We make crepes all day, six days a week, so people ask for the recipe more than you'd think. Here it is — the basic version that works at home — along with the small things we do at the cafe that make the difference between a tender crepe and a rubbery one.
The Basic Crepe Recipe
Makes about 8 crepes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- A pinch of salt (add a tablespoon of sugar if you're going sweet)
Whisk the eggs and milk together first, then add the flour and salt, then the melted butter. Whisk until smooth — the batter should be thin, closer to heavy cream than pancake batter. That thinness is the whole point of a crepe.
The Part Most Recipes Skip: Let It Rest
Rest the batter for at least 30 minutes (overnight in the fridge is even better). Resting lets the flour fully hydrate and the gluten relax, which is what keeps crepes tender instead of chewy. It's a step worth the wait — the same reason a made-to-order crepe at the cafe takes about 8 minutes instead of 2.
How to Make Crepes, Step by Step
- Medium heat, non-stick pan, a very light film of butter. Too hot and the crepe browns before it sets; too cool and it turns pale and stiff.
- Pour in about 1/4 cup of batter and immediately swirl the pan so it coats the bottom in a thin, even layer.
- Cook about 1 minute until the edges lift and the underside is golden, flip carefully, and give it 30 seconds more.
- The first crepe is a test crepe. It's always a little wrong. Eat it standing at the stove — that's the cook's tax.
What We Do Differently at the Cafe
At Main St Cafe every crepe is made fresh on the griddle when you order it — thinner and more even than a swirled home pan can manage. And we've been making them daily since 2017 — the sixteen sweet and savory crepes on our menu, from the Very Berry ($14.99) to the loaded Breakfast Crepe ($15.99), all come off that same griddle.
So make a batch at home this weekend. And when you don't feel like washing the bowl, we're at 813 W Main St in Battle Ground — Mon–Sat, 9 AM – 6 PM · Closed Sunday, with a drive-thru if the kids are already buckled in.
