The Wonderful Thing About Crêpes
Although crêpes are French pancakes, I tend to think of them as pancake/tortilla/pasta hybrids. Like pancakes, you can serve them with things such as caramelized apples, berries or whipped cream; and like tortillas, you can stuff them with virtually any savory filling. Scoop scrambled eggs into a crepe, sprinkle with your favorite cheese, then wrap the whole thing together to make a quick, yet elegant, breakfast burrito. Heck you can even use crepes in place of pasta, which is exactly what my husband and I did a couple of weeks ago when we rolled fresh crepes around a filling of ricotta cheese, herbs and mozzarella then baked them in our favorite tomato sauce. Versatility! Ya gotta love it. And that is the wonderful thing about crepes.
Crêpes are made by cooking a simple batter in a frying pan until you have a thin, butter-browned pancake/tortilla/etc that can then be filled and folded in a variety of shapes for decorative presentation. In France crêperies serve crêpes as a form of fast food and I recently discovered that there is a crêperie in New York City. They were featured on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” and have an enticing array of crêpe variations that are tempting me to visit. I mean, come on, tiramisu crêpes with strawberries, nutella and whipped cream is just too much. Right?
In our home my husband has become le crêpe expert and he learned from the best: Alton Brown. We used to think that crêpes were too hard to make at home and that we needed a special pan to achieve crêpe perfection, but Alton convinced us that they are no more difficult than pancakes once you know how to make them. Describing how to make crêpes is (I think) I bit difficult, so rather than struggle with words I thought I’d simply turn it over to AB. The audio in the video below is a bit off, but that doesn’t matter because what you need to see is his technique. We follow his method pretty much to the letter… except we do use a spatula to turn our crêpes over. 
Now to the recipes in this post. The crêpes featured in the photo above have been filled with a luscious mixture of farmer’s cheese, ricotta and cream cheese, then topped with fresh blueberry sauce. It is so good – you won’t believe you’re eating this fancy in your own kitchen! And though this dish may sound complex, trust me, it’s not – especially if you’ve made your crêpes the night before. Bonus points if you made the sauce beforehand too.
As we’ve seen there’s no end to the kinds of things you could fold into a crêpe, so before I go I want to share some alternative filling ideas I gathered this afternoon when I asked my Twitter friends how they like to eat crêpes. Here are some scrumptious responses, straight from the Twitter-verse:
- rachellake: banana nutella crepes are my absolute favorite. they are a staple for summers in Greece. Rosso, ovenhaven, glamah and desireehall agreed, while nestpasdemains said plain sugar and bananas was the way to go.
- cbsop: I prefer savory over sweet. No real preference as to what gets rolled int hem, from beef to veggies or seafood
- DebIFF: stuffed with ricotta and spinach, then topped with tomato sauce and grated parmesan cheese, then baked.
- shesinthekitche: I still love the traditional crepes with apricot jam.
- jennalucy: me butter, lemon juice and sugar, husband only nutella will do.
- iamchanelle: i love crepes with a little freshly whipped cream tucked inside.
- nikkilooch: with strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream
- Whisk_food_blog: Spread with butter, roll up, and dip in maple syrup. Eat with hands.
- sarahrusso: all ways! strawberries and whipped cream, nutella and bananas, fresh raspberry-cointreau compote…
What about you – how do you like to eat crêpes?
Don’t forget about the monthly book giveaway! December’s winners have been posted on the giveaway page. January’s books include one signed copy of “My Caribbean Cookbook: Tastes Like Home,” by Cynthia Nelson and one copy each of “The Sweet Melissa Baking Book,” by Melissa Murphy and “Bakewise” by Shirley O. Corriher.
In order to make the cheese-filled crêpes with blueberry sauce shown above, use the three recipes below in this order: Step 1. Make the crepes. Step 2. Make the filling and bake the crepes. Step 3. While the crepes are baking, make the blueberry sauce. Serve the whole shebang immediately. Of course, if you make the crêpes and/or blueberry sauce the night before these steps do not apply.
Step 1. Alton Brown’s Crêpe Recipe
From FoodNetwork.com
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- Butter, for coating the pan
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.
Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter (Ari’s note: we use 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of batter for our 10-inch pan) into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.
We used the above recipe for the crêpes in the photo, but here are two additional variations:
*Savory Variation: Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.
*Sweet Variation: Add 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.
Step 2. Cheese Filling
Ingredients: Makes enough filling for 8 crêpes
- 1/3 cup farmers cheese
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 whipped cream cheese
- 1 egg
- A splash of vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon of melted butter
In a small bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of a crêpes. Fold over the bottom half of the crêpes (the part with the filling), then fold over the two sides, then roll the whole thing up so that you have a little envelope. Repeat for other crêpes.
