How To Make Delicate, Lacy Crêpes: The Simplest, Easiest Method

Mastering crêpes is a helpful skill to have in your cooking repertoire. Crêpes are an incredibly versatile base for many classic dishes, going from breakfast to dinner to dessert with a change of filling and desire. Although their delicate nature gives them an air of difficulty, the truth is, as long as you know a few key tricks, perfectly cooked crêpes are also the easiest, simplest kind to make.

Somewhere between a pancake and an omelet, crêpes are made from a thin egg-rich batter that is cooked into a large, thin cake on the stovetop.

The most important thing with crêpes is using a nonstick pan or a well-seasoned crêpe pan. It does not necessarily have to have a commercial nonstick coating like teflon. After all, people have managed to make crêpes long before teflon was invented. It all but gets rid of any fear of sticking and makes it considerably easier to lift and flip the delicate pancake.

There are crêpe pans specially designed for making crêpes. Besides being naturally nonstick and made of cast iron, they have low sides to make it easier to get a spatula in there to flip them. Strictly necessary? No. Helpful? Sure.

If you think you’ll be making a lot of crêpes or you will use the pan for other things, then go ahead and get one. They often come in carbon steel or cast iron, which can be seasoned to be just as nonstick as the commercial coatings.

Another important part of happy crêpe-making is the consistency of the batter. Crêpe batter is thinner than most pancake batters, more like half-and-half than heavy cream. It may almost seem too thin at first, but you will quickly discover that a thin batter is your friend as it spreads quickly and makes a nice, delicate pancake. If your batter seems too thick and isn’t spreading in the pan, don’t hesitate to gently whisk in a few tablespoons of water to thin it out.

A blender is the perfect tool for whipping up the batter, although you can also make it by hand using a bowl and a whisk.

Crêpe batter must be rested in order to produce light, delicate crêpes. A half-hour to an hour on the counter is fine, but overnight in the refrigerator is even better. Overall, don’t skip this step!

Crêpe batter can be prepared to be sweet or savory. If you are serving them with sweet additions such as sugar, fruit, or chocolate, then it’s nice to sweeten the batter a little with some sugar and a touch of vanilla. If you are going in a savory direction, additions such as snipped chives or other herbs are welcome.

• The fat: Crêpe batters often contain melted butter for tenderness and flavor. It is traditional to also cook them in butter, but I find that problematic, as butter burns easily. Since the butter is already in the batter for flavor, I find that it’s easier to coat the pan in a neutral cooking oil such as canola or grapeseed. These oils have a much higher smoking point, making it easier to find the correct cooking temperature without burning.
• The heat: Finding the perfect temperature for making crêpes is necessary for success. Start with medium heat or just a little lower, and adjust from there. It is common practice to count the first crêpe or two as a throwaway, so don’t worry if you need to make a few until you find the sweet spot. In general, lower temperatures are better than high, which will cook the batter before you have finished swirling the batter into the corners of the pan.
• The practice: The best way to learn how to make crêpes is to make crêpes! If you’ve never made them before, whip up a batch just to practice. I guarantee that by the last of the batter in the bowl, you will have it mastered. Crêpes are all about responding to the size and heat of the pan and the thickness of the batter. Once you have these down, you’ll be flipping crêpes like a pro!

It’s nice to cool your crêpes on a wire rack so that steam can evaporate. If you are stacking them for storage, a smallish square of parchment or plastic wrap between each crêpe is helpful. (It doesn’t have to be as big as the crepe.) If well-wrapped and placed in a sealable plastic bag, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days and in the freezer for a few months.