Crepe Recipes: 14 Paper-Thin French Crepes That Beat Pancakes, From Strawberries and Cream to a Towering Crepe Cake

Crepe recipes are having a big moment, with strawberry crepes, creamy chicken crepes and towering crepe cakes pulling millions of views online this year. A crepe is simply a paper-thin French pancake made from a loose batter of flour, eggs, milk and melted butter, swirled in a hot pan for about a minute per side. That one humble batter can become breakfast, a cozy weeknight supper or a holiday showstopper. Below are 14 sweet and savory ideas, starting with a tall vanilla crepe cake and the basic swirl technique, then moving through strawberries and cream, lemon sugar, banana chocolate, orange butter Suzette, ham and Gruyere galettes, baked chicken and spinach crepes, blintz-style berry rolls and smoked salmon pinwheels. We finish with how to stack and freeze crepes so a batch is always ready..

Crepe Recipes Showstopper: Vanilla Mille Crepe Cake

The mille crepe cake is the dessert everyone wants to slice on camera, and it is easier than it looks. You simply stack about twenty thin crepes with a light vanilla pastry cream between each one, chill the tower overnight, then dust the top with powdered sugar. When you cut it, every wedge shows dozens of delicate stripes. Crown it with fresh strawberries for the holidays and serve it cold, straight from the fridge, so the layers hold their shape..

You will need: 20 cooked 9-inch crepes (cooled), 2 cups whole milk, 5 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream whipped to soft peaks, powdered sugar and strawberries for topping.

How to make it: 1. Heat the milk; whisk yolks, sugar and cornstarch, temper with the hot milk and cook until thick. 2. Stir in butter and vanilla, cover the surface and chill completely. 3. Fold the whipped cream into the cold pastry cream. 4. Lay a crepe on a plate, spread a thin layer of cream and repeat with all the crepes. 5. Chill at least 6 hours, dust with powdered sugar and top with strawberries before slicing.

Basic French Crepe Batter and the Swirl Technique

Every one of these crepe recipes starts with the same simple batter, and the secret is patience. Blend the batter until silky, then let it rest for 30 minutes so the flour relaxes and the crepes stay tender instead of rubbery. Pour a small ladle into a hot buttered pan and swirl it right away so it coats the bottom in a thin, even circle. Street vendors use a wooden spreader on a flat griddle, but a tilt of the wrist does the same job at home.

You will need: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 cup water, 3 tablespoons melted butter plus more for the pan, 1 tablespoon sugar (skip for savory), 1/4 teaspoon salt.

How to make it: 1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth and rest the batter for 30 minutes. 2. Heat an 8 to 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat and brush with butter. 3. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter and swirl at once to coat the pan thinly. 4. Cook 60 to 90 seconds until the edges lift, flip and cook 30 seconds more. 5. Stack the crepes on a plate and repeat, buttering the pan as needed.

Strawberries and Cream Crepe Recipes

Strawberry crepes are the version that keeps going viral, with one recent video passing a million views. The appeal is obvious: soft folded crepes, juicy sliced strawberries and clouds of lightly sweet whipped cream. Toss the berries with a spoon of sugar first so they release a glossy natural syrup, then spoon it over the top just before serving. They make a pretty brunch for birthdays and Mother’s Day, and kids love building their own at the table. Of all the sweet crepe recipes here, this is the one to make first.

You will need: 8 sweet crepes, 1 lb fresh strawberries sliced, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, extra whole berries for garnish.

How to make it: 1. Toss the sliced strawberries with sugar and let them stand 15 minutes. 2. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. 3. Spread each crepe with whipped cream and add a line of strawberries. 4. Fold or roll, top with more cream and berries and spoon over the strawberry syrup.

Lemon Sugar Crepes, Paris Street Style

Walk past any creperie in Paris and you will see the simplest order of all: a warm crepe brushed with butter, showered with sugar and squeezed with fresh lemon. The sugar melts into a sweet, tangy glaze that tastes far bigger than three ingredients. It is the classic way to judge a good crepe, because there is nothing to hide behind. Roll or fold them into quarters and eat them while they are still warm from the pan. Classic crepe recipes rarely get simpler than this.

You will need: 8 warm crepes, 3 tablespoons soft butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 lemons cut into wedges, lemon zest for finishing.