Brush a baking dish with 1/2 the melted butter. Place the filled crêpes in the pan, seam side down, and brush with butter. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F, or until golden brown.
Step 3. Fresh Blueberry Sauce (This sauce is really good on ice cream too, btw)
From The Big Book of Breakfast: Serious Comfort Food for Any Time of the Day, by Maryana Vollstedt.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pint (2 cups) fresh or frozen blueberries
In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, water, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Whisk until blended, then add blueberries. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until juice is clear and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool, then transfer to a bowl, cover, and store in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
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101 Responses to “The Wonderful Thing About Crêpes”
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Oh my, those crepes look soooooo luscious!!
Oh how I love crepes. I have recently discovered the lemon juice and sugar version and it is delicious! Your recipe looks amazing.
The crepes look so tempting.
Love the addition of the How to video.
Mmmm, those crepes look divine. If it wasn’t so late I’d be whipping up a batch. I got into a major crepe phase a year back where I had them in my freezer ready to use nearly all the time.
My favorite is simply strawberries with ganache and whipped cream.
I love crêpes because they are so versatile and delicious! Yours look really tempting and scrummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
I love filling them with Nutella!
We always make a huge batch of crepes and then freeze them and use them when ready. I love mine with just a sprinkling of sugar for dessert. Guilt free treat!
Yum! I still haven’t made crepes yet, but they’re definitely on my list. I love them in restaurants, both savory and sweet.
Oh wow Ari, those crepes look amazing. Great stuff. I just found your blog today and I love it.
zesty
My grandmother is Norwegian and she always put cottage cheese in the middle of her crepes, rolled them up, and spread some sort of preserves on them. Sometimes syrup, either maple or a fruit syrup. It made for a pretty healthy breakfast actually with the protein from the cottage cheese.
Yumm, my mom makes lovely crepes. And after pairing it with every little thing possible, Nutella was the clear winner
Your crepes look absolutely mouth-watering
I used to love crepes. When I lived home, my mother would sometimes make them for dinner, just for my brother and me : only sweets! She used to put a teaspoon of rhum and lots of vanilla in the batter, and they were best just with sugar, which would complement, and not hide, the taste of the vanilla….
I never thought of crepes as something you could make ahead – what wonderful news!
As a kid we’d make crepes from the recipe in Joy of Cooking, then sprinkle them with powdered sugar and roll them up. We even called them “roll-ups” instead of crepes.
Oh, those crepes look so good! My favorite are those with nutella.
I love to watch crepes being made by someone who knows what they’re doing, they always make it look so easy! I have to try to remember that the first crepe will never be perfect…
Don’t you just love Alton Brown!?! I need to try this out – I’ve never made crepes before.
I just found your blog and I’m so glad that I did! I really agree with your approach to balanced eating. I love baking all types of baked goodies too and still try to eat healthfully. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Ariela!
Mmmm thx for the reminder of crepes – I think I WILL make a batch! I have a crepe iron which is shaped like a paddle that you DIP into the batter – ever seen one? Its the ticket!
I like my crepes stuffed with fresh fruit, nuts and yogurt.
Thanks for your post.
Barb – Oh my gosh that sounds like such a cool kitchen gadget! I have never seen one – do you know what it’s called?
Beautiful!
I’ve only made crepes once, in an effort to duplicate my favorite apple and walnut version from Pita Jungle in Tempe, AZ. They turned out great, but I haven’t made any since. I’m excited to try the recipes on this page! These look wonderful!
The combination of blueberries with the cheeses is so delicious!! These look so lovely!!
For me the question is which ones are my less favourite… I really love crêpes! Berries are always a yummy option or any caramelized fruit for that matter… Guess my not-so-favourite are probably chocolate crêpes but still not that sure I’d be able to resist!!
I just had ricotta blintzes yesterday at a brunch in Atlantic City. They were soooo amazing I decided I had to learn how to make them. This recipe looks worth a try!
I eat them with dulce de leche !! yesssssss
Here in Israel, French crepe places are very popular. My favorite is with nutella, chopped hazlenuts and sliced bananas inside.
Devo K – I remember hearing about the “crepe lady” in Jerusalem. I didn’t get a chance to stop by her place the last time I was there, but for sure the next time!
Mmmmm, love crepes! Intimidated to make them on my own , but maybe now I’ll give them a try. They are so yummy and versatile!
Alana – We were too, which is why it took us a while to try them. But once you get the hang of it you’ll be hooked! Just accept that the first batch is going to be a learning experience, then you’re golden.
I have never had crepes or Nutella. Maybe I will try both, at the same time.
I know exactly what to do with those blueberries I have in my fridge. The blueberry sauce looks yummy!
These sound like the fruit crepes I was obsessed with when I was pregnant with my son. I got them at a local restaurant (best thing on the menu), but I’m thinking about trying these. I’ll take your word that they’re easy!
