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My Brown Butter Crepes are a great way to add a little flair to your traditional recipe and show off your culinary genius to your family and friends.
Check out my other crepe recipes: Classic Crepes, Banana Nutella Crepes, Red Velvet Crepes, Apple Crepes, and Banana Foster Crepes.
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Beurre noisette can stop you in your tracks the first time you hear it, but it simply means brown butter in French. It adds a wonderful, subtle nutty aroma and flavor that transforms everything it touches.
That's why we're here: we want to cook something that transforms into a place of bliss when we taste it! These crepes are simple to prepare and can be served with chocolate sauce, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or stuffed with savory ingredients like smoked salmon, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, grilled chicken, and pesto.
The options go as far as your imagination will allow you. These brown butter crepes are a blank canvas for flavor heaven. However, we must ensure that we master the technique.
I will admit that I prefer my crêpes browner than the traditional light brown crêpes, and that's a simple adjustment of lowering the temperature. However, when you're making crepes for a hungry crowd, you need to move quickly and efficiently.
So let's dive into making some French pancakes that you're family can enjoy!
Brown Butter Crepes Key Ingredients
Review the ingredient list to ensure you have everything before you begin making this crepe recipe.
Unsalted Butter
Butter will give the crêpe batter more flavor than oil, and adding brown butter will add a subtle, nutty note that pairs well with the cinnamon.
Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk's flavor adds more richness to these brown butter crepes than milk would.
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
A little unbleached flour makes all the difference — the extra protein helps your crepes cook up light, golden, and easy to flip.
Eggs
Think of eggs as the secret ingredient — they hold the crepes together, add texture, and give them their beautiful golden color.
Granulated Sugar
Using raw cane sugar instead of traditional white sugar adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness that enhances both the flavor and aroma of crepes.
Cinnamon
Ground cinnamon adds a kiss of warmness that's enjoyable and pairs well with savory and sweet fillings.
Oil
Oil keeps crepes tender, while butter can dry them out during cooking.
How to Make Brown Butter Crepes
Making crepes at home isn’t complicated at all, and you don’t even need a crepe pan. Stick to these steps, and you’ll have a batch ready for breakfast, dessert, or whenever the mood hits.
Brown Butter
Heat the butter over medium heat in a small skillet.
Stirring occasionally, until it turns brown and smells nutty, about 3-5 minutes.
Crepes
In a large bowl, whisk milk, flour, eggs, browned butter, sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt until smooth.
Cover and set aside for 15 minutes to let the batter rest.
Cooking Crepes
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with ¼ cup of oil. Pour oil into a heatproof bowl.
Add ⅓ cup of crêpe batter, tilt the skillet, and swirl it in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the outside of the crepe turns golden brown and pulls away from the pan, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the crepe, flip it over, and cook for 15 seconds on the second side.
To serve, fill the crepes with a sweet or savory filling, fold them in half, or roll them up, and repeat with the remaining crepes. Serve crepes with whipped cream, maple syrup, caramel, chocolate sauce, fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana slices, or powdered sugar.
How To Store Crepes
Fresh is always best, but if you have extras, tuck your crepes into an airtight container or bag, and they'll keep in the fridge for about seven days.
To freeze crepes, separate them with a lengthwise piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil. This will help you easily peel each crepe from the others. Then place in a freezer-storage bag for one month. Thaw 24 hours before reheating.
To reheat leftover crepes, place them on a damp paper towel in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, or in the oven at 400°F for 5 minutes, until hot.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes to ensure your brown butter crepes are a breeze to make.
- Don't worry if the first crepe isn't perfect — think of it as your practice round before cooking the remaining batter.
- If you're using a 10-inch skillet and not a 12-inch skillet, use ¼ of a dry measuring cup. I like to use a 3 oz. ladle for my crepes; however, you can use a ⅓ dry measuring cup to achieve the same results.
- I was taught not to refrigerate my batter because it would need time to come to room temperature after being refrigerated. Instead, I cover it and set it aside for 15 minutes.
- You can make these crepes gluten-free by swapping the flour for you're go-to gluten-free flour. My two favorites are Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour and King Arthur's.
- Feel free to use any milk instead of evaporated milk. It may alter the final flavor depending on the type of milk.
- Some savory ideas include cheese, beef bacon, turkey ham, chives, and boursin cheese.
- Feel free to use light brown sugar in your crepe batter, too, instead of granulated sugar.
