Crêpes are probably the most common take away/street food in France; you can find a café or stall selling them just about everywhere. They are our go-to snack food bribe for encouraging bored flagging young kids when sightseeing….”cheer up, just another 10 minutes in this gallery/just another few hundred metres to walk, and we’ll stop for a crêpe”! But they are also very easy to make with regular store cupboard ingredients. Read on to find out how to make French crêpes with our traditional family recipe.
The ingredients above make about 24 very thin French crêpes in a 22 cm pan. It’s easier to get the mixture very thinly spread if the pan is very shallow. Special low-sided crêpe pans are easily found in French supermarkets, especially around the main pancake-eating time in early February at Chandeleur. We don’t actually have one as our regular frying pan works well, but every year when I see them on display in late January I’m tempted to get one and somehow don’t.
How to make French Crêpes: Mamie’s recipe:
1. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour in half the liquid. Gently mix the 2 together by spooning the liquid over the sides of the well making the flour fall into the liquid.
2. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then pour them into the flour mixture. Add the oil or butter, sugar (if making sweet crêpes) and salt.
3. Slowly pour in the rest of the liquid, mixing as you go, until you have a runny consistency but not too liquid. This can all be done by hand or in a food processor. I do it by hand as it’s very quick it doesn’t seem worth getting the equipment out. Stir in any extras if using them for sweet crêpes (vanilla/rum etc).
4. Cover the bowl and leave the mixture to rest at room temperature for an hour or two if you have the time.
5. Grease the pan with a little butter or oil and once it’s very hot pour in enough to just cover the bottom, turning the pan to cover evenly. After a few seconds the sides of the crêpe should lift up all alone.
6. Turn the crêpe using a spatula and cook the other side. The first one is always hopeless. Don’t count on serving it to guests. Once you get the hang of it it’s fun to try and flip them, though expect some to fall on the floor!
Serve with whatever yumminess you fancy. For sweet crêpes our favourites are Nutella, cherry jam, maple syrup or simply lemon juice and sugar. For savoury the choices are endless though my boys’ firm favourites consist of ham, cheese, mushrooms and an egg on top.
French Pancake Day, called Chandeleur, falls on 2nd of February every year. It’s a great time to feast on these simple but delicious French-style pancakes. You can find out more about Chandeleur, its origins, meaning and traditions here.
Do you like pancakes? Have you ever made French crêpes? What’s your favourite filling?
Related Reading:
French Yogurt Cake: the easiest cake in the world
How to make Galette des Rois, traditional Epiphany cake
Easy French fruit tart – Tarte aux fruits
PIN it for later!
Love this and my Dad is always banging on about the difference between crepes and pancakes, I will be emailing him your brilliant post. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
These look amazing – going to give this a go at the weekend
I do like the sound of alcohol in pancakes. Now why didn’t I think of that 😀
These look delicious and would be great for brunch.
Pinning this recipe to try. I make pancakes of some sort most weekends.
I used to be a total failure at it till I got my cast iron pan for it. Now it’s a doddle and harly ever sticks.
Lemon & sugar is such an unbeatable combination I agree.
I love them with bacon too, though I tend to eat bacon more with american style pancakes. Lavender sugar is an original choice and one I could easily try here in Provence;
he he 😉
Merci Ninjacat 😮
She’ll love them then!
That sounds organised (and delicious!) you’ve got a lucky family getting pancakes and yorkshire pud every Sunday
Another husband-crêpe-maker!
I love American pancakes too, each have their virtues!
That’s the great thing, they’re available everywhere, all the time!
Sounds like my husband Louisa.
Yes, pancakes for Candlemas rather than Shrove Tuesday in France, but in this household we do both!
Oh yes, golden syrup is a good choice too.
Good choice!
Happy to hear that Rachel
another banana nutella fan! 🙂
I love that combination too Emma, banansa and chocolate anything!
I’m getting better at it Rachel, but it’s actually JF my husband (the frenchie) who’s the crêpe-maestro in this house
Great post just in time for pancake day!
Can’t beat a bit of lemon and sugar though, old school traditional all the way!
