Authentic French Crêpes: The Perfect Recipe for Quarantine

Maroon Staff

Crepes are thin French pancakes that are often served with sweet filling.

Mykaela Madoff

I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten a bit tired of binging Netflix shows and YouTube videos. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break and cook up an easy, delicious treat with your family. These crêpes take about ten minutes to prepare, an hour to rest, and around thirty minutes to cook. My mom is French and she makes the best crêpes ever. She taught me this recipe when I was little, yet somehow her batch always turns out just slightly better than mine. Since we’ve started quarantine, I’ve had crêpes once or twice a week minimum. They’re super fun to make with your family or on the phone with friends, and it’s a great recipe to carry with you long after quarantine is over. Grab your whisk and get started! 

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 2 cups of milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter

Directions:

To make the crêpe mixture:

  1. Take out a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Crack and whisk your eggs together.
  3. Completely melt your butter. 
  4. Once melted, add the butter in with the eggs and mix until smooth. 
  5. Slowly add your milk in while gently mixing. 
  6. Place a large sifter over the bowl. 
  7. Pour your flour (through the sifter) into the mixture in small amounts at a time.
  8. Mix until there are no lumps left at all. 
  9. Cover the bowl and leave the mixture in the refrigerator for at least one hour. (You can always cook them the next day, but the batter should rest in the cold for at least an hour.)

To cook the crêpes:

  1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat on your stovetop. 
  2. Spread a teaspoon of butter around the pan.
  3. Take a ladleful of the mixture and pour it onto the heated pan. Tilt the pan so that it covers the whole surface.
  4. In about three minutes, the top should have light brown or golden spots all over. With a spatula, lift up the edge of the crêpe. Tip: If the edge lifts with ease, it is ready to be flipped. 
  5. Move the spatula head under the crêpe and flip it over. Make sure that the flipped crêpe is flat on the pan. (If you’re feeling adventurous, carefully use both hands to flip the whole pan, sending the crêpe into the air and landing it on its other side to cook. Don’t place your hand on the handle too close to the pan so as not to burn yourself.)
  6. This side will cook a bit faster, so keep a close eye on it. After about thirty seconds to a minute, use a spatula to remove the crêpe from the pan. 
  7. Repeat these steps until the entire batch is cooked.

How you eat your crêpe is totally up to you! You can fold it or roll it up in any way you want. Some of my favorite toppings include strawberries, bananas, lemon juice, Nutella, sugar, or even a fried egg with cheese. Personally, my go-to is sugar and lemon juice with blueberries and powdered sugar on top, but you can mix and match until you find your favorite. They’re great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, and can be thrown in the microwave at any time. Serve and enjoy!