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To make chocolate crepes, blend 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, a pinch of salt, 3 eggs, 1½ cups milk and 3 tablespoons melted butter until smooth, then rest the batter for at least 30 minutes. Pour about ¼ cup into a hot, lightly buttered 8- to 10-inch pan, swirl it thin, cook 1 minute, flip and cook 30 seconds more. The batter makes about 10 crepes.
Chocolate crepes are thin, tender and only lightly sweet, so the filling sets the mood: strawberries and whipped cream for brunch, bananas and hot fudge for dessert. Unsweetened cacao powder or regular cocoa powder gives the batter its deep color, and because there is no baking powder or soda in it, any kind you have in the pantry works.
How are chocolate crepes different from chocolate pancakes?
Crepes have no leavening, more liquid and more egg, so the batter pours like heavy cream and cooks into a sheet thin enough to fold into quarters. Chocolate pancakes use baking powder and a thick batter that puffs into a soft, fluffy stack. Crepes are also a make-ahead food: the batter improves after a rest, and cooked crepes keep for days.
Ingredients (about 10 crepes)
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (16 g) unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For serving (optional)
- 1 pound (450 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
Any unsweetened cocoa (cacao) powder works here, natural or Dutch-process. Room-temperature milk and eggs keep the melted butter from setting into specks.
How do you make chocolate crepes?
- Put the milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a blender. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Blend 15 to 20 seconds, scrape down the sides and blend 5 seconds more. (No blender: whisk the dry ingredients, whisk in the eggs and half the milk to a smooth paste, then the rest of the milk and the butter.)
- Rest the batter at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. It should be as thin as heavy cream; stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if it has thickened.
- Heat an 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Brush it lightly with butter.
- Lift the pan off the heat, pour about ¼ cup of batter into the center (3 tablespoons for an 8-inch pan) and quickly tilt and swirl until the bottom is coated in a thin, even layer.
- Cook 60 to 90 seconds, until the surface looks matte and the edges dry and lift. Loosen an edge with a thin spatula, flip, and cook the second side 20 to 30 seconds.
- Slide the crepe onto a plate and repeat, stirring the batter now and then and buttering the pan every 2 or 3 crepes.
- To serve, whip the cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks. Fill each crepe with strawberries and cream, fold into quarters or roll up, and dust with powdered sugar.
The first crepe is a test of heat and pour size, so adjust before the second. Cocoa hides browning, so judge doneness by the dry, lacy edges rather than by color.
Why do you rest crepe batter?
Resting lets the flour absorb the milk and the bubbles from blending rise out, so the batter flows evenly and the crepes come out tender and less likely to tear. Thirty minutes is enough, and an overnight rest in the fridge makes weekend breakfast easy. Stir before using, because cocoa and flour settle.
Why are my chocolate crepes tearing, thick or sticking?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tears when flipped | Flipped too soon, or unrested batter | Wait for dry, lifting edges; rest 30 minutes |
| Thick and rubbery | Too much batter or thick batter | Pour less; thin with 1–2 tbsp milk |
| Sticks to the pan | Pan too cool or not greased | Preheat 1–2 minutes; brush with butter |
| Holes and gaps | Pan too hot, batter sets before it spreads | Lower the heat; swirl off the burner |
| Cocoa lumps | Cocoa added to liquid alone | Blend, or sift cocoa with the flour |
| Bitter or burnt taste | Overcooked; cocoa scorches fast | Medium heat; 30 seconds on side two |
What do you fill chocolate crepes with?
- Strawberries and whipped cream: the classic. Swap in chocolate whipped cream for a double-chocolate version.
- Banana and hot fudge: sliced banana inside, warm hot fudge sauce spooned over the top.
- Ice cream: fold a warm crepe around a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
- Chocolate-hazelnut spread and raspberries: spread thinly while the crepe is warm so it melts.
- Ricotta, honey and orange zest: lighter and less sweet, good for brunch.
Savory fillings work too if you cut the sugar to 1 teaspoon. Cocoa crepes go well with goat cheese and pears, or brie and figs with a drizzle of honey.
Natural or Dutch-process cocoa for crepes?
Either one. The natural vs Dutch rule matters when baking soda needs an acid to rise, and crepes have no leavening at all, so you can swap them freely. Dutch-process cocoa makes darker, mellower crepes and dissolves a little more easily. Natural cocoa gives a lighter brown color and a brighter, fruitier chocolate flavor that pairs well with berries. Read more in our guides to natural cocoa powder and Dutch-process cocoa.
Grevista is a natural, non-alkalized, unsweetened cocoa from single-origin Vietnamese Trinitario cacao grown in Đắk Lắk, with a fruity chocolate taste that suits a strawberry filling. See sizes on the Grevista cocoa powder page.
How do you store, keep warm and freeze crepes?
Keep warm: stack finished crepes on a plate, cover loosely with foil, and hold them in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest. Refrigerate: stack them with a square of parchment or wax paper between each one, wrap well and refrigerate up to 3 days. Freeze: stack with parchment between, slide into a zip-top freezer bag, press out the air and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm each crepe in a dry skillet for 15 to 20 seconds per side. Unused batter keeps 1 day in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make chocolate crepes with cacao powder?
Yes, use the same amount. Crepes have no baking soda, so it does not matter whether yours is natural or alkalized. Cacao made from unroasted beans tastes a little more bitter and tart, so you may like an extra teaspoon of sugar. Our cacao powder guide explains how the two names overlap.
Can I make chocolate crepes without a crepe pan?
Yes. Any 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet with low, sloped sides works. Pour less batter in a smaller pan.
Can I make the batter the night before?
Yes. Cover and refrigerate it up to 24 hours, stir well, and thin with a spoonful of milk if needed.
Can I make chocolate crepes dairy-free?
Use an unsweetened oat or almond milk and melted coconut oil or a plant-based butter in the same amounts.
Sources
- King Arthur Baking, Ingredient Weight Chart.
- King Arthur Baking, Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa (2020).
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety.
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated November 7, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.