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Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
updated Dec 15, 2023
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This impressive brunch dish has the soft, tender texture of a hot crepe and the eggy flavor of a sweet popover.
Serves2 to 4Jump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
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A Dutch baby pancake has the soft, tender texture of a delicate crêpe and the eggy flavor of a sweet popover. It’s created by pouring a thin batter into a preheated skillet and baking it in a hot oven, where the batter will immediately start to puff around the edges. As it bakes, the batter rises higher and higher until it looks more like a poofy pillow than a pancake. Once the edges turn golden and you can’t resist the sweet aroma of baked goods any longer, it’s ready.
It feels like a party trick, but for the breakfast crowd. I break them out whenever anyone in my house needs a little extra delight in their day. Out of the oven, the Dutch baby will quickly collapse back into the pan — the steam holding it up quickly evaporates in the cooler air of your kitchen. But this is all part of the fun. Slice it into wedges and smear with jam and maple syrup as you serve it up.
Ingredients in a Dutch Baby Pancake
- Flour: Nothing fancy here, all-purpose does the job just fine.
- Eggs: If you can remember to, let the eggs come to room temperature while you’re heating the oven.
- Milk: Skip the skim milk — 2% or whole work best.
- Sugar: You’ll need two tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Vanilla: Just a splash of pure vanilla extract makes all the difference.
- Butter: Swirl around the hot skillet as need to make sure it’s entirely coated.
3 Tips for Better Dutch Baby Pancakes
I’ve picked up a few Dutch baby tricks over the years and have gradually brought them together into a single recipe:
- Use a blender or food processor to make a very smooth batter with no lumps.
- Rest the batter to give the flour a chance to absorb the liquid, which gives the pancake a better texture and less flour-y flavor.
- Use a hot skillet to help the pancake puff. You’ll get some crunchy, caramelized edges this way.
Be sure to use a 9- or 10-inch skillet for making this pancake. The smaller size increases the puff while helping the pancake keep its shape. The pan doesn’t have to be cast iron; you can use any oven-safe pan or baking dish of a similar size. I’ve even done them in a pie dish!
Serving Your Dutch Baby Pancake
I usually carry the pan to the table, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve it right there. Put a bunch of different toppings on the table and let everyone choose for themselves: Nutella, jams and preserves, lemon curd, peanut butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit, and any other little jars you’d like to use up from the fridge.
Served on its own, this Dutch baby makes a good size for two adults to split. If you’re serving it alongside a full breakfast spread of eggs, toast, and potatoes, slice it into more wedges. You can also double or triple the amount of batter and make a few Dutch babies in the oven at once. Any leftovers make a fantastic snack later in the day.
Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
This impressive brunch dish has the soft, tender texture of a hot crepe and the eggy flavor of a sweet popover.
Serves 2 to 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup
all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup
whole or 2% milk
- 2
large eggs
- 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
Powdered sugar, maple syrup, and jam, for serving
Equipment
Blender or food processor
Spatula
9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet
Instructions
Show Images
Blend the batter: Place the flour, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend for 10 seconds, scrape down the sides, and then blend for another 10 seconds. The batter will be quite loose and liquidy.
Rest the batter: Leave the batter in the blender and set aside to rest 20 to 25 minutes. This gives the flour time to absorb the liquid.
Heat the pan and oven: Meanwhile, place a 9 to 10-inch ovensafe skillet on the middle rack of the oven and remove any racks above it. Heat the oven to 425°F.
Melt the butter: When ready to make the pancake, remove the skillet from the oven using oven mitts and place it on top of the stove. Add the butter and swirl the pan to melt the butter and coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
Add the batter: Pour the batter on top of the butter. Tilt the pan if needed so that the batter runs evenly to all sides. Place the skillet in the oven.
Bake the Dutch baby: Bake until the Dutch baby is puffed, lightly browned across the top, and darker brown on the sides and edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve while hot: You can either serve from the pan or transfer the Dutch baby to a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup or jam.
Recipe Notes
Fruit-filled Dutch baby: Arrange fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or sliced peaches over the bottom of the skillet and then pour the batter over top. (Scattering fruit on top of the batter will keep it from rising as impressively.)
Filed in:
Baking
Bread
Breakfast
children
easy
Eggs
