Easy Crepe Recipe (How to make crepes PLUS FUN topping ideas)
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Are you looking for a fast and simple breakfast recipe that is loaded down with taste? This easy crepe recipe is about to make all your breakfast dreams come true. Not only can you wake up and look forward to the day, but with just six simple ingredients needed, they’re a piece of cake to make as well.
If you’re a fan of this sweet crepe recipe, don’t miss out on my Dunkin Donuts Copycat Recipe as well. Because it just makes sense to follow up light and airy crepes with totally delicious chocolate donuts, for a snack later right? These are my kid’s favorite weekend treats for sure!
Many people think of crepes as a super elegant or fancy meal but honestly, I just like the thinness of the batter and how flavorful they are.
After how popular they’ve gotten over the course of this year, I think that a lot of people tend to agree! You can not only have sweet crepes now but you can have savory crepes, too!
French Crepe Recipe Ingredients:
We make these every weekend – it’s become a tradition! And since these are made with such simple and basic ingredients, you likely always have these ingredients on hand!
- milk
- butter (melted and cooled)
- sugar
- flour
- vanilla extract
- eggs
What is in this basic crepe recipe?
I call it “basic” because this recipe is really the perfect foundation to launch from and create any type of crepe that you want.
Once you make the crepe batter and cook it, you pretty much have free game to use whatever crepe fillings and toppings that you want.
This simple crepe recipe is made with the following ingredients:
Milk – You can use just about any type of milk here. Whole milk, skim milk, oat milk … Whatever you prefer!
Butter – I personally think that the taste of butter makes a big difference in this recipe. If for some reason though you don’t eat butter or you want to make this vegan, you can use a substitute or even oil. The crepe will be a bit more delicate and may stick to the pan/machine plates more if you use an alternative to butter though. I recommend making the crepes a bit thicker if you are going to attempt to use a butter alternative.
Sugar – I use granulated sugar but you can easily use a substitute! It won’t have too much of an impact and should be easy to do!
Flour – I use All-Purpose flour but you can use just about any type! As you may know, some types of flour absorb more or less liquid though, so you may need to use some trial and error.
For example, you can do 1/3 cup whole wheat and 1 cup of All-Purpose without noticing much of a difference. If you want to use a higher percentage of whole wheat flour you’ll have to test it out a bit. King Arthur Flour has a great post that talks about how to substitute whole wheat flour in recipes. That same can be applied to other types of flour as well!
Vanilla extract – I use vanilla extra most of the time because it gives the creeps a richness that I love but you can absolutely substitute lemon extract, almond extract, or some other type and get delicious results!
Eggs – You can use whole eggs that you crack yourself, or use the low cholesterol eggs that you can get in a carton and get very similar results!
I’ve made Strawberry Crepes, Blueberry Crepes, Chocolate Chip Crepes, and one time, even just a crepe topped with about a mile-high pile of whipped cream. (don’t judge)
The point is that this easy crepe recipe makes it crazy easy to create your very own homemade crepe with ease.
What is the best crepe machine?
First off, it’s important to note that you don’t have to have a crepe machine at all to make this simple crepe recipe.
BUT if you do want to use a crepe machine, I highly recommend using this Single Crepe Maker. It’s easy to use and makes clean up a breeze.
We like to make eggs to eat with our crepes which is why I now use the Crepe Machine! The machine has a timer and beeps when the crepes are ready! So I don’t need to watch the batter or flip it which means that I can make eggs, prepare fruit, set the table etc. while the crepes cook!
Plus, you can also make Pizelle and mini-waffle cones in it!
Our Weekly Ritual – Easy Crepe Recipe Bar
Another reason that we use a crepe machine in our house to make crepes is that it’s so simple for the kids to join in on the cooking fun. They love to make the crepe batter, pour it into the crepe machine, and wait for the beep telling that that it’s done.
We also set up a fun little crepe bar where we put out a ton of different toppings where everyone can take their crepe and load up all the toppings that they want.
This keeps it fun and exciting and has created a Saturday morning ritual for our family that I’ve come to cherish and truly love and look forward to.
Yummy Crepe Fillings and Toppings
- Slices strawberries
- Blueberries
- Whipped Creme
- Vanilla Sugar or Powdered Sugar
- Honey and Sliced Almonds
- Honey and Bananas
- Nutella
- Strawberries with Nutella
- Nutella with Bananas
- Eggs
- Veggies and eggs
- Cheese and eggs
- Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup (for a snack!)
