Whether you love eating pancakes for breakfast and dinner or a savory crepe for lunch followed by a sweet one for dessert, there is no denying that both pancakes and crepes are delicious. Pancakes can be made with herbs and aromatics or cheese cooked in for a savory snack, or they can be sweetened with bananas, chocolate chips, or berries. Crepes may not feature different ingredients mixed into the batter to give them flavor, but their mild, almost ambiguous taste allows for cheesy, meaty fillings or sweet spreads and fruits, depending on your mood.
But you might find yourself wondering just what actually separates the two — apart from their obvious visual characteristics or the flexibility of recipes they share. Truthfully, there are more differences between pancakes and crepes than you might initially think. From the circumference of each to the actual ingredients that make up the batter, these differences are what distinguish one from another.
The main difference is that pancake batter has a raising agent in it, such as baking powder or baking soda, and crepe batter does not. This means that pancakes are thicker and fluffy while crêpes are thin and flat.
BBC Food says that another difference between the two dishes is how rich and silky crepes are. They state that this is achieved by the required resting time for crepe batter, which can be anywhere from one hour to a full day. The Kitchn shares the science behind why this resting time is considered essential for perfect crepes. During the waiting period between mixing up the batter and cooking your crepes, the starch molecules in the flour are able to absorb more of the liquid from the batter. This absorption causes the molecules to swell, resulting in a thicker batter. The resting time also allows the gluten in the flour time to relax and more of the air you mixed in to escape, which gives you delicate, chewy crepes.
Many people believe crepes are simply Frances version of pancakes, but diners unfamiliar with the two dishes would be in for a surprise if they ordered the French delicacy at a restaurant and were expecting a big, fluffy stack like the American breakfast food. While both dishes are made of similar ingredients, there are some huge differences between the two which lead to incredibly distinct results.
Chowhound states that there are a few differences between crepes and pancakes that make them easy to tell apart. While the two dishes do look similar to one another, the French flapjacks are much, much thinner than your standard American breakfast fare. This is because crepes are essentially made with the same ingredients as pancake batter with one major difference — crepe batter does not contain any raising agents. These ingredients (like baking powder or baking soda) are what give pancakes their signature height. Crepes are also generally larger than pancakes and usually rolled or folded and stuffed with their fillings, rather than just having them piled on top or mixed into the batter.
While you can make crepes with a non-stick pan, cast iron skillets are more suitable for the food. There are even special pans specifically designed for making crepes, which Executive Chef Sebastien Rondier told the outlet many French families not only own, but make frequent use of, saying that in France crepes are a standard part of family gatherings.
According to Eat This Not That!, crepes were originally made in Brittany (a western region of France) and eaten as part of dinner. The food was traditionally served plain and considered a bread, and then later made with savory ingredients stuffed inside, not sweet. Eventually, the region began experimenting with sweet fillings and using white flour instead of the buckwheat flour that savory crepes are usually made from, allowing the dish to be served for dessert as well.
The difference in size separates pancakes and crepes
If you have ever sat down in front of a plate of pancakes and a crepes for another breakfast, then you likely noticed just how different the two appear. Apart from ingredients and presentation, there are two visual indicators that set pancakes apart from crepes. Both the size and thickness of pancakes differ from that of crepes. Pancakes tend to be smaller but thicker while crepes are much wider and far thinner. This is a difference brought about, in part, by how each are cooked.
While both pancakes and crepes are cooked in a pan, they actually cook in quite different ways. Pancake batter is dolloped or poured out in smaller circles that puff up (via Martha Stewart). Crepes, however, are spread to reach the very edges of the pan so they will cook very thin and are, of course, the size and width of the pan itself. Though this can be achieved in a skillet, it isnt uncommon for true crepe devotees to have and use a special crepe pan, according to Serious Eats. The shallow sides allow for easier turning of crepes as they cook.
How to Make Pancake Mix Crepes- Fast, Easy, and Delicious!
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