This recipe for Matcha Crepes features paper-thin pancakes that are flavored with green tea powder. Enjoy them folded over, or rolled up with whipped cream and fresh fruit for breakfast, or for dessert.
What are crêpes?
Crêpes are very thin pancakes, originating from France.
French crepes can be sweet or savory, with a variety of fillings and flavors.
The crepe batter is made from a mixture of plain flour, large eggs, and milk.
What are matcha crepes?
Matcha crepes are thin French crepes flavored with matcha green tea powder.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder made from finely milled green tea leaves.
It has a bright green color and slightly grassy, earthy flavor.
If you're new to matcha, be sure to read my Beginner's Guide to Matcha.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe yields paper-thin matcha crepes.
The green tea crepes are so thin, that they have crinkly edges.
They're simple to make, especially if you make them in a blender.
Cooking the crepes over a medium-low heat prevents the crepes from turning too brown too quickly.
Adding a little water to the crepe batter helps produce a thin crepe.
Equipment you'll need
- high-powered blender: if you don't have a blender, you can whisk the wet ingredients first, and then add in the dry ingredients
- large frying pan: I used an 8" frying pan, but you can use any size pan that you have; just note that the number of crepes will vary
- spatula: for flipping the crepes; I highly recommend using a heat-proof silicone spatula or metal spatula
- cooling rack: for cooling the crepes
Ingredients you'll need
- all-purpose flour: regular plain flour will work here
- beaten egg: for this recipe, I used 1 ½ egg, which is about 80ml
- vegetable oil: or for more flavour, you can use melted butter; unsalted butter
- granulated sugar: adds a little sweetness; adding more sugar will create a caramelization/crust to the crepes
- whole milk: or any milk of your choice
- water: to thin out the batter a little
- vanilla extract: adds a little flavour to the crepes; if you don't like it too "eggy," you can increase the amount
- matcha powder: choose a high-quality ceremonial matcha for the best colour and flavour
- sea salt: to balance out the flavor
How to make the green tea crepes
Prepare matcha crepe batter
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 1 minute until smooth.
Pour the batter into a measuring cup or mixing bowl and place into the fridge to rest, at least 30 minutes, or longer.
Make the crepes
Remove crepe batter from the fridge and give it a stir.
Heat up a frying pan over medium-low heat.
Lightly grease with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and wipe off any excess oil with paper towel.
Using a ¼ C measuring cup, scoop the batter and pour into the frying pan (I used an 8" frying pan), tilting it so the entire surface is coated with a thin layer of batter.
Let it cook for about 2 minutes on one side, and then flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side.
Remove the matcha crepe and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remainder of the crepe batter.
Serve matcha crepes with a dusting of powdered sugar, maple syrup whipped cream and fresh fruit.
How to serve
Serve the green tea crepes folded with a dusting of powdered sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, and fresh fruit.
Alternatively, you can add whipped cream to the crepes and roll them up.
You can add a drizzle of white chocolate, dark chocolate, or serve with matcha cream for double the green tea flavor.
Matcha Crepes can be served cold or hot, for breakfast or dessert.
Variation
For a variation, you can make a Matcha Mille Crepe Cake by alternating stacked crepes with whipped cream.
Other mille crepe cakes
Strawberry Rose Hibiscus Mille Crepe Cake
All-Natural Rainbow Mille Crepe Cake
How to store
Fridge:
Store the Matcha Crepes well-wrapped in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer:
You can freeze the crepes layered in between parchment paper -- place into a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
Defrost the crepes in the fridge the night before, and let them warm up to room temperature before serving.
Expert tips & troubleshooting
Letting the batter rest for 30 minutes relaxes the glutens in wheat flour, which helps prevent the crepes from becoming chewy.
The first crepe is always a tester -- you will need to adjust the heat accordingly if it's browning too quickly and if it's too thick.
To prevent the matcha crepes from turning too brown, it's best to cook the crepes on a lower heat.
Tilt the pan while pouring in the crepe batter at the same time -- it takes a little hand-eye coordination, but with practice, it will come with ease.
This recipe yields approximately 6-8 x 8" round crepes.
Depending on the size of your frying pan, you may end up with more or less crepes.
You can use a non-stick pan, crepe pan (if you have one), or regular stainless steel pan (which is what I use).
For an 8" round frying pan, using a ¼ cup measuring cup will fill the pan nicely.
There's no need to continually grease the pan -- only for the first crepe. Once the pan is hot enough, the crepes will release on its own.
A way to test if the crepe batter is thin enough is to pour it and see if it drips in a continuous stream and isn't lumpy or thick (refer to the process photo above).
The crinkly edges indicate that the crepe is paper thin. If you prefer a thicker crepe, you can omit the water and decrease the milk by a touch.
Let the matcha crepes completely cool before stacking.
Other pancake recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Matcha Hotteok (Sweet Korean Pancakes)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Matcha Crepes
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 80 g egg ½ large egg, beaten
- 25 ml vegetable oil or melted butter
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 160 ml whole milk
- 25 ml water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 g matcha
- pinch salt
For garnish:
- sliced fruit
- whipped cream
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare matcha crepe batter:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 1 minute until smooth.
- Pour the batter into a measuring cup or mixing bowl and place into the fridge to rest, at least 30 minutes, or longer.
When ready to cook:
- Remove crepe batter from the fridge and give it a stir.
- Heat up a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Lightly grease with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and wipe off any excess oil with paper towel.
- Using a ¼ C measuring cup, scoop the batter and pour into the frying pan (I used an 8" frying pan), tilting it so the entire surface is coated with a thin layer of batter.
- Let it cook for about 2 minutes on one side, and then flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side.
- Remove the matcha crepe and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the remainder of the crepe batter.
- Serve matcha crepes with a dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
David @ Spiced
It's been ages since I've made crepes. I used to make them on occasion, but somehow they've fallen out of my usual repertoire of recipes. This matcha version looks fantastic...and strawberry season is approaching quickly here in NC, so I'm thinking these need to happen!
Elizabeth S
These were really good. The perfect balance of matcha and sweet!
Michelle
Thanks for trying out the recipe, Elizabeth! 🙂