Crêpes Suzette, original & easy French recipe
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Crêpes Suzette sound like “fancy” Michelin-starred cuisine at first, but they are really easy to make at home! If you love this famous French dessert as much as I do, I’ll show you how to make the perfect sauce with fresh oranges and bring that real French bistro feeling straight into your kitchen, with or without flambéing!
In this article
There are recipes that are simply timeless, and Crêpes Suzette are definitely one of them for me! I almost always order them in restaurants when I see them on the menu.
For a long time, however, I didn’t dare to make them at home – but it’s actually so easy. Now I often make them when I have visitors. Flambéing them directly at the table always gives the whole thing that absolute wow effect!
What are Crêpes Suzette?
Crêpes Suzette (pronounced Krep Soo-ZET) is a classic French way to prepare crêpes. The homemade crepes are served in a caramelized sauce made with orange zest and fresh juice and then usually flambéed with Grand Marnier or Cointreau. They are a classic dessert of French cuisine!
Why do we call them “Suzette”? There are many legends! The most famous one says that a young waiter accidentally set fire to the sauce for the English Crown Prince (later Edward VII) in 1895. The lady present, named Suzette, eventually gave the dish its name.
Well, I don’t know if that legend is true 😉. Regardless, the recipe for Crêpes Suzette is traditionally attributed to the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier around 1890–1896.
My tip: If you want to leanr how to make the perfect crêpes, have a look my detailed article on French crêpes.
The Ingredients for Crêpes Suzette Sauce
The Suzette sauce consists of a caramel that is refined with orange zest and juice. This is what you should look for in the ingredients:
- Crêpes: Crêpes are thin French pancakes. You’ll find my detailed crêpe batter recipe or in the recipe card.
- Butter and sugar: The basis for your caramel. Use granulated sugar and unsalted butter.
- Orange zest: It is best to use an organic orange. Peel off thin strips with a peeler and cut them into wafer-thin zests with a knife. Use no more than a quarter of a peel so that the sauce is not too bitter.
- Orange juice: I always squeeze the juice fresh (approx. 1/3 cup or 100 ml). If it gets too sweet, a squeeze of lemon juice helps to balance it out.
- Grand Marnier (or Cointreau): The grand finale! Grand Marnier features a base of fine cognac and bitter orange, offering an incredible depth of flavor. In contrast, Cointreau is crisp, vibrant, and slightly sweeter. For a more traditional, robust profile, a quality Cognac works beautifully as an alternative.
5 Tips for the Perfect Crêpes Suzette
Before we get to the recipe, here are my 5 most important tips to get a nice thick orange sauce with lots of flavors!
- Do not stir the sugar: Spread the sugar evenly in the pan and do not stir it while it is melting. This way it caramelizes most beautifully and evenly.
- Let reduce: Allow the sauce to reduce until it takes on a wonderful syrupy consistency and covers the back of a spoon.
- Work quickly: Dip the crêpes very briefly on both sides in the sauce so that they take on flavor but keep their shape.
- Prepare in portions: Always work per “batch” and don’t put more than 4 crêpes in the pan at a time. This way they all have enough room in the sauce.
- À la minute: Crêpes Suzette taste best when fresh. Serve them immediately, as long as they are hot and fragrant when they come out of the pan
👉 Recipe card
Crêpes Suzette, original & easy French recipe
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Ingredients
For the crêpe batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (250ml)
- 1 tbsp melted butter (15g)
For the Suzette sauce:
- 1/4 cup sugar (50g)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (60g), cut in cubes
- 2 oranges organic (juice and zest)
- 1 oz. Grand Marnier Cointreau, or Cognac (≈3 cl)
Instructions
Prepare the crêpes
- Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs and milk, and whisk everything vigorously into a smooth batter. Finally, fold in the melted butter. Let the batter rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Heat a crêpe pan or a large skillet. Melt a little butter in it, and cook the crêpes one by one for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Then set them aside. (Check out all my tips for perfect crêpes here, too.)
