Dutch Baby Pancake
This Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake, is a not-too-sweet, crepe-like popover that makes the perfect breakfast or brunch.
We need to talk about two very important things today…
#1: Can you believe that I just recently had a Dutch baby pancake? I’d been hearing about them for ages, but I just couldn’t believe that a puffy popover-slash-crepe could rival a traditional pancake, so I always put off making one. Oh, how insanely wrong I was. I am officially a Dutch baby pancake convert, pass the syrup please!
#2: I am totally obsessed with Chrissy Tiegen’s cookbook, Cravings. I mentioned it in a recent Friday Things post, but the book really wasn’t on my radar as I usually don’t gravitate towards celebrity cookbooks, but after seeing it popping up on a regular basis on social media and other blogs, I picked up. I literally want to make EVERY SINGLE RECIPE in this book. This Dutch baby pancake is the second recipe that I made (the first was Thai chicken lettuce wraps), and they’ve been absolutely outstanding. When I posted about it on Instagram and Facebook, every person who commented that had the book, without fail, agreed that each recipe they’d made had been better than the last. This is a seriously killer cookbook!
Alright, I’m done being a total fangirl about that cookbook, but if you’re looking for a new one, it’s definitely worth the purchase!
Now, let’s get back to this pancake.
What Is a Dutch Baby Pancake and What Does it Taste Like?
Dutch baby pancakes are sort of a cross between a crepe, a popover, and a very thin pancake, and they are fantastic. You get a little bit of crepe pancake from the bottom and unbelievably amazing puffy, popover-y, buttery crust around the edges. I’m 100% hooked.
And the best part? It takes wayyyyyy less effort to make this than to make a batch of pancakes.
How Do You Make a Dutch Baby Pancake?
Easy! Just throw the ingredients into the blender and puree until smooth, pour the batter into a cast iron skillet that’s loaded up with hot melted butter, then pop into the oven. In there, it swells and puffs and gets golden brown, just begging to be slathered in butter, syrup, and powdered sugar.
(Note: You can make a Dutch baby pancake without a cast iron skillet – just be sure to use a skillet that is ovenproof!)
SO…
Make this pancake. Immediately. For breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy!
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
Dutch Baby Pancake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (244 g) whole milk, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Pancake syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
- In a blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Blend until smooth with no lumps, 20 to 30 seconds.
- In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over high heat until foamy. Add the batter and immediately put the skillet in the oven. Bake until the outside of the pancake is puffed and a deep golden color, 17 to 18 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, slather with softened butter, and cut into quarters. Pour syrup over the pancake slices and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I LIKE THE DUTCH BABY RECIPE. I THINK WHAT MAKES IT BETTER IS HAVING THE EGGS AND MILK AT ROOM TEMPERATURE BEGORE MIXING INGREDIENTS. IT PUFFS UP BETTER. YUM
Can I use buttermilk?
Can you use a glass pie plate and what makes a skillet oven proof please and thank you?
Can you use lactose free milk for this recipe?
Hi Elizabeth, That’s a great question and I’m honestly not sure, I’ve never baked with lactose-free milk.
Yes, I’ve been using lactose free milk
for years and it works in any recipe.
I made these for our Christmas gathering this week and they were a great hit. For My trial run last week I tried one without the lemon but they are so much better with lemon. You don’t really taste a strong lemon, just get a bit of the citrus taste and I loved it.  We had blueberries and raspberries for toppings but there were a few that had to get out the syrup! Â
Thank you so mutch for this recipe-I now make this every Saturday-no joke! It is a tradition now hubby says :-) I put a splash of vanilla in it and serve with some jam and fresh whipped cream :-)Â
First I love you blog and always get complements on the things I make from here! Second I have used this recipe for years! They are so yummy. As a side note, you can also make them using individual sizes with ramekins. This recipe makes four ramekins (but your can add and subtract pretty easily based on how many people you are serving). I also use lemon juice and fresh berries in place of maple syrup.
As a Dutch native i have to wonder, why is it called dutch?? No one i know eats them like this. No restaurant serves them like this. And we have restaurants who serve nothing else but pancakes and other dough dishes… And as far as i know, germans don’t eat them like this either ????
