Ever made a Dutch Baby? Baby, are YOU missing out! Dutch Babies or German pancakes are an egg-y, easy, crêpe like pancake! Oven-baked to huge, fluffy, and light pancake perfection! Served with melted butter, a squeeze of lemon and a dusting of powdered sugar.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Trixie said: “Turned out really good. I did add lemon juice and shavings of the lemon to add a tartness to the recipe.”
Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out! I usually order something I don’t make at home, like Eggs Benedict. Dutch pancakes are different from American pancakes with their more eggy batter. It almost looks like a popover when it comes out of the oven.
Donuts, pastries, cinnamon rolls, or streusel coffee cake! I don’t usually eat those things for dinner, do you? So this Dutch Baby fits perfectly into my idea of a special breakfast!
Why You Will Love This Dutch Baby Recipe
- Because dessert masquerading as breakfast is the perfect breakfast, AMIRIGHT?!
- EASY – Whip up the ingredients, pop it in the oven, and it looks so fancy!
- Family Friendly – Everyone loves this pancake, slice it up and let each person customize their pancake with their favorite syrups or powdered sugar!
These German Pancakes are Perfect For Every Occasion
These “BABIES” are the perfect, quick, yet elegant breakfast to make your family or sweetie on Valentine’s morning, Christmastime, or anytime you want something a little extra special!
School day? No problem! A Dutch Baby whips up so quickly and bakes while you make lunches or grab a quick shower!
Oh and by special occasion, I don’t just mean Mother’s Day or Easter, or even Sunday brunch; go crazy and make it when you are celebrating something truly special like, “I cleaned the bathrooms today” or “I survived my spin class” or “your toddler made it to the potty” or even “I got out of bed this morning.”
All teasing aside, what I’m trying to say is that this is so easy and satisfying that you can make it any day of the week, for any reason!
Dutch Baby vs. German Pancake
Is a Dutch Baby different from a German pancake? They are the same thing, but this puffy oven pancake is said to have originated in Germany, not in the Netherlands. According to America’s Test Kitchen, the Dutch Baby moniker came from a derivation from an American restaurateur’s derivation of the word “deutsch,” which means German, but sounds to our American ears like “Dutch.”
Dutch Baby Recipe Ingredients
- Unbleached All-purpose Flour – I like using organic unbleached AP flour, as it is not bleached and has a little more nutrients in it.
- Butter: Just a little bit to melt in the cast iron skillet.
- Eggs – I use large eggs in my baking and cooking, bring the eggs to room temperature.
- Milk – I typically use whole milk, because that is what I have on hand.
- Other – You will need a little kosher salt, sugar, and vanilla extract to round it out.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
See options below for a double Dutch chocolate version!
How to quickly bring eggs to room temperature
For me, the most difficult part of this recipe, is remembering to bring my eggs to room temperature. If that is you too, simply immerse your eggs in a bowl of very warm (not hot) water while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
How to Make German Pancakes
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm your milk. Don’t scald or boil it; it takes a few minutes. Swirl or stir occasionally to distribute the heat. Set aside. If it gets too hot (dip your knuckle in) allow to cool or pour between two pans or bowls for a minute until it’s cooled down a bit.
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and place butter in a 10″ oven-safe skillet*. Place the skillet in the preheated oven to melt the butter and heat the pan; it should only take a couple of minutes.
*I love my cast iron skillet, they heat evenly & beautifully. You can make it in a larger pan it just won’t puff over the sides or try splitting the batter into a couple of smaller pans. It’s really quite forgiving.
In a batter bowl (or blender); place your warm milk, all-purpose flour, sugar, sea salt vanilla and room temp eggs. Whisk until smooth or blend on low until smooth. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes or so, relaxing the glutens a bit.
Now pour batter into the hot pan; return to oven. **Don’t forget that handle is hot, I’ve branded my palm several times because I forget, so now, as it comes out of the oven, I wrap an oven mitt around the handle or use one of these silicone handle covers, so I don’t forget it’s stinking hot! Sometimes, I’m not the smartest pancake on a Sunday morning!
Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15-25 minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes until the puffing goes down slightly.
Slice into wedges and serve with melted butter and maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar, or check out these scrumptious options below!
Topping ideas for sweet Dutch Babies
- Fresh Fruit: Try fresh berries, banana, peaches, sauted apples, pears, plums, fruit compote, lemon juice plus powdered sugar.
- Spreads & Sauces: Try Nutella, peanut butter, jam, preserves, maple syrup, honey, caramel sauce, the sky is the limit!
- Creamy Toppings: Whipped cream, Greek yogurt with honey, mascarpone or crème fraîchee.
- Crunch & Extras: Chopped nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, sprinkles, cinnamon or powdered sugar.
Ways to Enjoy Your Dutch Baby
- Traditional Dutch Baby | Drizzle with melted butter, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a squeeze of lemon and some lemon zest. My favorite!
