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What to eat in France? Top 15 French Pancakes

Last update: Fri Mar 21 2025
Top 15 French Pancakes
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01

Pancake

BRITTANY, France
4.5
Crêpes
Crêpes infographic
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These thin pancakes are made with wheat flour, and have origins in the French region of Brittany. Although they are a French staple and a national dish, crêpes are so popular that they have spread worldwide since the turn of the 20th century, when white wheat flour became affordable.


These delectable treats are made with flour, eggs, milk, and butter whipped into a thin batter, which is then poured in a crêpe pan and fried. The tradition is to flip them in the air as they cook, and they say that if you catch it in the pan, your family will be well-off for the rest of the year. 

MOST ICONIC Crêpes

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02
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Crêpes sucrées are sweet crepes, a type of very thin pancake originating from France. The term "sucrées" means "sugared" in French, indicating that these crepes are meant to be served with sweet fillings or toppings. They are made from a simple batter consisting of flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt, and sometimes a bit of sugar and butter.


Unlike their savory counterpart, known as "crêpes salées" (or "galettes" in some regions of France), sweet crêpes are usually made with white wheat flour and often have a bit of sugar added to the batter. Sweet crepes can be filled or topped with a variety of ingredients such as powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruit preserves, fresh fruits, nutella, honey, and maple syrup. 

MOST ICONIC Crêpes sucrées

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Nutella crêpes is a popular variation of a sweet crêpe that is generously spread with Nutella, a hazelnut cocoa spread. This indulgent treat combines the soft, warm texture of a freshly made crêpe with the rich, creamy flavor of Nutella, making it a favorite among both children and adults.


A basic crêpe batter made with flour, eggs, milk, a pinch of salt, and sometimes a little sugar and vanilla for added sweetness is cooked on a flat griddle or in a crêpe pan to create a thin pancake. Once the crêpe is cooked to a light golden brown and is still hot, a generous amount of Nutella is spread over one-half or the entire surface of the crêpe. 
04

Pancake

NORMANDY, France
4.5
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Crêpes Normande can best be described as apple pie inside a crêpe. For the filling, fresh, tart apples are browned in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, while the crêpes are made with a combination of flour, milk, eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt.


It is recommended to serve the crêpes topped with whipped cream, accompanied by a scoop of ice cream on the side, and it couldn't hurt to drizzle them with sweet caramel syrup to finish the whole thing.

05
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These delectable crêpes prepared à la flambé are doused in beurre Suzette, a sauce made with butter, caramelized sugar, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and orange flavored liqueurs such as Grand Marnier or Curaçao.


Crêpes Suzette were supposedly invented by Henri Charpentier in 1895 in Monaco. According to his own story, Charpentier—then a 15-year-old assistant waiter working at Monte Carlo's Café de Paris—accidentally set fire to a pan of crêpes he was preparing for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. 

MOST ICONIC Crêpes Suzette

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06
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Crêpes salées, often called savory crêpes or galettes in some regions of France, especially in Brittany, are thin pancakes made from a batter that typically contains either wheat flour or buckwheat flour, which gives them a slightly nutty flavor and a darker color.


Unlike the sweet version (crêpes sucrées) which uses various "sweet fillings", crêpes salées are filled with savory ingredients that may include cheese (often Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental), ham or various types of cured meat, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, caramelized onion, or various herbs and spices. 
VARIATIONS OF Crêpes salées

MOST ICONIC Crêpes salées

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07

Pancake

BRITTANY, France
4.3
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Galettes de Bretagne are basically thin crépes from the Brittany region in northwestern France. These pancakes are made from buckwheat flour, then filled with various ingredients such as eggs, ham, mushrooms, and bacon. In Brittany, créperies are so popular that they outnumber cafés, and people regularly use them to consume their galettes with bits of salted butter.


Traditionally, the pancakes are paired with a glass of local cider. According to a legend, the Bretagne galette was invented by accident, when a farmer spilled buckwheat porridge on a hot surface. Although people usually associate buckwheat flour with a salty taste, buckwheat crépes are extremely nutritious and contain vitamins B1, B2, and fiber that helps in preventing high blood pressure. 

MOST ICONIC Galette de Bretagne

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08
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A thousand crêpes cake—as translated in English—is a classic French dessert consisting of crêpes stacked on top of each other and layered with, most typically, a thin coating of either icing sugar or pastry cream, while the top of the cake is covered in a thin layer of caramelized sugar.


This dense and creamy cake can be prepared with all kinds of different fillings and enjoyed with various fruits, whipped cream, or even ice cream.

09

Pancake

AUVERGNE, France
4.2
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Truffade is a thick potato and cheese pancake, a specialty of the French Auvergne region. The cheeses used in the dish must always be mild, such as Gruyére, or Tomme fraîche de Cantal. Truffade is most commonly served as a side dish, as an accompaniment to steaks or other meat dishes.


In the Dauphine region's version of the dish, tomatoes are typically used instead of cheese. This savory pancake is sometimes garnished with finely chopped parsley.

MOST ICONIC Truffade

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10
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Crêpes beurre sucre is a French dish of crêpes that have a butter and sugar filling. The preparation starts with making the crêpes. Once each individual crêpe is cooked, it is smeared with butter (typically, unsalted butter) and sugar, then folded twice to get a triangle shaped-pancake.


Variations exist. For example, some variations only have a butter filling, and the sugar is sprinkled over the folded pancake, or instead of granulated sugar, powdered sugar is used. Also, once the crêpes beurre sucre are done, they can be shortly cooked in a mixture of sugar and butter for more flavor and aroma. 
11
Pancake
BRITTANY, France
4.1
12
13
Pancake
ILLE-ET-VILAINE, France
3.9
14
15
Pancake
NORMANDY, France
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 15 French Pancakes” list until March 21, 2025, 1,535 ratings were recorded, of which 1,361 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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