Best Sourdough Crêpes (No Crêpe Pan Needed!)

This light, tender sourdough crêpes recipe uses leftover sourdough discard or active sourdough starter. Just blend, chill, and cook in a non-stick pan for classic French-style pancakes. No special crêpe pan needed!

If you’ve made my fluffy sourdough pancakes, these sourdough crêpes are their lighter, elegant counterpart.

But don’t be fooled: blending the batter is easy. Flipping them? Not so much. The first one might tear. The second? Like folding a corner bedsheet. By the third, you’ll be in business (watch my video). This recipe works with both sourdough discard and active starter, making it a flexible favorite in my evolving collection of sourdough discard recipes.

I’ve got an arsenal of tips ahead, so read carefully. Crêpes take practice. Then enjoy your first one straight from the pan- folded, rolled, or plain- because that subtle tang and crispy, butter-fried edges are nothing short of addictive.

How To Make Sourdough Crêpes {Step-By-Step Recipe}

Below you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions. For a deeper understanding, read my comprehensive notes, tips and expectations in the next section. Scroll to the end for a printable recipe.

Step 1: Make The Batter

To a blender: add melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, water, eggs and sourdough starter. Blend for 10-15 seconds tops. Make sure your melted butter is cool (not hot) otherwise it will clump together with the flour. Pour the batter into a bowl, cover and chill for 1 hour.

What should the Crêpe batter look like?

After blending, the batter is thin and watery. After chilling, it thickens only slightly into a more creamy consistency (but still thin). You’ll know it’s right by how the batter moves in the pan: it should swirl easily to coat the bottom. Think: red wine dripping down the sides of a glass. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or milk to loosen the texture.

Tip: You can ferment this crêpe batter overnight. In the morning, add more liquid if it has thickened too much. I like to take a before and after pic on my phone to note the difference in texture for reference.

Step 2: Cook Your Crêpes

• Get your pan nice and hot- medium heat is fine. Add the butter. When it sizzles, pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan in a swirling motion (doing so creates those gorgeous, golden lines underneath).
• Then, immediately lift up the pan and tilt it around so the batter evenly coats the bottom.

• Return the pan to the heat. Lower the temp. if needed. Cook on one side until the surface is completely set, about 1-2 minutes. Then flip it over. I like to lift up the edges of my crêpe with my fingertips, then slide my spatula underneath to flip.
• Repeat to cook the rest of the crêpes, buttering the pan in between each one.

Tip: As you continue to cook, some people like to use parchment paper in between their crêpes to prevent sticking. However, I’ve found this step to be extra work. If your crêpes are cooked through, sticking shouldn’t be an issue.

Photography & food styling by Saltwater Studio.