Learn how to make perfect vegan crepes! Thin, light, and stretchy with crispy edges, these easy vegan crêpes require just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes! Ready for a crêpe party?
Crepes always make a hearty and easy breakfast since you can make the batter the day before and just cook them in the morning. Topped with fresh fruits or jam in the summer, peanut butter, maple syrup, or chocolate in winter, or filled with stir-fried vegetables for dinner, you can use them in many ways!
As a French, I have been eating crêpes for all of my childhood, and I can tell you these eggless crêpes taste just like the ones I used to love!
⭐️ Why You Will Love These Vegan Crepes
- Easy to prepare with simple ingredients: You will need 5 basic pantry staples and about 20 minutes of active time to prepare vegan crêpes. Plus, they are super fun to make with the kids!
- Spot-on texture: Super thin with the right amount of elasticity so that you can fold or roll them easily. You won’t be able to distinguish these crêpes from the non-vegan ones.
- Perfect for breakfast: The batter can be prepared one day ahead, so you just have to cook the crêpes in the morning. Perfect if you are in a hurry or want a quick afternoon snack.
🥞 What are Crêpes
Crêpes are very thin pancakes that originated in Brittany, a region of France. It is often served sweet, filled with sugar, chocolate spread, or jam, and enjoyed as an afternoon snack.
Traditionally, crêpes are prepared using flour, eggs, milk, and butter. Here, I am sharing a version that is eggless and prepared using plant-based milk.
🥛 Ingredients to Make Eggless Crêpes
Here is everything you will need to make the best vegan crêpes:
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour works great here.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch makes the crêpes lighter and gives them a little bit more elasticity.
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk – You can use soy milk, almond milk, or even oat milk.
- Oil – For richness and texture. If you want a buttery flavor, feel free to replace the oil with melted vegan butter.
- Sugar – You can use regular white sugar, a sweetener, or a refined sugar-free alternative like coconut sugar or maple syrup. Sugar helps with caramelization, giving the crêpes a golden brown color.
- Salt – Just a pinch, for taste.
- Vanilla extract – While optional, vanilla extract makes the crêpes even tastier! Omit if you are planning to serve these crêpes with a savory filling.
- Rum – Optional as well. Add a splash of rum to add a wonderful flavor to your crêpes! You can also use orange blossom water for a more floral aroma.
🥣 How to Make Vegan Crepes
First, start by preparing the crepe batter:
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk to get a smooth batter. I used a combination of milk and water here (for a lighter result), but you can use only milk if you prefer.
- Let the batter rest. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for at least 2 hours. It will allow the crêpes to be more tender and hold up better.
Next, to cook the vegan crepes:
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, pour in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the batter, depending on the size of your pan, and tilt the pan to spread it into a thin and even layer. Cook until golden brown, flip, and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
- Garnish!
Thin and crispy edges are exactly what you want!
🍫 What to Serve with Crêpes
- Vegan Nutella – Or your favorite nut butter. I personally love it with praline paste! It would also be delicious with this Vanilla Chocolate Spread!
- Sugar – Sprinkle with white or brown sugar.
- Fruit jam – Strawberry, blueberry, or even peach jam!
- Chestnut spread – French crêpes are sometimes filled with sweet chestnut spread, which is a spread made from candied chestnuts.
- Pastry cream – Fill the crêpes with vanilla pastry cream and some sliced strawberries for a fresh and fruity dessert!
- Salted caramel – Generously drizzle vegan caramel sauce.
- Fresh berries – It’s also delicious topped with raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries!
- Ice cream – For an even more decadent treat, top your crêpes with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream!
Once filled, you can fold the crêpe into 4 or simply roll it. Personally, I prefer it rolled, but that is up to you!
If you are more into savory crêpes, I highly recommend trying these Buckwheat Crêpes with Creamy Mushrooms!
📗 Tips
- If your batter is grainy: Pass it through a fine-sieve mesh or blend it until smooth.
- Do not skip the resting time: The batter needs to rest to get a good consistency. You can prepare the batter the day before and keep it in the refrigerator. A quick tip: transfer the batter to a clean plastic or glass bottle. It will take up less space in your fridge!
- Use a non-stick crêpe skillet: For the best results, I highly recommend using a Non-Stick Crêpe Pan. Not only will it be easier to cook the crêpes, but it will allow you to get them thinner and more evenly cooked.
- Make sure the skillet is hot enough: Medium heat works best. If the skillet is not hot enough, your crêpes will be pale and doughy.
