Crepes Suzette
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Crepes Suzette is a classic French dessert featuring crepes cooked and drenched in delicious caramelized orange sauce and then flambeed with orange liqueur. It is a boozy and fun dessert for adults!
If you are looking for a fancy but easy dessert to impress your friends or family, try this Crepes Suzette recipe! In a restaurant, a classic Suzette is often prepared in full view of guests. Light and tender crepes are folded in quarters and cooked in a warm buttery orange sauce.
Pour orange liqueur over and lit with fire in front of your guests. The flambe adds a touch of drama and flavor to the dish. The alcohol burns off quickly leaving the caramelized orange sauce behind. The alcohol completely evaporates in the cooking process, so it’s perfectly safe for kids.
I always had it in my mind that Crepes Suzette would be very hard to make and you have to have a special crepe pan. The batter comes together in a flash and you can use a regular non-stick pan. And if you are scared to light things on fire, you can add the liqueur and cook it off. Although Crepes Suzette is traditionally served as a decadent dessert, you can certainly add it to a brunch menu as a gorgeous showstopper.
What Is Crepes Suzette?
Crepes Suzette is a French dessert consisting of crepes with beurre Suzette, a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and orange liqueur. The dessert is usually set flamed when served.
The Origin of Crepes Suzette
The Crepes Suzette definitely originates in France. There are quite a few different stories about its origin. All stories seem to originate in the late 1890s.
A popular story states that a garçon at Café de Paris, Henri Charpentier, by mistake poured liqueur over the crepes which then caught fire. According to his autobiography, he tasted them and were delicious. The best part of the story is that this dish was going to be served to the then Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. At the table, there is said to have been seated a beautiful woman called Suzette, and thus the name of the dessert. A less dramatic version is the Charpentier told in an interview in the ’50s, where he said the dish was based on a recipe his foster mother made with crepes and fruit. He also added that adding liqueur is what was in fashion at the time.
Other sources believed Monsieur Joseph, owner of Restaurant Marivaux, had created and named the recipe in honor of French actress Suzanne Reichenberg in 1897. There are many other versions from different authors, origins, actresses, and scandals. All of it is very interesting to read!
Components and Ingredients You Need
Crepes
Crepes are ultra-thin and delicate French-style pancakes made without any leavening. This is a delicate batter, so substitutions are not recommended.
- Unsalted butter. It adds smoothness, richness, and fat to help keep the crepes lifted up from the pan when it’s done. Have extra butter handy for brushing the pan.
- All-purpose flour. Flour is another key ingredient, providing the overall structure.
- Granulated sugar. These are lightly sweetened
- Salt. A pinch of salt to add flavor.
- Eggs. They provide structure and bind all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract. To enhance the flavor.
- Milk. I recommend using whole milk or full-fat milk to provide a richer flavor to the crepes. Milk adds moisture and keeps the crepes tender.
- Water. Water helps thin the batter. Using all water created a limp and lacking crepes, while using all milk created a heavy crepe. For the best texture, use a mix of both.
Orange Sauce
Crepes Suzette is known around the world for their sauce. The elements are simple and delicious on their own; when combined and flambéed, the flavor is nothing short of extraordinary. Here are the ingredients you need to make the sauce:
- Castor sugar. The sugar is caramelized to add depth of flavor.
- Unsalted butter. The butter is added after the sugar is fully caramelized. The butter is cooked long enough to brown the butter. Browning the butter adds richness, savoriness, caramelization, and nuttiness to the sauce.
- Orange. For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed orange juice. Remember to zest or peel the orange first, as it’ll be difficult to do so after juicing.
- Orange liqueur. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec. Make sure to use a 40% proof alcohol. Low-proof alcohol won’t ignite and any proof higher is unsafe to flambé in the home.
Crepes Sucess Tips
- If you don’t have a crepe pan. A non-stick frying pan works well.
- Rest the batter. Chill the crepe batter for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. It enhances the batter’s flavor and gives the flour a chance to fully hydrate.
- Butter the pan. The best part of crepes is the thin, delicate, and buttery crisp edges. To achieve this, butter the pan between each crepe.
