Julia Child's French Crêpe Recipe (2024)

This easy French Crêpe Recipe is adapted from Julia Child's basic crêpe recipe, and will walk you through how to make paper-thin French Crêpes at home!

Recipe originally published August 18, 2016. Photos updated May 8, 2019.

Whenever I cook something particularly "fancy"-- I like to impersonate the adorable, the fabulous Julia Child, and declare "Bon Appétit!" as I set the food on the table.

Super fancy food is also a great excuse to sit at the table instead of eating on the couch.

Being an adult is full of baby steps.

Is anyone else here a Julia Child fan?

I am!

I love to watch clips of her old cooking shows online, and whenever I need a French recipe that's guaranteed to succeed-- she's my gal. Her recipes have never failed me, and are always delicious.

This easy French crêpes recipe based on her basic French crêpes, and is sure to leave you with a stack of delicious, ultra-thin French pancakes.

Want more Julia Child? This recipe is based on her crêpe recipes inThe French Chef CookbookandJulia's Kitchen Wisdom.

Need a Gluten-Free Option? Try my gluten-free crêpes!

Are French Crêpes Hard to Make?

No.

At first, you may have trouble getting the crêpe "just right."

Just remember that, as with flipping pancakes, it simply takes a little patience to learn the technique.

With American pancakes, you pour the batter out onto a hot griddle, and wait for one side to finish cooking, and then flip.

With French crêpes, you'll hold the hot pan off the heat with one hand, add the batter with the other hand, and swirl, swirl, swirl.

Coat the entire pan, and then set it back on the heat and let it cook. Then flip, finish cooking, and set the crêpe aside to cool.

Repeat.

And then repeat again.

And again.

Keep in mind, if you have trouble getting thecrêpe "just right," remember that, just like with flipping pancakes, it gets easier with practice.

Do I Need a Special Pan to Make this French Crêpe Recipe?

Absolutely not!

I usually just use a non-stick omelette pan for mine, but sometimes I break out the fancycrêpe pan.

Most recently, my favorite crêpe pan is one of those mini cast iron pans that come with chocolate chip cookie gift packets. It's small, heats evenly, and is just completely perfect for crêpe making!

Can I Use a Blender to Mix the Batter?

I recommend whisking by hand.

Blending the batter will work perfectly fine, but you'll end up with lots of air bubbles in your finished crêpes.

Whisking by hand will help make your crêpes flat through the middle with lacy edges.

Can I Skip the Resting Period for the Batter?

Allowing the batter to rest for at least an hour is supposed to-- in theory-- allow the gluten to relax after you've whisked the batter.

It also allows the flour more time to absorb the liquids.

But if you're pinched for time-- yes, you can skip the resting period. I've done it, and the crêpes I made were still delicious.

If you skip the resting period, your batter just might not be quite as smooth (and you might have more air bubbles in the batter).

Can I Use this French Crêpe Recipe for Both Sweet + Savory Crêpes?

Yes!

Use the recipe exactly as written, or follow the extra add-in directions for either sweet or savory crêpes.

Want sweet crêpe ideas?

Try my favorite— top them with whipped cream and fresh fruit, along with a little drizzle of honey, or try turning them into a chocolate crêpe cake with bourbon!

I also love crêpes with nutella and banana! It's so delicious.

Want savory crêpe ideas?

Try filling your crêpes with this smoked salmon dip from Imagelicious!