Sweet French Crepes are the perfect, elegant yet easy dessert recipe. Sometimes we have them as a treat for breakfast with strawberries and bananas. They are pancakes after all!
What Are Crepes?
A crepe (pronounced KREP) is a thin pancake that originated from Brittany, in the northwest of France. While they started as a regional specialty, you’ll now find crepes throughout France and around the world.
The word “crepe” is derived from the Latin word “crispus”, which means curled. This is quite fitting since the crepe pancakes are typically rolled or folded around any number of sweet or savory fillings.
Crepes came into being after buckwheat was introduced as a crop in Brittany. This cool and rainy region doesn’t have the best growing conditions, so it was a happy day when they discovered that buckwheat could grow well (and make delicious crepes!).
Savory crepes are still typically made out of buckwheat flour. Eaten as a meal they might be filled with ham and cheese, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, a fried egg, or maybe even ratatouille.
Sweet dessert crepes are now made lighter wheat flour and can be filled with jam, fresh fruit, lemon juice and sugar, poached fruit, ice cream, Nutella and bananas, or Grand Marnier. And, it’s quite likely it will be topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup.
How To Make French Crepes
Crepes are made by pouring a thin batter onto a large, circular hot plate, or for those of us without a crepe making plate, onto a frying pan. The batter is spread thin so that is cooks in 30-60 seconds per side, just until dry and golden, possibly with a slight crispness around the edges.
In France, you’ll typically find crepes made 12 inches or more in diameter, and then the large circle of pancake is skillfully folded around the filling.
When we make crepes at home, we typically use a 6 inch nonstick frying pan, because we find it easier to work with.
And smaller crepes mean you can eat more!
Right?
Our Sweet French Dessert Crepe Recipe
To make these sweet crepes we’re using all purpose flour and blending it with some other typical pancake ingredients. It’s the consistency of your batter that will tell you you’re not making an ordinary pancake here. This batter will be very thin and pour-able.
We like to make our crepes using a 6-inch, non-stick skillet. We find 6 inches to be easy enough to spread the batter quickly and flip the crepes easily.
We’ve listed some of our favorite traditional and not so traditional filling ideas with the recipe, but feel free to get creative with your favorite sweet fillings!
Sweet French Crepes
These light and eggy Sweet French Breakfast Crepes are perfect for filling with jam, Nutella and bananas, or fresh berries.
Ingredients
- ½ c unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ c milk
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Classic French fillings
- Nutella and banana
- Grand Marnier
- Butter (or lemon juice) and sugar
- Jam or fruit preserves
- Whipped cream and berries
Non-traditional, but tasty, fillings
- Bananas and peanut butter
- Strawberries and chocolate sauce
- Butter and cinnamon
- Powdered sugar and maple syrup
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, water and melted butter. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix until combined. (Your batter will be much thinner than typical pancake batter.) Set the batter aside to rest for 15 minutes.
- When you are ready to cook your crepes, heat an 8” skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the skillet with a little butter. Pour enough batter into the hot skillet to just barely coat the skillet, turning the pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom.
- Cook the crepes for 1-2 minutes on the first side. (If the skillet has been properly greased, a firm shake will release the crepe from the skillet when it is ready to flip.)
- Flip the crepe when the top is starting to look dry, and cook for an additional 10-15 seconds on the second side.
- Remove the crepe from the pan and wrap in a tea towel to keep soft and warm. Re-grease the skillet if needed and repeat with the remaining batter.
- To serve, place a layer of filling down the middle of the crepe and fold the sides over the filling.
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This is one of the recipes from the early days of Curious Cuisiniere. We’ve updated our pictures since we first made it, but we’ve left the original images here as a fun throwback and shout out to how far we’ve come. Enjoy!
I like to use a blender to make my batter and do it the night before. Gives more time for ingrediants to blend. I have been making crepes for my wife since we met 15 years ago. I guess I made a good impression. This is a nice recipe. Fillings are only limited be you imagination and taste.
Thanks for sharing Larry. What a special thing to make for your wife!
I use double the amount but ends up look like an egg crepe.
Is it something goes wrong with my ingredients. I am using top flour instead of all purpose flour . Is that the problem?
Hi Sharon, these crepes are a bit eggy. I do think that using top flour is probably what gave the result you are describing though. Top flour is extra fine and would definitely change the consistency and texture of the crepes.
Great crepes
Thanks Sarah!
Wonderful crepes! It is something I have yet to tackle. I really should. I know my husband would love this for breakfast.
Mmmm I am loving the fillings for these crepes! Nutella, please! I really need to learn to make them at home.
That looks luscious! Why does everyone but me know how to make crepes? 🙂
Great recipe for #SundaySupper!
These crepes look incredible. My kids would love them! I will have to try these soon.
Great photos!
My mom happens to make the best crepes 🙂
Thanks!
Your crepes look so perfect! I’ve always wanted to make them, but haven’t gotten the courage yet.
They’re one of those that you just have to plunge right in. It will take a few tries to get the technique right, but after that, it’ll be nearly as simple as making pancakes!
I always make my Mom quiche for Mother’s Day brunch, but crepes are such a good idea, too! Yours look so delicious – love the Nutella idea 🙂
Gorgeous crepes, Sarah! I’m so jealous of people who are able to make them so perfectly, lol. I’m also trying to decipher what delicious ingredients you placed inside – I can see bananas sticking out and maybe marmelade or apricot jam? You can’t go wrong with any filling though – I’ve never met a stuffed crepe I didn’t like 😉
Thanks Nancy! The crepes pictures are peanut butter and banana for the two on the outside, and orange marmalade for the middle one.
Your crepes look so very good!! Love all the different toppings and fillings you suggested!!
I’d be happy with any and all of those fillings! I miss the crepe old days
I love to make crepes – these look delicious!!
I’m so glad we’ve turned crepes into acceptable breakfast fare. What a special treat.
Me too!
yummmmm, the crepes look so stunning and mouth-watering, I love the combination of chocolate syrup and bananas, always the best !! and it’s great to read your feelings about your mother, happy Mother’s Day 😉
I love your crepes, so pretty!
Oh crepes, so perfect for a brunch! The combinations are endless, and so are the ooh and ahhs. Beautiful recipe to surprise a mother.
Your crepes look and sound amazing! I could go for a plate of them right now!
Great recipe for crepes – I’m happy with banana and nutella anything!
Mmmmm….your fruit filled crepes look fantastic! And the perfect way to honor your sweet mother’s heritage!
Mmm these bring me back to the crepe vendors on the streets in Paris! Such a yummy anytime snack. I have never tried making crepes at home. On the bucket list.
I made crepes this week too! You know, I’ve never had them stuffed with bananas but the chocolate and banana combination sounds divine.Great suggestions for additional fillings as well!