Easy 3-Ingredient Crêpes Recipe
Emma Fontanella’s easy 3-ingredient crêpes
About my easy 3-ingredient crêpes
This crêpe recipe has only three ingredients, so it’s super easy and quick to put together. It requires no special equipment. You just need a hand whisk (or even a fork) and bowl for mixing the ingredients.
I know many of you are busy, so I wanted to give you a foolproof method not only for making these crêpes, but also for making them ahead of time and for freezing them. That way, they become a truly grab and go breakfast or a quick dessert. You can meal-prep these and keep them in the fridge. If you freeze them, they defrost and/or reheat in the microwave in seconds on busy mornings when you’re rushing to get out of the door.
In the plating I’m showing here, I’ve done this for sit-down breakfast (or dessert), drizzled with Nutella, and with some fresh fruit on the side. However, you can just as easily put all the fillings inside the crêpes, fold them up, and eat them on the go.
This recipe is taken from my cookbook, Simple Pleasures. The book has a whole chapter on easy, freezer-friendly, grab-and-go breakfasts which can be prepared in advance and reheated in minutes, straight from frozen.
Options for sweet fillings for crêpes
Crêpes are a great vehicle for sweet fillings. You can use Nutella (like I did here); or any jams, jellies, or curds of your choice; fresh fruit of vour choice (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana), optionally sweetened with powdered sugar; nuts; or sweetened ricotta cheese.
Options for savory fillings for crêpes
Crêpes are also great with savory fillings. Some options I like are: scrambled eggs; bacon; sausage; ham; cheeses; smoked salmon; cream cheese; sautéed veggies such as onions, mushrooms, kale, and bell peppers.
Don't forget to season the fillings with salt and pepper as needed, and I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to really make the fillings pop.
What kind of flour should I use for crêpes?
You can use all-purpose or cake flour for any kind of crêpes. If you’re making savory crêpes, though, a delicious option is to use buckwheat flour. The easiest way to make buckwheat crêpes is to use a mixture of all-purpose flour and buckwheat flour, in the ratio ⅓ all-purpose flour to ⅔ buckwheat flour.
That ratio gives crêpes that are easy to handle. However, you can make them with 100% buckwheat flour if you prefer, which gives a great gluten-free option.
Crêpe batter additions
In this recipe, I’ve given you a super simple 3-ingredient batter. It’s delicious. If you want to take things to the next level, though, you can add extra flavor to the batter with various ingredients.
For sweet crêpes, try adding finely grated citrus zest to the batter (orange and/or lemon work best); or spices, such as cinnamon or vanilla.
For savory crêpes, try adding chopped soft herbs of vour choice. Fresh dill, basil, and chives (or a combination of those) work particularly well, in my opinion. You could even add some super finely chopped scallion to the batter.
What are crêpes?
Crêpes are super thin pancakes. When cooked properly, they soft and light in the middle, with the edges ever so slightly crispy and buttery. They’re a great vehicle for all sorts of sweet and savory fillings—chocolate spread, fruit and nuts; and ham, cheese and more. (See above for more ideas for fillings.)
Can you make crêpes in advance?
You certainly can make crêpes in advance, and you have multiple options for how to do it:
You can make the batter the night before and keep it in the fridge. Give it a quick whisk the next morning before making your crêpes
For meal prep, you can make the crêpes and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 3 days. (The particular duration is for however long your choice of fillings will stay fresh.)
Once crêpes are cool, you can freeze stacks of them separated by pieces of parchment paper. Put the stacks of crêpes in large Ziploc bags, with as much air as possible squeezed out. They will keep for 1 to 2 months. When you want to use them, defrost/warm them up either in the microwave or in a hot skillet. It will only take a few seconds.
Why does the first pancake or crêpe always fail?