- Check the consistency of the batter: The batter should be thin enough to spread evenly into a thin layer as you tilt the pan. If it’s too thick, dilute it with more milk or water, you don’t want pancakes!
- The color of your crêpes will depend on: the heat of your skillet, the type of skillet used, and how long you cook the crêpes. French crêpes are usually golden brown, while, for example, Japanese crêpes are paler as they are cooked for a shorter period of time.
💬 FAQ
You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend: Depending on the brand used, you might have to adjust the amount of liquid.
Note: The vegan crepes pictured here are not the gluten-free version.
Pancakes are thicker and smaller than crêpes. Pancakes often include a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. The pancake batter is usually dolloped on the pan, while the crêpes are spread into a very thin layer using a tilting motion.
You can add spices like cinnamon, cardamom, orange blossom water, or your favorite spirit.
Crêpes should have a smooth texture with no holes. If holes are forming when cooking the crêpes, it’s probably because you didn’t let the batter rest long enough and/or your pan is too hot.
You can reheat crêpes in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or in a pan over low-medium heat.
First, stack your crêpes right after cooking and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. This will prevent the crêpes from drying and keep them moist.
To store the crêpes, cover the plate with aluminum foil or plastic film once they have cooled down. You can keep it at room temperature for the day or store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be aware that crêpes are always best served the same day, though.
If you ever wanted to make authentic French crêpes, look no further! You are going to love this vegan crepes recipe! Plus, it’s perfect for serving to kids for breakfast or as an after-school snack!
🍮 More French-Inspired Dessert Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Update February 2022: Recipe has been completely revamped with new photos, tips and instructions.
The Best Vegan Crepes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3 tbsp sugar or coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or your favorite plant-based milk
- 1 and 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1 tbsp rum optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Pour in the almond milk and whisk until smooth. Next, add the water, oil, vanilla extract, and rum if using. Whisk until well combined. Cover with plastic film and let it rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Use a kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil in the skillet.
- Once the skillet is hot, pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the skillet and tilt the pan with a circular motion to spread the batter evenly into a thin layer.
- Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until just golden brown. Loosen with a spatula, flip, and cook the other side for 30-50 seconds.
- Stack the crepes on a plate to keep them warm. You can also cover them with a clean damp kitchen towel to keep the crepes moist and tender.
- Serve warm or at room temperature filled with melted chocolate, nut butter, etc.
Notes
- If your batter is grainy: Pass it through a fine-sieve mesh or blend it until smooth.
- Do not skip the resting time: The batter needs to rest to get a good consistency. You can prepare the batter the day before and keep it in the refrigerator. A quick tip: transfer the batter to a clean plastic or glass bottle. It will take up less space in your fridge!
- Use a non-stick crêpe skillet: For the best results, I highly recommend using a Non-Stick Crêpe Pan. Not only will it be easier to cook the crêpes, but it will allow you to get them thinner and more evenly cooked.
- Make sure the skillet is hot enough: Medium heat works best. Your skillet should be hot enough when you pour the batter. If it’s warm, the crepes won’t cook properly and will be difficult to flip. If the skillet is too hot, you won’t have the time to rotate the pan to spread the batter evenly. I always cook my crepes on medium heat and wait 2-3 minutes to make sure the pan is hot enough.
- Check the consistency of the batter: The batter should be thin enough to spread evenly into a thin layer as you tilt the pan. If it’s too thick, dilute it with more milk or water, you don’t want pancakes!
- The color of your crêpes will depend on: the heat of your skillet, the type of skillet used, and how long you cook the crêpes. French crêpes are usually golden brown, while, for example, Japanese crêpes are paler as they are cooked for a shorter period of time.
- Amount of batter: This will depend on the size of your skillet. If you add too much, the crepes will be thick, heavy, and have a gummy texture. You want thin crepes, not pancakes!
Hey Monika, it should work! Let me know if you try it!
do you do all your own styling and photography? It’s really amazing.
Hey Adam, I do, thanks!
bravo! you could go pro!
Lovely blog, love that you add in macros nutrients too 🙂
Thanks Mish! 😉
Just found this blog and am already in love with your recipes and photography. Great work!
Thanks Allie!
I just made these! With two changes: I substituted extra ground flaxseed for some of the flour, and I didn’t use any oil in my pan. They still turned out great! Served with peanut butter and banana. Thanks for the recipe!
