Like many of you, I am always up for a new food adventure.
But I definitely was not expecting to try anything crazy for breakfast when I visited my friend in Cleveland a few years ago.
She ordered something called a Dutch baby. The name itself was a bit questionable (“A baby?! You ordered a baby?!”), but she excitedly insisted that I try it.
What came to our table was out of this world…
It looked like a pancake comet from Planet Breakfast exploded on the dish and left behind a gigantic, creamy beige crater.
It tasted brilliant: a magical fusion between a crepe, a pancake, and a popover.
The best part was the shallow pool of melted butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar that formed on the bottom. While we were supposed to cut off slices of this dish, we would just tear off pieces with our hands and dip them in that lovely liquid!
Forks? Who needs them?
And now, you can easily bake this tantalizing breakfast treat at home!
Also called a German pancake, Bismarck, or Dutch puff, this dish is very easy to make.
Ingredients are mixed all together in a blender or food processor to form a very smooth, thin batter. It is poured into a hot skillet with melted butter and baked until perfectly puffy and golden-brown around the sides.
I used my heavy-duty cast iron skillet, but you can use any 10-inch oven-safe skillet or baking dish of a similar size.
It’s a rustic, freeform pancake – don’t be alarmed when you start seeing it form into weird shapes and bubbles! It’s all part of the cool presentation!
It is usually served with a side of lemon wedges and powdered sugar. But you can serve this with any of your favorite breakfast condiments: naturally sweet maple syrup, homemade jams and jellies, or fresh fruit are all tasty options.
Let’s have some fun this morning – make this crazy-looking creation for breakfast now!
The Recipe
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 3 servings | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 25 minutes | 10 minutes |
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Surprise your hungry crew at breakfast, and learn how to make this cool fusion of a pancake, crepe, and popover.
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- 5 ounces all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 ounces granulated Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 8 ounces whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Powdered sugar for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Fresh fruit optional
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 400°F.
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Blend on high speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down and blend again for 30 seconds until a smooth, thin batter is formed. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, place the butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet. Put the skillet in the preheated oven to melt the butter.
- When the pan is hot and the butter is completely melted, but not browned, remove the pan from the oven and immediately pour the batter into it. Quickly return the pan to the oven and bake until puffy, dry, and lightly browned around the edges, about 20-25 minutes.
- Serve immediately with powdered sugar, lemon wedges, and optional fruit.
Nutritional Information*
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Make the Batter
Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat it to 400°F.
Add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract to a blender or food processor.
Blend at high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender to redistribute any ingredients that didn’t mix properly, and blend for an additional 30 seconds to form a smooth, even, and thin batter.
Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the batter to rest, and to let the flour completely absorb the liquid ingredients. This helps to create a smoother texture and better final outcome!
Step 2 – Melt the Butter
While the batter is resting, place the butter in an oven-safe pan, like a cast iron. Put the pan in the oven to heat and completely melt the butter without burning it, about 5 minutes.
Step 3 – Pour and Bake
Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, remove the pan and immediately pour all of the batter into it.
Quickly place the skillet back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the batter is dry and puffy, and the edges are crispy and lightly browned.
The middle will still be a light beige color.
Step 4 – Serve Hot!
Serve immediately with lemon wedges and powdered sugar.
The puffiness will deflate as it continues to sit out at room temperature – no worries, this happens! Enjoy every bite!
The Craziest Pancake Ever
Take it from me: trust your friends when they are excited to share a new food experience with you. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you eat!
Especially if it’s the craziest, most delicious breakfast creation ever.
The Dutch baby is a unique delight – large and puffy, the presentation is (literally) over-the-top!
This edible, cool crater is an entertaining addition to your typical morning feast. Surprise all your friends and family by presenting this dish at the kitchen table!
With a few squeezes of lemon, and a dusting of powdered sugar, everyone will enjoy it.
If you’re looking for more yummy breakfast goodies, try our recipes for caramel apple spiced scones and sweet corn pancakes.
But don’t think it is limited to just breakfast! It is a versatile recipe that can be used for any meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert!
Transform it into a base for any number of savory toppings (imagine our broccoli, tomato, kale and onion saute on top!) by simply omitting the sugar and vanilla from the recipe.
Have you ever heard of the Dutch baby? What are your favorite ways to serve it? Let us know in the comments below!
And if you are looking for some the best pancake recipes found anywhere, look no further than some of these delicious variations:
- Einkorn Rye Chocolate Chip Flapjacks
- Cornmeal Griddle Cakes with Sweet Corn
- Light and Buttery Nut Flour Crepes with Roasted Fruit
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Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