Love Froukje
I Googled this and here is the background on the recipe and name:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_baby_pancake
I just made these… and trust me, after taste-testing, it is taking all my will power not to eat the entire batch tonight! Thanks Chelle, this is definitely the best baby pancake recipe I have ever found!
I have heard of these dutch pancakes before but have never tried them. They look fantastic but I’m wondering if one of these is a single serving or does the one pancake serve 4? Does it depend on the size of the skillet? Inquiring minds… ;)
Hi Cori, One pancake in a 10-inch skillet should serve 4 (cut into large wedges). Hope that helps!
Made this for Sunday breakfast to rave reviews from the teenagers. It was super easy and tasty. Made enough for four adult size servings with fruit and bacon on the side. Thanks for a winner! ?
Excellent recipe! Â Rather than get out my blender, I used a whisk …turned out perfectly. Â I added a dollop of lemon curd.
So good! And super easy, just like you said :) This will be a go-to recipe for sure.
I have wanted to try this for a while. I got her cookbook as well and have literally loved everything we’ve made so far. I am going to have to give this a try!
Wow..!! These look delicious..!! I’ll try this one especially for my lil one who enjoys eating pancake for breakfast. Thanks for sharing..!!
Yum!! Â Made this for supper tonight–we loved it! Â It went together so quickly and while it was in the oven I made eggs & bacon. Â Faster than pancakes and a nice change. Â Will be making again!
Ooooh yay! So glad you loved it! We had it with bacon, too – perfect pairing :)
The Dutch Baby is tenderer if you whisk the ingredients together
Using a blender makes for a tougher end product
Hmmm mine wasn’t tough at all! But I’ll give the whisk a try next time, at least I won’t have to clean the blender ;-)
My recipe is made using bread flour rather than APF and the one time I did it in the blender, it literally came out flat as a pancake. LOL Went back to whisking.
Hi Michelle, love your blog, ! This recipe is like an English savoury dish called , Yorkshire pudding, usually made small as an accompaniment to a roast beef dinner. Leave out the sugar and syrup, add gravy, veg and roast beef. Some pubs serve a large version, Al last your photo filled with the other ingredients of the roast dinner…loaded!! Give it try!
Made this today. The center was smooth and reminiscent of custard,, and the crust was a gorgeous golden brown. I was surprised by how much it puffed up while cooking, and how pretty it turned out. We topped ours with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a good amount of fresh sliced strawberries and a swirl of whipped cream. Mine took about 12 minutes to cook. Next time I’ll probably add a splash of vanilla extract to give it a little more flavor, but other than that it was quick, easy and delicious!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Emily! I love the idea of vanilla, strawberries and whipped cream – definitely giving that version a try soon!
I grew. up with my dad making these. I favored the syrup and powdered sugar. He always had fruit with his–usually plums or peaches. One thing I do that is different though–I make these in round cake pans. The recipe will make two of those. So, if you don’t have an iron or other ovenproof skillet, don’t be deterred!
Thanks for the tip on using cake pans!
I have never had a Dutch baby before. I’ve always been curious about it, but never enough to get one and miss out on the Belgian waffle or whatever else I end up getting. I too caved and picked up Chrissy Tiegen’s cookbook because everyone I know is talking about it. So far I want to make her chicken noodle soup and her biscuits and gravy, and I’m not a biscuits and gravy person. I’m not even half way though flipping through it yet.
I’ve never tried making one of these but they look delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Oh yes…been making Dutch Babies for years! Perfect breakfast to serve up when you have overnight guests. They are so impressed! A great Christmas breakfast.
One very important thing you (or Chrissy) left out: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice! The combination of that, the powered sugar and maple syrup…heaven! Throw in a side of crispy bacon (I prefer turkey bacon) for the ultimate savory*sour*sweet combo.
I have also sauteed up chopped apples with cinnamon and brown sugar as a topping. Yum! The Dutch Baby is a jumping off point for soooooo many variations!
