Homemade Crepes

These homemade crepes are thin and light, yet simple to make. Made with only a few ingredients, a blender, and a skillet, this recipe produces delicate, buttery crepes that are delicious served plain, stuffed, sweet, or savory.  

Crepes, just like French Onion Soup, Quiche Lorraine, Green Beans Almondine, and Beef Bourguignon are classic French recipes that never disappoint!

I was introduced to crepes during my Freshman year in High School by my French teacher and from that point on, I have had a serious love affair with this classic French recipe.

A crêpe or crepe is a type of very thin pancake that can be served sweet or savory. They have a more egg-forward flavor than traditional pancakes. The flavor reminds me of a cross between French toast and a Dutch Baby pancake, yet the texture is more delicate than either. 

While they have a reputation for being quite delicate and hard to make at home, that is simply not the case. With a few pro tips and a bit of patience, you can make perfect homemade crepes with ease.

Notes on Key Ingredients

• Flour: To keep the crepes light and tender, it is best to use either cake flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Using all-purpose flour or regular whole wheat flour will result in a heavier batter that is harder to manipulate when cooking.
• Seltzer Water: Be sure to use plain, not flavored seltzer water or plain club soda. The carbonated water is key to producing light crepes.
• Milk: Any variety of milk can be used in this crepe recipe.
• Butter: You will need to use unsalted, melted butter in both the batter and for cooking the crepes.

How to Make Crepes

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and let cool slightly.
• In a blender, blend the flour, seltzer water, milk, eggs, maple syrup, salt, and melted butter.
• Be sure to blend until nice smooth and bubbly.

• Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. This is important, as it allows the flour to absorb all the liquid and for the gluten to relax. This is KEY to making thin, tender crepes.
• After the batter has rested, Melt 2 tablespoons of additional butter to use for brushing the skillet. The butter helps keep the crepes from sticking to the skillet and adds to their buttery taste.
• Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Once heated, generously brush the heated pan with melted butter.
• Pour in about ¼ cup of the batter, tilting the pan, allowing the batter to thinly, and evenly, coat the skillet.

• Cook crepe until the bottom is lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes.
• Loosen the crepe from the edges of the pan with a nonstick spatula and then gently flip the crepe and cook for an additional 30-45 seconds.

• Repeat the process until the batter is gone, being sure to coat the pan with butter for each new crepe.
• Serve crepes plain or use one of the flavor variations below to dress up your crepes.

Filling Ideas for Crepes

The ways to enjoy crepes are endless. They can be served savory or sweet, stuffed, and of course, are delicious plain as well. Below are a few of my favorite suggestions for serving homemade crepes.

• Ricotta and Berries: Mix a bit of ricotta cheese with honey. Spread the crepes with a thin layer of the ricotta, fold the crepes up, and serve with fresh berries and maple syrup or additional honey.
• Nutella and Bananas: Spread the crepes with a thin layer of Nutella and then top with sliced bananas. Fold up and serve.
• Strawberries and Chocolate: Fold up prepared crepes and then drizzle with homemade chocolate syrup and fresh sliced strawberries.
• Roasted Vegetables: For a savory crepe, add leftover roasted vegetables to the crepes, roll up, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil or spaghetti sauce and some parmesan cheese.
• Chicken and Cheese: Saute leftover shredded chicken and sliced baby portabella mushrooms with a bit of butter until warm. Layer the mixture over the crepes with a generous sprinkling of Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Fold or roll the crepe up and serve.
• Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon: Spread crepes with cream cheese and then layer thin slices of smoked salmon on top of the crepe before rolling or folding up.
• Ham and Cheese: Lay thin slices of ham and cheese on crepes and roll up before serving.
• Pesto and Tomatoes: Spread crepes with a thin layer of pesto, roll up, and top with sliced cherry or grape tomatoes.

How to Store Crepes

Once the crepes have been cooked, allow them to cool fully. Store the crepes stacked in a storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To freeze crepes, I recommend stacking them between sheets of parchment paper and then placing them into an airtight container or storage bag and freeze up to 3 months. Defrost by carefully removing as many crepes as desired and allow them to defrost at room temperature for an hour and then warm and serve as desired.

Recipe FAQs

More Breakfast Favorites

• Whole Wheat Pancakes
• Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
• Overnight French Toast Casserole
• Whole Wheat Waffles
• Homemade Breakfast Sausage

If you enjoyed this recipe for Homemade Crepes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

This recipe was originally published in 2016 but updated in 2021 with a new video and photos.