I’ll have to look at the video after I get home from the gym, because these look like the type of thing that I might want to prep for some quick dinners over the week!
I like eating crepes in Paris with nutella!! Delicious!!
Good to know that you don’t need a fancy crepe pan to make crepes. We have a “nonstick” pan that is quickly becoming “formerly nonstick”.
I visited Paris in Fall ‘07 and street food was one of the few things I could afford to eat. The crepes were amazing, especially the nutella and banana ones. Yum.
Amy – That must have been an incredible experience. I’ve never been to Paris, but it’s one of my dreams!
What fun! Just the thing to make me wanna make crepes — great eat-me photo and a little crazy Alton!
That looks so luscious!
Oh Ari, this is way too tempting. I am here just gawking at your photograph.
I love crepes, and thanks for the link to Alton Brown’s segment. I hadn’t seen that one.
I love love love crepes with lime juice and a little sugar. That says a lot, since I am a lover of all things chocolate. So of course Nutella is wonderful, too.
Karyn – I’ve never tried them with citrus juice and sugar, but so many folks have suggested it I think I’m going to have to try it.
Yummy!
Beautiful photo!! Can’t wait to try making that blueberry sauce. Mmm.
Thanks for posting these crepe recipes! Your crepes look especially delicious. I also love fresh bananas, nutella and fresh whipped cream..it’s one of my faves.
Oh, this makes me happy, and sad. Because I love love love crepes, or as my grandma use to call them – blintzes, but I don’t have any NOW. They are one of the best treats in the whole wide world. So worth the extra time and effort it takes to make them.
I love eating crpes, sweets or savory… They´re delicious and easiest to make…
Ana
Your crepes look so delicious! I know they can be sweet or savory, but I’m exclusively a sweet crepe girl. Will make a note to watch the video to see how my technique can be improved, as I’m sure it can! K x
really like a blintze as far as I can see!
Doris – It sure is! (I even titled it that in the image caption).
Oh, yum! Your crepes look fantastic! And the nutella crepes sound so good, too! My German friend’s mom use to slice crepes and put them in broth for a delicious soup. I have yet to try making crepes on my own, but I think I have the inspiration now
Thanks for the post!
Nicole – That is a great idea! I do the same thing with tortillas so it makes sense that crepe slices would be great in soup too. Haven’t done it with crepes before, but I will now.
I’m going to make these this weekend! thanks!
I don’t often reply to website (this is my 2nd one here) but I have to admit I thoroughly enjoy receiving baking and books in my mailbox. The articles are well written, informative and highly enjoyable, even your blog layout is pleasant on the eyes. Keep on sending your articles.
I have never ever made crepes, but you have enticed me into trying.
Debbie – Thank you for taking the time to reply & I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy receiving Baking and Books updates in your inbox! Really, hearing things like that will keep me smiling for days.
I hope you try making crepes and if you have any questions I’m always happy to help. Just email or IM me.
I love crepes. Especially filled with nutella.
I’ve not had crepes since middle school French class, but this is looking awfully good to me right now. I’m getting inspired, maybe
I always get so excited to see my Baking and Books email…..and am always so impressed with what I see. Beautiful photos (such as these yummy looking crepes, sorry I don’t know how to type in a circonflex accent mark!), yummy recipes, fun comments, and now a video too! I’m amazed at your technological skill!
Katie – Why thank you! It makes me so happy to hear that you look forward to my email updates.
I’m hoping to add more videos in the future… not of AB, but of me in my kitchen. Fingers crossed!
These are simply gorgeous. I might like to try one and work out extra hard to burn off the calories consumed
I’ve never dared to tackle crepes, but I think that I’ll have to add it to my list of kitchen challenges! I love pancakes/crepes with cheese filling, they are so delicious!
Mari – Us too, we always thought they were too complicated for home cooking. But I’m telling ya, once you get the hang of it they’re very easy to make. You just have to be willing to ruin a few while figuring out how to tilt the pan etc.
What a lovely combination of recipes!
Your post is timely. Martha Stewart’s Living magazine has an article in the February issue on crepes. Also, my cousin and I were recently talking about how we’ve always wanted to make them, but for some reason find them daunting. I’m going to send her your way to check out your latest post. The blueberry sauce looks delicious.
Denise – I recently saw that in MSL. Go me for being one with the editors, lol. The recipes in that issue look great. Hopefully with the AB video and the article you and your cousin will be whipping up batches of crepes in no time!
I love Alton Brown (and I’ve mistakenly called him Alton John before when I wasn’t thinking before talking…). The crepes look awesome with the blueberry sauce. I think I make the crepes and sauce before hand and serve these when we go to my family cottage in the summer. It’d be an easy breakfast and I know my bro would love them most of all! I’m excited to look through the rest of your blog as I love baking and reading (not big into culinary history, but you may change my mind!)
