Crepe (the French word for pancake) is a paper-thin pancake which is quite different from the fluffy, American-style pancake shown below!

for crepe post

My videos on making American style Chocolate Chip Pancakes and paper-thin Crepes with a Nutella filling will show you step-by-step instructions for making perfect crepes and pancakes!

Crepe making with a 9-inch crepe pan

In this post I’ll be covering four crepe topics:

A. 10 Tips on Making Great Crepes

B. Crepe Making in Denmark

C. Fillings for Crepes

D. Basic Crepe Recipe

A. 10 Tips on Making Great Crepes

1. The batter should be smooth as silk – a blender works best for mixing the batter.

2. It is essential for a crepe batter to “rest” (in the refrigerator) for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before you actually start making the crepes. (Otherwise they will be rubbery)

3. When you take it out of the refrigerator, let the batter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before starting to make the crepes.

4. If batter is too thick add a bit more milk.

5. A special crepe pan is not essential.

6. A non-stick pan is essential – for beginners.

7. Be sure the pan is sizzling hot before you add the crepe batter.

8. The first couple of crepes you cook will not come out very well- toss them out and I promise you that – by the third crepe – they will be perfect.

9. Crepes can be kept warm in a 200 F. degree oven until ready to serve.

10. Store crepes between pieces of wax paper, then in a zip-lock bag for days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer

B. Crepe Making in Denmark

While traveling this past summer in Denmark, David and I were in the charming town of Ebeltoft when we came across this small café where they were making crepes in their courtyard. This crepe maker has surely perfected the technique:

Pouring the Batter

Swirling the batter with a wooden spreader….

…over the entire surface of this huge, round, griddle type crepe pan.

Once the pancake got flipped (which I totally missed!), bacon and chicken got added…

…then some lettuce. (Notice how they kept their huge jar of Nutella warm on the side of the gill.)

They used a giant crepe spatula to fold up this savory crepe.

Crepes can be made with a sweet or savory filling in “rustic” cafes or by street vendors…

or made by famous chefs in really fancy restaurants…

With a bit of practice you too can make perfect crepes!

C. Fillings for Crepes

Once the crepes are made, what you put into them is entirely up to you! Once the filling is added, the crepes can be rolled or folded as I did in my Nutella Crepe video. Adding some sliced banana or strawberries makes for a great flavor combination to the Nutella.

Spreading Peanut butter instead of Nutella is another option!

Spreading your favorite jam on a crepe is a really easy filling that requires literally no preparation.

Adding a sprinkle of sugar and some lemon juice is another very simple filling that is really delicious.

You can never go wrong with just a drizzle of maple syrup on warm crepes!

Closet Cooking has done quite a few great crepe recipes. Here is a recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes that looks really tempting. You will have to know how to whip some cream for this recipe.

Kevin’s savory Asparagus Crepes with a Mushroom Dill Sauce might be a bit of a stretch for beginners but certainly looks like it would be worth the effort.

The Food Network has over 200 crepe recipes! Some are clearly much more advanced than others. Their “Difficulty Ratings” are a bit inconsistent so be sure to read the recipe carefully before you begin!

One very famous crepe recipe is Crepe Suzette. It is a crepe that is served with a warm sauce made up of orange and lemon juice and zest, sugar, Grand Marnier (or Contreau or randy) and butter. In fancy restaurants the sauce is usually made right at your table. The last step is the crowd pleaser, that’s when they light the sauce and a huge flame finishes cooking the sauce. (I would not recommend a beginner trying this!)

D. Basic Crepe Recipe

Basic Crepe Recipe (Video):

2 Tablespoons of butter melted
2 large eggs
1 cup of whole milk
1/3 cup of water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of flour, white all-purpose
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 Tablespoons of white sugar
1 teaspoon of butter, not melted

With an electric hand mixer, blender, or a whisk, mix together 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, the eggs, the milk and the water.

Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, salt and sugar) and add them to the wet mixture. Blend until smooth.

Transfer the batter to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

If the ingredients have separated, gently stir them together again.

Heat a 9-10 inch non-stick fry pan over medium high heat. Melt ½ teaspoon of butter in the pan. Brush the butter over the surface of the pan with a heat resistant brush. (You should hear a sizzle!)

Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan with one hand, and with the opposite hand, swirl the pan until the batter coats the bottom of the pan. (For a 6-7 inch pan use 2 1/2 Tablespoons of batter – slightly more than half of 1/4 cup)

Cook the crepe until it is a patchy light brown on the bottom, 30 seconds to one minute.

Loosen the edges of the crepe and flip it to the other side. Cook the second side until it is spotted brown and dry, about another 30 seconds.

Remove the crepe from the pan and continue cooking the remaining batter, adding more butter if necessary.