Julia Child Crêpes Recipe

Paper-thin. Lacy edges. Buttery and golden. Julia Child Crêpes are the blank canvas of French cooking. Fill them with ham and cheese for lunch. Spread with jam and roll them for breakfast. Flambé with orange liqueur for a showstopping dessert.

Julia covers crêpes in two chapters of Mastering the Art of French Cooking: savory entrée crêpes on pages 191-194 and dessert crêpes on pages 649-654. The technique is identical. The difference is a tablespoon of sugar.

The real secret? Rest the batter. Two hours minimum. The flour absorbs the liquid, and the result is silkier than any batter you cook immediately.

My Sunday mornings start with a stack of these. Lemon and sugar. Simple. Perfect.

What are Crêpes? Thin French pancakes made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk, and butter. Versatile enough for sweet or savory fillings.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Blender-easy batter. One minute of whirring. Done.
• Endlessly versatile. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert.
• Make-ahead friendly. Stack them up, freeze them, use whenever.
• Impressive but simple. Looks fancy, takes basic skill.
• Two recipes in one. Savory and sweet versions included.

Julia Child Crêpes Ingredients

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1. Makes 10-12 crêpes.

Savory Crêpes (Entrée):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup cold milk
• ⅔ cup cold water
• 3 eggs
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 Tb melted butter

Sweet Crêpes (Dessert):

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tb sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups liquid (half milk, half water)
• 2 Tb orange liqueur or Cognac (optional)
• 2½ Tb melted butter

For Cooking:

• 2-3 Tb butter for the pan
• 7-inch crêpe pan or nonstick skillet

How To Make Julia Child Crêpes

Step 1: Make the Batter (Blender Method)

1. Add liquids first: Pour milk, water, eggs, and salt into blender.
2. Add flour on top: Keeps it from clumping at the bottom.
3. Blend 1 minute: At high speed until completely smooth.
4. Add butter: With blender running, pour in melted butter.
5. Scrape and blend again: Quick 2-3 second pulse.
6. Rest the batter: Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Overnight is even better.

By hand: Whisk flour into eggs gradually, add liquids slowly, strain through sieve.

Step 2: Cook the Crêpes

7. Heat the pan: Set over high heat. Add a bit of butter, swirl around. When foam subsides, the pan is ready.
8. Pour and swirl: About 3-4 Tb batter per crêpe. Immediately tilt pan in all directions to coat the bottom evenly.
9. Cook 1 minute: Until bottom is golden brown and edges lift easily.
10. Flip: Loosen edges with spatula, slide under center, flip quickly. Or use your fingers if brave.
11. Cook 30 seconds: Second side never browns as evenly. That’s normal.
12. Stack and repeat: Slide onto plate, continue with remaining batter. Add butter to pan as needed.

Recipe Tips

• Rest is non-negotiable. Two hours minimum. The flour hydrates fully, making crêpes tender instead of chewy.
• First crêpe is a test. Pan might not be hot enough. Call it a chef’s snack.
• Thin batter, thin crêpes. Should be like heavy cream. Add milk if too thick.
• Swirl fast. You have 2 seconds before batter sets. Tilt and rotate immediately.
• Half milk, half water: Julia’s ratio. All milk makes heavier crêpes.
• Never wash your crêpe pan. Just wipe clean with paper towels. Seasoning builds.

Savory Filling Ideas

Make them a meal:

• Ham and cheese: Gruyère and thin ham, folded in quarters.
• Creamed mushrooms: Sautéed mushrooms in cream sauce.
• Chicken and spinach: Shredded chicken, wilted spinach, béchamel.
• Seafood: Shrimp or crab in white wine cream.
• Ratatouille: Fold around warm ratatouille, top with Parmesan.

Arrange filled crêpes in buttered dish, cover with sauce, broil until bubbly.

Sweet Filling Ideas

Breakfast or dessert:

• Lemon and sugar: Squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of sugar. Classic.
• Jam or preserves: Spread, roll, dust with powdered sugar.
• Nutella: Spread generously. Fold in quarters.
• Fresh fruit and cream: Berries, whipped cream, maybe chocolate drizzle.
• Crêpes Suzette: The showstopper. Recipe below.

Crêpes Suzette

The most famous dessert crêpe:

Orange Butter Sauce:

• 4 Tb butter, softened
• 3 Tb sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tb Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Method:

1. Make sauce: cream butter with sugar and zest. Add juice and liqueur.
2. Melt sauce in wide pan over medium heat.
3. Fold crêpes in quarters. Add to sauce, spooning over each.
4. For flambé: add 2 Tb warmed Cognac, carefully ignite. Spoon flaming sauce over crêpes until flames die.
5. Serve immediately. 2-3 per person.

The drama is part of the dish. Make it tableside if you can.

Pan Selection

The right pan makes everything easier:

• Traditional crêpe pan: Low sloped sides, 7-8 inches
• Nonstick skillet: Works fine for beginners
• Cast iron: Once well-seasoned, nothing sticks

Season a new pan by heating oil until smoking, wiping clean, repeating. Never wash with soap.

Make-Ahead

Crêpes are perfect make-ahead food:

• Batter: Refrigerate up to 2 days. Stir before using.
• Cooked crêpes: Stack between waxed paper, refrigerate 2-3 days.
• Freeze: Layer between parchment, wrap airtight. Keeps 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave briefly.
• Reheat: Warm in dry pan for 10 seconds per side. Or microwave.

How To Store

• Refrigerator: Stack between waxed paper or parchment, wrap tightly. Up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Layer between parchment, wrap in plastic then foil. Up to 2 months.
• Keep warm while cooking: Stack on plate in 200°F oven, covered with foil.

Nutrition Facts

Per crêpe (unfilled):

• Calories: 85 kcal
• Protein: 3g
• Total Fat: 5g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 65mg
• Cholesterol: 55mg

FAQs

Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child, Pages 191-194 & 649-654

– Claire