If you’ve ever made pancakes or crêpes, you’ve almost certainly experienced the first pancake or crêpe in a batch being a total fail. But why is that? The answer turns out to be quite simple—you have too much fat in the pan. When you cook that first pancake, the excess fat in the pan causes it to cook in an uneven way, with some of the pancake or crêpe steaming, and some frying. That first pancake “wipes away” theexcess fat, allowing the subsequent pancakes to cook much more evenly. So, if you want a good result for that first pancake or crêpe, make sure you use only the smallest amount of fat possible in the pan.
What is the secret of a good crêpe?
The secret to making a good crêpe is to let the batter rest before using it. Allowing it to rest for at least half an hour, gives time for the flour to hydrate. The gives the cooked crêpes the perfect light, delicate texture.
Is pancake batter the same as crêpe batter?
The batters for American pancakes and for crêpes are different. For American pancakes, you want the batter to be thicker than the batter for crêpes; and, importantly, the batter for American pancakes contains chemical raising agents (usually, a mix of both baking soda and baking powder). Also, in my opinion, the best American pancakes are made with buttermilk, rather than the regular milk usually used for crêpes.
The differences in the batters are what make American pancakes thick and fluffy, and what make crêpes light, thin and delicate.
Are crepes healthy or unhealthy?
Neither. Crêpes are a light breakfast option, being relatively low in calories compared to many breakfast foods (depending on the fillings you choose). However, there are no particular health benefits from eating them. So don’t eat them because they’re healthy; eat them because they’re delicious!
How to make crêpes like a pro?
Here are my top tips for making crêpes like a pro: make sure to let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes before using; use only the smallest amount of butter for frying the crêpe e.g,, by lightly brushing the butter onto the pan with a pastry brush; finally, measure out the same portion of batter for each crêpe, so you get the exact same size crêpe each time.
YIELD
12 crêpes
EQUIPMENT
A skillet or frying pan with a cooking surface of 8 inches (20cm) or more.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (150g) cake flour or all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg
1¼ cups (300g) whole milk
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the batter
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl or medium size measuring jug, whisk the egg and milk together. Make sure the all the egg yolk and egg white is fully broken down into the milk. We don’t want any bits of whole egg in the final batter.
Now, gradually add the milk/egg mixture to the flour, whisking all the time. When all the ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps of flour, stop mixing. (Don’t leave any lumps, though. The batter needs to be completely smooth—don’t be too afraid of overmixing.)
(If you want to kick the batter up a notch, see the section above, “Crêpe batter additions”).
Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to give the flour time to hydrate. After 30 minutes, whisk the melted butter into the batter.
Prepare your skillet/frying pan
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease the skillet with butter. Now gently remove any excess butter with some paper kitchen towel.
To make a good crêpe (or any type of pancake), you want the minimum possible amount of fat in the pan. Having too much fat in the skillet is the main cause of the phenomenon where “the first pancake/crêpe” always turns out bad. (See the section “Why does the first pancake or crêpe always fail?” above)
Make the crêpes
Add ¼ cup of batter to the skillet and swirl it around, coating the base of the pan evenly. You’re aiming to add just enough batter to create a thin, lacey crêpe about 8 inches (20cm) in diameter.
Cook for around 45 seconds on the first side. You want the top surface to look dry. At this point, if the heat is high enough, the bottom of the crêpe should be a light golden color.
Flip the crêpe over, and and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer the crêpe to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining batter—you should get around 12 crêpes from this recipe. As you make them, stack the each finished crêpe on top of the last, with pieces of baking parchment in between to stop them sticking. Stacking the crêpes keeps them soft while you making the entire batch.
Fill the crêpes
Add the fillings you want to your crêpes. (See the sections above, “Options for sweet fillings” and “Options for savory fillings”). Then fold them into a triangle shapes (see the photo), or roll them up.
Serve
You can plate these, and eat at the breakfast table (see photo). Or, you can pick up the folded/rolled crêpes and eat them with your hands on the go.
Make ahead and freeze
See the section, “Can you make crêpes in advance?” above for details of the various ways you can make these crepes ahead of time.
Hi! I’m Emma Fontanella. Here you’ll find trusted, tested recipes to satisfy your baking addiction and carb cravings. Learn more…
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