Posted by isabel on Oct 10th 2022
Crepes Suzette
Crêpes Suzette
Thin buttery crêpes in a caramelised orange-butter sauce — with the optional (but highly recommended) flambé.
If you love crêpes, and who doesn't, this classic French dessert will become your showstopper. Thin, lacy crêpes are folded into quarters and bathed in a glossy orange-butter sauce made with caramelised sugar, fresh orange juice, and a splash of Grand Marnier. Then, if you're feeling bold, you tilt the pan and set the whole thing alight.
The flambé is optional. The result is not.
This crêpes Suzette recipe stays true to the French original, simple ingredients, clear technique, and a sauce that tastes far more complex than the effort it takes to make.
What is crêpes Suzette?
Crêpes Suzette is a classic French dessert made from thin crêpes served in a warm Suzette sauce, a caramelised butter and sugar syrup flavoured with orange or mandarin juice, zest, and usually Grand Marnier or Triple Sec.
The dish is traditionally served flambées: the liqueur is poured over the pan and ignited at the table, creating a brief dramatic flame that burns off the raw alcohol and deepens the flavour of the sauce.
According to the most popular story, the recipe was invented by accident in 1895 by a young chef named Henri Charpentier while preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo. The sauce caught fire unexpectedly and the happy accident became one of the most iconic dishes in French cuisine.
Ingredients
Crêpe batter — makes 4 crêpes
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Suzette sauce - 2 servings
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How to make crêpes Suzette
Part 1 — Make the crêpe batter
Make the batter. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the egg and whisk to combine. Melt the butter and pour it in, whisking again. Gradually add the milk, whisking until you have a smooth, thin batter. If it looks too thick, add a small splash of cold water.
Rest the batter. Cover the bowl and leave it to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. This relaxes the gluten and gives you more supple, tender crêpes.
Heat the pan. Place your crêpe pan over medium-high heat and lightly oil it with a paper towel. The pan is ready when a drop of batter sizzles immediately.
Cook the crêpes. Ladle roughly ¼ cup of batter into the pan and immediately tilt it with a circular motion so the batter spreads into a thin, even round. Cook for about 60 seconds until the edges look dry and the underside is golden. Flip and cook for 30 seconds on the second side. Slide onto a plate and repeat.
How to flip a crêpe
This is the step that intimidates most people and it shouldn't. A properly cooked crêpe actually wants to be flipped. Follow these three steps:
Watch the edgesWait until the edges curl up slightly and look dry and lacy. That's your signal. |
Loosen it firstSlide a thin, flexible turner under the whole crêpe to make sure nothing is sticking before you commit to the flip. |
One confident moveFlip quickly and decisively. Hesitation causes folding. The second side only needs 20–30 seconds. |
Part 2 — Make the Suzette sauce
Caramelise the sugar. In a wide saucepan or the same crêpe pan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar without stirring until it turns a deep golden amber, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on it; caramel goes from perfect to burnt quickly.
Add butter and orange. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted. Return to medium-low heat, pour in the orange juice and zest, and stir continuously until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Fold the crêpes in. Place the crêpes into the sauce one at a time, folding each into quarters. Let them soak and warm through in the sauce for 1–2 minutes.
What I cook this with
These are the three De Buyer pieces I reach for every time I make crêpes. All handcrafted in France.
Serving and the flambé
The flambé (optional but worth it). With the crêpes folded in the sauce and the pan over medium heat, pour the Grand Marnier around the edges of the pan. Tilt the pan slightly away from you, hold a long match or lighter near the liquid, and let the vapours catch. The flames will be blue and brief, about 20 seconds. They'll die on their own once the alcohol burns off.
Plate and serve immediately. Arrange two crêpes per plate and spoon the remaining sauce generously over the top. Serve at once, crêpes Suzette waits for no one.
Make ahead, freeze, and store
Crêpes keep well. Stack them with a sheet of parchment between each one, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat gently in a dry pan.
Suzette sauce can be made ahead and reheated in the pan before adding the crêpes. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Add the Grand Marnier only when you're ready to serve.
Crêpes Suzette FAQ
Can I make crêpes Suzette without alcohol?
Yes. Simply skip the Grand Marnier and increase the orange juice slightly. The sauce will be a little less complex but still delicious and perfectly suitable for children.
What's the difference between a crêpe and a pancake?
Crêpes have no leavening (no baking powder), much less egg relative to flour, and are cooked very thin. They're meant to be pliable and neutral, a wrapper for fillings and sauces, rather than fluffy and standalone.
Why does my first crêpe always stick?
It's nearly universal: the pan isn't evenly heated yet and the oil hasn't properly seasoned the surface. The first crêpe seasons the pan. Eat it, adjust the heat, and the rest will be perfect.
Can I use a regular frying pan instead of a crêpe pan?
You can, but a dedicated crêpe pan makes a noticeable difference. The low, almost flat sides let you slide a turner under the crêpe from any angle and flip without tearing. The De Buyer carbon steel pan also distributes heat extremely evenly, which matters for a batter this thin.
How do I know when to flip a crêpe?
Watch the edges: when they look dry, slightly curled, and lacy, and the surface of the crêpe is no longer wet-looking, it's ready to flip. On medium-high heat that's about 60 seconds. Don't rush it.
