Basic Crepes

Prep 30 min
Total 30 min
Ingredients 5
Servings 20

Crepes are one of those essential, versatile recipes that every home cook should know. If you’ve never made them, it’s time to see what you’ve been missing with this 5-ingredient crepe recipe. This recipe yields a stack of 20 thin, delicious crepes that are the perfect blank canvas for any sweet or savory filling you can dream up, from mushroom and Swiss, to Nutella™ and raspberries. MORE+ LESS-

By Pillsbury Kitchens

Updated June 13, 2019

Ingredients

eggs

1 1/3

cups milk

tablespoons butter, melted, or oil

cup all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon salt, if desired

Steps

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1

In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add all remaining ingredients; beat until smooth.
2

Heat crepe pan, or 7 or 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Grease pan lightly with oil.
3

Pour scant 1/4 cup batter into hot pan, immediately tilting pan until batter covers bottom. Cook until edges start to dry and center is set. Turn and cook other side until light brown. Fill with desired filling.

One of the best tools for making crepes is the right pan. An 8-inch skillet with sloped sides, that has a nonstick finish or is a heavy-bottomed stainless-steel that heats well, allows you to quickly pour in the batter and gently swirl it around to make consistently thin crepes that are evenly browned and lacy around the edges.
Use a wire whisk to stir up the batter—and you want it to be very smooth. Strain it through a wire mesh sieve to remove any lumps if needed.

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Expert Tips

Crepes are great made ahead. To freeze place crepes between pieces of plastic wrap, then wrap entire stack in foil for up to 2 months. To thaw, place package in refrigerator overnight, remove pieces of plastic wrap between crepes and bake in 250°F oven 5 minutes or until warm.
Heat the pan slowly so it reaches the perfect temperature to quickly cook each crêpe without sticking. Lightly butter the pan before adding the batter; buttering skillet as needed.
Practice flipping the crêpes. Wait until the surface of a crêpe is no longer shiny and the edges are starting to brown. Loosen it from the skillet with a small spatula; turn and cook other side until light brown. Another method is after loosening from skillet, lift the pan up off the burner. Push the skillet forward quickly so the crêpe slides out and flips on its own, landing back in the pan to finish cooking.
Save time and make crepes ahead of time. Make crepes as directed and cool completely; do not fill. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each, keep covered.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Crepe

Calories: 60
Calories from Fat: 25

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 2 1/2g; 4%
Saturated Fat 1 1/2g 6% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 40mg; 14%
Sodium: 30mg; 1%
Potassium: 40mg; 1%
Total Carbohydrate: 6g; 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 0g
Protein: 2g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 2%; 2%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 2%; 2%
Iron: 2%; 2%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

1/2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

While crepe is the French word for “pancake,” the two are slightly more different than their namesakes suggest. Traditional American pancakes are thicker and fluffier (thanks in part to the addition of baking soda) than their French counterparts. Crepes are delicately thin pastries most often served for breakfast or dessert, with sweet fillings like fresh fruit and whipped cream or Nutella and sprinkles, or on the savory side with bacon and eggs or ham and cheese. One of the best things about crepes is that you can make them ahead of time: you can make the batter in advance since it keeps well in the refrigerator, and pre-made crepes reheat like a dream (how’s that for an effortless brunch idea?). They’re usually served rolled or folded, but you could even make a crepe cake, also known as gateau mille crepes, out of several crepes stacked on top of each other if you’re feeling ambitious. However you choose to serve them, crepes are a classic dish every home cook should know—they’re one of those dishes that looks fancy, but is actually crazy-easy (especially with these no-fail recipes!).