We eat them regularly either with bacon and syrup or lemon and lavender sugar
And oh my I need some of these right now
Happy pancake day
I must try these as my daughter adores crepes
Most Sunday’s we have pancakes for breakfast. I always make the batter first thing for our Yorkshire puddings
The flipping’s all in the pan. The shallower the pan the easier it is to flip.
They are Wendy, I can assure you.
He he! Better get cooking then!
Thanks for pinning, I appreciate it.
Great Otilia, something to look forward to!
Give them a go Michelle, they’re not too hard.
Thank you 🙂
Great, come back any time!!
It was fun taking the photos, not too many ended up on the floor!
Glad to hear from a crepe fan Jen!
I love crepes. My husband makes them every year for Pancake Day. I’m not sure why we never think to eat them at other times. We have a variety–lemon & sugar, nutella & chocolate, and ham & cheese.
Thanks Catherine 😮
My 3 boys insist on pancakes every saturday, so I am a dab hand these days! Still havent mastered flipping them tho!
Oh these look great, I’ll try the recipe for Pancake Day! Normally we like American style pancakes but it has to be crepes for Pancake Day doesn’t it! Hadn’t thought of putting beer into the savoury ones – great idea!
I narrowly missed this last time I was in France but I still had crepes 😉
I love pancakes but cannot make them for love nor money. Luckily my husband is a dab hand with the frying pan!
We love pancakes here and could eat the everyday. I didn’t realise the French celebrated pancake day on Candlemas.
Ive never tried crepes but these look ans sound amazing! I love lemon and sugar on my pancakes! My son loves Nutella or golden syrup.
Jess
owlcrazymummy.blogspot.co.uk
Yum, I love crepes and it has to be lemon and sugar all the way!
OOh mouth is watering here, these look just amazing x
I’ve made pancakes before but never crepes but reading this, I’m tempted to give it a go – maybe I’ll try for pancake day this year! I love Nutella and banana as a filling 🙂
Crepes are such a holiday treat, banana and nutella are my favourite. As a child family holidays to France included many crepes – mushroom is another favourite.
Pancakes and crepes are the one thing I’ve never quite mastered – just can’t get them right! These look delicious though
They look delicious
Oh my goodness, I really want some now – delicious!
These look so good! I’ve pinned this recipe so I can make them for pancake day! We had crepes when in Paris a few years ago – sooo good!
we love pancakes here and as soon as i finish my diet will try yours too!
I’ve never made these before, they look SOOO good!! xxx
Oooh, authentic French crepes – and these look delicious!
I tend to make scotch pancakes quite a bit so when we have ‘proper’ pancakes the children love it! I will be back for the tips again 🙂
LOL – I’d forgotten about your dislike of one of my favourite vegetables!
Wonderful action photos! This would be the perfect weekend breakfast treat, I just love them too! x
Crepes are our most favorite things and I now have a new “authentic” recipe to try. Yum
Enjoy your pancakes/crepes today.
Noooo, not the *%!$µ# chard again! Happy Chandeleur Rosie!
Thank you Brooke, I’ll glad you feel inspired. Let me know how it goes when you make some for yourself.
OK Richard, order noted!
Crêpes and shopping…sounds good to me Betty!
I’d love to make some for you Catherine, or the boys could! 🙂
We regularly eat crêpes for a late breakfast on Sunday. The boys and Simon still like the more traditionally English lemon and sugar but I love stewed fruit and crème fraîche. Out and about I’ll either chose Nutella or confiture d’abricot. For savoury, our favourite is smoked salmon, spinach or chard, crème fraîche and an egg. May have to go shopping now so we can have this combination this evening.
This is a fantastic post, I am so inspired! Thank you for showing us we don’t have to have that fantastic pan and special spatula to make this tasty treat.
For “perhaps you could” in Catherine’s comment please read “you must definitely”!
We were never a really big crêpe-making family, but I sure remember buying a lot of crêpes for my girls when we were shopping in Rodez…either take-away, or in “salons de thé.”
You can’t beat lemon juice and sugar I reckon. I love pancakes and don’t make them often enough, perhaps you could make us some when we come to stay at Lou Messugo, your method is a good one.