Are crepes healthy?
This just depends on what you consider to be healthy but in our household, we do consider this a more natural and wholesome meal. I love that there are six ingredients that are common, simple ingredients which means that I’m not feeding my family a bunch of processed foods.
Additionally, you can substitute the sugar for sugar substitutes if you wish, and you can substitute the eggs for the cholesterol free liquid eggs.
I’ve even made the recipe with whole wheat flour before which works but it does make the crepes more delicate and harder to turn if making them in a pan.
Lastly, you can load the crepes up with healthy fruits or scrambled eggs with veggies for a very filling and healthy breakfast!
Can you make crepes on the stove?
Absolutely. In fact, long ago when I was a child, this is how we make them. All you have to do is add about 1/8 of a cup at a crepe batter at a time to a non-stick pan, swirl it around until it coats the pan, and then flip when you see the edges get brown.
To flip them, just slip a spatula under the browned edge and either use your fingers or a second spatula to flip the crepe and flip it.
TIP: Peels the crepe back rather than up when you lift it off the pan the first time to flip it. This will reduce the chances of it breaking!
After you flip it, you just need to cook it on the second side for a few seconds and it’ll be ready!
Depending on your pan size you may need a bit more or less than 1/8 of a cup. Play around with the amount until you find out how much you need to just coat the pan and go with that!
TIP: When you swirl as you add the batter, it makes it easier to create a thin coat.
It’s just that simple!
What is the difference between a pancake and a crepe?
The main difference between a pancake and a crepe is the thickness. You might also find that a crepe tastes a bit sweeter as well.
Crepes are going to be very thin and often used as the “outside” of sweet and savory fillings and ingredients. Pancakes tend to be a meal all in themselves that you just top with syrup or honey.
Strawberry Crepe Making tips:
Learning how to make crepes isn’t hard but there are a few tips to keep in mind. (I labeled this as strawberry but you can easily use these tips for any type of crepe or filling that you’re making.)
- When you combine all the ingredients make certain that you’re whisking as you add the butter will try separate from the batter if not combined well. (If it does, and you notice butter clumps form, don’t worry though! The crepes will still be delicious! No need to toss it or start over)
- You’ll read some crepe recipes that tell you to leave the batter in the fridge overnight…I’ve done this both ways and haven’t noticed any difference at all. (I make and use this batter right away – besides, who really wants to wait that long for a fresh and delicious crepe?)
- Don’t forget to let each person pick out their own crepe toppings! Have them choose from toppings such as powdered sugar, mini chocolate chips, fresh strawberries or blueberries, a drizzle of honey, or more.
- Don’t forget that the recipe is forgiving so you can definitely swap the flour type, use sugar substitutes or use liquid eggs from a carton (whole eggs, not egg whites). Just note that some flour alternatives will absorb more liquid than all-purpose flour so you may need to use a bit less than what this recipe calls for. Start with a 25% alternate flour to 75% all purpose and see how that works for you.
And while I know that I focused on the sweet crepes in this post, don’t forget that you can totally make them hearty and savory as well. Sometimes we shake things up a bit and add in scrambled eggs, cheese, and bits of honey or bacon bits, too.
The kids love every type of crepe that we’ve made so far, both sweet and savory! Since this crepe batter recipe is a basic recipe, you can vary it up however you see fit.
More of the best easy recipes:
- Quick and Easy Drinkable Yogurt Recipe
- 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies that Kids can Make!
- My Favorite Lactation Cookie Recipe
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Printable Easy Crepe Recipe:
Easy Crepe Recipe
This easy crepe recipe is going to be one of your favorite morning treats!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of milk
- 4 TBSP butter (melted and cooled)
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
Instructions
All you have to do is combine all the ingredients and either cook on the stove or use your crepe maker.
Stovetop directions:
1. Mix the batter
2. Add just enough batter to create a thin coat on your non-stick pan (about 1/8 of a cup) at a time
3. Swirl it around until it coats the pan
4. Flip when you see the edges get brown
5. Cook on second side for a few seconds.
6. Repeat until all batter is cooked
7. Remove and serve!
Notes
Batter can be made and cooked later. You can either make the night before (but not needed) sot hat it's ready to go, or refrigerate the extra batter for another day if you want!
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 305Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 151mgSodium 151mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 9gProtein 10g
Nutritional information is an estimate only and is auto generated. Please consult the nutritional information on the ingredients you use for exact nutritional information.