Dutch Baby Pancakes are an easy yet impressive take on the German pancake. It cooks to a golden brown in a skillet, showing off a light, eggy texture with crisp edges. This pancake combines the tenderness of traditional pancakes with the airy crispness of a popover.
You'll love my lemon Dutch babies! They're a perfect match with our tangy homemade Lemon Curd. And, of course, I use my own homemade vanilla extract in all my baking. If you need some other recipes to fill out your brunch spread you can add my easy-to-make blueberry scones or my incredibly moist lemon drizzle cake.
Jump to:
- What is a Dutch Baby Pancake?
- ⭐️ Why this Dutch baby pancake should be your go-to brunch recipe
- 🧾 Essential ingredients for making fluffy Dutch babies
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make Dutch baby pancakes in 3 easy steps
- Variations- Topping options for dutch baby Pancakes
- 💡 Key tips to get a light and fluffy Dutch baby
- ❓Recipe FAQ's
- More brunch recipes
- Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
- Meet the Chef!
What is a Dutch Baby Pancake?
A Dutch Baby Pancake is a large, fluffy pancake baked in a skillet. It's a cross between a pancake, a crepe, and a popover, known for its puffy rise and custardy center.
⭐️ Why this Dutch baby pancake should be your go-to brunch recipe
- Easy-to-Make: Simple preparation, ideal for any skill level.
- Ideal for Any Occasion: Whether it's Christmas morning, Mother's Day brunch or Easter Sunday brunch, this Dutch baby pancake is perfect.
- Visually Impressive: Puffy and golden, perfect for a stunning brunch presentation.
- Incredibly Versatile: Suitable for a wide range of toppings and flavors. Make it sweet or savory.
🧾 Essential ingredients for making fluffy Dutch babies
The key to a perfect Dutch baby lies in its ingredients. Here’s what you need: For precise measurements, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of your batter.
- Eggs: Crucial for the rise and airy texture.
- Milk: Adds creaminess to the batter.
- 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.
Remember, the quality of your ingredients directly influences the taste, so choose fresh, high-quality options.
👩🏻🍳 How to make Dutch baby pancakes in 3 easy steps
- Prepare the Batter:
- Mixing Method: Combine all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add milk and vanilla extract for subtle sweetness. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth, adding a small amount of sugar for balanced sweetness.
*For quicker prep, you can blend the ingredients in a blender, achieving the same smooth, lump-free batter. - Resting Time: Let the batter rest for 15-30 minutes after mixing, whether using a bowl or blender. This resting period allows the flour to hydrate fully, resulting in a lighter, tender Dutch baby.
*Whether mixed by hand or in a blender, avoid overmixing to prevent the batter from becoming too dense.
- Mixing Method: Combine all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add milk and vanilla extract for subtle sweetness. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth, adding a small amount of sugar for balanced sweetness.
- Heat Your Skillet:
- Place your cast iron skillet or an oven-safe frying pan in the oven. Then preheat your oven to 425°F with the skillet inside.
- Heating the skillet before adding the batter is essential. This preheating process creates a hot surface that immediately starts cooking the batter, contributing to the Dutch baby's characteristic puff and crispy edges.
- Use caution when handling the hot skillet. Always use oven mitts to prevent burns.
- Bake to Perfection:
- Once the oven and skillet are preheated, carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Quickly but safely, add a generous amount of butter (about 2 tablespoons) to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet. The butter should sizzle upon contact and melt right away — a sign your skillet is at the perfect temperature.
- Immediately pour the batter into the skillet. The batter should start cooking upon contact, forming the beginnings of your Dutch baby's edges.
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. *Avoid opening the oven door during this time, as the steady heat is crucial for achieving the perfect rise and golden-brown finish.
How to tell when your Dutch baby is done: You'll know it's done when it has puffed up dramatically and sports a beautiful golden color. The edges will be crispy, while the center remains slightly custardy.
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, bacon and maple syrup, ham and cheese
- Fruit curds: lemon curd, blueberry curd, passionfruit curd
💡 Key tips to get a light and fluffy Dutch baby
Leveraging years of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, I offer straightforward, effective tips to ensure your culinary success.
- 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.
- Storage Instructions: Dutch baby pancakes are best enjoyed fresh.
- Once the pancake is cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheating Instructions:
- Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the Dutch Baby Pancake on a baking sheet or an oven-safe dish. Reheat for about 5-10 minutes or until it's heated through and slightly crispy.
- Avoid microwaving as it can make the pancake soggy.
❓Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can prepare it the night before. Just give it a gentle stir before using it.
It should be puffed up and golden around the edges. See the recipe card for specific timings and visual ques.
A cast-iron skillet is best, but any oven-safe pan can work in a pinch.
Deflating after baking is normal for a Dutch Baby. The high oven heat causes the batter to puff up, and it naturally deflates once removed from the heat.
Make sure your skillet is well greased with butter or oil, and it's adequately heated before pouring in the batter.
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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You can also find weekly meal plans and budget recipes over on our sister site Savvy Bites.
Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 4 large free-range eggs
- ⅔ cup milk or buttermilk
- ⅔ cup 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.
Prepare the Batter:
- In a blender, combine the 4 large free-range eggs, ⅔ cup buttermilk, ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon 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.
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. Cordon Bleu trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes and step-by-step instructions along with tips and tricks that I've learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
Courtney says
Easy recipe to follow. Made exactly as instructed and came out great. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Debs says
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! 🙂
Leslie says
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.
Debs says
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.
Sally says
Can I use gluten free flour for this recipe?
Debs says
Absolutely! Just use a straight 1:1 substitution and it will turn out great. 🙂
Sally says
This is such an easy recipe that is so impressive for a brunch! My family loved it. Thank you!
Debs says
Thank you so much. So happy you loved it! 🙂
C says
Excellent! I've been looking for a Dutch Baby recipe such as my husband's grandmother made. This is it! Thank you.
Debs says
Amazing! It's a simple but incredible recipe! 🙂
Aurelia says
Thanks for this buttermilk version! No sugar? Is the syrup topping enough sweetener?
Debs says
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!
jenny says
This looks amazinggg! Cant wait to try this recipe!
Debs says
Thanks so much Jenny! Hope you love it!
Jo Ever says
Do you use the entire batch of batter for just one dutch baby? Please, clarify, thanks,
Debs says
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?! 🙂
Kankana says
Absolute favorite kind of pancakes! And always comes out looking so pretty 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Best looking Dutch baby ever Debs!! Sounds incredibly delish too!
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
Sooo pretty!!
Debs says
Thanks so much Natasha!