crepe, French pancake made of a thin batter containing flour, eggs, melted butter, salt, milk, water, and, if the crepes are to be served with a sweet sauce or garnish, sugar. Crepes can be filled with a variety of sweet or savoury mixtures.

The Latin crispa, meaning “creases,” gives parentage primarily to thinner, folded-style pancakes from which French crêpes, along with Mexican crepas and Turkish krep, take their lead.