Dutch Baby Pancake | The Modern Proper (2024)

March 15, 2024

Extremely simple ingredients yield a showy, puffed-up, popover-like, oven-baked Dutch baby pancake that’s buttery, delicate, and delicious.

More Favorite Pancake Recipes From The Modern Proper.

• Pumpkin Pancakes

• Buttermilk Pancakes

• Homemade Pancake Mix

• Banana Pancakes

A Dutch Baby Pancake That’s As Light and Fluffy As Your Favorite Pillow

Dusted in powdered sugar—or whatever topping you love best—a fluffy, poofy, piping hot Dutch baby is the speediest way to get breakfast on the table. Sometimes called a German pancake, this all-American brunch favorite is easy to make at home and the recipe is nearly foolproof, despite its grandiose appearance. For more fancy pancake recipes to celebrate a special day — or just the fact that it’s the weekend — try out our Trail Mix Pancakes or our Almond Poppyseed Pancakes.

What Is A Dutch Baby?

A Dutch baby — sometimes called German pancakes — is a big, buttery oven-baked pancake. It’s cooked in a lot of butter in a super-hot cast iron skillet in the oven, and it gets all puffy with crisped edges when it bakes. You can make a sweet Dutch baby or a savory Dutch baby by topping the finished pancake with whatever your heart desires, though a simple squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of confectioner's sugar is probably the most classic way of serving it.

Dutch Baby Ingredients: Magically Simple

• Eggs

• All-purpose flour

• Whole milk

• Vanilla

• Sea salt

• Salted butter

Let’s Learn How To Make A Dutch Baby Pancake

1. Put the empty, dry cast iron skillet in the warm oven to get nice and hot.

2. Dump all of the ingredients except for the butter into a blender.

3. Blend until you’ve got a smooth batter. If you’d rather blend the batter with a whisk, you can, but be sure to really whip it up — you need to incorporate air in order for the Dutch baby to rise like it should.

4. Grab that hot skillet and pop in the butter. Let it melt completely.

5. Pour the batter into the buttered pan.

6. Bake!

7. Serve!

How To Store + Tips for the Best, Easy German Pancakes

• Store any leftover pancakes in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy them cold with jam on top, or warm them up briefly in the microwave.

• What is the difference between a Dutch baby and a German pancake? There isn’t one! They are the same thing. You can call this recipe either one!

• What makes a Dutch baby rise? The magic that makes that Dutch baby pancake rise to its signature heights is simple: Steam! The combination of air that’s whipped into the eggs when you mix the batter and the super hot cast-iron skillet (and oven) create the conditions needed for the lift we love.

Dutch Baby Toppings: The Sky’s The Limit

One of the best things about Dutch baby toppings is that they’re really adaptable to what you’ve got on hand. A lot of people are bonkers for apples as a topping—caramelized, or in apple butter form. But other combos we love are:

• Butter and syrup

• Butter and jam

• Powdered sugar and lemon juice

• Whipped cream and fresh berries

• Cinnamon sugar

• A fried egg and some shredded cheese and herbs

More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes To Try

• French Toast

• Banana Bread

• Belgian Waffles

• Baked Oatmeal

The Best Dutch Baby Recipe Is Also Fast & Easy — Yay!

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