This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
This is my time tested recipe for how to make crepes in a regular skillet, from scratch, at home. Step-by-step photos and instructions on everything about crepes: how to make crepe batter, how to flip crepes, how to make sure they don't stick to the pan, etc. Easy crepe recipe for French-style crepes!
Because I make the crepes so often at home, I became somewhat of an expert in my family on how to make crepes, and mind you, being an expert in crepes does not amount to many privileges here, except for the privilege of making lots of crepe batter and practicing flipping them (the crepes) on a frying pan. I literally could flip them with my eyes closed. The easy crepe recipe I have below is for classic French style crepes: thin, slightly sweet, perfect for all kinds of delicious crepe fillings!
Crepes and I go back together long ways. You see, I grew up eating crepes on a weekly basis: my mom would usually cook them during the weekend, and my sister and I would eat them for breakfast, almost always with home-made sour cherry preserves. The sour cherry preserves were prepared by our parents during summer, with cherries from huge sour cherry trees in our garden. My sister and I would pit the cherries.
And, yes, the crepe batter recipe and the process of making crepes are so easy. In fact, the only "hard" part is using the right frying pan and a little bit of practice to flip the crepes. If you never made crepes, I highly recommend using non-stick pan, which will virtually guarantee that crepes won't stick to the pan. I personally like to use stainless steel skillet, as it results in a much better crepe texture, but using stainless steel will require some practice (as far as how hot you need to get that pan to make sure crepes won't stick). With non-stick, it's easier.
The below crepe batter recipe and tutorial describe how to make crepe batter from scratch, without lumps, how to get just the right batter thickness. For crepes, the less thick the batter is, the better. If the batter is not thick enough, though, you will end up with crepes that will be very hard to flip to the other side - they will be too thin. So, it's a fine balance: just how thick the crepe batter should be. Below I provide precise measurements that I use for my easy crepe recipe that always result in amazing crepes that are slightly sweet, soft, easy to flip and easily moldable in various shapes (pockets, tubes, etc., more recipes to come!). One of my most favorite ways to serve crepes as a dessert is crepes with agave-ricotta cheese filling, topped with pears roasted in honey.
Ingredients you'll need for this easy crepe batter recipe:
2 cups milk
1 ⅓ cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
How to make crepes:
First, make the crepe batter:
Pour crepe batter onto the heated and greased frying skillet (grease the skillet only once, for the first crepe)
That's what it looks like when you pour the crepe batter onto the heated and greased stainless steel skillet
Cook a crepe on one side until the liquid crepe batter becomes more solid:
Here, you're cooking a crepe on one side until the crepe becomes more solid. Here is the crepe almost ready to be flipped over:
All liquid crepe batter is gone, now you have just a nice bubbled side of the crepe:
Now it's time to flip the crepe to the other side, using the metal spatula:
Gently pick up the crepe around its circumference, using the metal spatula:
And ... flip it!
Crepe successfully flipped to the other side:
Crepe is cooking on the other side
Pick up the sides of the crepe around its circumference to check for doneness
Pick up the whole crepe and transfer it onto the plate
Enjoy the crepes! So, yes, making crepes in a stainless steel skillet is definitely possible! I've been doing it for years. It just takes practice. Of course, if you're new to making crepes, it's probably easier to stick to non-stick skillets. 🙂 I really hope you find this easy recipe and my instructions for how to make crepes useful!
How to make crepes in a regular skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ⅓ cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for crepe batter in a large bowl and whisk the mixture until lumps dissolve.
- Heat frying pan until very hot (on high heat on stove top), spray it with oil spray and, using a soup ladle, pour small amount of batter into the frying pan as you roll the pan from side to side just enough to cover the bottom of the pan evenly with a thin layer of crepe batter. Depending on the size of your soup ladle, you could use a whole ladle-ful, or less. It also depends on the diameter of your skillet. The key is to cover the bottom of the pan with just a slightly thick layer of batter, don’t coat it too thickly, do it slowly.
- Let this thin layer of crepe batter cook for 1, 2 or 3 minutes, depending on your pan. The subsequent crepes will require much less time to cook than the first crepe, as the pan heats up even more with each crepe.
- After cooking the crepe batter on one side for 1 to 3 minutes, flip the crepe to the other side, using the metal spatula, and let it cook for another minute on the other side. This way, you cook each crepe 1-2 minutes on each side.
- To flip the crepe, use the metal spatula and pick up the sides of the crepe around its circumference, gradually reaching towards the center of the crepe from all sides, until the crepe separates from the pan.