Great! Glad to hear you liked them 🙂
hey thomas!
do you think I can prepare the recipe the day before and cook them in the morning? 🙂
thx!
Hey Maeva,
Yes you can, just store the batter covered, in the refrigerator. You may have to add a bit more water the next day since it will have thickened slightly.
Did you use the exact ingredients for this recipe? By the way, what do you mean by “not great at cooking”?
I just made this and they turned out great, especially for being my first time making crepes! I didn’t use oil in the pan as I have a good nonstick skillet. I subbed tapioca starch for cornstarch, not sure if that’s ok but it seemed to work fine. Definitely trying these again!
Awesome! So glad you liked this recipe! 🙂
Yes, cornstarch and tapioca starch usually act the same in recipes.
Hi Thomas,
These crepes look great and achievable to make – my only question is, what do you think you could substitute for oat flour? I have trouble with digesting oats and would prefer to not use them.
Thank you 🙂
I’m afraid I cannot recommend another flour as you would have to make other changes (amount of liquid, etc) as each flour absorb liquid differently.
Thank you for this recipe – they were wonderful and came out PERFECT!!! I put a beet-applesauce-date compote inside. Delicious! I will be using it in a dinner for 12 next Monday!
Great! Thanks for your feedback Pamela!
Absolutely delicious. My allergy free child & the rest of my family LOVE these crepes. I will add them to our favorites. Thank you!
Thanks Robin 😉
Excellent recipe followed it as written and I now can make GF pancakes that are vegan and taste great. Made them few times and nomming one as i write. I could never get gf ones quite right until i saw this recipe! Thank you.
Thanks so much for your feedback! Glad to hear you liked these crepes 🙂
Do you have your recipe in metric weight measurements?
I don’t for this one yet, but you can look on internet for conversions.
This turned perfect for me, I had to adjust the liquid but the crepes where perfectly crisp and golden brown and tasted delicious with maple syrup / jam / fruits.
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback Chris 🙂
Nice fairly simple recipe. I used gluten free flour instead and worked great. Topped it with powdered sugar. I subbed agave instead of maple syrup and used a bit more (white) rum.
How can I make these savory not sweet?
I would just omit the coconut sugar and remove a tablespoon of maple syrup.
These crepes are amazing! Healthy and delicious! My kids love them and so do I. I make these for my picky eaters several times a week. I’m so happy I found this recipe!
Sometimes I add 1/2 a banana to sneak some more nutrients into their food.
Yes they are delicate but with a good pan and a very thin spatula they turn out perfect!
Thanks for your feedback Eva 😉
Really amazing gf and vegan crêpe recipe! Loved the way they came out.
Glad you liked it Aly!
I’d tried quite a few vegan crepes recipes until I found this, it is certainly the best one. The only backflip is the batter needs to rest, but it is definitely worth the wait. Thank you
Glad you liked these crêpes Maria 🙂 Thanks for your feedback and rating!
I really love your photos and recipes, you’re doing a great job! Made this lovely Crêpes recipe today and turned out so good. I filled my crêpes with favourite vegan cheese violifefoods (chocolate version) and banana slices. Thank you so much, will definitely keep this recipe!
Thanks for your kind words and feedback Jenniffer! 🙂
Very nice receipt. Although it will be nice to learn, it must be made 2hrs before cooking it. I used brown sugar, which changed the color, but the result was delicious.
Glad you liked the recipe 🙂 The 2-hour resting time is displayed at the top of the recipe card 🙂
Amazing recipe. My family love crepe.
Hi!
Why not use buckwheat flour for the gluten free version? That’s the real deal speaking of Normandy crêpes.
I always make buckwheat pancakes, and since buckwheat contains not only more minerals but even all essential amino-acids it is perfect food!
Hi Karlien!
Simply because buckwheat flour is used for savory crêpes. I’m French and have been to Normandy multiple times; I have never seen buckwheat crêpes served with a sweet filling.
You can obviously do it if you want, the crêpes will have a nutty flavor.
This looks really good and easy. I currently can purchase a vegan gluten free spinach and cheese crepe that I love. But with moving soon I won’t have that option. How would you suggest I adapt especially the cooking as I’d like to be able to make a few of these at a time and freeze them for future use.
Thanks.
After cooking the crêpes, let them cool completely and separate each with a layer of parchment paper. You can then transfer them to a large freezer bag or container. This way the crêpes won’t stick to each other and you can thaw just what you need.
Perfection!
Thanks Barbara 😉