Stacie – Well I’ll do my best! Culinary history is part of what makes food so fascinating for me – everything has such a rich story.
These are gorgeous, my mom use to make use something like this when we were kids.
Mmm…crepes! For my birthday a couple of years ago I went to a kosher crepes restaurant, there was ratatouille crepes, so good!
Melanie – Ooo, ratatouille crepes? Never would have thought of those!
My mouth is watering with your photo and the recipe!!! I usually love my crepes with either butter/sugar or plain Nutella — but your delicious combination is changing my mind!
Traveling around Paris this past December, it was always so hard to choose between a sweet nutella crepe or a savory ham and cheese crepe. Savory usually won! But with this recipe we can have them anytime. Thanks for those memories!
Ariela, spectacular crepes!… and gorgeus topping!
I love crepes! I even made a crepe cake once.. now I just want to add fruit to the same concept.
I’ve never actually made crepes before but when I worked on Columbia University’s Medical Center campus there was a streetcart that made savory and sweet crepes to order. They were delicious! I always got mine with cheddar cheese, chicken, veggies and hot sauce. I will have to try making my own sometime to relive those memories.
Joanne – Why don’t they have that streetcart near the Morningside campus? No fair!
*drools* THIS is what’s missing from my life.
Great post! We make pancakes and waffles every Sunday, and occasionally a poffertje, but I love crepes so maybe I need to just make them!
I’ve always thought of them as difficult, I think I am going to re-think that!! Thanks.
The photo at the top of this post reminds me of the crepes my sister used to make for our family when I was a child. She always topped them with blueberry pie filling and whipped cream…YUM! I haven’t had crepes in many years, but this post has given me a craving for them, so i may have to try my hand at making some.
Haha! I’m featured on B&B!!!
I also have the Sweet Melissa Cookbook–I like it okay, but for some reason, it is so much less appealing to me than Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. I think you should pick that one up if you haven’t already because everything that I have made out of it is a knock out!! And it is so darn cute!!!!
They are so versatile! I llike to eat crepes with lingonberry jam and farmers’ cheese … so yummy!
I made pancakes for breakfast this Saturday morning; needless to say they didn’t look anywhere near as beautiful as this!
I love crepes! Here is another great recipe for a more savory Buckwheat Crepe with goat cheese and smoked trout. This particular crepe tastes great paired with hard cider.
I love love love crepes! Especially with chocolate filling. Great recipe. thanks
I love crepes! I first had them in Japan and they fill it with wildly delicious fruits and sweets! Now I definitely want to try….oooh, I’m so tempted to make them now but I just ate a donut! Ack!
These look wonderful. I can’t wait to try them. The last time I had homemade crepes was 23 years ago! Why did I wait so long?
I’ve never made crepes but have always wanted to. AND who doesn’t love Alton Brown?! Thanks for giving away the Baker’s Apprentice book. I’ve been drooling over that book for about four months now.
My high-school French teacher had a crepe-maker and his were soooo good. I’ll have mine with fresh strawberries, please.
Crepes are delicious, but so hard for me to make. I might try this recipe, however; give it another shot.
I love how plump the crepes are. Just looking at your wonderful picture you can imagine how they’ll give when you cut them and how good they’ll be when you eat them! I’ve been thinking about crepes lately and dreaming about one I had last year in Brittany, a sweet crepe filled with caramelized apples — so good.
Without a doubt, when I think crepes, I think nutella and bananas-in fact I can picture my favourite crepe stand in Paris-where I always stop by for a crepe. It is interesting how every nation has a similar food, crepes in France, blintzes in the Eastern bloc countries-they are all similar yet with a slight twist.
Those crepes with the blueberry sauce look INCREDIBLE! Must make soon!
Growing up in Europe we always had crepes, never pancakes so this post is comforting and close to my heart. While nutella filled crepes are always amazing, we used to put white sugar and lemon juice and roll them up. YUM!!!
These sound delicious! I don’t know if I’ve ever had crepes but I see no reason not to like them!
These look incredible. I cannot wait to try these.
A favorite, a little lemon and butter or mixed fruit. and an Alton Brown video to go with!!
Awesome shortcut to crepes here :
http://forcesarespecial.blogspot.com/2009/02/crepes-hack.html
It really works!
Tom – I’m sorry but I think that looks really gross! Especially when crepes are so EASY to make, why settle for soaked tortillas?
These seem really good. I can’t wait to make them. Plus Alton Brown my fave!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
I love my crepes with nutella and some “chantilly” … this is the best for me . as a second option I would say brown suger with a hint of lemon juice, this is so refreshing … especially after one or two nutella crepes
my husband is very fond of crepes and I made some several times … a week …. using your recipe for quite a while now.