These traditional vegan crêpes are easy to make with no unusual ingredients. Perfect for pancake day, stacked with your favourite toppings.
We had a chat over these crêpes that went a bit like this: “Wow, they taste JUST like normal pancakes.” “Yes, I know.” “What did you use to replace the egg?” “Nothing.” “But don’t you need something to bind them?” “No — you really don’t. The egg mainly adds richness, which you can recreate with creamy soya milk and a touch of vanilla.”
The point is: you don’t need eggs or specialist ingredients to make delicious pancakes. These vegan crêpes taste just like the classic version and are a great base for flavour variations and toppings. Below you’ll find ingredients, equipment, variations (sweet and savoury), freezing tips, toppings ideas, the recipe ingredients and clear step-by-step instructions.
What you need to make your Vegan Crêpes
Ingredients (overview and notes)
Dairy-free milk: Soya milk gives the best, most robust result for flipping, but any plant milk will work.
Plain flour: For classic crêpes use plain flour. You can substitute some wholemeal flour for a nuttier, more galette-like flavour if you prefer.
Baking powder: A small amount creates the traditional tiny bubbles and a lighter texture.
Vegan butter or neutral oil: A block-style vegan butter melts closest to dairy butter and works well for flavour and texture. You can also use rapeseed, sunflower or coconut oil.
Caster sugar: I add 2 teaspoons for a hint of sweetness, but omit it for savoury crêpes or replace with maple syrup if you prefer.
Vanilla extract: Optional for sweet crêpes; omit for savoury versions.
Equipment
No special tools required — two bowls or jugs, a whisk, a spatula and a good non-stick frying pan. A heavy, even pan makes flipping easier and gives a nicely browned finish.
Variations
This basic vegan crêpe batter is a flexible base for many flavour combinations. Here are some favourite sweet and savoury options to try.
Sweet
- Chocolate crêpes: Reduce plain flour by 1 tablespoon and add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. Serve with oat yoghurt, sliced banana and melted dark chocolate (dairy-free).
- Cinnamon crêpes: Replace vanilla with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and serve with butter-fried apple slices and a sprinkle of demerara sugar.
- Gingerbread crêpes: Omit vanilla and add ½ teaspoon ground ginger plus ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Top with oat crème fraîche and maple syrup.
Savoury
- Garlic mushroom crêpes: Omit the sugar and vanilla, add a pinch of salt. Fill with sautéed garlic mushrooms and parsley, finish with garlic plant butter.
- ‘Cheese’ & broccoli galette: Unsweetened batter; fill with steamed broccoli and green beans and pour over a creamy vegan cheese sauce.
- ‘Cheese’ & ‘ham’ galette: After flipping an unsweetened pancake, add grated vegan cheese, a slice of vegan ham and spinach. Fold the edges into a neat square, flip to seal and serve warm.
Can you freeze vegan crêpes?
Yes — they freeze really well. Make a double batch and save some for busy mornings. Place a square of baking parchment between each crêpe, stack them and store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped parcel in the freezer. Take out as many as you need and reheat gently in a dry frying pan over medium heat until piping hot. They reheat evenly and are excellent stuffed or topped straight from the pan.
Toppings
There’s no limit to what you can use — sweet, savoury, simple or indulgent. A few favourites to try:
- Sugar and lemon: A classic — a good squeeze of lemon juice with crunchy sugar.
- Vegan butter and sugar: Spread with a quality vegan block butter and sprinkle with granulated or demerara sugar.
- Blueberry, banana and chocolate: Fresh blueberries, sliced banana and melted dark chocolate (dairy-free).
- Summer fruits: Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Pecans, banana and thick oat yoghurt: Roughly chopped pecans, banana and a dollop of thick oat yoghurt, finished with maple syrup.
- Ice cream and melted chocolate: Warm crêpe with vegan ice cream and melted dark chocolate — hot and cold is irresistible.
- Avocado and vegan bacon: Mashed avocado with lime and salt plus crispy vegan bacon. For this savoury option, omit sugar and vanilla from the batter.
Share your favourite vegan pancake toppings in the comments — great ideas often come from the community.
Recipe: Vegan Crêpes
Ingredients (makes about 8 thin crêpes)
- 180 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons caster sugar (omit for savoury)
- 400 ml dairy-free milk (soya recommended)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional for sweet crêpes)
- 30 g vegan butter, melted (use half in the batter, reserve half for frying)
- Pinch of salt (for savoury versions)
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large jug or bowl.
- In a separate jug mix the plant milk and vanilla extract (if using).
- Melt the vegan butter and stir half into the milk mixture. Reserve the remaining butter for greasing the pan.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is completely smooth and free of lumps.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Brush the base lightly with melted butter.
- Pour in enough batter for a thin layer and tilt and swirl the pan to spread it evenly and thinly.
- Cook until golden underneath, then flip and cook briefly on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a little butter to the pan between crêpes as needed.
- Serve immediately with your preferred toppings.
Tips for success
- Use slightly thicker plant milks like soya for easier flipping.
- For perfectly thin crêpes pour a small amount of batter and swirl quickly.
- If batter thickens while cooking, whisk in a splash more plant milk.
These vegan crêpes are an easy, adaptable recipe for breakfasts, desserts or light dinners. With simple pantry ingredients and a few topping ideas you can create everything from classic sugar-and-lemon to fully loaded savoury galettes. Enjoy experimenting and making the recipe your own.
- Please note: recipes and images are copyright protected. If you share the recipe, please credit the author and use any provided share buttons.