Dutch Baby
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Start your day off right with a Dutch baby—a big, puffy, German-style pancake baked in a sizzling-hot buttered skillet.
Sometimes called a German pancake, a Dutch Baby is a big, puffy, family-style pancake with a custardy center—think of it as a cross between a crepe, a pancake, and a popover. It never fails to get “oohs” and “ahhs” when you bring it to the table, and it’s surprisingly easy to make. Just whirl the batter in a blender, pour it into a sizzling-hot, buttered skillet, and pop it in the oven. As it bakes, the sides rise dramatically, creating a golden, puffy crust with a tender, eggy middle.
Dutch babies do deflate quickly as they cool, so be sure to have everyone ready when you pull it out for maximum wow factor. To serve, dust with powdered sugar, add fresh berries if you like, and slice into wedges to drizzle with maple syrup.
Table of Contents
“Super easy and tasty! My boys devoured it within minutes and wanted more! Another hit that we’ll add to the brunch rotation!”
Why Is It Called A Dutch Baby?
The name “Dutch baby” is somewhat misleading, as this dish is neither Dutch in origin nor related to babies! This name actually stems from a mispronunciation. The story dates back to the early 20th century at Manca’s Cafe, a family-owned restaurant in Seattle, where the dish was first popularized. Originally called a “Deutsch (German) baby” due to its German pancake roots, the owner’s daughter mispronounced “Deutsch” as “Dutch”—and the charming name “Dutch baby” was born!
What You’ll Need To Make A Dutch Baby
- Eggs: Provide structure and richness, and help the Dutch baby pancake rise when heated.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the batter and gives the pancake its body and structure.
- Milk: Adds moisture and lightness, contributing to the custard-like texture of the finished pancake. Use any milk you like, from whole milk to plant-based.
- Maple syrup: Lightly sweetens the batter; also used for drizzling over the cooked pancake.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, aromatic flavor to the pancake.
- Butter: Provides fat and flavor; ensures a golden, buttery crust and prevents the pancake from sticking to the pan.
- Fresh berries and confectioners’ sugar: Serve as a topping for the finished pancake. Sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon would also make a delicious topper.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe nonstick pan into the oven and heat for at least 5 minutes. In a blender, combine the eggs, flour, milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, the salt, and vanilla.
Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary, about 30 seconds.
Open the oven door and drop the butter into the preheated skillet. Close the oven and allow the butter to melt, about 2 minutes (do not let it burn). Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and gently swirl the butter around.
Pour the batter into the buttered skillet.
Carefully place the skillet back into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Dust the Dutch baby with confectioners’ sugar and top with berries, if desired, then cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.
Video Tutorial
Make-Ahead Instructions
Dutch babies are best enjoyed fresh from the oven because they are known for their impressive puff and tender texture, which deflate and change texture as they cool. However, you can mix the batter a few hours ahead and keep it refrigerated until ready to bake. This can help you save time if you’re planning to serve it for breakfast or brunch.
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Dutch Baby
Start your day off right with a Dutch baby—a big, puffy, German-style pancake baked in a sizzling-hot buttered skillet.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Confectioners' sugar, for serving (optional)
- Fresh berries, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe nonstick pan into the oven and heat for at least 5 minutes.
- In a blender, combine the eggs, flour, milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, the salt, and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary, about 30 seconds.
- Open the oven door and drop the butter into the preheated skillet. Close the oven and allow the butter to melt, about 2 minutes (do not let it burn). Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place an oven mitt or dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it's hot. Pour the batter into the buttered skillet and carefully place the skillet back into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (again, place an oven mitt or dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it's hot). Dust with confectioners' sugar and top with berries, if desired, then cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 214 mg
- Cholesterol: 165 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Wow! That was easy and delicious! I tagged you on Instagram! I love all your recipes- gratefully,
Annie❤️
Do you think I could do this with an immersion blender?
Hi Lauren, I haven’t used an immersion blender here, but I think it should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Great, made for the two of us old folks..it’s filling.
Easy and will do again and again. Pleasure to get away from all the standard brunch stuff.
This is a perennial favorite at our house. The key to a big, puffy baby is a well preheated cast iron skillet. I don’t care for the extra cleanup of a blender so I just whisk the batter really well. I also add 1 Tbsp brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon to the batter. I like mine with a drizzle of honey and a spoonful of sour cream.
If I don’t have a blender, will whisking work just as well? And I have an enameled cast-iron skillet that can go in the oven, will that work fine for this recipe?
Hi Alex, as long as you whisk it very thoroughly, I think it should be fine. And regarding an enameled cast-iron skillet, they are not quite as nonstick as a normal cast-iron pan. I think you should be OK but be prepared as it may stick a little. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Absolutely delicious so much so that I now need to buy another 10” cast iron pan if feeding 4 at once!
Delicious! and remarkably simple. I like to make some peeled and sliced apples in the skillet with the butter & some cinnamon while I’m blending the other ingredients (about 10 minutes) & then pour the batter on top of the sauteed apples & bake the whole thing as you directed.
Oh. Yum!! That’s a brilliant idea! Thanks!!
Becky, do you leave it for longer in the oven?
Easy recipe! I made it for my better half and it came out so good. I followed the recipe to a “T”. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe. I used to make these when I was 8yrs old and made them all the time till I was 18yr old. I lost the recipe after that and as they say out of sight, out of mind. But I had this craving for one this morning and found your recipe. I did however swap out the syrup for coffee liqueur. After I got it all blended and the oven up to temp with a 10inch glass dish I realized I was out of butter. Oops! Lol. Had to run to the store and get some more. I did finish it and it was great! Thanks for your recipe!
Made this for house guests who thought I worked all morning on it! I made the batter the night before, stored it in the blender jar, gave it a quick whip the next morning and ‘voila’ good to go! I also made your brisket the night before too. Both dishes were fantastic, and my guests are brisket aficionados! They LOVED it all and begged me for your website. Although I would have liked to keep you and your recipes a secret, as they are all fantastic, I caved in and I’m sure you will be hearing from them soon.
💗
Just made your recipe in two 5” dessert cast iron frying pans with mixed berries, maple syrup and whipped cream topping. I didn’t have whole milk in the house so I diluted half and half. Cut baking time down to 15 min. Wish I could post a pic. They were beautiful and very fluffy. Thank you for making our breakfast feel special today.
Just like my Dutch Granny’s recipe!
Thanks so much for allowing me to connect Christmas with this family favorite!
In one word, this was AMAZING.
I made this for our anniversary brunch (40th to be exact) and it was perfect.
Recipe is easy to prepare AND it turned out just like the picture. The only thing I did different was use a Cuisinart and not a blender as I was having issues with the blender. It did not, however, make a difference.