Basic Crepes 3 Ways

You might think a crepe is just a thin pancake, but it’s actually a delectable treat all its own. They don’t rise like pancakes, so our light, golden crepes are perfect for filling, rolling, and topping in almost infinite flavour combinations. We’ve picked three of our favourites to get you started. Breakfast, brunch, or dinner – there’s never a wrong time for crepes!

Prep Time
45 minutes
30 minutes (or overnight) chilling time
Cook Time
approximately 1 to 2 minutes per crepe
Servings
  • 2¼ cup (281 g) all-purpose flour 2¼ cup (281 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp (23 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar 3 tbsp (23 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar
  • ½ tsp (3 g) salt ½ tsp (3 g) salt
  • 2 cups (500 ml) milk 2 cups (500 ml) milk
  • ⅔ cup (167 ml) water ⅔ cup (167 ml) water
  • 4 eggs 4 eggs
  • 5 tbsp (71 g) butter, melted and slightly cooled 5 tbsp (71 g) butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • Melted butter for frying Melted butter for frying

For fruit salsa:

  • 1½ cups (247 g) pear, diced 1½ cups (247 g) pear, diced
  • 1½ cups (260 g) strawberries, diced 1½ cups (260 g) strawberries, diced
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 2 tbsp (27 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed 2 tbsp (27 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
  • 1 tbsp (2 g) fresh basil, chiffonade (thinly sliced) 1 tbsp (2 g) fresh basil, chiffonade (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tsp (2 g) lime zest, finely grated 1 tsp (2 g) lime zest, finely grated
  • ⅛ tsp (1 g) salt ⅛ tsp (1 g) salt
  • ⅛ tsp (1 g) black pepper, preferably freshly ground ⅛ tsp (1 g) black pepper, preferably freshly ground

For beurre Suzette:

  • ½ cup (109 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed ½ cup (109 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp (4 g) orange zest, finely grated 2 tsp (4 g) orange zest, finely grated
  • ⅔ cup (166 ml) orange juice, freshly squeezed ⅔ cup (166 ml) orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • ¼ cup (57 g) butter, cubed ¼ cup (57 g) butter, cubed
  • ¼ tsp (2 g) salt ¼ tsp (2 g) salt
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) orange liqueur 3 tbsp (45 ml) orange liqueur
  • 1 or 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments 1 or 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments

For brown sugar whipped sour cream:

  • ¼ cup (54 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed ¼ cup (54 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
  • 3 tbsp (23 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar 3 tbsp (23 g) Redpath® Icing Sugar
  • ¾ cup (188 ml) heavy cream, cold ¾ cup (188 ml) heavy cream, cold
  • ½ cup (125 ml) sour cream, cold ½ cup (125 ml) sour cream, cold
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

Equipment

  • Handheld blender (immersion blender) or blender Handheld blender (immersion blender) or blender
  • Large bowls Large bowls
  • Whisk Whisk
  • Rubber spatula Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups & spoons Measuring cups & spoons
  • Liquid measuring cup Liquid measuring cup
  • Crepe pan or nonstick pan Crepe pan or nonstick pan
  • Microplane or zester Microplane or zester
  • Paring knife and/or chef’s knife Paring knife and/or chef’s knife
  • Medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet Medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet
  • Stand mixer with whisk attachment OR hand mixer Stand mixer with whisk attachment OR hand mixer
  • Medium bowl Medium bowl
  • Pastry brush Pastry brush

Instructions

For the crepes:

Step 1
Step 2

Using a handheld blender, starting on low speed to prevent sprays, blend until the ingredients are just incorporated. Increase speed to high and process until the batter is completely smooth. If using a blender, place all ingredients into the pitcher of the blender and process until smooth.

Step 3

For fruit salsa:

Step 1

In a medium bowl, combine the diced pears and diced strawberries. Sprinkle fruit with the lime juice and toss to evenly coat.

Step 2

Sprinkle in the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, fresh basil, lime zest, salt, and pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or until ready to serve.

Step 3

When ready to serve, spoon fruit salsa down the centre of the crepe and roll or fold crepe over the salsa, or spoon the fruit salsa over folded crepes. 

For beurre Suzette:

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar with the orange zest. Rub the orange zest into the sugar, until fragrant.

Step 2

Add the brown sugar mixture, orange juice, cubed butter, and salt into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet. Place over medium-high heat and cook until sauce begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. The syrup will darken slightly, and the sauce will thicken and become glossy.  Remove saucepan from heat.

Step 3

Pour in the orange liqueur and carefully ignite (optional) with a long match. Alternatively, add the orange liqueur to the pan, and place back onto the heat to simmer; 2 minutes.

Step 4

Turn off heat and stir in the orange segments. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 5

For brown sugar whipped sour cream:

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar and Redpath® Icing Sugar until no lumps remain.

Step 2

In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (chilled), combine the heavy cream and sour cream. Whip on medium until mixture begins to thicken.

Step 3

Add in the brown sugar mixture and vanilla extract. Whip on medium to medium-high speed until stiff peaks begin to form; do not over whip or the whipped cream will be grainy and turn into butter. Cover and refrigerate.

Step 4

When ready to serve, dollop the brown sugar whipped sour cream onto a crepe and either roll or fold crepe over the whipped cream. Or place a dollop of the brown sugar whipped sour cream onto already filled crepes. Best served immediately but can be refrigerated for a few hours.

To cook the crepes:

Step 1

Line a baking sheet or large platter with parchment paper. Have ready squares or sheets of parchment or wax paper to place in between the cooked crepes.

Step 2

Lightly grease a nonstick crepe pan or other pan with melted butter using a heat-resistant pastry brush and place onto medium-high heat.

Step 3

Gently stir the batter before using. Pour about ⅓ cup (83 ml) of batter onto the pan while tilting and swivelling the pan to evenly coat the surface. Cook for 1 to 1½ minutes or until the edges of the crepe begin to lightly crisp.

Step 4

Using the tip of a rubber spatula or a small offset spatula (or a wooden crepe spatula), carefully lift up one of the edges of the crepe. With the spatula (or your fingers), flip the crepe over and cook for an additional 10 to 15 seconds.

Step 5

Carefully slide the cooked crepe onto the lined baking sheet or platter. Cover with parchment or wax paper and a kitchen towel to keep crepes warm. Repeat the process with the remaining crepe batter, lightly greasing the pan after every third or fourth crepe.

Serve warm with desired toppings.

A crepe on a plate topped with beurre Suzette, orange segments, and brown sugar whipped sour cream

Chef's Tip

*Ensure ingredients for the crepe batter and the beurre Suzette are at room temperature before proceeding with the recipes.

*Batter can be made the night before for easy preparation the next day.

*If you have two nonstick pans or crepe pans, use both to save time.

*Make the fillings/toppings while the crepe batter is resting in the fridge.

*Zest citrus fruits before juicing or segmenting.

*Lemon or orange juice/zest can be substituted for the lime juice/zest in the fruit salsa.

*Do not pour alcohol straight from the bottle into the pan, especially if using a gas stove.  Always measure out the amount needed into a measuring cup or glass.

*The liqueur can be omitted from the recipe for those serving children or for those who do not consume alcohol. Add an additional teaspoon (2 grams) of orange zest for a boost of orange flavour.

*When whipping the cream, use heavy cream and sour cream straight from the fridge. Chill the bowl and whisk attachment(s) at least 15 minutes before whisking. 

*For stronger caramel notes, use Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar in place of the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar.