Whisk, pour and swirl! These vegan crepes are super easy to make, and can be eaten as part of a sweet breakfast or stuffed with savory fillings for an elegant dinner.
I know, fancy, right? Yes but no. Crepes seem pretty fancy and all, almost like extra fancy pancakes, but they're actually really simple, require fewer ingredients than traditional pancakes, and cook faster!
When I was a kid, my brother started spending time at the neighbor's house, and the neighbor's grandma made him crepes. So he started requesting crepes from our mom. She seemed a little annoyed by all this. Who has time for fancy-pants crepes?
It wasn't until I started taking cooking classes in high school that I realized everyone has time. Crepes are really, really easy to make. And yes, that even goes for eggless and dairy-free crepes!
Making a good crepe is all about technique, but once you've got that down, the rest of the process is very straightforward.
I've made a lot of crepes over the years, and I think I've finally perfected my recipe for vegan crepes, so here it is. Super simple, very versatile, and totally delicious.
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What Are Crepes?
If you've never had a crepe before, you're in for a treat! Crepes are basically super thin pancakes that are French in origin. They're flexible enough that you can roll them, stuff them, fold them or stack them up in all kinds of fun ways.
Crepes can be sweet or savory, and served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with different toppings of fillings depending on the meal.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour. Use regular, all-purpose wheat flour. I can't guarantee results with any other variety!
- Salt.
- Non-dairy milk. You can use just about any variety of milk that's unsweetened and unflavored, such as soy milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
- Vegetable oil. You can substitute any neutral baking oil here, such as canola, coconut, or corn oil.
- Maple syrup. Leave this out if you'd prefer to make savory crepes.
- Vanilla extract. Omit this ingredient for savory crepes as well.
- Water. You may or may not need to add some water in order to thin the batter.
How to Make Vegan Crepes
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Keep on whisking the batter until it's completely smooth. You can mix the batter in the blender if you'd like, but I find it's less fuss to do it by hand.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for an hour. You can skip this if you're in a hurry, but the texture of your crepes might not be quite as perfect.
- Lightly oil a medium nonstick skillet and place it over medium heat. Give it a minute to heat up.
- Now get ready to work fast. Pick up the skillet and drop ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter into it, then immediately begin swirling the batter around to coat the entire bottom of the skillet.
- Cook the crepe for a few minutes, until bubbles start to appear in the center, then carefully flip it and cook it briefly on the other side.
- If your batter seemed too thick (indicated if your crepe didn't spread out enough or turned out too thick), whisk in a bit of water before making the next crepe. You can add up to ⅓ cup, but start with just a little — you don't want your batter to become too thin!
Crepes can be tricky! If this is your first time making them, consider doubling the vegan crepe batter so that you have plenty to practice with!
How to Serve Crepes
Sweet vegan crepes are awesome stuffed or topped with fruit, jam, roasted berries, vegan whipped cream, and vegan Nutella.
For savory crepes, fill them with veggies, beans, stews, or your favorite savory sauces.
Shelf-Life & Storage
Store any vegan crepes that aren't being served right away in stacks, with a sheet of parchment paper between crepes. Place the entire stack into a sealable bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Sweet Vegan Breakfast Recipes
- Vegan Pancakes
- Vegan Doughnuts
- Vegan Waffles
- Vegan French Toast
- Vegan Banana Pancakes
- Vegan French Toast Casserole
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
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Perfect Vegan Crepes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the pan
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (omit for savory crepes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (omit for savory crepes)
- Water, as needed to thin the batter (up to ⅓ cup)
Instructions
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Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium mixing bowl, then whisk in the milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk the batter until completely blended.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
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Start with a test crepe. Very lightly oil the surface of a nonstick frying pan and place it over medium heat.
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When the pan is hot, add ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter and quickly swirl it around until the entire bottom surface of the pan is coated and batter takes on a generally circular shape.
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Cook the crepe just until the edges start to pull away from the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Very carefully flip the crepe and cook it for 30 to 60 seconds more on the other side. Slide the crepe out of the pan and onto a plate.
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Adjust the batter as needed. If it seemed too thick and was difficult to swirl, whisk in a few splashes of water.
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Repeat the entire process until all of the batter is used up, adjusting by adding more water as needed. Lightly re-oil the pan as needed between crepes.
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Serve with your favorite sweet or savory fillings.
Recipe Notes
- Practice makes perfect. I always find that as I make adjustments and get into a groove, my crepes get better. The last few of the batch tend to be the best. If you're a crepe newbie, consider doubling the batch size to account for goof-ups.
- This recipe is meant to make 8 crepes, but if you end up adding water to the batter you might get as many as 12.
I made these tonight and filled them with leftovers. Hubby loved them and did not seem to notice he was eating the same thing as the day before! ;) Question--can the batter sit in the fridge overnight before cooking, or must it sit in the fridge for only an hour?
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed them! You can leave the batter in the fridge overnight. Works out great if you make them for breakfast. :)
nice recipe, i like that.
These just didn't work for me at all. Kept sticking. Not sure where I went wrong :(
Did you make sure you were using a nonstick pan? The only other suggestion I could make is to use cooking spray instead of oil - it can sometimes coat more evenly than just oiling the pan.
I used a ceramic pan! I will try again with spray! Fingers crossed
Yeh same I did it all according to recipe but they just stuck and didn´t cook well
These are awesome! I made them earlier and ate them all!!!! I feel so ill now, but I regret nothing!
Haha! Glad to hear it!!
Just made these for breakfast with fresh strawberries and kiwis. Yummy! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Carmen!
These came out great! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed them!!
Making them for dinner tonight. Thank you!
Enjoy!!
I was wondering if these would freeze well between layers of waxed paper?? Thanks.
Yup, the do!
So what’s the water for in the recipe? You don’t state what to do with the 1/3 cup water after you refrigerate the batter.
Oops. I figured out the water. Silly me. Another question, is it necessary to refrigerate the batter before cooking? What would happen if you don’t chill the batter?
You can skip it, but they'll probably have a nicer consistency and be a bit thinner if you let the batter rest so air bubbles can escape and the gluten can relax.
What did you do with the water?
These are just as good as crepes with eggs in them. This will be my go-to recipe from now on!
That's Awseome to hear! Thanks Al!
WOW, these are fan-freakin'-tastic!. I've been vegan for about 4 years, but recently have been getting into baking.. We just got back from France so I wanted to find a vegan crepe recipe. I added vanilla, but NOT maple syrup. The first crepe I stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, onions and Gardein meatballs.. The second one, I used organic peanut butter and vegan chocolate syrup.. with powdered sugar.. as the previous poster stated.. I regret nothing.
On thing, my batter did come up a bit lumpy.. not sure why I used the whisk until my arm nearly fell off.. but it cooked up without lumps..Also, I couldn't flip them with the knife, but I found the slide out of the non-stick pan.. so I flip them by hand.
Yay!! I'm glad you enjoyed them! Both sweet and savory fillings sound delicious! Thanks Thyra!
Can you make them ahead of time and freeze
Yes you can! I've done it, and it works great if you stack them with sheets of parchment paper in between and then slide the stacks into freezer bags.
Do I have to leave it in the fridge for an hr before cooking?
You can skip it if needed, although it does improve the batter's consistency.
outstanding- tasted delicious. I needed the full 1/4 cup water to get the correct consistency. We omitted the syrup and vanilla since we were making savory crepes. Will be my go-to recipe!
Yay!! Glad you enjoyed them!
This was such a yumny recipe! I have been vegetarian for 6 years and have decided to take the final leap and go vegan! I love to cook and bake and these crepes were a definite hit for sweet and savory fillings. Thanks!
Awesome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Jasmine!
Nice recipe but scant. No way would I ever get a dozen crepes - I got 5 including the test crepe in a 9.5 inch diameter skillet. Next time I'll double it. Filled them with a banana cream.
Hmmm...that's strange! Were you measuring out the batter before putting it into the skillet? You should only need 1/4 cup per crepe. If that's not enough to coat the bottom of your pan it might be too thick - add a splash of water. Banana cream sounds like a delicious filling for these!
Is it possible to substitute gluten-free flour for normal flour and still have the crêpes come out well? Thanks!
I'm not sure! I know there are recipes out there that use chickpea flour, but I'm not sure if that would work with this one.
I used buckwheat flour and they turned out great!
These are legit the best crepes. We love crepes and I don't even miss the traditional egg-based crepes with this recipe.
Yay!! I'm so glad you think so! Thanks Heidi!
Crepes are an essential part of Russian cousine so I really missed them when I went Vegan because I couldn't seem to replicate them without eggs. But these... mmm...These are the best I've ever had - vegan or not. They are so delicate and smooth, and I didn't even have to refrigerate them!
That is awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed these! Thanks Lisa!
these were delicious, i made them with macadamia milk and i loved them, thank you!!
I'm so happy to hear that!
Is the 1/3 cup water saved to splash in later if needed?
Yup! Use it to thin the batter (if needed) after making a test crepe.
These were delicious. I made mine with regular almond milk and skipped the maple syrup. So delicious! I am not vegan...yet. So, I had a little ricotta cheese, sliced almonds inside and then drizzled with honey on the outside. This might be my favorite breakfast!
I made these for my dairy and egg allergic 4 year old and they were really good!!
My daughter had one sprinkled with chocolate shavings, one had jam. I had one with sliced banana and another with ricotta. My husband had lemon and sugar and he usually doesn’t like food that is made alternative ways (non traditional recipe crepes) and he thought it was good too.
That's awesome! I'm so glad they were a hit! Thanks Margaret!
These were delicious! They did come out better after I made a couple. I cooked them until bubbles appeared which made them brown a little which I liked. I added a little extra maple syrup to the batter. I spread Nutella on them.
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed them!
after it rested an hour i added water and stirred it in. i ended up with allot of air bubbles in the crepes. should i not stir the batter after the hour rest ?
I usually stir it, but I also like some air bubbles around the edges. If you find the bubbles a bit excessive you could try just stirring very gently.
These are amazing!! Thank you so much! How long do you think you could leave the batter in the fridge for?
I'm glad you like them! This is a guess, but I think it should be good for about 12 hours in the fridge.
Just made these today and they were absolutely perfect. I almost couldn’t believe these don’t use eggs as they had the same texture as the crepes I used to have in my pre-vegan days when I dined out! Had them with some stewed plums and it felt like a real gourmet breakfast 😊 Thanks for the recipe!
would whole wheat flour work for this recipe?
It should, but they won't be as tender. I'd try whole wheat pastry flour, or a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and all-purpose.
Made this for mother's day and they turned out great! Nice and thin and perfect with just sugar and lemon juice.
Hi, how do these compare in texture and flavour to the version with eggs? Especially as crepes are basically like a super thin omelette as they normally rely on eggs so much.
Will definitely be trying this recipe!
They're not quite as spongy as regular crepes, if that makes any sense. I hope you enjoy them!
Being Danish I'd say crepes are way easier to make than american pancakes. Since childhood I've known the recipe (the non vegan version) by heart.
Have tried this recipe twice now (I like my crepes "plain", so no added sweetener or flavoring) and I think it's pretty good. Found that batter from the fridge and a cast iron pan was not a good combo. But if the batter was left out of the fridge until room temperature I had no trouble baking them. Today I tried to let the batter rest for a couple of hours at room temperature - also made for easy baking on the cast iron pan.
I made my own cashew milk and made these crepes on a cast iron pan . They turned out beautiful! My fussy child had 4 w banana and caramelised apples and a chocolate sauce
I am sorry to say but this is just the worst recipe I have ever tried. I tried it twice and both times it kept sticking to the pan, as many people mentioned in their comments. With such recipes I am always wondering if bloggers have actually tried it themselves or just bought recipes on fiverr 🤦🏽♀️
Overall, waste of time!
I'm sorry they didn't work out for you. I develop all of my recipes myself and test them multiple times. As you can see from the comments, this recipe worked out great for many people, so my guess is that the issue is either with your cookware or technique. Make sure you're using a good quality nonstick pan and that it's hot enough before you add batter. Crepes are tricky and take some practice to get the hang of.
Amazing recipe! I’ve been trying for years to find a vegan version that is simple and works, and this is the one! I make it all the time and even the die hard meat eaters (who balk at anything without an animal product in it) line up to eat them.
They don’t stick for me. I use a nonstick pan (not even a nice one, just a cheap one), cooking spray, and I use low/medium heat. I wait until the first side is no longer shiny on top, then I flip for a couple seconds, fold the crepe over, and then brown the outsides. Works great!
Wanted to add that I never refrigerate the batter. I mix it and use it immediately. It works awesome.
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Amazing recipe! I’ve been trying for years to find a vegan version that is simple and works, and this is the one! I make it all the time and even the die hard meat eaters (who balk at anything without an animal product in it) line up to eat them.
They don’t stick for me. I use a nonstick pan (not even a nice one, just a cheap one), cooking spray, and I use low/medium heat. I wait until the first side is no longer shiny on top, then I flip for a couple seconds, fold the crepe over, and then brown the outsides. Works great!
Wow! Thanks so much for this easy crepe recipe! I bought an inexpensive, thin, square pan just for crepes, and it all went off without a hitch! I filled them with a thin layer of vegan butter followed by fresh peaches, a little lemon juice and powdered sugar. Insanely delicious and very easy to do.
We’re definitely going to make a savory version pretty soon!