- Twirl the pan. Pour the batter into the center of the hot and buttered pan. Lift the pan and twirl it so the batter stretches as far out as it can go. This crucial technique is much easier than it sounds and you can watch me do it in the video. And if there are tiny holes in your crepe, just drop some batter to fill them up.
Orange Sauce Sucess Tips
- Don’t stir the caramelized sugar. Add a thin layer of sugar over a hot frying pan. As the sugar starts to melt, sprinkle more sugar over the layer that is melting. It should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization. Instead of stirring, you gently swirl the melted sugar around in the pan to keep it moving and avoid burn spots.
- Warm the alcohol. The alcoholic needs to be warmed over medium heat before igniting. Heating the liquor causes the vapor pressure to increase, helping the catch fire more easily.
- Light right away. Do not wait too long to light the alcohol, the food shouldn’t absorb too much alcohol flavor or you’ll taste too much in your final dish.
- Never flambe while the stove hood or exhaust fan is operating. You want the flames to burn themselves out, not get sucked up into the fan and set your kitchen on fire!
- Keep the sauce warm. When cold, the sauce will thicken more. Keep the sauce warm until you serve the Crepes Suzette.
How to Make in Advance
You can store the crepe batter covered in the fridge a day in advance. If you have leftover cooked crepes, stack the crepes with a piece of parchment paper in between each one, then place them in a resealable bag or airtight container. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The orange sauce is best made last minute. But if you have any leftovers, store the sauce in a separate container, so the crepes do not get soggy.
More French Dessert Recipes
- Vanilla Madeleines
- Almond Financiers
- Baileys Chocolate Mousse
- Double Chocolate Sable Cookies
- Sable Breton Cookies (French Butter Cookies)
Ingredients
Crepes
- 1 cup (125 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 3 tbsp (45 gr) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
Orange Sauce
- 1/2 cup (100 gr) castor sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 gr) unsalted butter
- Thinly sliced orange peel, from 1/2 orange
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) orange juice, from 2 oranges
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) orange liqueur, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Triple Sec
Instructions
Crepes
- In a large bowl, sift in all-purpose flour and salt. Add granulated sugar. Mix until combined.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk slightly. Add milk little by little and whisk with each addition until smooth with no lump. Add water and melted butter and whisk until well incorporated. If your batter is lumpy, strain the batter.
- Cover the batter with a cling wrap and chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or up to a day. After refrigerating, if the batter looks separated, give it a quick stir before cooking.
- Heat a 9.5-inch/24 cm non-stick frying pan or crepe pan on low-medium heat. Once the pan is hot, brush the pan with butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter and twirl the pan so the batter is stretched into an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until light golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully flip the crepe and continue cooking until light golden brown, about 30 seconds more.
- Transfer the cooked crepe to a large plate and repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to butter the pan between each crepe. You can stack the cooked crepes.
Orange Sauce
- Heat a large frying pan on low heat. Once the pan is hot, spread a thin layer of castor sugar over the pan. As the sugar starts to melt, sprinkle more sugar over the layer that is melting. Cook until the sugar is melted and caramelized into amber color. Do not stir! Gently swirl the melted sugar around in the pan to keep it moving and avoid burn sports.
- Add butter and stir. Add orange peel and juice. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
- Add the orange liqueur. Increase the heat to medium. Carefully ignite the sauce using a long-handled lighter. Flames will suddenly appear for a few minutes and the alcohol will burn off. When no alcohol remains, flames will disappear. The flambe is optional or you can cook off the alcohol by simmering the sauce long enough. Flambeing the sauce helps to thicken it faster than just simmering it.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is syrupy. Turn off the heat. Make sure to keep the sauce warm or the sauce will thicken more.
Assemble
- Working one crepe at a time, dip both sides of the crepes in the sauce. Fold into quarters and push to one side of the pan. Continue the coating and folding with the remaining crepes.
- Bring the pan to low heat and warm the crepes until the mixture is bubbling. Spoon the sauce over the crepes.
- Transfer crepes to serving plates and spoon any extra sauce over top. Serve immediately. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
The sauce is incredible!