- You can use apple pie spice, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice in the crepe batter instead of cinnamon.
- Try adding some browned butter to my banana crepe recipe for something with more flavor the brown sugar x banana x browned butter equals FLAVOR!
- Some filling and topping ideas include mascarpone frosting, alcohol infused whipped cream, salted cajeta, and bananas foster sauce. Check my red velvet crepes recipe for a sweetened cream cheese recipe that's simple and delicious.
Brown Butter Crepes FAQ
Here are readers' top questions about making crepes at home.
What is the trick to brown butter?
The trick to making brown butter is patience and attention. Start by melting unsalted butter over medium heat, then continue cooking until the milk solids sink, turn golden, and release a nutty aroma. The key is to swirl the pan often and remove it from the heat the moment it reaches a toasty brown color — this prevents burning. When done right, brown butter adds incredible depth to brown butter crepes.
What is the secret to great crepes?
The secret to great crepes is balance: a thin, smooth batter, proper resting time, and the correct cooking temperature. Letting the batter rest for at least 15 minutes allows the flour to fully hydrate and relax, giving you tender, flexible crepes. Cooking quickly over medium heat ensures a tender crepe with just a golden color. When you add brown butter to the mix, you take crepes to another level with rich, nutty flavor.
Should you put butter in crepes?
You can absolutely use butter in crepes, but oil often makes them more tender and less prone to drying out. I prefer oil (like avocado or canola) for consistent results, but melted butter works well if you're after that classic flavor. For brown butter crepes, you get the best of both worlds — the tenderness of oil plus the nutty depth of browned butter folded into the batter or drizzled on top.
What does brown butter do for baking?
Brown butter transforms baked goods by adding richness, depth, and a nutty, almost caramel-like flavor. It enhances everything from cookies to cakes, making them more complex and aromatic. In brown butter crepes, it adds a gourmet touch that sets them apart from regular crepes — elevating even simple fillings like fruit or chocolate into something extraordinary.
More Breakfast Recipes
If you love this recipe, try my other breakfast recipes.
- Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuits
- Grillades and Grits
- New Orleans Ramos Gin Fizz
- New Orleans Bloody Mary
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Get all ingredients for the brown butter crepes on the counter.
Step 2: Measure each ingredient into its own individual bowl.
Step 3: Follow the recipe and get ready for some finger-licking crepes.
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📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Crepes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour scoop and leveled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tablespoon plus ¼ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh fruit optional, garnish
- ¼ cup powdered sugar garnish
Instructions
Brown Butter
- Heat butter over medium heat in a small skillet, stirring occasionally until butter turns brown and smells nutty about 3-5 minutes.
Crepe Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk milk, flour, eggs, brown butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth, cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with ¼ cup of oil. Pour access oil in heatproof bowl. Repeat process for each crepe. Using more oil when needed.
- Add ⅓ cup of crêpe batter, tilt the skillet, and swirl it in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the outside of the crepe turns golden brown and pulls away from the pan, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the crepe, flip it over, and cook for 15 seconds on the second side.
- To serve, fill the crepes with a sweet or savory filling, fold them in half, or roll them up, and repeat with the remaining crepes. Serve crepes with whipped cream, maple syrup, caramel, chocolate sauce, fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana slices, or powdered sugar.
Notes
- Don't worry if the first crepe isn't perfect — think of it as your practice round before cooking the remaining batter.
- If you're using a 10-inch skillet and not a 12-inch skillet, use ¼ of a dry measuring cup. I like to use a 3 oz. ladle for my crepes; however, you can use a ⅓ dry measuring cup to achieve the same results.
- I was taught not to refrigerate my batter because it would need time to come to room temperature after being refrigerated. Instead, I cover it and set it aside for 15 minutes.
- You can make these crepes gluten-free by swapping the flour for you're go-to gluten-free flour. My two favorites are Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour and King Arthur's.
- Feel free to use any milk instead of evaporated milk. It may alter the final flavor depending on the type of milk.
- Some savory ideas include cheese, beef bacon, turkey ham, chives, and boursin cheese.
- Feel free to use light brown sugar in your crepe batter, too, instead of granulated sugar.
- You can use apple pie spice, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice in the crepe batter instead of cinnamon.
- Some filling and topping ideas include mascarpone frosting, alcohol infused whipped cream, salted cajeta, and bananas foster sauce. Check my red velvet crepes recipe for a sweetened cream cheese recipe that's simple and delicious.
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