The Suzette Sauce
- Use a vegetable peeler to carefully remove the zest from one orange and cut it into very thin strips. Squeeze both oranges to extract about 1/3 cup or 100 ml of juice.
- Spread the sugar in a thin layer in a large skillet. Melt it over medium heat until it turns a light amber color. Then add the butter and stir quickly.
- Add the orange juice and zest. If you don't want to flamb the crêpes, add the Grand Marnier at this stage or leave it completely out. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until it thickens to a syrupy consistency and coats the back of a spoon.
- Fold the crêpes into quarters and dip them on each side in the sauce. Let them soak in the sauce for about 30 seconds so they absorb it.
- Flambé (optional): Finally, add the Grand Marnier or Cointreau, heat for a few seconds, and then carefully light it. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
How To Flambé Crêpes Suzette Safely
Flambéing is the moment that makes this classic dessert special! I know that many of my friends get a real fright at first, but don’t worry: if you follow a few simple rules, it’s absolutely safe and even really fun.
- Turn Off the Hood: This is the most important step! Always turn off your stove’s extractor fan before you start. If the flames reach the grease filters, it could spark a kitchen fire.
- Never Pour Directly from the Bottle: Don’t pour your liqueur straight from the bottle into the hot pan. This can cause the flame to travel up the stream and into the bottle. Instead, measure the alcohol into a small glass first.
- Keep Safe Distance: Make sure there are no flammable objects nearby (like dish towels or curtains). Use a long-reach lighter or a long fireplace match to carefully light the alcohol at the edge of the pan.
- Keep a Lid Within Reach: Always have a lid that fits your pan standing by. If the flame gets too high or you feel uneasy, simply place the lid over the pan. It will instantly extinguish the flames by cutting off the oxygen.
How To Serve Crêpes Suzette Like in a Restaurant
Here are a few tips on how I like to serve my Crêpes Suzette:
- Serve: Serve two to three crêpes per person on a warmed plate if possible.
- Sauce: Drizzle generously with additional sauce and garnish with the fresh orange segments.
- Ice cream: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to create a nice contrast between the cold ice cream and the warm orange-caramel sauce.
And what main course goes with it? Try my Galettes Bretonnes, these are the classic, savory French crêpes made from buckwheat flour!
Frequently Asked Questions – Crêpes Suzette
It is pronounced Krep Soo-ZET (the ‘z’ like a soft ‘s’).
In France, we usually use Grand Marnier or Cointreau to flamb the crêpes Suzette as they are both orange liqueurs with a cognac base and they match perfect with the sauce. If you like it stronger, you can also use pure Cognac.
Normal crêpes are the basis. “Suzette” describes the special sauce made from caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice and flambéing with an orange liqueur.
No, you don’t necessarly have to! The sauce tastes fantastic even without flambéing. The alcohol will largely evaporates when flambéing or if you add it early enough in the sauce, but for children or guests who don’t want alcohol, you can leave it out completely.
To accompany your Crêpes Suzette perfectly, I recommend a wine that harmonize with the sweetness and fruity citrus notes. Here are my favorites:
– Champagne or Crémant: This is my absolute favorite! A semi-dry (demi-sec) Crémant goes particularly well here.
– Cidre Doux: A sweet French apple cider is a great, lighter alternative. The fruity apple note goes perfectly with the orange flavor.
– Dessert wines: If you like it classic, you can choose a noble sweet wine from France such as a Sauternes or a Muscat.
Hi! Enjoying your recommendations so much! Can I add a coconut butter instead of a normal one? Thank you, merci!
Thank you Kate! you can can replace butter with coconut butter, it should work perfectly for this recipe 🙂
Dear Geraldine,
just ask on tips and the best to make french chocolate cake
Thank you
Dawn Lioi.
Good Idea, that’s on my list now 🙂
Excellent *****
Thank you, Ellen!
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