Dutch baby recipe (German pancake or Dutch puff)
Tall, puffy sides and an eggy center are what makes this Dutch baby recipe a winner. Baked in a hot oven, the pancake puffs up with golden brown, crispy edges. Also called a Dutch puff, or a German pancake, this delicious breakfast treat is very easy to make and the batter comes together in less than 5 minutes.
I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.
You may also be interested in my lemon ricotta pancakes and my banana pancakes recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my breakfast recipes in one place.
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Why you should make this recipe
- Quick and easy – This Dutch puff pancake looks impressive, but it is actually very easy to make. The batter comes together quickly in a blender, then is added to a hot pan.
- Showstopper – The edges of the pancake rise tall and golden brown, making for quite a presentation at the breakfast table.
- Versatile – I like to serve mine with lemon and berries, but you can serve it with syrup, a warm berry compote, or you can eat it plain!
Dutch baby recipe
If you’ve never made a Dutch baby recipe before, let me be the first to tell you that you are in for a real treat. This puffy pancake is not fluffy like traditional pancakes, but custardy like a Yorkshire pudding.
There are no leaveners in the batter, giving this pancake an eggy center, similar to a crepe.
The batter is blended up in a blender, or mixed by hand, then it hits the hot pan and begins to cook immediately, giving you the tall, crispy, golden brown edges.
Ingredients
One of the best things about making a Dutch baby is the ingredient list. Pantry basics that you very likely have in the kitchen already.
- Milk – I use whole milk, but you can use any milk that you prefer.
- Flour – All purpose flour is the standard, but I’ve heard from readers who’ve used gluten-free flour successfully.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter, but if you use salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Eggs – Along with the flour, eggs are the backbone of this recipe.
- Sugar – A couple of tablespoons of sugar give this Dutch baby a bit of sweetness.
- Lemon – Lemon zest adds great flavor to the batter.
How to make this Dutch pancake recipe
Here’s a quick summary of how to make a Dutch baby. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Prep – Preheat oven to 410°F // 210°C.
- Add all of the ingredients, except the butter, to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Melt butter in a hot pan, make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Pour batter into the hot skillet and bake.
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Serve the Dutch baby pancake immediately. It will slowly begin to deflate when it is removed from the oven.
Dutch baby recipe FAQ’s
No. It will start to deflate a bit shortly after you remove it from the oven, so a Dutch baby is not a make ahead recipe.
Yes! You can freeze this Dutch baby recipe after it is baked. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can bake it in a heavy oven proof skillet, or a glass pie plate, if you don’t have either.
Variations and substitutions
- Spices – Add in a pinch of nutmeg instead of lemon zest.
- Lemon – A bit of lemon zest in the batter goes really well with the lemon butter glaze for serving.
- Vanilla – A splash of vanilla also makes a wonderful addition to the batter.
- Almond milk – Swap dairy milk for almond milk, if desired.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Dutch baby hot from the oven in the pan (place on a trivet or folded dishtowel, so you don’t ruin the table), dusted with powdered sugar. I like to serve it with a sweet and tart lemon glaze, and fresh berries.
Another option would be warm maple syrup, or a berry compote.
Helpful tools and equipment
- A 10″ cast iron skillet is incredibly useful. It is probably one of the most used pans in my kitchen.
- Compact blender for smaller spaces – This blender is great for smoothies as well as blending up pancake batter.
- Vitamix blender – This is a newer version of the blender I used to make the recipe.
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Dutch baby pancake recipe
Ingredients
Dutch baby pancake
- 2/3 cup milk // 160mL room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup flour // 80g
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest optional
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla optional
- 3 tbsp. butter
Lemon glaze
- 2 tbsp. very soft unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp. powdered sugar Also called icing sugar or confectioners sugar
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 415°F / 210°C.
- Place a 10" cast iron pan in the oven to heat while making batter. (You could also use a heavy-bottomed frying pan or a pie plate.) Let the pan heat in the oven for at least 5 – 10 minutes. It needs to be hot.
- Add milk, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest or vanilla, if using, to a blender. Blend until well combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender jar, if necessary, to incorporate all of the flour. (You can also mix by hand, if preferred.)
- Open the oven door and place the butter into the hot pan. When the butter has melted (watch it, so it doesn't burn), remove the skillet from the oven and carefully pour the batter into the hot pan. Immediately place the pan back into the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 325°F / 160°C and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until puffy and deep golden brown. (Do not open the oven while baking!)
- While Dutch baby is baking, make lemon glaze, if desired. Place butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and stir with a fork until well combined and smooth. Set aside until serving.
- Remove from the oven, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into 4 wedges. Serve immediately, with berries, syrup or with lemon glaze. Pancake will deflate slightly after removing from the oven.
Notes
- You may be tempted to crack the oven door open and peek at the progress of your Dutch baby. Don't do it. Trust me. If you open the oven, you'll let the heat out and your pancake may not rise and set as tall as you'd like it to.
- The pancake will deflate shortly after being removed from the oven, so make sure everyone is ready to eat!
- A pinch of nutmeg instead of lemon zest is also a delicious option!
- I've been eating these puffy pancakes since I was a kid. We always had them with a delicious lemon glaze that was spread on the warm pancake, or we'd dip pieces of the pancake into the glaze. It is ridiculously good. The pancake itself isn't overly sweet, so the glaze goes well with it.
- You can add more or less lemon juice to the glaze, depending on your personal preference.
Nutrition
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Originally published 5/11/12. Most recent update 2/21/24.
In this recipe, all the butter goes into the pan? There’s no melted butter in the actual batter?
That is correct. The pancake cooks in the butter, it will absorb it as it cooks.