Crepes Suzette Recipe

Delicate French crêpes in buttery caramelized orange sauce with Grand Marnier and cognac, with an optional flambé.

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This elegant Crepes Suzette recipe turns delicate French crêpes into a spectacular dessert with a glossy orange-butter caramel sauce and a warm splash of Grand Marnier and cognac. The crêpes can be made ahead, so the final saucing and optional flambé happen in just a few memorable minutes. "All-In-The-Pan" Crepes Suzette

New to crêpes? Begin with my easy basic crepe recipe, or try my gentler Crepes Suzette with orange butter sauce, you can still flame it!

What Are Crepes Suzette?

Crêpes Suzette are thin French pancakes warmed in a sauce of butter, caramelized sugar, fresh orange juice, and citrus zest. Orange liqueur and brandy are added at the end; in the classic tableside presentation, the hot alcohol is ignited and allowed to burn out before serving.

The flame may be what made this dessert famous, but the sauce is the real star. Butter softens the caramel, orange juice brings acidity, and the liqueur adds a deeper bittersweet orange aroma. Folding each crêpe into quarters gives it plenty of edges to catch the sauce.

Crepes are not always sweet, try some savory crepes like bacon, mushroom, spinach, and cheese crepes, or a classic Ficelle Picarde.

Key Ingredients

• Plain flour: Gives the crêpes structure while keeping them tender and thin.
• Eggs and milk: Create a pourable batter that cooks into supple crêpes.
• Butter and golden caster sugar: Form the rich caramel base.
• Fresh orange juice and zest: Supply the bright flavor that defines the dessert.
• Grand Marnier and cognac: Add orange, spice, and warmth and support an optional flambé.

NOTE: See the recipe card for the full ingredients and quantities.

Crepes Suzette Substitutions And Variations

• Orange liqueur: Cointreau or another 40% ABV orange liqueur can replace Grand Marnier. Lower-proof liqueurs may not ignite reliably.
• Cognac: Use another brandy of similar strength, or add more orange liqueur for a stronger citrus character.
• No flambé: Add the liqueur off the heat, return the pan to low heat, and simmer briefly.
• Mandarin variation: Replace part of the orange juice with mandarin or tangerine juice for a sweeter, floral sauce.

Tools For A Confident Flambé

• A 6-inch (15 cm) crêpe pan
• A deep 10-inch (25 cm) frying pan
• A long match or long-reach lighter if you choose to flambé

The deep pan helps contain the bubbling sauce, while a long igniter keeps your hand away from the flame. These are the only specialized tools needed.

How To Make Crepes Suzette

1. Make the batter first. Whisk flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and a little milk into a smooth paste before gradually adding the remaining milk. Rest for at least one hour so the flour hydrates and bubbles settle, helping the crêpes cook evenly without tearing.
2. Heat the crêpe pan and swirl in just enough batter to coat the base. Cook until golden underneath, flip, and briefly cook the second side. Stack the finished crêpes; once cool, they can be refrigerated for a day.
3. For the sauce, gently heat butter and sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve, then raise the heat and let it turn light amber. Carefully add the orange juice and zest-it may bubble vigorously-and cook until slightly thickened.
4. Coat each crêpe in the sauce, fold it into quarters, and move it to one side of the pan. When all are glossy and hot, add the measured Grand Marnier and cognac. Flambé only if comfortable; otherwise simmer the alcohol briefly and serve.

If you would prefer detailed instructions follow my Easy Basic Crepe Recipe in detail.

How To Flambé Crepes Suzette Safely 🔥

• Turn off the extractor fan and move the pan away from towels, paper, and low cabinets.
• Measure alcohol into a small jug. Never pour from the bottle into a hot pan.
• Remove the pan from the burner before adding alcohol, then warm it gently for a few seconds.
• Keep the pan level, stand back, and ignite at the far edge with a long match or lighter.
• Let the flame go out naturally. Never carry the flaming pan or add more alcohol.

If the spirit does not light immediately, do not keep trying over a hot burner. Serve the crêpes with the sauce as they are-the flavor will still be delicious.