How to make it: 1. Brush a warm crepe in the pan with a little butter. 2. Sprinkle generously with sugar and squeeze over fresh lemon juice. 3. Fold into quarters or roll up and slide onto a plate. 4. Finish with lemon zest and serve right away.

Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Crepes

Banana and chocolate hazelnut is the late-night creperie favorite, and it takes about five minutes at home. Spread a warm crepe with chocolate hazelnut spread, add thin banana slices and a few strawberries if you like, then fold it into a triangle. A drizzle of melted chocolate in stripes across the plate makes it look like a cafe order. For a crunchy finish, scatter chopped toasted hazelnuts over the top just before serving. It is one of the crepe recipes kids ask for again and again.

You will need: 6 sweet crepes, 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread, 2 ripe bananas sliced, a few sliced strawberries (optional), 2 oz dark chocolate melted, 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts.

How to make it: 1. Warm each crepe briefly in the pan. 2. Spread half the crepe with chocolate hazelnut spread and add banana slices. 3. Fold into a half moon, then into a triangle. 4. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Crepes Suzette With Orange Butter Sauce

Crepes Suzette is the elegant French classic of folded crepes warmed in a glossy orange butter sauce. Restaurants famously set the pan alight at the table, but you do not need that step at all; simmering the sauce gently gives the same rich caramel and citrus flavor safely at home. Fold the crepes into quarters, nestle them into the bubbling sauce and spoon it over until they soak it up. A few fresh berries on the side add color.

You will need: 8 sweet crepes, 6 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar, zest of 1 orange, 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, orange segments and berries to serve.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and sugar in a wide skillet until lightly golden. 2. Add orange zest, orange juice and lemon juice and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until syrupy. 3. Fold the crepes into quarters and lay them in the sauce. 4. Spoon the sauce over for 1 to 2 minutes and serve with orange segments and berries.

Ham and Gruyere Crepes, Galette Style

In Brittany the savory version is called a galette, made with nutty buckwheat flour and folded into a neat square around the filling. The most famous is the galette complete, with ham, melted Gruyere and often an egg in the middle. Build it right in the pan so the cheese melts while the edges crisp. Regular crepes work too if buckwheat flour is hard to find, and a simple green salad turns it into dinner. You can read more about the history of the crepe on Wikipedia.

You will need: 4 large buckwheat or plain crepes, 4 slices ham, 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere, 4 eggs (optional), 1 tablespoon butter, black pepper, chopped chives.

How to make it: 1. Lay a crepe in a buttered pan over medium heat. 2. Sprinkle with Gruyere, add a slice of ham and crack an egg in the center if using. 3. Fold the four sides in to form a square, leaving the middle open. 4. Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts and the egg sets; finish with pepper and chives.

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Crepe Recipes for Dinner

Creamy chicken crepes are among the most watched savory crepe recipes this year, and they are perfect for using leftover rotisserie chicken. Golden mushrooms and shredded chicken simmer in a simple white sauce, get wrapped into neat parcels and bake until the edges turn crisp. The extra sauce pools around them in the dish, so nothing dries out. Serve them with a green salad for a cozy supper that feels fancy but costs very little.

You will need: 8 savory crepes, 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, 8 oz mushrooms sliced, 1 small onion diced, 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley.

How to make it: 1. Saute the onion and mushrooms in butter until golden. 2. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk and simmer until thick; add Parmesan and season. 3. Mix half the sauce with the chicken, fill each crepe and fold into parcels. 4. Place in a baking dish, spoon over the remaining sauce and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Baked Spinach and Ricotta Crepes

Think of these as a lighter, quicker cannelloni. Instead of boiling pasta tubes, you roll soft crepes around a creamy spinach and ricotta filling, line them up in a dish and bake them under tomato sauce and mozzarella. They can be assembled a day ahead and baked when guests arrive, which makes them a smart vegetarian main for holiday gatherings. Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day. Savory crepe recipes like this one stretch a small budget a long way.

You will need: 8 savory crepes, 10 oz frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry, 15 oz ricotta, 1 egg, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, pinch of nutmeg, 2 cups marinara sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, fresh basil.

How to make it: 1. Mix the spinach, ricotta, egg, Parmesan and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. 2. Spread a thin layer of marinara in a baking dish. 3. Spoon filling along each crepe, roll up and lay seam side down in the dish. 4. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella and bake at 375 F for 25 minutes until bubbling. 5. Rest 5 minutes and scatter with basil.

