Honey Crêpe Batter

A successful crêpe batter relies on simple proportions: 250 g of flour, 4 eggs, 500 ml of milk, 50 g of melted butter and a pinch of salt, mixed gradually to avoid lumps, then rested for an hour. Here, a spoonful of lavender honey dissolved in the warm butter replaces the sugar and lightly scents the batter. It makes around fifteen thin crêpes, to serve with a drizzle of honey and some strawberries.

Method

1. Make the honey butter Melt the butter over a low heat, take it off the heat and add the honey. Stir until it has dissolved, then leave to cool until lukewarm.
2. Mix the flour and eggs In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt, then make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into it and whisk from the centre outwards, gradually drawing in the flour.
3. Add the milk gradually Pour in the milk in a thin stream, a quarter at a time, whisking constantly. Adding the milk gradually, to a thick batter at first, is the best way to avoid lumps.
4. Stir in the honey butter Stir in the warm honey butter. The batter should be smooth and coating, with the consistency of single cream.
5. Rest the batter Cover the bowl and leave the batter to rest for 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. Give it a quick stir before cooking.
6. Pour in the batter Heat the pan over a medium-high heat and grease it very lightly with butter using kitchen paper. Pour in a small ladleful of batter (about 50 ml), tilting the pan to spread it in a thin layer.
7. Cook and flip Cook for about 1 minute, until the edges come away and turn golden, then flip the crêpe with the spatula and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute on the other side. Honey colours the batter a little faster than sugar: lower the heat slightly if needed.
8. Stack and serve Stack the crêpes on a plate, covered with a clean tea towel so that they stay soft. Serve them folded into quarters, with the sliced strawberries and a drizzle of lavender honey.

Which honey should you choose?

Lavender honey harvested in Provence, floral and delicate, is a classic with crêpes and strawberries: poured over the warm crêpe at the last moment, it keeps all its fragrance. For a bolder, slightly woody flavour, try chestnut honey, which is lovely with pan-fried pears or apples. In the batter, a single spoonful is enough: any more and the crêpes brown too quickly and turn sticky. Our comparison acacia honey or lavender honey details the nuances of the mildest honeys.

Tips and variations

• For lighter crêpes, replace 100 ml of the milk with 100 ml of water or lager.
• Flavour the batter with a tablespoon of orange blossom water, some lemon zest or a split vanilla pod.
• If the batter is still lumpy despite everything, pass it through a fine sieve or give it a few seconds with a stick blender before resting.
• The first crêpe is often used to adjust the heat of the pan: do not worry if it is less even.
• For a heartier breakfast, alternate with our fluffy honey pancakes.

Storage

The raw batter keeps for 24 hours in the fridge, in a covered bowl. Cooked crêpes keep for two days in the fridge, stacked and wrapped in cling film, and can be reheated for a few seconds in the pan. They also freeze well, separated by sheets of baking paper. Find more sweet treats among our honey recipes.

Frequently asked questions

Why should crêpe batter be left to rest?

Resting allows the flour to absorb the liquid and the air bubbles to rise. The batter becomes runnier and more even, and the crêpes are softer and tear less during cooking.

How do you avoid lumps in crêpe batter?

First mix the eggs with the flour to make a thick, smooth paste, then add the milk little by little while whisking. If a few lumps remain, strain the batter through a fine sieve.

Can you replace sugar with honey in crêpe batter?

Yes. A tablespoon of honey replaces the usual 30 to 40 g of sugar and lightly scents the batter. Dissolve it in the warm melted butter so that it spreads evenly.

How many crêpes does 250 g of flour make?

With 250 g of flour and 500 ml of milk, allow around fifteen thin crêpes in a 24 cm pan, or three to four crêpes per person for 4 people.