Secrets From Judith's Kitchen

• Rest the batter: One hour is the minimum; two hours makes an even more tender crêpe. (Some well-known French chef's do not agree with the necessity for this step.)
• Use fresh citrus: Bottled juice lacks the fragrant oils and lively acidity that balance caramel.
• Stop at amber: Dark caramel can become bitter and overwhelm the orange.
• Coat thoroughly: Warming each crêpe in the sauce keeps its folded center flavorful.

More Crepes Recipes To Make

Serve two warm crêpes per person with plenty of orange sauce. Vanilla ice cream, softly whipped cream, or my easy, delicious crème fraîche recipe, offers a cool contrast. While fresh orange segments keep the dessert bright. Because the sauce is rich, simple accompaniments work best.

Make Ahead And Storage

Cooked crêpes can be stacked, cooled, wrapped, and refrigerated for one day. They also freeze well when separated with parchment and wrapped securely for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

The sauce is best made just before serving, though you can juice and zest the citrus in advance. Serve sauced crêpes immediately; reheating can make them too soft and dull the fresh orange flavor.

Crêpes Suzette Recipe FAQ

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This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."

Crepes Suzette Recipe

Judith Coates

Delicate French crêpes in buttery caramelized orange sauce with Grand Marnier and cognac, with an optional flambé.

Print Recipe Pin

Prep Time 19 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting Time (optional) 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 44 minutes mins

Course Crepes

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Equipment

• A 6-inch (15 cm) crêpe pan
• A deep 10-inch (25 cm) frying pan
• A long match or long-reach lighter if you choose to flambé

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 1 cup plain flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tasteless oil - grapeseed oil, avocado oil
• ▢ 1 cup semi-skimmed milk 1-2% milk

To Make The Sauce For Crepes Suzette

• ▢ ½ cup butter
• ▢ ½ cup golden caster sugar
• ▢ ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice*
• ▢ 2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cognac

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Instructions

 

• Make the batter first. Whisk flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and a little milk into a smooth paste before gradually adding the remaining milk. Rest for at least one hour so the flour hydrates and bubbles settle, helping the crêpes cook evenly without tearing. (Although I have heard very famous French chefs comment that they never rest their batter.)
• Heat the crêpe pan and swirl in just enough batter to coat the base. Cook until golden underneath, flip, and briefly cook the second side. Stack the finished crêpes; once cool, they can be refrigerated for a day.
• For the sauce, gently heat butter and sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve, then raise the heat and let it turn light amber. Carefully add the orange juice and zest, it may bubble vigorously, and cook until slightly thickened. Keep an eye on it during this process.
• Coat each crêpe in the sauce, fold it into quarters, and move it to one side of the pan. When all are glossy and hot, add the measured Grand Marnier and cognac. Flambé only if comfortable; otherwise simmer the alcohol briefly and serve.

Lighting The Flambé

• Turn off the extractor fan and move the pan away from towels, paper, and low cabinets.
• Measure alcohol into a small jug. Never pour from the bottle into a hot pan.
• Remove the pan from the burner before adding alcohol, then warm it gently for a few seconds.
• Keep the pan level, stand back, and ignite at the far edge with a long match or lighter.
• Let the flame go out naturally. Never carry the flaming pan or add more alcohol.

Notes

• Read the instructions carefully for lighting the flambé.
• If the spirit does not light immediately, do not keep trying over a hot burner. Serve the crêpes with the sauce as they are, the flavor will still be delicious.
• I usually allow the juice of 1 orange per person plus one for the pan.
• Adding the juice of 1 lime dramatically alters the flavor in a good way and is worth trying once the basic recipe is mastered.
• Measure every ingredient and fold every crêpe before the sauce reaches the caramel stage. From that point the recipe moves quickly, and pausing can take the caramel from golden to bitter.
• Use fresh citrus: Bottled juice lacks the fragrant oils and lively acidity that balance caramel.
• Stop at amber: Dark caramel can become bitter and overwhelm the orange.
• Coat thoroughly: Warming each crêpe in the sauce keeps its folded center flavorful.

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Nutrition

Calories: 584kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 8gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 222mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 955IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 2mg

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