French Crêpes All pancakes

01 · France

French Crêpes

Lacy pancakes, endless possibilities · krep

Prep 5 minRest 10 minCook 10 minSweet or SavoryLacy & Thin

Servings

Original

Makes 6–8 crêpes

Ingredients

Tap to check off as you go.

At the table

  • · Butter and sugar with a squeeze of lemon
  • · Chocolate-hazelnut spread with sliced banana
  • · Ham, Gruyère, and a soft egg (complète style)
  • · Café au lait or a dry Normandy cider

Method

Cook’s notes

  • Thin as needed: if the batter coats the pan slowly, whisk in 1 tbsp milk at a time.
  • Sacrifice the first one: the first crêpe tests your heat. Adjust and keep going.
  • Savory switch: skip the vanilla and add a pinch of salt and chopped chives.

The story

In Brittany, the crêpe belongs to a broader tradition of thin pancakes cooked on a hot plate. Buckwheat galettes and wheat-flour crêpes are related, but their names and uses vary locally. In many crêperies, the buckwheat galette is the savory main course, while a sweeter wheat crêpe follows for dessert. Treating every early Breton pancake as the same dish would miss this regional distinction. The pleasure is in the contrast: a delicate center, edges that catch the heat, and a filling that can be as simple as butter and sugar. A galette complète commonly combines ham, cheese, and egg. Sweet crêpes invite chocolate, fruit, or a little lemon. Breton cider is a familiar companion, connecting the meal with another well-established regional specialty. Crêpes also have a national place at La Chandeleur, or Candlemas, on February 2. Families may mark the occasion by making and flipping pancakes together. Stories about their round shape symbolizing the sun are part of the surrounding folklore, not proof of a single origin. What endures is the shared ritual: batter, a hot pan, and a succession of warm pancakes brought to the table.

Pair with a sauce

Strawberry–Balsamic Sauce →Dark Chocolate Pouring Sauce →Toasted Hazelnut–Chocolate Sauce →Lemon Curd →All sauces & toppings →
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Petley Grain · A World of Gluten-Free Pancakes · Ben Petley

French Crêpes

France · Lacy pancakes, endless possibilities

Makes 6–8 crêpes · 1× batch

Prep 5 min · Rest 10 min · Cook 10 min

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (95 g) Petley Grain Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk or oat milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) melted butter, plus more for the pan
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract (leave out for savory crêpes)

At the table

  • Butter and sugar with a squeeze of lemon
  • Chocolate-hazelnut spread with sliced banana
  • Ham, Gruyère, and a soft egg (complète style)
  • Café au lait or a dry Normandy cider

Method

  1. Whisk all ingredients into a thin, smooth batter, about as thick as heavy cream.
  2. Rest the batter at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and wipe it with a thin coat of butter.
  4. Pour in ¼ cup (60 ml) of batter and swirl right away to coat the bottom thinly.
  5. Cook about 60 seconds, until the edges lift and turn lacy gold. Flip gently and cook 30 seconds more. Stack on a plate.

Cook’s notes

  • Thin as needed: if the batter coats the pan slowly, whisk in 1 tbsp milk at a time.
  • Sacrifice the first one: the first crêpe tests your heat. Adjust and keep going.
  • Savory switch: skip the vanilla and add a pinch of salt and chopped chives.