Traditional French Crepe Recipe

Why not choose a traditional French crepe recipe and start your day with the perfect meal? These light crepes are so very easy to make, and they have the delicious taste of Old France that everyone loves.

Enjoy your homemade crepes suzette for dessert or as a comfort food all on its own. Believe me, your day will seem extra special.

Try Traditional French Crepe Recipes

Allied Cookery (1916)

Crepes Suzette

Mix well 1 pound of flour, 5 ounces of powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, 10 eggs; add 1/4 pint of cream, 1/4 pint of milk, 2 spoonfuls of whipped cream, a liqueur glass of Curaçao and a few drops of essence of mandarins.

Three or 4 tablespoons of this mixture are enough for one pancake. Cook in a pan and when brown on both sides put in a hot covered dish. THE traditional French crepe recipe for serving on special occasions.

Sauce for Crepes Suzette

Cream 1/4 pound of butter, add 1/4 pound of powdered sugar, 3 liqueur glasses of Curaçao, 1 liqueur glass of essence of mandarins, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and 1/8 of an ounce of hazelnut milk. (Noisette de beurre d'aveline.)

Put one spoonful of the sauce in a chafing dish, and when the sauce is hot, put in a pancake, fold it over twice, turn it in the sauce, and serve very hot. Prepare each pancake separately for serving in this manner.

Another Suzette Pancake

Mix 3 cups of flour, 1-1/2 tablespoons of baking powder, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add 2 cups of milk slowly, then a well-beaten egg, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Cook in the same manner as the first Suzette pancake (above) and serve with the following sauce:

Cream together 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, add the juice of 1/2 orange and 1 pony (1 fluid ounce) of Curaçao and 1 pony of brandy. Serve from the chafing dish as described for the first Crepe Suzette.

Baked French Pancakes

Mix 1 teaspoonful of flour and 1 teaspoonful of sifted sugar with 1/2 pint of cream or rich milk. Beat 3 eggs separately and stir into the cream.

Bake in a quick oven (400°F) in 3 large pans. When brown, place one cake on top of the other and spread jam between.

Mom's Favorite French Crepe Recipe

Mom's Recipe Scrapbooks (1920s)

Easy Recipe for Crepes

3 eggs (yolks), 1 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 cup flour. Mix yolks, milk, salt, sugar, and pour one-third of the mixture on 1/2 cup flour and stir to a smooth paste; then add the remainder of the mixture and beat well. To this add 1/2 teaspoon of salad oil.

Pour enough of the batter into a hot-buttered frying pan to just cover the pan. When brown, turn and brown the other side.

Spread with butter and jelly or add fresh fruit such as strawberries, roll up and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Beeton's Traditional French Crepe Recipe

The Book of Household Management (1861)

Recette Crêpe / Crepes Recipe

Ingredients: 2 eggs, 2 ounces of butter, 2 ounces of sifted sugar, 2 ounces of flour, 1/2 pint of new milk.

Beat the eggs thoroughly, and put them into a bowl with the butter, which should be beaten to a cream; stir in the sugar and flour, and when these ingredients are well mixed, add the milk; keep stirring and beating the mixture for a few minutes; put it on buttered pie plates, and bake in a quick oven (400°F) for 20 minutes.

Serve with a cut lemon and sifted sugar, or pile the pancakes high on a dish, with a layer of preserve or marmalade between each. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.

How to Cook Traditional French Crepes

The short YouTube video shows renowned Chef Julia Child demonstrating the proper method of cooking French crepes.

Traditional French Crepes: Frequently Asked Questions

Did you watch the video? Now, choose one of the traditional French crepe recipes and try your hand at making an authentic French dessert.