Easy Dutch Baby Pancake
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Dutch Baby Pancakes are an easy yet impressive twist on the classic German pancake. Baked in a hot skillet until beautifully golden, they puff up with crisp edges and a light, eggy centre. The result is the tenderness of a traditional pancake with the airy, dramatic lift of a popover.
If you love citrus flavors, try my lemon Dutch baby pancake with homemade lemon curd for a bright, fresh twist.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Ingredients Required
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of your batter.
- Eggs: Crucial for the rise and airy texture.
- Buttermilk or Milk: Adds creaminess and helps create a tender texture.
- Sugar: Just a touch for a hint of sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: For a rich, aromatic flavor.
- Butter: Used in the skillet for a golden, crispy edge.
- Salt: A pinch to enhance all the flavors.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Dutch Baby Pancakes Step by Step
This Dutch baby pancake is baked in a hot skillet until puffed, golden, and crisp around the edges.
- Preheat the oven and skillet
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven while it heats. - Prepare the batter
Add eggs, buttermilk, flour, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and lump-free, about 1½ minutes total. Let the batter rest for 15–30 minutes for the best rise.
- Melt the butter
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add the butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. The butter should melt and sizzle immediately. - Bake the Dutch baby
Pour the batter into the hot skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 20–25 minutes without opening the oven door for at least the first 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately
Remove from the oven when puffed and golden. The Dutch baby will deflate slightly as it cools. Serve warm with maple syrup, fruit, or powdered sugar.
Chef’s Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing on a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens and classical Cordon Bleu training, these tips will help you get perfect results every time.
- Preheat the Skillet: This is the secret to the dramatic rise.
- Batter Consistency: Aim for a consistency similar to heavy cream.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature eggs and milk for a more consistent batter.
- Avoid Overmixing: Mix just until the ingredients are combined to keep the batter light.
- Don’t Peek!: Resist the urge to open the oven door as the pancake bakes, as drafts can cause it to deflate.
Variations: Topping Options for Dutch Baby Pancakes
Dutch baby pancakes are such a versatile brunch recipe. Top them with savory or sweet toppings depending on what you will fit into your menu.
- Savory toppings: smoked salmon and sour cream, ham and cheese
- Sweet-savory: bacon and maple syrup
- Fruit curds: lemon curd, blueberry curd, passionfruit curd
FAQs about Dutch Baby Pancakes
If you’ve tried this Dutch baby pancake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there!
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Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter
- 4 large free-range eggs
- ⅔ cup (158 ml) buttermilk or milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated or caster sugar
- ⅔ cup (83 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the Oven and Skillet:
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Place the 10-inch skillet in the oven to heat up during the preheating process. Be sure to leave it in there about 10-15 minutes to ensure it's really hot.
Prepare the Batter:
- In a blender (or whisk by hand), combine the 4 eggs, buttermilk (or milk if using), all-purpose flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
- Blend these ingredients on a low setting for about 1 minute, then stop and scrape down the sides.
- Continue blending until the mixture is smooth. This should take about another 30 seconds. Leave the batter to rest for 15-30 minutes or even overnight to make ahead.
Melt the Butter in the Skillet:
- Once the oven is preheated and the skillet is hot, carefully remove the skillet using oven mitts.
- Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, allowing it to melt and coat the bottom and sides. Swirl the skillet to ensure an even coating.
Pour the Batter and Bake:
- Immediately pour the batter into the hot, buttered skillet.
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The Dutch Baby should puff up and turn golden brown.
- It's important not to open the oven door for the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure the pancake rises properly.
Serve:
- Once the Dutch Baby is puffed and golden, remove it from the oven.
- The pancake will start to deflate once it's out of the oven, which is normal.
- Serve immediately while it's warm. Dutch Baby pancakes are traditionally served with a dusting of powdered sugar, but you can add toppings like maple syrup, whipped cream, or fresh fruit as desired.
Notes
- The Dutch Baby will be impressively puffed right out of the oven but will deflate quickly. This is part of its charm and does not affect the delicious taste and texture.
- Skillet Watch: Preheating the skillet is key for a crispy bottom. Add butter only after the skillet is hot to avoid burning.
- Smooth Batter: Achieve a lump-free batter by blending really well, which is crucial for a light and airy Dutch Baby.
- Steady Heat: Keep the oven closed during baking for that perfect rise
- Storing Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat in a toaster oven or skillet.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I’m Debs, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes, step-by-step instructions, and tips and tricks I’ve learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
I love this recipe so much! I’ve made it for many brunches and it’s always a hit!
This was delicious and easy to make! I love making brunch for guests, but then get stuck standing by the stove by myself and miss out on spending time with everyone. It’s great that I can quickly blend simple ingredients and let the oven do the rest. I really appreciated the clear instructions and topping tips. This came out perfect, thank you for sharing!
Amazing! So happy you love this recipe and you’re not tied to the stove when you’ve got brunch guests. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe many times. My husband and I love it. We double the recipe and enjoy it during the days ahead. Try it you’ll like it!
So happy you love this recipe! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s so appreciated.
Hands down the BEST & FLUFFIEST dutch baby ever. Thank you!
So happy you loved it! It’s my go-to brunch recipe! So easy, but so good! 🙂
Easy recipe to follow. Made exactly as instructed and came out great. Wouldn’t change a thing.
So happy you loved this recipe, Courtney. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It’s so appreciated! 🙂
I am trying to follow this recipe but the website is making it go back to the beginning of the recipe. It is very hard to use any recipes from this site. Also all the ads take up so much of the screen it’s hard to read the recipe when I scrolled back down to it.
Hi Leslie, I’m not sure what you mean by “the website keeps making it go back to the beginning.” I just tried the recipe myself on mobile and it looks like it’s working fine, so I’m not sure what’s going on. There is a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page that will take you right down to the recipe card and you will skip the ads. Hope that helps.
Can I use gluten free flour for this recipe?
Absolutely! Just use a straight 1:1 substitution and it will turn out great. 🙂
This is such an easy recipe that is so impressive for a brunch! My family loved it. Thank you!
Thank you so much. So happy you loved it! 🙂
Excellent! I’ve been looking for a Dutch Baby recipe such as my husband’s grandmother made. This is it! Thank you.
Amazing! It’s a simple but incredible recipe! 🙂
Thanks for this buttermilk version! No sugar? Is the syrup topping enough sweetener?
Hi Aurelia! Thanks so much for the comment. Yep. That syrup topping is sweet enough for sure. I pretty much always skip sugar in my Dutch Babies and get the sweetness in with toppings and extra fruit. Enjoy!
This looks amazinggg! Cant wait to try this recipe!
Thanks so much Jenny! Hope you love it!
Do you use the entire batch of batter for just one dutch baby? Please, clarify, thanks,
Hi Jo. Yes. The entire batter gets used for the dutch baby. It can feed 4 for dessert, so it’s quite large. Alternatively you could half the recipe and make individual dutch babies if the full recipe will be too much. But when is a large dutch baby ever too much?! 🙂
Absolute favorite kind of pancakes! And always comes out looking so pretty 🙂
Best looking Dutch baby ever Debs!! Sounds incredibly delish too!
Sooo pretty!!
Thanks so much Natasha!