Crêpes are made by pouring a thin liquid batter onto a hot frying pan or flat circular hot plate, often with a trace of butter on the pan’s surface. The batter is spread evenly over the cooking surface of the pan or plate either by tilting the pan or by distributing the batter with an offset spatula. There are also specially designed crêpe makers with a heatable circular surface which can be dipped in the batter and quickly pulled out again to produce an ideal thickness and even cooking. A cooked crêpe is a very thin pancake.

 

Common savoury fillings for crêpes include: cheese, asparagus, ham, spinach, eggs, ratatouille, mushrooms, artichoke (in certain regions), and various meat products.

When sweet, they can be eaten as dessert. They can be filled with various sweet toppings, often including Nutella spread, preserves, sugar (granulated or powdered), maple syrup, lemon juice, whipped cream, fruit spreads, custard, and sliced soft fruits or confiture.

 

Crêpes are especially popular throughout France. The common ingredients include flour, eggs, milk, butter, and a pinch of salt. Crêpes are usually of two types: sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées) made with wheat flour and slightly sweetened; and savoury galettes (crêpes salées) made with buckwheat flour and unsweetened. The name “galette” came from the word “galet”, French for pebble, since the first gallettes were made on a large pebble heated in a fire. Batter made from buckwheat flour is gluten-free, which makes it possible for people who have a gluten allergy or intolerance to eat this type of crêpe.[citation needed]
Mille crêpe

Mille crêpe is a French cake made of many crêpe layers. “Mille” (“mil”) means “a thousand”, implying the many layers of crêpe.
A sweet crêpe served with strawberries and whipped cream

Another standard French and Belgian crêpe is the crêpe Suzette, a crêpe with lightly grated orange peel and liqueur (usually Grand Marnier) which is subsequently lit upon presentation.

Cherry Kijafa Crêpes are also often common and are made with a traditional crêpe base, but filled with cherries simmered in a Kijafa wine sauce.

Some chefs insist that Beef Wellington include a crêpe, wrapping the coated meat to retain moisture, thereby preventing the pastry from going soggy.[citation needed]

A common recipe practiced among bodybuilders is what is called a “Bodybuilder’s Crepe”, made with whey protein powder, flavoring, egg white, and other ingredients such as cottage cheese, oats, and peanut butter. They are prepared the same way as normal crêpes are, but can sometimes cook much faster