Friends, prepare to fall in love with this easy Dutch Baby recipe. I believe my first words after taking the first bite was “This is the only way I want to eat my pancakes from now on.” Ok, I may have been exaggerating a little bit, but seriously, where have these been all my life?! It’s a very smooth and light pancake that simply melts in your mouth. Not only is it fun to make, but it’s also very easy to make and only requires basic pantry ingredients. It’s definitely a showstopper and perfect to make anytime you want an extra special breakfast.😉
What Is A Dutch Baby?
A Dutch Baby pancake is like a cross between a popover and a crepe. It’s essentially a giant skillet pancake made with a thin, eggy batter that puffs up around the edges as it bakes in the oven. A Dutch baby is light, more eggy, and less cake-like than traditional American pancakes. It looks super fancy, but trust me it’s actually very easy to make.
Ingredients for Making A Dutch Baby
Just a few simple ingredients is all it takes to make this Dutch baby recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour adds structure and is the foundation of the pancake.
- Milk: Milk combines with the flour to add moisture and helps create the batter.
- Egg: Eggs add more moisture and helps hold the pancake together.
- Sugar: Just a little bit of sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the pancake.
- Vanilla Extract: A small amount of vanilla extract adds a wonderful flavor and depth to the pancake.
- Salt: A little bit of salt helps enhance the flavor of the pancake.
- Butter: Butter adds flavor and richness to the pancake and it also gives it that beautiful golden brown color around the edges.
DO I HAVE TO USE A CAST IRON SKILLET?
The key to a big fluffy Dutch Baby is that sudden burst of heat when the batter hits the hot skillet and that is definitely best achieved with cast iron. However any oven-safe skillet or baking dish will also work well when pre-heated. We tested this recipe using a cast iron skillet and a 9″ glass pie dish. Although the sides did not rise as much in the pie dish, the Dutch baby still baked quite nicely.
If you do decide to stray from using cast iron, just make sure to preheat the dish with your oven to get it as hot as possible, and use something round, about 9 to 10-inches in diameter.
Recipe Tips!
Although this is a very simple recipe, here are a few key tips to help you make the perfect Dutch Baby:
- Use a blender to mix the pancake batter. For this recipe you’ll want a very smooth and thin batter with no lumps. After it’s blended, let the batter rest so the ingredients can come to room temperature.
- Allow the skillet to heat in the oven while the oven is preheating. This helps ensure your skillet is piping hot when you add the pancake batter.
- Move quickly! You’ll want to move quickly (and carefully) when adding the butter and when adding the pancake batter. Try not to let the skillet cool down too much between each step.
How To Serve A Dutch Baby?
You can easily serve this dutch baby straight from the cast iron skillet or transfer it to a serving plate. We dusted ours with a little bit of powdered sugar and served it with fresh berries and pure maple syrup poured over the top. But feel free to play around with other toppings like whipped cream, hot buttered apples, pecans, yogurt, Nutella, lemon curd, or for a really fun twist try our Almond Dutch Baby with Ricotta and Jam!
Dutch Baby
Servings 4Ingredients
- 3 large eggs ($0.52)
- 2/3 cup whole milk ($0.36)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour ($0.15)
- 2 Tbsp sugar ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ($0.25)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.26)
Instructions
- Prepare the batter first. In a large blender, add the eggs, milk, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Let the batter sit at room temperature to warm.
- Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and begin preheating to 425ºF. Let the skillet heat in the oven for an additional 10 minutes once the oven reaches the set temperature.
- Using an oven mitt, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add the butter. Swirl the butter around in the skillet and place it back in the oven for 30-60 more seconds until the butter begins to brown (be careful not to let it burn).
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven again and swirl the butter evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the skillet. Quickly pour the prepared batter into the hot skillet.
- Return the hot skillet to the hot oven and bake for 14-15 minutes, or until it is golden brown and has puffed along the edges and in the center.
- Once the Dutch baby has finished baking, slice the pancake into four or six pieces and serve with maple syrup and fresh berries on top (optional).
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Equipment
Nutrition
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How to Make A Dutch Baby – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the batter first. In a large blender, add 3 large eggs, 2/3 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Let the batter sit at room temperature to warm.
Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and begin preheating to 425ºF. Let the skillet heat in the oven for an additional 10 minutes once the oven reaches the set temperature. Using an oven mitt carefully, remove the skillet from the oven and add 2 Tbsp of butter. Swirl the butter around in the skillet and place it back in the oven for 30-60 more seconds until the butter begins to brown (be careful not to let it burn).
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven again and swirl the butter evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the skillet. Quickly pour the prepared batter into the hot skillet.
Return the hot skillet to the hot oven and bake for 14-15 minutes, or until it is golden brown and has puffed along the edges and in the center.
Once the Dutch baby has finished baking, slice the pancake into four or six pieces and serve with maple syrup and fresh berries on top (optional).
This was soo delicious
AMAZING SO EASY AND SO YUMMY! ADDED A TSP OF CINNAMON!! GOT HUBBY TO DO THE LIFTING AND HE LOVED IT!! SO MUCH EASIER THAN MAKING PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST!! THANKS SO MUCH!!
Just made this and it came out perfect! I used a silicone brush to “swirl” the butter up the side of the skillet. Sprinkled powdered sugar on top after. No leftovers!
This recipe looks amazing. We usually have 2% milk on hand. Is it important to use whole milk?
We only used whole when testing, but I think you should be fine to use 2%!
Would gf flour or oat flour work?
We’ve only tested it with ap flour, but I do think the a 1:1 gluten-free flour should work fine!
German Pancakes (Dutch Babies) are one of my favorite pancakes. My mom always got stress out about making them so we’d buy them when eating out. I watch the Jaime Oliver show, One Pan Wonders, where he makes Yorkshire Pudding (same recipe). He made it so easily.
I make German Pancakes frequently now, if fact I’m making one for lunch today. I make them in various pans, since I don’t have a cast iron skillet. I use my pie pan and my 8×8 pyrex pan. Just put it in the oven to heat up when you start the oven.
I’m really glad to get the nutritional information since I take insulin for my carbs.
Excellent recipe
Never had a dutch baby before but saw this recipe and decided to give it a try! Absolutely loved it and now its going to be a regular weekend breakfast in my house! So easy and delicious.
Dutch baby’s are the best! One thing that I think is important to note is that the batter really needs to be room temperature or warmer in order for the Dutch baby to puff up properly. If your eggs are refrigerated, I would highly recommend either taking the eggs out of the fridge a few hours before you start cooking to warm up on the counter, or placing the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes before you crack them. It makes a huge difference in how much it will rise in the oven.
Do you think it would work using a pie dish instead of a cast iron skillet? I hope so, this looks so good! Thank you :)
There’s more info about that in the blog post, but just make sure to preheat the pie dish with your oven to get it as hot as possible, and use something round, about 9 to 10-inches in diameter. :)