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.
Loved this recipe as does my husband. My grandchildren love crepes so I make them often!
I am so happy you've enjoyed this recipe!
This was an awesome recipe because you can easily do various filling. Very versatile. Cherry preserves work great. Tasted really good.
This looks delicious! Can I make this for a large group and triple the recipe? Thank you.
Thank you! I made these for Sunday morning breakfast. My incorrect intuition was to use too much batter and try to flip them too soon on the first few. But by the 4th or 5th one they were simple and turning out great!
I especially liked that your instructions were for a normal skillet. Thanks! They turned out almost as good as the ones we have had in France and I think with practice they will be just as good or better. Great recipe!
Michale, I am so pleased you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! Glad to read that you found the instructions helpful! I make crepes about once every 4 months - love them!
This is a great recipe! I make these often for brunch, and they are delicious with any number of fillings. I was shocked at how easy they were to make, as I've heard that crepes can be rather difficult.
I would quickly like to note that I flip them when the edges start to brown, rather than following the bubbles. I'm not sure why this method works better for me, but they always turn out great!
Any ideas for fillings?
Dawn, I am so glad you made these crepes and liked them! I make them often myself and really enjoyed it! I like to use homemade berry or fruit preserves as the filling. You can also try these filling that I made:
What filling would I need for smoked marlin crepe?
I think smoked fish always goes well with cream cheese. Maybe, even add a few capers.
This looks amazing! How do we put fillings in it?
These look amazing! I want to make crepes for xmas dinner. Can I make them ahead and freeze them? and if so how to defrost them?
Yes, you can freeze the crepes for up to 2 months. I would place a piece of parchment paper between each crepe before freezing, to make it easy to separate them. Place the crepes in an airtight freezer bag.
To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 3 hours.
I wanted crepe so bad from IHOP. I decided to tried making it myself for breakfast following your recipe . Loved it!
Karen, thank you so much for such a positive comment! Glad you tried this recipe! 🙂
Loved it. 10 out of 10!
Thanks!
5 Stars!
What size stainless steel pan do you use?
Put vanilla extract to make less bland and salt to bring the flavor out more
Great recipe! This was my first attempt at crepes and they tasted great and I was able to get them to come out close to ones I've had at restaurants using a stainless steel pan. A couple of comments:
- I wasn't able to get my crepes to bubble so I had to visually check the underside of the crepe to determine when to flip it. I'm assuming it was because I used almond milk instead of cow's milk since that's the only place I deviated from the recipe
- medium high on my Samsung induction stove was way too hot. One notch below medium worked well.
Thanks for the recipe! My niece has already requested it for when she visits later this summer.
Does the type of milk matter for this recipe?
Great recipe! Tasted like restaurant-quality and were easy to make in stainless steel pan.