An absolute family classic: our Sunday morning crepes. Sweet crepes flavored simply with pure vanilla extract. We eat them plain with powdered sugar or sometimes with a thin layer of jam inside. If you want to take them up a notch, I’ve shared our orange syrup recipe as well that makes for the most irresistible sauce to soak the crepes in.
Sunday has always been family day in our house. We typically start with a huge breakfast spread (my mom always insists on making much more than needed, just in case my brothers have a huge appetite…which they rarely do in the morning). To this day, even though we all don’t live together, we still make our way to my parent’s house most every Sunday.
And our favorite breakfast to share together? Our Sunday morning crepes.
My dad started making us these crepes since before I can remember. They’re SUCH a treat and one we now usually save for special occasions. The crepes are simple, yet feel fancy and luxurious.
I always have liked eating them plain, with just a dusting of powdered sugar over top. We also sometimes spread a layer of jam on the inside before rolling them up. Which for the longest time I insisted we rolled them with the “browned” side on the inside and the “smooth” side on the outside. My younger self swore they tasted better like this. But, over the years I’ve come to appreciate the beautiful brown pattern.
After a few years, my dad started making them even more special by simmering a simple orange syrup on the stovetop, folding the crepes, and letting them soak in the syrup right before eating. Inspired by the French dish, crepes suzette. I’ve included our simple method for this variation, which is BEYOND delicious.
sunday morning crepes – tips
- Buy a good crepe pan.
- Watch the crepes closely as they cook so they don’t burn. We find that cooking them *just* under the medium heat marker is the sweet spot for our stove. You can always adjust the heat as needed.
- We find the easiest way to get the crepe out of the pan is to flip it out onto a plate. Just take a fork and gently lift one of the edges first to ensure the crepe is fully loosened.
My dad and I also have a little tradition and think it’s absolutely necessary to “test” a crepe before serving. We’ll sneak one of the first ones we cook and share it as we cook the rest of the batter juuuuust to make sure things taste just right (this is always the best bite).
PrintFamily Classics: Sunday Morning Crepes
my family’s classic sunday morning crepe recipe, served plain with powdered sugar or in an orange syrup
yield: approximately 10-12 crepes
Ingredients
Classic Crepes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
- jam, for serving (optional)
Orange Syrup (optional)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup orange juice
Instructions
Classic Crepes
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs to another mixing bowl and beat well. Whisk in the oil, whole milk, and vanilla.
- Pour in half of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until completely smooth (there should be no lumps left). Incorporate the remaining wet ingredients. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
- Add about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a small bowl. Heat a 9” crepe pan over medium heat. Use a pastry brush or a folded paper towel to brush the pan with a very thin layer of oil.
- Once hot, pour a 3-oz ladle of crepe batter into the center of the pan, swirling it around into a thin, even layer. Cook until the edges of the crepe are visily golden brown. Use a fork to lift an edge of the crepe to loosen, and then turn the crepe out onto a plate.
- Cover the plate with foil and keep the crepes warm as you cook the remaining with batter. Roll the crepes and serve with powdered sugar dusted over top. You can also spread a layer of jam inside the crepes before rolling if you’d like.
Orange Syrup (optional)
- Combine the sugar, water, and orange juice in a 12” skillet over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until reduced by half.
- Fold the crepes into triangles and add them to the orange syrup. Let soak for a few seconds before serving.
Notes
While these crepes can be reheated or frozen, I highly recommend eating them fresh out of the pan for the best flavor and texture.
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