I must give my 86-year-old Grandmother all of the credit for this crepe recipe. This is her signature breakfast dish that she is kind enough to make for our entire family (all 25 of us) each time we get together.
Our family has gotten so big that in recent years she got smart and started working on making our crepes weeks in advance. So she now brings big frozen pre-made batches of this delectable dish to satisfy everyone’s cravings, which means she can spend less time in the kitchen and more time playing with all of her great-grandkids!
All I did was slightly modify my grandma’s recipe to include whole-wheat flour and honey instead of sugar. I am thrilled to say that those minor changes barely changed the consistency of the batter, and the end product still tastes delicious.
While I grew up eating these crepes for breakfast (there is only a tablespoon of sweetener in the whole batch) I think they are just as fabulous as a dessert, too. If you want to serve them for an after dinner treat try rolling them up with strawberries and whipped cream inside and top them with chocolate sauce. Alternately, you could put baked apples (seasoned with butter, honey and cinnamon) inside too. The possibilities are endless!
One last thing, I am not going to lie and say this is recipe is “easy” like most of the others I have posted. Making good crepes does take time and practice, but I assure you that it will be worth the effort if you just have a little bit of patience until you get it right. And be prepared to throw a few mangled ones out if it is your first time making them.
Also, this is by far my oldest daughter’s most favorite breakfast and just the four of us will devour an entire batch. So if you want to impress your guests with this dish you may want to double the recipe (and once you get really good you could try to have two pans going at once).
Good luck and enjoy!
Whole-Wheat Crepes
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter melted, + extra for cooking
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in blender and mix well. Let stand about 15 minutes.
- Melt and swirl around a small pat of butter in an 8 or 10-inch frying pan over medium heat.
- Angle pan and pour enough batter on one side to thinly and evenly cover the pan. Very quickly swirl the batter around to cover the pan in one thin layer.
- Immediately use your cooking spatula to push down the thin edges of the crepe around the perimeter.
- After about 1 minute (and once it is golden brown on the bottom) carefully flip it over without tearing the crepe.
- Fry for 1 more minute on the other side (until it is golden brown as well) and then roll up each crepe.
Serve with 100% pure maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Here are pictures of each step. Click if you wish to enlarge…
When I saw your note about a couple changed ingredients I thought, I knew Grandma didn’t use whole wheat!
Thank you for helping make breakfast both delicious and healthy. This recipe made my day—came out perfect!
Can I substitute milk with coconut or almond milk?
Hi, some of our readers have successfully made them with almond milk. – Nicole
Excellent recipe. I do add a bit of white flour as well but I love how soft they are.
I tried using coconut flour and it failed. Any recommendations on using with coconut flour?
Hi Faith, we have not yet tried to adapt different flours in this recipe yet. We’ve heard from other readers that they have successfully made them with gluten-free flours. It might just take a bit of practice. – Nicole
I made these a few weeks ago when short on groceries and there was no fruit left for afternoon snacks. I had no problem with the crepes sticking or breaking. I gave some to my husband while he worked and later asked him how they were and he said they were very tasty. We had them with maple syrup. Will continue to use this recipe for healthier crepes! Thank you!
These were perfect! My daughter wanted to make crepes and I wanted a healthier option!. She filled hers with sweet and I went savory!
That’s great! We love that they are so versatile. – Nicole
I doubled the recipe this time and have a few leftover. How is the best way to store them?
I would stack them between wax paper or paper towel and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 4 months in an airtight container. – Nicole
Came out nice at once! Very good recipe with correct proportions!
OMG CAN I JUST SAY, THESE WERE THE BEST! Although I used almond milk, it was delicious! I will make them again ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much
I’ve made this recipe for years. It’s great. Try adding cocoa powder for extra special chocolate crepes.
I LOVE this recipe
Weird question, but what if you don’t have a blender? Mine just broke. Could I mix these by hand or would that overmix them (in order to get all the ingredients together)? Or would a food processor work? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
We made these with a gluten free flour mix and maple syrup instead of honey in the batter. They were great and fun to make with my 6 year old daughter! The 1st one was a wrinkled mess but I got the hang of it after that.
My family loved these!!! Have you tried making the batter the night before and putting it in the fridge? Wondering how that might affect the batter.
That would work just give it a stir before using!
Can i substitute butter for coconut oil?
You can. :)
So good. I like my crepes thin so I added a little more H2O. I used half and half for milk. Those were the only tweaks I incorporated. The best crepes I ever made!
Hi- great healthy recipe. Can I substitute milk with almond milk or low fat milk?
I use almond or coconut milk.
These were delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ll definitely make them again!
I made these with whole wheat pastry flour and I like them even better than white flour crepes! Will definitely make these again and again. Thanks!
How many should this make?
Hi there. I usually get 10-12.