- How to know when it’s time to flip the crepe? When you first pour the crepe batter, it will be wet in the frying pan but gradually bubbles will be forming and the crepe batter will start to get dry. When it’s all bubbles on top and no liquid crepe batter – it’s time to flip! You can see it on my photos above.
- Your subsequent crepes might require much less time to cook, and the more of them you have to make, the faster you will have to flip the crepes, because the frying pan will get more and more heated up. When you cook crepes, your stainless steel skillet is always on high heat. This will minimize sticking. If you use non-stick, you can keep it on medium heat.
- As each crepe gets done, transfer it to the plate and add each new crepe on top of previous crepe in the stack. Sometimes I like to brush each crepe with softened butter and then top it with the next one. It tastes really good, and also helps crepes not stick to one another.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Made the crepes for breakfast today! Husband loved it!
Tx u for sharing! The pics were a big help for a noob cook like me!
Lyna, thanks for stopping by! So happy to hear the crepes were a success! I make them quite often myself and always refer to my own recipe. 🙂
Julia, I made these crepes for my son and he loved them!
Alena, privet! 🙂 So glad he liked them! 🙂 I used to love these as a kid too. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I saw your Apple cinnamon crepes recipe and had to make them. Super easy & yummy! Thanks again! 🙂
If you have left over batter just make the crepes, roll each one up as tightly as possible and freeze them. I love making crepe soup! Next time someone in your house is feeling under the weather make a simple chicken broth and pull out those froze crepes, slice them into pinwheels and drop them into the broth! Garnish this up with a few fresh chives and you just created a cheery treat that will beat out old boring chicken noodle soup every time 🙂
What a cool idea! I've never tried it but now I should! I love soups that call for adding chunks of dough or bread, and adding frozen crepe pinwheels sounds absolutely delicious!
Hi Julia! Can this batter be refrigerated and still turn out nice crepes? I can cook up the whole batch but I know my husband and I won't go through all of them in one sitting so I'd rather save the batter and make them fresh in the pan for a few mornings.
I've never frozen the crepe batter, but I did once keep the crepe batter in the refrigerator for a day, and it separated a bit and didn't look quite right, but I still used it :). I think there is something that baking powder does to this liquid crepe batter if you refrigerate it or freeze it. But, you can actually freeze crepes themselves - and that would definitely work fine! Just make sure to put them in an air-tight plastic bag or container.
I can personally attest to the deliciousness of these creeps! As the favored mother-in-law, I am the fortunate recipient of this girl's incredible cooking skills! The unfortunate part for her is that she has to tolerate my effusive public compliments! 😉
Judy, you're so sweet and funny! 🙂
Reading all of these responses to crepes has made me want to try them. Julia, why don't you use non stick frying pans? I am just curious. I find that when I don't use the one I have and use a regular frying pan, my eggs stick. I always use a good amount of butter before frying??
Linda
You can definitely use non-stick pan - I've used it with these crepes, and it worked great. I don't own non-stick pan, which is why I don't usually use it. When I did use it, I found that crepes came out just marginally thicker and without those cute little holes in them than if I used a stainless steel pan.
Hi I have a non stick severely scratched pan will it still work? what will I do??
Most of the time I use stainless steel pan, because I don't own any non-stick pans. I do use non-stick successfully when visiting friends/family, but their pans are usually without scratches so I am not really sure.
What kind of frying pan do you usually use? Is it stainless steel? And nothing sticks?
I use Williams-Sonoma stainless steel frying pans, of different sizes. Crepes don't stick, as long as you get the pan really hot. Very rarely, my first crepe sticks, then I just wash the pan and start over. If the batter is too thin, the crepes will stick to the pan, too. I also have made crepes on many different types of non-stick pans (black coating) in other people's houses and never had a problem with sticking. But I like the crepe texture I get with stainless steel better.
I haven't tackled crepes yet but this makes me feel much more at ease with the idea! Yours look delicious!
Thank you! It's very easy and for some reason the fact that I can make good crepes always impresses the people around me. If only they knew how easy it was. 🙂
Julia,
Wow! You make this look so easy!! Thanks!!
I've been scared of crepes. Not so scared that I won't order them in a restuarant, mind you! Just intimidated to make them at home. I'll be trying your recipe and following your tutorial. I think I can do this!
It's actually very, very easy. It takes only a little practice to make the batter just thick enough and to learn to flip the crepes correctly. So, the first couple of times you might waste some milk and flour, but then you get a hang of it, just like with everything. Definitely not rocket science. 🙂
Hi Julia,
love your recipes! I adore crepes and so do my kiddos! Can't wait to try this recipes! Thanks! 🙂
Perfection!
Thank you 🙂