Crepes

At the age of 17, I was lucky enough to travel to Paris with my fellow high-school French students and our teacher. For our first meal on the other side of the Atlantic, we headed straight to a creperie. I was delighted to learn that the thin, elegant pancakes could be stuffed with savory ingredients like ham and Gruyere as well as decadent dessert-like custards and fruits. You can pretty much make a crepe recipe with any filling your heart desires!

Crepe batter needs to rest for an hour after you make it, and this gives you time to assemble your exciting fillings and toppings. Serve a stack of crepes and accompaniments for Sunday brunch, make an elegant savory crepe for a European-style date-night dinner, or roll some up with peanut butter and jelly to serve as snacks for kiddos.

What are crepes?

Crepes are thin French pancakes made from a milk, egg and flour batter. However, unlike the diner-style flapjacks you may be used to in the United States, crepe batter is more liquid, and when cooked it forms a thin sheet that can be wrapped around delicious fillings. The secret to making an awesome crepe is having the temperature just right, and tilting the pan as soon as you add the batter so that it coats the pan evenly in a thin layer.

Crepe Ingredients

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• Eggs: If you can get them, this is a great way to use locally sourced eggs. If they’re collected straight from the henhouse, you might consider washing fresh eggs to remove any dirt and feathers. To maintain a good consistency in the batter, use large eggs.
• Milk: Use 2% milk (or whole milk if you prefer) to mix up your crepe batter.
• Flour: All-purpose flour, with its middle-of-the-road protein content, is the perfect base for pancakes and crepes.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is the ticket for the batter here. You can always use confectioners’ sugar to dust the top of your pretty crepes before serving them.
• Salt: A pinch of salt rounds out the flavors in your crepe batter. It’s fine to use regular table salt.
• Butter: Choose your favorite brand of butter for cooking your crepes. This recipe calls for 8 teaspoons, which is a little less than 3 tablespoons of butter. Use more if you find that’s not enough to grease your pan.

Directions

Step 1: Blend the batter

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In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.

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In another bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt.

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Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and mix them well. Refrigerate the batter, covered, for one hour.

Step 2: Cook the crepes

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Melt a teaspoon of butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir the chilled batter. Fill a 1/4-cup measuring cup halfway with batter.

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Pour the batter into the center of the pan, then quickly lift and tilt the pan so that the batter evenly coats its surface. Cook until the top of the crepe appears dry, then flip it.

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Cook 15 to 20 more seconds, until the bottom is cooked. Remove the crepe from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding butter to the skillet as needed. When cool, stack the crepes between pieces of waxed paper or parchment. Use paper towels in a pinch.

Editor’s Tip: Using a pan with sloped or low sides makes flipping crepes easier. If you think you might make this crepe recipe often, you can even purchase a special crepe pan.

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Crepe Filling Ideas

• Fruit fillings: You can stuff crepes with fresh fruit or a fruit salad like our pina colada fruit salad. Jellies and jam, lemon curd, sweet and spiced cherry chutney or a drizzle of fruit sauce all make perfect fillings, too.
• Chocolate fillings: There’s no wrong way to add chocolate to a crepe, but using homemade chocolate hazelnut butter or Nutella is one of the best. Another great option: a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
• Creamy fillings: Spread your crepes with something simple like vanilla-sweetened whipped cream, or try something a bit more complex like strawberry cream cheese frosting or sour cream custard.
• Mix and match sweet toppings: Combine the fruity, creamy and chocolaty fillings above to make your own creative combinations. Sprinkle the resulting crepes with candied nuts, a bit of cinnamon sugar or a dusting of cocoa powder.
• Douse them in hollandaise: Crepes are an amazing base for eggs Benedict, so layer on some ham and a poached egg, and top it all with hollandaise sauce.
• Use up leftover barbecue meat: Barbecued pulled pork, leftover chicken or oven-baked brisket would all make sticky-sweet stuffings for savory crepes.
• Salmon and cream cheese: Fix a crepe just the way you would dress up a lox bagel, with smoked salmon, a smear of cream cheese, capers, tomato and red onions.

How to Store Crepes

Wrap cooled crepes with storage wrap or foil and tuck them into a resealable plastic bag. Store them in the fridge.

How long do crepes last?

You’ll want to store prepared crepes in the fridge and use them within three days. After that, they’ll start to taste stale.

Can you freeze crepes?

You can definitely freeze crepes. Stack the crepes with a piece of parchment or waxed paper between each one, wrap the stack in storage wrap or foil, and pop them all into a freezer bag. For best results, use frozen crepes within two months.

How do you reheat crepes?

You can eat crepes at room temperature or heat them up. For the former, remove crepes from the fridge an hour or so before you want to use them. To heat crepes, microwave them for a few seconds, or heat each side briefly on a griddle. You can defrost frozen crepes in the fridge overnight, or microwave or toast them until they’re thawed. They’ll take just slightly longer than crepes straight from the fridge.

Can you make crepes ahead of time?

Crepe batter lasts for up to two days in the fridge, so you can prep that mixture ahead of time, stir it thoroughly, and cook up your crepes when ready.

Crepe Recipe Tips

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How do you fold a crepe?

One classic crepe fold is to place fillings on one side of the circle, folding the crepe in half with the fillings inside, and then folding the half-moon into quarters. Another easy way to close a crepe is to spread on an even layer of filling and then roll the crepe loosely. For a fancier fold, add the filling, fold up two opposite sides, and then roll the crepe the long way with the ends tucked in like a burrito.

What can you serve with crepes?

Sweet crepes don’t require any accompaniment, but if you’re making savory crepes the focal point of a meal, it’s nice to pair them with a French-style vegetable dish such as stuffed Belgian endive, fresh green beans with garlic, roasted asparagus or a cup of French onion soup.

How do you flambé a crepe?

To flambé a crepe—like you would with the classic orange-flavored crepe Suzette—choose a liquor that is 80-proof, pour a splash over a finished crepe, and light it with a nice long match. Please note: It’s not safe to use higher proof booze for this task.

How do you make savory crepes?

Leave out the sugar, and you’ve got yourself a crepe perfect for holding savory fillings. If you’d like to take it a step further, add minced chives or fresh herbs to the crepe batter.