I made these for Sunday brunch with my mom and they were delicious! Instead of topping with maple syrup, we experimented with fillings! I tried almond butter with apple, which was good, but my favorite by far was Greek yogurt with strawberries, which I would highly recommend! It was almost like eating dessert for breakfast!
Any tips on freezing these crepes?
Hi. This might help: http://www.tasteofhome.com/cooking-tips/breakfast-brunch/freezing-crepes.
I am thinking of making cannelloni same method without honey, do u think i can keep them in the freezer?
Yes. :)
I haven’t tried it with this recipe exactly, but a life hack I just discovered is making crepes on a non-stick griddle. All you do is put down some butter and then you add your batter and move the griddle around to spread the batter. You can make two smaller ones at a time or 1 really large one. We have a nonstick ceramic griddle (Oster brand, plug-in kind).
Turned out perfectly! I used Coconut Oil spray instead of butter to fry the crepes.
Wow, these are delicious! We just recently made the switch from white flour to whole wheat flour and I cant even tell the difference. They are so yummy! Thank you!
Had this today. Fabulous!
These crepes are the best! Being whole wheat even my kids enjoy them ☺️ . How long can these be kept in the refrigerator?
Thank you.
Hi there. I’ve kept them up to 5 days.
My husband and I were craving to have good crepes after having the best on the streets of Paris.
This recipe was even better..Thank you for sharing your family recipe.
These are amazing! Even without the butter and salt. Thank you!
this was awesome !
even 100% whole wheat so tasty.
thank you
Can you give freezing instructions?
Hi. I use ziplock bags and parchment separating each crepe. Remove as much air as possible.
This is now my go-to crepe recipe, and I’ve made it at least 8-10 times. We often have them with a homemade dark chocolate hazelnut spread! However, I always get a slurry of flour at the bottom of my blender. Is there a way to prevent this other than re-mixing the batter between each crepe? Maybe a different brand of whole wheat flour?
Hi. I use a hand mixer and do not have that issue. :)
Me and my family loved them! Thank you so much!
Hi, just wanted to mention, I liuked ths blog post.
It was helpful. Keep on posting!
These were delicious and my kids gobbled them up!
These crepes are fantastic! I used canola oil on the pan rather than butter. It just made it easier to keep the crepes from sticking. Filled them with bananas and Jason’s Hazelnut Butter. SO GOOD!
Just made these tonight, and they were delicious! Thank you so much! We’ve just been recently making the switch to use whole wheat flour in our home instead of white whenever possible. Been working out great so far!
Once frozen, what is the best way to defrost and reheat these?
Hello. I defrost them on the counter overnight. You can reheat them in a skillet or in the oven.
Does this recipe make 25 crepes? I assumed 25 because you mentioned you were a family of 25!
Hi Joy. No, this recipe makes about a dozen crepes. :)
Thanks for finally writing about >Recipe: Whole-Wheat Crrepes
(for breakfast orr dessert!) – 100 Days of Real Food <Liked it!
I tried scrolling through the comments, but there are just too many!! Has anyone tried using water instead of milk? We have a household full of different allergies and can’t do milk or milk substitutes. Just wondering if water has been a successful replacement and if so, 1 cup? More? Less?
Hi there. We’ve not tried with water so I can’t advise about turn out. I fear it would be too thin.
Are we to use the wheat pastry flour that she loves so much?
Hi. Lisa did not use pastry flour in this recipe but it should work.
This is the best crepe recipe I have tried, and the healthiest! I’m impressed.
Can you use almond or coconut milk and flour?
We’ve not tried adapting this recipe. Let us know if you give it a try.
I added half a teaspoon of cinnamon – yum!
What kind of on are you using, I see is stainless steel, somehow mine stick to that. Any secrets?
I use my well loved cast iron pan and they come out perfect every time.
I’ve tried freezing crepes before and they end up sticking together. Do you have a trick for freezing? Thanks!
Hi. I use wax paper to separate. :)
I freeze mine in a single layer on a silicone baking sheet, once frozen peel them off and then put them all in one freezer bag.
Are these freezable? Or at least could be saved for the next day? I want to make them for my kids lunch box!
I made it with spelt and coconut sugar (that’s what I had at home) came out great!!!
Hi. They are good the next day and can be frozen. :)
If you leave out the vanilla and honey (or maybe just less honey), could you make savory crepes? Maybe filled with cheese, bacon, and spinach, etc? Has anyone attempted that? I wanted to ask before I tried!
Hi Courtney. Yep, it will work for savory crepes as well.
If you leave out the vanilla and honey (or maybe just less honey), could you use it to make savory crepes? I’m thinking fill it with cheese, spinach, bacon, etc.? I wanted to see if anyone else had tried it before I attempted it!
