My Best Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe

About This Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe

My best Dutch baby pancake recipe makes a tall, puffy pancake similar to a popover! The pancake is baked in a cast-iron skillet, comes together in less than 5 minutes, and doesn’t require any fancy equipment like a stand mixer or a blender. Top the Dutch baby pancake with fresh whipped cream and sliced fruit for an impressive-yet-incredibly-easy brunch treat!

What is a Dutch baby pancake?

A Dutch baby pancake is a giant pancake that serves multiple people. They are puffier and thinner than American pancakes because the batter is baked until it puffs up like a popover. Their texture is more similar to a crepe—soft and thin in the middle, but with crispy, puffed edges. They’re absolutely delicious!

Why You Should Make This Recipe

Here are all the reasons to make my best Dutch baby pancake recipe:

The Dutch baby pancake batter comes together quickly and easily.

Dutch baby pancakes come together incredibly quickly and easily. The batter takes just 5 minutes to whisk together! After that, pour the batter into a cast-iron skillet and bake for 20 minutes. That’s it! It’s so much less time consuming than a regular pancake recipe, where you’re stuck at the stovetop making individual pancakes for each person.

My Dutch baby pancake recipe doesn’t require any specialty ingredients.

You probably already have everything you need at home to make this Dutch baby pancake. Why? The batter is made with basic pantry staples like butter, eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt. That’s it!

The Dutch baby pancake recipe doesn’t require any specialty cooking or baking equipment like a stand mixer or a blender.

Some Dutch baby pancake recipes instruct you to use a stand mixer or a blender to bring together the batter. But not mine! All you need is a bowl and a whisk.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make my best Dutch baby pancake recipe, here’s everything you need:

Shopping List for My Best Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient quantities—hit the “Jump to The Recipe” button on the page for a quick shortcut!

• unsalted butter
• large eggs
• whole milk
• all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• pure vanilla extract
• salt

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:

Butter

You need 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter to make my best Dutch baby pancake recipe.

I only have salted butter! Can I use that instead?

Yes! In a pinch, you can use salted butter to make this Dutch baby pancake recipe. There’s no need to modify the amount of salt in the recipe, either!

Milk

You need ⅔ cup milk to make my best Dutch baby pancake recipe.

Can I use skim, low-fat or non-fat milk instead?

Yes, but with reservations. Using skim, low-fat, or non-fat milks will lead to a less flavorful Dutch baby pancake.

Can I use non-dairy milk like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk instead of whole milk?

Yes! You can use alternatives like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, and/or oat milk in this recipe without altering the results too much!

However, be mindful that using an alternative milk with “strong” flavors (like coconut or oat milk) will impart their flavors into the pancake, too. Specifically, your pancake might have a subtle coconut or oat milk flavor to it.

How To Make The Recipe

Here are the basic steps to make a Dutch baby pancake recipe from scratch:

1. Prep the oven and ingredients. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   For this recipe, it’s especially important to preheat the oven. You want the oven to be SCREAMING hot when you bake the Dutch baby pancake. That’s the secret to a super tall and crispy Dutch baby pancake!
   
   
2. Melt the butter. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Once the oven is preheated, it’s time to preheat your cast-iron skillet. Place the butter in the middle of the cast-iron skillet and bake the whole thing for 5 minutes. Your goal here is to preheat the pan to get it ready for the batter, as well as brown the butter for flavor.
   
   
3. While the butter is melting, make the batter. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   The batter comes together SO quickly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until light and foamy. Then, add the milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to combine—that’s it!
   
   Be especially careful not to overwhisk the batter. Your batter will probably be a little lumpy. That’s okay, I promise! According to @cooksillustrated, the lumps hold on to air pockets as the pancake cooks, making it extra tall and fluffy.
   
   
4. Assemble the Dutch baby pancake. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
   Once the cast-iron skillet is preheated and the butter is melted, it’s time to assemble the Dutch baby pancake!
   
   Remove the skillet from the oven—be careful, it will be VERY hot—and quickly swirl the pan so that batter coats the bottom and sides of it. Pour the batter into the center of the pan and immediately return the pan to the oven.
   
   
5. Bake the Dutch baby pancake. (Bake Time: 20 minutes)
   The Dutch baby pancake needs 20 minutes in the oven. You’l know it’s ready when it’s puffed and golden!

Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: What Equipment Do I Need To Make A Dutch Baby?

Baking Equipment To Make A Dutch Baby

To make this recipe, you need the following “specialty” baking and cooking equipment:

• a 10-inch cast-iron skillet
• a bowl
• a whisk
• a wire rack
• a metal cooking turner

I have a cast-iron skillet, but it’s not 10 inches wide. I think it’s smaller/bigger. Can I still make this Dutch baby pancake recipe?

Yes, with reservations. The recipe will work just fine with a 9-inch or and 11-inch cast-iron skillet. It starts to get a little wonky if you go smaller or larger than that. Specifically, your Dutch baby pancake probably won’t get as tall as mine did.

I don’t have a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. What can I use instead?

If you don’t have a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, you can use the following instead:

• A stainless steel frying pan (Just make sure that it has at least 1-inch tall sides, and it is ovenproof at 425°F. That means no plastic or wooden handles!)
• A 10-inch cake pan with at least 2-inch tall sides (I like this one!)

FAQ: Troubleshooting Common Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe Mistakes

I followed your recipe exactly, but my batter looks super lumpy. Are you sure that’s okay?

Yes! According to America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated, lumps in the batter hold onto air pockets as the Dutch baby pancake cooks. This extra air helps the Dutch baby pancake rise as it bakes in the oven.

The sides of my Dutch baby pancake didn’t rise and puff as much as yours. What did I do wrong?

There are two main culprits to flat, sad Dutch baby pancakes:

1. Your oven wasn’t hot enough. The hotter your oven, the more puffed your Dutch baby pancake will be. Make sure to preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before baking the batter.
   
   
2. Your ingredients were too cold. It’s especially important that the eggs and milk are warmed to room temperature before using in this recipe. The Dutch baby pancake will not rise and puff in the same way if these ingredients are cold!

Help! My Dutch baby pancake immediately deflated. What did I do wrong?

Don’t panic! It’s totally normal for a Dutch baby pancake to deflate after pulling it out the oven. It’s one of those baked goods that needs to be eaten immediately after baking.

That being said, if you want it to maintain some (but probably not all, I’m not gonna lie—that’s an impossible task) of its puffiness, follow my instructions in the recipe to cool the pancake in the pan on a wire rack for 1 minute. After that, use a metal cooking turner to transfer the Dutch baby pancake directly onto the wire rack. Doing so will prevent the Dutch baby pancake’s sides from deflating!

FAQ: How To Store Dutch Baby Pancakes

How To Store Dutch Baby Pancake

I do not recommend storing a Dutch baby pancake for serving later. It will be sad, cold, and deflated. Please only bake the Dutch baby pancake right before you’re ready to serve it!

Can you freeze Dutch baby pancakes?

100% no. The Dutch baby pancake almost immediately loses its height, crispiness, and puffed texture after you pull it out of the oven. Freezing and thawing a Dutch baby pancake would result in a sad, sloppy mess of soggy pancake!

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