- Chocolate Chip Baby | Add ¼ cup chocolate chips (my favorite chips) to the batter (variety is your choice). Bake as directed. Once cooled slightly, sprinkle on a few more chips just before serving. Serve with a little melted butter and pure maple syrup, or go for it, splash on some chocolate syrup!
- Lemon Dutch Baby | Add zest of one lemon to batter, and if you really want to be indulgent, drop a dollop of lemon curd and dust with powdered sugar. Toss on some fresh berries.
- Double Dutch Chocolate Baby | Add 2 tablespoons of Dutch (get it – wink-wink) Processed Cocoa Powder to the batter, mix until smooth; bake as directed. Serve with a drizzle of maple or chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, and, if desired, sliced strawberries or raspberries. Perfect for Valentine’s Day! See image below.
- Apple Cinnamon: Sauté sliced apples in a little butter with some cinnamon and pour on top of the batter before baking. Serve with your favorite jam or preserves.
- Dairy-Free Dutch Baby – Swap the regular milk for your favorite plant-based milk.
Gluten-Free Dutch Baby
I have had pretty good luck swapping a good Gluten-Free All-purpose flour for regular flour in most of my recipes, including this one and see reader Billy’s comment below!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From reader, Billy, “For those of you who may be Gluten Free, I can take almost any recipe and replace wheat flour with Pamela’s Artisan flour blend at 1:1 (or choose your GF flour substitute) and this recipe makes delicious GF dutch baby’s 🙂”
What to Serve With German Pancakes
- Try making this special, but easy Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage.
- Instant Pot Egg Bites Recipe with Sausage and Cheese
- Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe (with Chocolate Chips)
- Or try this easy White Hot Chocolate, so good!
- The Best Christmas Morning Chai Recipe (Dutch Bros) or regular Chai Latte!
How to store the German pancakes recipe
Fridge: Let the pancake cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then foil, or store in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. For the best texture, reheat in the oven or toaster oven.
Reheating Tips:
- Microwave: Works in a pinch, but will soften the texture
- Oven: 300ºF for 5–10 minutes
- Toaster Oven: Great for crisping the edges back up
More pancake recipes you’ll love
How would you dress your Dutch Baby?? I’d love to hear!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter I used salted
- 3 large eggs room temperature (see notes if you forgot to bring to room temp)
- ½ cup milk warmed (I use Organic Whole milk)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar can easily omit!
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Toppings (check out multiple options in instructions)
- butter melted or soft
- fresh squeeze of lemon juice
- dusting of powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°f (220°C) and place butter into an oven safe skillet (about 10"), place skillet in oven to melt butter and heat the pan, should only take a minute or two.2 tablespoons butter
- In a batter bowl (or blender); place warm milk, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and room temp eggs. Whisk well until smooth or blend on low until combined and smooth. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.½ cup milk, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1-2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 large eggs
- Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15-25 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes until the puffing goes down slightly.
- Slice into wedges and serve with melted butter and maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar or check out these options below!
Notes
- Traditional: Drizzle with melted butter, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a squeeze of lemon. Simple and classic!
- Chocolate Chip: Add ¼ cup chocolate chips to the batter. Bake as usual, then sprinkle a few extra chips on top before serving. Serve with maple or chocolate syrup.
- Lemon Berry: Stir in zest of one lemon. Top with lemon curd, powdered sugar, and fresh berries—blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
- Double Chocolate: Mix 2 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa into the batter. Bake, then top with chocolate chips, syrup, and berries.
- Dairy-Free: Use plant-based milk (like almond or oat) and a neutral oil or dairy-free butter.
- Gluten-Free: Swap flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Batter may rise slightly less, but still delicious!
Nutrition
David Kozich
Can someone please tell me why I can’t get mine to fluff up properly? They end up being 1/4 thick with really no rise in them. Still tasty, but not the German pancakes I see here on the site.
David
I am using almond milk instead of dairy
Hi David, thank you for letting me know you use almond milk, I think it should still work to give a rise, here are a few reasons you might not be achieving the high fluff. Whipping air into your batter is essential, really beat well. The next time you make it, you might also try letting the batter sit for 5-10 while your pan heats in the oven, this allows the gluten to develop in the batter. The second reason might be that you aren’t preheating your pan hot enough, it should be piping hot when you pour your batter in, then place in oven. Now please note that they do deflate pretty quickly, super puffy out of the oven, but even the best oven pancake deflates on cooling. Hope this helps!
Kathleen
Trixie
Turned out really good I did add lemon juice and shavings of the lemon to add a tartness to the recipe.
Billy
For those of you who may be Gluten Free, I can take almost any recipe and replace wheat flour with Pamela’s “Artisan flour blend” at 1:1 (or choose your GF flour substitute) and this recipe makes delicious GF dutch baby’s 🙂
Yay!! Good to know about Pamela’s Billy! I like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1, But I am not gluten-free so coming from a gluten-free family this is great information
bob krulish
Oh my…again, “outta the park”…..”sigh….”
Thanks BK!
Thank you kind sir!