sugar.
- Pour about ¾ to 1 cup of the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Mix gently until a smooth paste forms, being careful not to overmix.
- Add the remaining liquid and whisk until you have a smooth, thin batter.
- Cover the batter and let it rest for 20–30 minutes. You can also refrigerate it overnight or for up to 2 days.
- For the blender method, add the ingredients to a blender, adding the flour last, and blend for a few seconds until smooth.
- Preheat a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Brush the heated pan with a thin layer of butter or oil.
- Stir the batter before making each crepe to keep it evenly mixed.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the center of the pan.
- Quickly swirl the pan to spread the batter into a thin, even layer.
- Cook for about 30 seconds for very soft crepes, or about 40 seconds for classic crepes with lightly browned edges.
- Gently flip the crepe and cook for another 10–15 seconds.
- Transfer the cooked crepe to a plate or wire rack.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, lightly greasing the pan as needed.
- Stack the finished crepes on a plate.
- For lemon and sugar crepes, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar over half of each crepe.
- Fold the crepe in half and then fold it again into quarters.
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges and whipped cream.
Notes
- Serve crepes warm with fresh fruit, berries, whipped cream, chocolate spread, caramel, honey, or powdered sugar.
- For a savory meal, fill them with cheese, chicken, vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, or cooked meats.
- If the crepes cool down, cover the stack with another plate and microwave for about 30 seconds.
- Remove the covering plate immediately after warming to prevent excess steam from making the crepes soggy.
- Store cooled crepes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Place parchment paper between crepes to prevent them from sticking together.
- To freeze, stack the crepes with parchment paper between each one and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Freeze for up to 2 months for the best quality.
- Thaw refrigerated or gently reheat individual crepes in a skillet or microwave.
- The batter can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.