These homemade crepes come together quickly with simple ingredients. Not too sweet, and with a light vanilla flavour, these are perfect with fruit and whipped cream for an easy breakfast or dessert.
This recipe first appeared on Savory Experiments where I am a contributor.
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What is a crepe?
You can think of crepes as very thin pancakes. They are made with the same basic ingredients as pancakes, however they have a higher liquid to flour ratio and contain no leaveners.
Crepes can be sweet or savoury and they are usually rolled or folded and served with a variety of fillings.
When filled with savory fillings the crepes are served hot and are equally great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
When filled with sweet fillings they are usually served for breakfast or dessert and can be served hot or cold.
While I enjoy both types of crepes, I definitely give preference to the sweet version. My favourite filling combination is lemon curd and fresh raspberries.
Why this recipe works
Easy ingredients and minimal prep time make these crepes perfect for a special breakfast or dessert.
Because you can customize the fillings with endless combinations there is something for everyone.
Ingredients
The ingredients required to make crepes are the same basic pantry ingredients you would use to make pancakes or waffles.
I recommend using all purpose flour, though cake and pastry flour would work as well.
Step by Step Instructions
Begin by adding the eggs, milk, water, melted butter and vanilla to a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Next, add the sugar and salt and slowly whisk in the flour. Whisk until the batter is very smooth with no lumps.
If you prefer, you can add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Once you’ve mixed the batter, place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Remove the batter from the refrigerator and give it a gentle stir to reincorporate any ingredients that have separated.
Heat a 9-inch skillet over medium heat and brush with butter.
Lift the pan off the heat and add just under ¼ cup of batter to the center of the pan. Gently swirl the pan so the batter evenly coats the bottom and return the pan to the heat.
Allow the crepe to cook for 45-60 seconds. The edges should look dry and there should be some large bubbles starting to rise up in the center. Flip the crepe and cook 15-20 seconds longer
Remove the crepes to a plate and cover with a clean tea towel. Repeat the process until all batter has been used.
HOT TIP: Don’t skip the resting phase. This allows the bubbles that formed while mixing to dissipate and the flour to hydrate resulting in a better texture crepe.
Cook Time
The crepes cook extremely quickly. Each crepe will take just over one minute to cook.
If you are making one batch of crepes and using one pan it will take about 20 minutes to cook the entire batch.
What are the best fillings for crepes?
The choice of crepe fillings and toppings is only limited by your imagination. However, there are a few fillings that are common and will always please a crowd.
For sweet crepes you may want to try one (or a few) of the following:
- Fresh berries
- Lemon curd
- Whipped cream
- Nutella
- Peaches
- Cinnamon sugar or cinnamon butter
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Yogurt
For savory crepes:
- Diced ham
- Shredded cheese
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Wilted spinach
- Caramelized onions
- Goat cheese
Top Tips & FAQS
You can make them ahead of time. Follow the directions for making the batter and cooking the crepes. Then allow the crepes to cool and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a large ziplock bag.
If you worry about them sticking together you can place a piece of wax paper between each crepe.
When ready to serve, just peel the crepes apart, fill and serve. If you want to serve them warm you can reheat them on a skillet for just a few seconds.
If the crepes are tearing when you flip them you may be making them a bit too thin or not letting them cook quite long enough.
Make sure there is enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan and that the edges have set and middle has started to bubble before you attempt to flip them.
More recipes you might like
Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment or rating to let me know!
Recipe
Easy Homemade Crepes
Ingredients
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 ¼ Cups Milk
- ¼ Cups Water
- 2 tablespoon Butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 1 Cup All-purpose flour
Instructions
- Place eggs, milk, water, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add the sugar, salt then slowly whisk the flour into the wet ingredients. Whisk well until the batter is smooth and contains no lumps.
- Alternatively, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Place mixed batter in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove the batter from the fridge and give a gentle stir to reincorporate any ingredients that have separated.
- Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, lightly brush with butter.
- Lift pan off the heat and add just under ¼ cup of batter to the middle of the pan. Quickly tilt the pan and swirl to coat the entire bottom of the pan with batter. Return to heat.
- Cook for 45-60 seconds until edges look dry and there are large bubbles forming in the middle.
- Carefully flip and cook an additional 15-20 seconds then remove from the pan and place on a plate. Cover with a clean tea towel.
- Repeat process until you have used all the batter.
- Serve with desired fillings.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.