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This crepe recipe, flavored with lemon and served with a tangy and delicious raspberry sauce, is easy to make, and they have the best sweet citrusy combination. Serve these airy crepes for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!
For those looking for more crepe recipe inspiration, you have to make these super easy 2 ingredient crepes, the best blueberry crepes, or my bananas foster crepes.
The Best Crepes
You know those mornings when you wake up and decide, ‘This is not a routine breakfast kind of day’? It could be just me, but here are days when oatmeal or cereal won’t cut it. Sometimes, I need the day to start with bacon and eggs, and other days, it is all about crêpes! So, if you feel that way too, I’ve got just the breakfast to suit our needs: lemon crepes with a side of homemade raspberry sauce.
Crepes have always been my favorite breakfast fare. They’re so light and fluffy and as easy to make as pancakes, and you can fill them with whatever your heart desires. In this case, we’ll infuse them with lemon juice and top them with a simple raspberry sauce, aka the best spring flavors. Tart lemon and tangy raspberry go together like peanut butter and jelly – they’re meant to be!
So, if you’re in need of a decadent, elegant weekend breakfast, or just looking for a pick-me-up at the beginning of the day, keep this crepe recipe on hand!
What Are Crepes?
Crepes are technically pancakes, but they’re not like what you’re used to flipping on the griddle every Sunday morning. They’re a thin, airy version of a pancake. Crepes are also free from the influence of baking powder or baking soda, so they don’t rise up like pancakes do.
Lastly, they can be savory or sweet. Today, we’ll do sweet, but you should definitely try filling them with veggies and cheese, too. Check out this savory French toast for inspiration!
What You’ll Need
Let’s talk about these simple crepe ingredients! First, we’ll go over the lemon crepe essentials, and then we’ll cover what goes into the delicious raspberry sauce.
For the Crepes
- Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Salt: It enhances flavors and balances out the sweetness!
- Milk: Whole milk is best, but you can use whatever milk you’ve got in your fridge. 1%, 2%, etc.
- Eggs: These are the binding agents for crepes. They’ll also add a little thickness.
- Lemon: You’ll need the fresh juice and zest of one lemon.
- Vanilla Extract: For a little extra sweetness!
- Cooking Spray: For greasing the skillet.
For the Raspberry Sauce
- Raspberries: I like to use a bag of frozen raspberries, thawed, but you can also use fresh raspberries instead!
- Lemon Juice: Tangy lemon juice pairs so well with the raspberry flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: Spoon your powdered sugar into the measuring cup so that you don’t pack in too much.
How to Make Crepes
This recipe for lemon crepes will take just a bit to put together, but I promise you, they are worth the wait! Also, they’re quite easy to whip together – most of the time is dedicated to waiting for the mixtures to settle and cool.
- Mix the Dry & Wet Ingredients Separately: Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
- Add Milk: Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes.
- Prepare a Frying Pan: Lightly grease a large frying pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add about 1/3 cup batter to the skillet and swirl to completely cover bottom of pan.
- Cook the Crepes: Cook until edges of crepe curl-up and underside of crepe is golden-brown. About 2 or 3 minutes. Flip the crepe and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Remove crepe from skillet and repeat with remaining batter.
How to Make Raspberry Sauce
While you’re waiting for the crepes to cool a little, you can make this quick and easy raspberry sauce! It’s a struggle not to just spoon it right from the saucepan and into your mouth:
- Mix All Ingredients Together: Combine raspberries, lemon juice and powdered sugar in a saucepan.
- Cook the Sauce: Cook the raspberries until they are broken down and reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve to eliminate any seeds.
- Add to Crepes: Spread raspberry sauce over each crepe, roll it up, and serve.
Recipe Tips for Success
Making crepes is pretty straightforward, but here’s how I get delicious lemon crepes every time I make them.
- Crepe-Cooking Tip: Coat the frying pan with cooking spray in between each crepe – this way each one will be slightly crispy on the outside, and none will stick to the pan!
- Make Sure the Pan Heats Completely: Crepes cooked on too low a heat will stick to the pan. Try to make sure the pan has heated completely before cooking your first crepe, then adjust the heat as needed.
- Be Sure to Smooth Out the Batter: You don’t want any lumps in the batter – smooth, thin crepes are the goal. This might require a good amount of whisking, but it’s good for the arms, right?
- Watch Your Crepes While Cooking: Crepes don’t cook too quickly, but that said, I wouldn’t walk away from the stove. Nobody likes a burnt pancake, and the same goes for crepes! Conversely, don’t flip them too early, as they will probably fall apart. Keep an eye out for those curled up edges, and that golden-brown underside.
Serving Suggestions
Crepes are a filling breakfast, and I serve them with fruit jam, Nutella, homemade sauces, nuts, or whipped cream. If you’re not a huge raspberry fan, you can make the sauce with blueberries or strawberries! Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, and breakfast is ready to be served! This is how my kids eat ’em. Maple syrup is also delicious on crepes.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you’ve got leftovers, save them for another time! I think lemon crepes are best enjoyed the day you make them, but there’s no reason to toss them if you don’t finish them all.
Crepes will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, stored in an airtight container. To reheat them, heat up a frying pan and gently reheat them until warm. Keep the raspberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge, separate from the crepes.
Can I Freeze Crepes?
Yes, you can freeze crepes! Once cooled, store them between layers of wax paper in an airtight container. Freeze them for up to a month, and then thaw in the fridge overnight before eating again, or simply use the microwave.
More Breakfast Ideas
Looking for more easy breakfast recipes to make? Here are some of my favorites:
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
- Healthy Breakfast Fruit Pizza
- Spinach and Feta Puff Pastry Breakfast Tart
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Lemon Crepes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Lemon Crepes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 whole lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- cooking spray
For the Raspberry Sauce
- 16 ounces frozen or fresh raspberries, thaw if frozen
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Lemon Crepes
- Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
- Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes.
- Lightly grease a large frying pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat.
- Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover bottom of pan.
- Cook until edges of crepe curl-up and underside of crepe is golden brown. About 2 or 3 minutes.
- Flip the crepe and continue to cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove crepe from skillet and repeat with remaining batter.
- Coat pan with cooking spray in between each crepe.
For the Raspberry Sauce
- Combine raspberries, lemon juice and powdered sugar in a saucepan.
- Cook until raspberries are broken down and reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain through sieve to eliminate seeds.
- Spread about a tablespoon of the warm raspberry sauce over each crepe and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Missing sugar (added 2 Tbsp) Otherwise, they tasted like soured milk (which, even buttermilk pancakes have a little bit of sugar in the dough to balance the sourness). Honestly, they tasted like something was accidentally missing in the ingredients list.
Recipe was awful as is… The crepes tasted like sour milk (which, usually adding lemon juice to milk is designed for this in some recipes) and were inedible, even with the sauce. Adding 2 Tbsp of powdered sugar to the mixture seemed like the missing ingredient to balance the sourness added by the lemon.