Easy Homemade Crepes (Sweet or Savory)

These Easy Homemade Crepes are your going to be your new go-to brunch recipe. Thin, tender, and endlessly customizable, you can keep it sweet with my no-cook strawberry sauce and whipped yogurt cream, or go savory with your favorite fillings like eggs, cheese, or sautéed veggies. Whether you're planning a weekend brunch or a quick weekday treat, this recipe delivers fancy French café vibes without the cost of a plane ticket.

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This Easy Homemade Crepes Recipe has a long and beautiful history in our family. On special occasions - birthdays, holidays, sleepovers with friends - my husband would wake up early and start preparing the crepes recipe that had been handed down in his family for generations. The aroma of crepes would waft through the house and up the stairs, to the delight of my three daughters, who would scamper down to devour them by the dozens, filled with Smuckers jelly and covered in a mountain of powdered sugar.

When my youngest was about 6 years old, she wanted to write the recipe down, as she decided that was going to be the Crepes Master in our home. She called her Grandfather, who recalled his mother's recipe as well as he could, and she wrote it down. This is her recipe, in all its glory.

And now I'm bringing you my version of that Crepes Recipe. A love note to my husband and children, who I wish were still small enough to be awakened to the smell of crêpes.

Why You’ll Love This Simple Brunch Recipe

• Simple ingredients you probably already have.
• Sweet or savory with endless filling options.
• Light and tender texture that you just have to see to believe.
• Optional make-ahead strawberry sauce and whipped yogurt cream make the dreamiest dessert-turned-brunch.

Whether you're craving something sweet and fruity or savory and satisfying, these easy homemade crepes are a versatile, foolproof recipe you'll turn to again and again for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.

Ingredients

Everything shown in the photo below is all you need to make these homemade crepes. Below, I’ll walk you through the key ingredients and share simple substitution ideas.

• Eggs: Large eggs are standard, but medium will also work. If you only have small eggs, use six of them to equal the same volume of egg.
• Milk: Whole milk is preferred for richness, but you can use 2%, almond milk, oat milk, or your favorite plant based milk.
• Vanilla: Use extract or vanilla paste. Omit for savory crepes.
• Powdered sugar: While most traditional French crêpes recipes do not include sugar, my husband's grandmother not only included sugar, she used powdered sugar. I'm not going to argue with a French lady. Just a little adds a hint of sweetness. You can leave out if making savory crepes, although I like a little sweet to balance the savory.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives structure. A gluten-free 1:1 flour blend can be used.
• Butter: Melted butter adds flavor and helps with browning. You can substitute with plant-based butter if you prefer.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

These thin pancakes are literally a blank slate and they love to play dress up. I created my crepe recipes to be not too sweet just so they would be more versatile. This way they are perfectly balanced whether adding sweet or savory fillings. Here are just a few of the infinite ways you can play with them:

• Savory - Decrease of skip the sugar and vanilla for a neutral crepe base perfect for savory fillings.
• Herby - Add a tablespoon of fresh herbs like chives or parsley to the batter for savory crepes.
• Fruity - In place of the strawberries you can use any fresh berries that you want. Make a mixed berry sauce, try them with my tender maple apples, or add sliced bananas.
• Pucker up - Instead of making strawberry sauce, make my lemon crepes filled and drizzle with my easy lemon curd.
• Chocolate - Replace ¼ cup of flour with ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and add one more tablespoon of melted butter to make a delicious chocolate crepe batter.
• Nutella - Use chocolate hazelnut spread, banana slices, and whipped cream for dessert-style crepes.
• Savory - One of my favorite ways to use leftover crepes is to turn them into ham and cheese crepes topped with an egg and baked in the oven.

Recipe Video

Instructions

Crêpes might look fancy, but they’re surprisingly simple to make. Whether you whip the batter by hand or blitz it in a blender in seconds, you’ll have café style crepes in no time. Best of all, the batter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you're always just minutes away from something delicious.

Make No-Cook Strawberry Sauce (Optional)

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, sugar, and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Step 2: Use a fork to crush a few of the berries, to help release their juices, and let sit while you make your crepes.

Make Whipped Yogurt Cream (Optional)

Step 1: Whisk heavy cream and sugar to soft peaks. Add Greek yogurt.

Step 2: Continue whisking until peaks hold when whisk or beaters are lifted from the bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Make Crepe Batter

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk and vanilla extract and whisk. Continue whisking while drizzling in melted butter. 

Step 2: Add in flour, powdered sugar, and kosher salt and whisk until fully combined. Let rest for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 days ahead.

Step 3: Heat a nonstick pan, or crepe pan, over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon butter and swirl to coat the pan in a thin layer. Pour in ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter and immediately tilt the pan to spread it into a thin, even layer. Patch any gaps with extra batter.

Step 4: Tilt pan until the batter is evenly distributed.

Step 5: Cook until the top is set and looks dry, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 6: Use a thin spatula to loosen the edges, then flip and cook another 45 seconds.

Serve: Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Roll or fold crepes and serve with whipped yogurt cream and strawberry sauce. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

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