Chocolate Crepe Cake

The chocolate crepe cake is the darker twin of the classic mille crepe, and it is a dream for chocolate lovers. Cocoa goes into the batter and the filling, then the top gets a glossy ganache that drips slightly down the sides. Each slice shows thin alternating stripes of crepe and chocolate cream. Make it the day before a party so it can firm up in the fridge, and add a handful of raspberries for a bright, tart contrast.

You will need: 20 cocoa crepes (add 3 tablespoons cocoa to the basic batter), 2 cups heavy cream, 8 oz semisweet chocolate chopped, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 4 oz extra chocolate plus 1/2 cup cream for the ganache, raspberries.

How to make it: 1. Melt 8 oz chocolate with 1/2 cup of the cream and cool to room temperature. 2. Whip the remaining cream with powdered sugar, then fold in the cooled chocolate. 3. Stack the crepes with a thin layer of chocolate cream between each. 4. Heat 1/2 cup cream, pour over the extra chocolate, stir smooth and spread on top. 5. Chill 6 hours or overnight, then garnish with raspberries and slice.

Apple Cinnamon Crepes

When the weather turns cold, apple cinnamon crepes taste like apple pie without the oven. Diced apples cook down in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until soft and caramel coated, then get wrapped in warm crepes and dusted with powdered sugar. The pan juices make an instant sauce to spoon over the top. They are a lovely fall brunch idea, and a dollop of vanilla yogurt or a scoop of ice cream turns them into dessert. Fall crepe recipes do not get much cozier.

You will need: 6 sweet crepes, 3 apples peeled and diced, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. 2. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the apples are tender and glossy; add lemon juice. 3. Spoon the apples into each crepe and roll or fold. 4. Drizzle with the pan juices and dust with powdered sugar.

Berry Cheese Blintz-Style Crepe Recipes

Blintzes are the Eastern European cousin of the crepe: thin pancakes rolled around a sweet, lemony cheese filling and browned in butter. This easy version uses ricotta and cream cheese, then piles warm mixed berries and blueberries over the top so the juices soak into every roll. Like most crepe recipes in this list, they can be filled ahead and chilled, then browned just before brunch. For more breakfast ideas from other kitchens, see our pancakes from around the world.

You will need: 8 crepes cooked on one side only, 1 cup ricotta, 4 oz cream cheese softened, 1 egg yolk, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 cups mixed berries, 2 tablespoons sugar for the berries, butter for frying.

How to make it: 1. Beat the ricotta, cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and lemon zest until smooth. 2. Spoon filling onto the cooked side of each crepe, fold in the sides and roll up. 3. Brown the rolls seam side down in butter, 2 to 3 minutes per side. 4. Warm the berries with sugar until juicy and spoon over the blintzes.

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Crepe Pinwheels

These pinwheels are the party appetizer that looks far harder than it is. Spread savory crepes with dill cream cheese, layer on smoked salmon, roll them up tightly and chill so they slice cleanly into pink and white spirals. A few capers and a sprig of dill on each one make a festive tray for Christmas or New Year’s Eve. They can be rolled the day before, which takes pressure off when guests are on the way. Few party crepe recipes look this impressive for so little work.

You will need: 4 large savory crepes, 8 oz cream cheese softened, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 8 oz smoked salmon, 2 tablespoons capers, lemon wedges.

How to make it: 1. Mix the cream cheese with dill and lemon zest. 2. Spread each crepe evenly to the edges with the cream cheese. 3. Cover with a layer of smoked salmon and roll up tightly. 4. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. 5. Trim the ends, slice into 1-inch pinwheels and top with capers and dill.

Make-Ahead Crepe Recipes: How to Stack and Freeze Them

The best trick for busy weeks is a freezer stack. Cook a double batch, let the crepes cool completely, then layer them with squares of parchment so they never stick together. Sealed in a freezer bag, they keep for about two months, and you can pull out just two or three at a time. They thaw on the counter in 15 minutes or in a warm pan in seconds, ready for any filling in this gallery.

You will need: 1 double batch of basic crepes, parchment or wax paper squares, large zip-top freezer bags, a marker for the date.

How to make it: 1. Cool the cooked crepes completely on a rack. 2. Stack them with a square of parchment between each crepe. 3. Slide stacks of 8 to 10 into freezer bags, press out the air and label. 4. Freeze flat up to 2 months; refrigerate up to 3 days. 5. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in a buttered pan before filling.