Crepes — Thin French Pancakes
Unlock the secrets to perfect, paper-thin crepes! This recipe guarantees a delicate, buttery texture that's irresistible with any filling.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Crepes — Thin French Pancakes
Unlock the secrets to perfect, paper-thin crepes! This recipe guarantees a delicate, buttery texture that's irresistible with any filling.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Key move
Use a thin rested batter, pour just enough to coat the pan, and immediately tilt and swirl so the surface sets into one even sheet before the bottom browns.
Cook mode keeps your place
Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
The Setup
- Skillet8-inch
- Mixing BowlLarge
- Whisk
The Mise en Place
5Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/2)
The Wet Mix (0/3)
Crepes are sticking to the pan.
Make sure the pan is properly heated and lightly oiled. Use a non-stick skillet for best results.
Crepes are too thick.
The batter may be too thick. Add a little more milk to thin it out.
Chef's Notes
For tender crepes, don't overmix the batter. A few small lumps are okay and will cook out.
Use a non-stick crepe pan or a lightly oiled skillet. Heat to medium-low for even cooking.
Swirl the batter quickly to coat the pan thinly. Cook until edges lift easily before flipping.
Serve warm with fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
The Method
WHISK
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt (¼ tsp).
Clump formation: Failing to whisk thoroughly now will result in stubborn lumps once the liquid is added.
Flour and salt are combined.
ADD
Add the eggs and milk (1¼ cups) to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Lumpy batter: If lumps persist, strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve before resting.
Batter is smooth and lump-free.
STIR
Stir in the melted butter (2 tbsp) until well combined. The batter should be thin and smooth.
Butter clumping: Adding hot butter to cold batter creates greasy beads. Temper the butter with a spoonful of batter first.
Batter is well combined, thin, and smooth.
HEAT
Heat a lightly oiled 8-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat.
Uneven heating: If the pan isn't heated evenly, the crepe will brown in patches rather than uniformly.
Skillet is hot.
POUR
Time-sensitivePour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot skillet.
Batter thickness: Pouring too much batter will result in a thick, rubbery crepe instead of a thin, delicate one.
Batter is poured onto the skillet.
SWIRL
Time-sensitiveImmediately swirl the pan to spread the batter thinly and evenly.
Premature setting: If the pan is too hot, the batter will set before you can swirl it, resulting in a thick, lopsided pancake.
Batter is spread evenly across the skillet.
COOK
Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until the crepe is golden brown and slightly crispy around the edges.
Tearing: Flipping too early will cause the delicate crepe to tear. Wait until the edges are clearly pulling away from the pan.
Crepe is golden brown and slightly crispy around the edges.
FLIP
Flip the crepe and cook for another minute.
Tearing: If the crepe resists, it is not ready; forcing it will cause the delicate sheet to rip.
Both sides of the crepe are cooked.
REPEAT
Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the cooked crepes on a plate.
Drying edges: Leaving the stack uncovered allows the thin edges to crisp up and become brittle.
All crepes are cooked and stacked.
SERVE
Serve immediately with your favorite sweet or savory fillings.
Tearing risk: Use a wide, thin spatula to lift the edges gently; pulling too quickly can tear the thin crepe.
Crepes are ready to be served.
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