You could probably skip the honey and add herbs of choice. Cook with olive oil instead of butter. You could use Greek yoghurt and chopped veggies and/or bacon
While eating whole wheat crepes for dinner, my daughter came up with the idea of a crepe bar for her next birthday party. Different fruit, whipped cream and possibly even homemade chocolate sauce for guests to make their own (in liu of birthday cake of course). The crepes, would be paired with farmer’s market bacon/sausage and smoothies, YUM! Reminded me of your s’mores bar, but actually doable for a January birthday, LOL
Oh wow, I just tried these, and the remained whole and didn’t break, and they were amazing! Thanks for the recipe, will definitely use it again :)
I like them filled with cottage cheese mixed with one egg, little bit of honey with some preserves drizzled over the filled crepes (especially blueberry or bumbleberry!)
I have never made crepes before but I found this recipe very easy to prepare. Although they do take time, are they ever worth it! I served them with frozen blueberries and your homemade whipped cream (which I could eat all by itself!). I followed directions exactly except didn’t tilt pan when adding batter and they turned out perfectly from the very start. I did use a non stick pan. I will be making these for my daughters when they come home from school.
This recipe is delicious, I switched to this recipe from my German crepe recipe, which has more eggs and milk. I love the vanilla and honey! I also add ground chia seeds and replace the butter with olive oil. Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe! I make these for breakfast when my daughters have friends over for a sleepover. Their our favorite!
Liked the nutritional aspect of using 3 eggs (other recipes I’ve tried only use 1 or 2). More protein for my growing daughter. Used half wholemeal, half white flour and you couldn’t even tell them apart from regular crepes with just white flour. Used olive oil, not butter. Not sure I’d use the 3/4 c water though (why water?), probably will use 1/2 c extra milk instead next time, will also make the mixture less runny. And used an electric beater, not a blender (easier to clean up). Was looking for how many servings this recipe makes before I started, would have been helpful to know beforehand.
I tried this recipe and make some changes. I used egg beaters instead of eggs and skim lactose free milk and they came out pretty good. I’m the only one in the house that eats this and I have extra mix. My question is: can I place the mix in the fridge or is better if I make the crepes and freeze them?
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe and for response
Hi. Sorry that we are rarely able to answer recipe questions in real time. Since there is no leavening agent in the batter, they will work fine the next day when kept in the fridge. :)
I made these this morning. They were great. I used fat free milk. Th e batter was a little watery. The ones I used to make were more like a thin paste so I thought I messed up the recipe but nope. These were really good. Thanks.
Don’t throw the mangled ones out! Slice them into strips (freeze if not using right away) and you have noodles for your next bowl of soup!
I grew up on crepes in lieu of thick pancakes. Spread with light layer of your favorite fruit jam (mine is apricot), roll up and dust with icing sugar! I dare you to have just two!
sounds amazing.. Is there a way to make this gluten free?
Hello Melisa. We’ve not made these gluten free but you could experiment with a gluten free flour. These might help: http://glutenfreegirl.com/2013/02/how-to-make-a-gluten-free-whole-grain-flour-mix/ and http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-gluten-free-whole-grain-flour-blend-2-lb. ~Amy
I made these this morning with some modifications based on our dietary restrictions (GF/DF). I used a GF flour blend (this one is my favorite – I keep a canister of it in the pantry: http://injohnnaskitchen.com/johnnas-favorite-gluten-free-flour-blend/), hemp milk in place of the whole milk and the water, grapeseed oil in place of the oil. They turned out great!
Grapeseed oil in place of butter. Oops ;)
These were incredible! I made them on a whim bc I have a ton of pears that need to be used up, so I cooked them with cinnamon and honey and put inside the crepe…amazing! This recepie is definitely my new go-to! Thank you!
I love this recipe!! Mine came out a little rubbery, any suggestions? Could it be the fact that I substituted agave for honey?
Hi Lauren. Be sure not too over-mix, pour too thickly, or skip the “resting” step. Each could cause a more rubbery texture. ~Amy
What kind or whole wheat flour do u recommend?
Hi there. Lisa typically uses King Arthur brand. :)
I didn’t read through all of the comments, so someone may have already mentioned this. But, I make whole wheat crepes for my kids’ lunches all the time (minus the vanilla and honey). They like peanut butter and banana or spinach and cheese. For pb&b, I have found it is easiest just to spread peanut butter on the crepe and roll up a whole banana inside. They love it!
Hi guys
These are honestly the best creeps I’ve made. From day one I’ve frozen them, I just add plastic layer between each crepe so it easy for the kids to remove and warm up when they want them(which is almost all the time). Honestly, they could have them for breakfast, lunch and supper.
I make them on a tawa(Indian frying pan) and I have no problem getting them perfectly shaped.
Thanks again for an amazing recipe
Fatima- south Africa