I really dislike lemon flavored anything (I know, I’m the worst!), so I would definitely skip that, but can’t wait to try the cinnamon-sugar apples!
I love Dutch Baby pancakes and am thrilled to now have a recipe to make my own! I was introduced to these at The Original Pancake House restaurant years ago and since they’re a chain, and we have moved frequently, I’ve been able to enjoy them in several locations. I have to agree with Donna (& the servers at the restaurant) – no syrup! Spread soft or melted butter on it hot, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon juice to make an amazing glaze that’s better than syrup. Delicious! I bet the cinnamon apples make it delicious, too.
I love Dutch babies, too, especially topped with butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar (and berries in season!). I find it easiest to heat the skillet and melt the butter in the preheating oven; that way, everything’s set to go when the batter is ready and you can skip the stovetop step.
Great tip, thank you!
Yes, I make them all the time and didn’t look at her directions above. Preheat in the oven…much easier!
Dutch babies were a special treat for us growing up. My grandma would melt the butter in her cast iron skillet in the oven while it was preheating. By the time the oven was up to full temperature, the butter had nicely melted and slightly browned. Yum!!
This is brilliant! Doing it next time!
I will have to try this recipe. I’ve been eating Dutch Baby and German pancakes for over 40 years. There is a place in Wilmette, IL called Walker Bros that makes the best ones and I’ve been going there since I was a baby. I make my own now that I live in CA. I use 2% milk instead of whole (I find it works better for me), and I add a little vanilla and nutmeg into the batter for additional flavor. I’m glad you’ve discovered these, as they are part of my favorite childhood memories. :)
I love making these and usually add sauteed apples when cooking my dutch baby!
I’ve never made one of these…can’t say I’ve ever had one either, but I think I need to try one. I’m drooling! Fresh fruit and a little powdered sugar, please!! Maybe I should buy that cookbook too!
Like you, I have never had a Dutch baby pancake. Â Plain buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup are my all-time favorite breakfast food. Â But this looks so simple and quick and coupled with those who said about apples coated with cinnamon-sugar baked into the Dutch baby, Â well, I am thinking this may be up for Saturday morning breakfast this week. Â As for the cookbook, I’m on the fence about it, but I will admit to temptation to purchase it. Â My biggest hesitation is it’s a celebrity cookbook, but who can resist excellent recipes??
My Dad made these all the time when I was little and my mom wasn’t home to cook. We like them with apples and cinnamon sugar on top. The best ones come after you go apple picking. Slice up the apples and put the batter in the skillet and place the apples on top, sprinkle the sugar mixture and then bake it. The sugar gives it a little crust…..sooo good!
I love Dutch Babies. I was first introduced to them as the original Dutch version called pannekoekon. My friend and her husband had visited Holland and came across numerous pannekoekon cafes and restaurants. The pancakes are served in breakfast, savory and dessert versions. There is even a special pannekoekon pan that can be purchased that is similar to a round pizza pan but has sides. In Holland, the pannekoekon are usually larger and flatter and can be topped with all kinds of things from finally chopped veggies, cheese, ham…usually added before baking as a “topping” to fruit, curds, whipped cream…added post baking. The American version is more like a giant  popover but both are fully of that yummy, soft eggy goodness. BTW…I have now ordered Chrissy Tiegen’s book!
Thanks for all of the different ideas! And I hope you enjoy the book!
I make this several times a month. We like it with cinnamon sugar coated sliced apples placed into the pan with the batter poured over the apples.
I posted almost the same thing!!! except we do the apples and sugar after the batter is poured!
Ooooh that sounds amazing!
I love your blog, been a daily reader for years. Â But please NO SRYUP Â on Ductch boy pancakes.
Powered sugar and LEMON JUICE
Exactly! :)
I’ll agree to disagree – I don’t like lemon on anything (except in my water!), ha!
Powdered sugar and lemon juice! Best way to eat a dutch baby!
Agreed. You must have lemon and powdered sugar!
Agreed!!! I was shocked to read that syrup is common! It’s all about the lemon juice and powdered sugar. It would get soggy with syrup.