What is the secret of a good crepe?

Resting the batter allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid and gives the gluten a chance to relax . While it's not the end of the world if you skip this step, it is the secret to the most delicate, melt-in-your-mouth crepes. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to two days.

How hot should a skillet be for crepes?

The ideal temperature is 400˚F or 205˚C for a 1.5 minute crepe that is soft in the middle and crisp on the edges. You should have an oil spreader for both seasoning and oiling the griddle surface.

Can you make crepes on a Lefse griddle?

I bit the bullet, mixed up the crêpe batter (adapted from Ricardo Cuisine), warmed up the lefse grill, and ladled some batter onto the grill and spread it around with the special crêpe batter spreading tool (two dowels that form a T) . So far so good...it spread nicely and was steaming perfectly.

Do you need to grease a griddle for pancakes?

You always need a little oil for griddle cooking - you can use any grease, or butter to cook up the best pancakes at home. A little bit of grease really adds to the flavor and gives the pancakes that authentic diner taste. Importantly, it can also help the griddle pancakes not stick to the surface of the griddle.

Do you use butter or oil on a griddle?

Oil is essential for griddle cooking , and you'll need to apply plenty of oil to your pan before you start cooking on it. When the oil heats up, it stops your food from sticking to your griddle, making the cooking experience much easier, and making the finished product taste much better.

From Scratch Amazing Basic Crepes - Garden to Griddle (2024)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Step by step instructions for making crepes that are consistently flavorful, sweet, and the perfect texture!

From Scratch Amazing Basic Crepes - Garden to Griddle (1)

I grew up with my parents making crepes on special occasions. They would make breakfast crepes with cream cheese and homemade fruit sauce and powdered sugar for the top. They were amazing and I always ate too many.

Sometimes we would make them with a savory filling much like a pot pie filling.Both were always great but the sweet breakfast ones will always be my favorite.

I have tried to make them a bit more creative with adding ingredients to the actual batter. I've also changed the filling to include Greek yogurt along with homemade fruit sauces.

This is my basic crepe recipe that works every time! Follow the instructions exactly even with the small teaspoon additions of oil and milk, they're there for a reason. Even a tiny bit too thick of batter and it's just not the same. It's a big more time consuming letting the batter rest in the fridge but it's well worth it.

I've done a half batch before but my husband always asks me to double it so we have more leftovers! So, here's the doubled batch giving you more to enjoy.

You can make larger crepes by using ⅓ cup to pour the batter per crepe.

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Crepe

Don't over mix your batter:Lumps are okay. Combine ingredients just until there is no longer flour residue in your bowl. If you over mix, the gluten will start to develop and you might get a chewier crepe.

Letting the batter rest: The reason for letting the batter sit after combined is to allow the flour to absorb the liquid and relax. The batter will also have less of a floury taste. Doing this step will give you a softer crepe. If you don't have time to let the batter sit in your fridge overnight, try to let it rest on the counter for as long as possible (even 30 minutes).

Adding extracts:I love the flavor that the vanilla and almond extracts give to this recipe. Crepes are typically a mellow/plain flavor which is great too. However, I've enjoyed adding the extracts to step it up a notch and give a bit more flavor to the batter itself.

Make sure your skillet or griddle is hot:Do the sizzle test by flicking a tiny bit of water on the pan. If it's sizzles slightly it's ready. If there's no sizzle then the batter will just absorb any oil you sprayed on the pan and the cooking will be uneven as well. You can always call the first crepe your tester if it seems to not cook well. Keep trying!

Spreading out the batter:You're not making a pancake so you don't want to just pour the batter in and leave it. You want to lift your skillet slightly and rock it in a circular motion to let the batter spread out into a larger circle. If the entire batter is slipping around your pan then you oiled the pan too much. Call that crepe a wash, wipe a bit of oil off and try again.

Let the crepe cool slightly before rolling or folding it:If you try to roll or fold right away you'll likely get cracks. If you follow the recipe and wait for

How Thick Should Crepe Batter Be?

When you pour your batter into your skillet you should be able to easily move the batter around by rotating the skillet in a circular motion. This helps spread the batter out evenly into a round. If your batter isn't wanting to spread, or it starts to cook and harden before reaching the edges of the skillet, it's likely too thick. If it's too thick, just add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time and re-test it.

If you're spreading around your batter and it's running quickly and not forming a circular round covering the base of the skillet, it could be too thin. Add 1 teaspoon of flour at a time and re-whisk the batter. Try another crepe and adjust as needed.

If you check out the recipe card below with a full list of ingredients, you'll see that the amount of milk is a bit abstract. I recommend starting with 1 ½ cups + an additional 5 teaspoon milk. Sometimes this amount is perfect for me and the batter runs smooth. If I use a different flour, I might need to use an additional 2 teaspoon milk.

A flour and milk combination can be very touchy and 1 teaspoon more of one or the other can make such a difference! Give yourself a trial crepe and if you feel like they're starting out a bit thick, or you fold it and it breaks, adjust the ratio by a tiny bit at a time!

Why is my crepe tearing/breaking apart?

There are a few reasons your crepe might be falling apart or tearing when you roll or fold it.

It could be that you added too much liquid, or too much of the wrong kind of liquid (skim milk, dairy free milk instead of whole milk).
It could be that your flour is affecting the cook (using too much course flour like wheat or gluten free type).
It could be that you folded and rolled it without letting the crepe cool.
It could be that your crepe itself is too thick (try to spread out the batter out more by rocking the pan n a circular motion or gently spreading it out with a rubber scrapper if you have trouble lifting the pan).
Know your stove! I have one burner that I can set to 3 (medium) and another that I need to keep at 1 (low) so they don't burn. Aim for a low heat and cook for a bit longer if needed.

Optional Fillings and Toppings

Any Jam
Dessert Cream Topping
Apricot and Plum Fruit Sauce
Plum Freezer Jam Refined Sugar-Free
Plum Freezer Jam with Chia Seeds
Golden Currant Freezer Jam