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!
For more fun and unique breakfast recipes on Hummingbird High, check out my Breakfast recipe archive! Popular recipes include Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Small Batch Baked Ube Mochi Donuts.
Let’s Talk Ingredients
Now that I’ve convinced you to make my best Dutch baby pancake recipe, let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:
- Butter. In my recipe testing, I found that 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. I recommend using whole milk for the most flavorful Dutch baby pancake. Using skim, low-fat, or non-fat milks will lead to a less flavorful Dutch baby pancake. You can also use alternatives like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, and/or oat milk in this recipe. Just note that your pancake might taste like whatever milk you decide to use.
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
I followed your recipe exactly, but my batter looks super lumpy. Are you sure that’s okay?
Yes! 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:
- 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.
- 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!
My Best Recipe Tips For Success
- 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.
- 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!
Get the Recipe: My Best Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dutch Baby Pancake Batter
- 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (3 ounces or 85 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
To Serve
- whipped cream
- fresh, sliced fruit
Instructions
- Prep the oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Melt the butter. Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and bake for 5 minutes, or until the butter is completely melted and the skillet is piping hot.
- Meanwhile, make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy, about 30 seconds. Add the milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until just combined, about 30 seconds. The batter will look a little lumpy, but that's totally okay, I promise!
- Assemble the Dutch baby pancake. Remove the skillet from the oven (but keep the oven on!). Swirl the pan to coat with the butter. Pour the batter into the center of the pan and immediately return the pan to the oven.
- Bake and serve the Dutch baby pancake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and golden. Cool the pancake in the skillet on a wire rack for 1 minute, then use a metal cooking turner to turn out the pancake onto the rack to keep its sides from deflating.Serve immediately, with a dollop of whipped cream and slices of fresh fruit.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
I have tried several different Dutch baby recipes. This was the best by far. It really puffed up beautifully and was yummy, We made green cool whip and called it a Grinch baby,(not original but hey the granddaughter loved it)
Goodmorning,
Thank you for having this out there. My granddaughters requested German pancakes, which have been my fav all my life also. I used your recipe to double check what I thought I remembered. These have been served in my family 5 generations that I know for sure. Only difference is our greats + cooked them as crepes so cooking takes a couple of hours. They are stacked up in a heated, lidded pan till they are all done……then it’ time to eat! Everyone reaching in and grabbing a stack of 3-6 to put on your plate and slather butter on every layer topping with maple syrup. A side of good smoked sausage from Minnesota or if don’t have that Lil smokies or wranglers will do. Super recipe, we all luv these. Luv Deutch Babies too, For Deutch Babbies I preheat a round steel pan I bought just for them..my crepe pans are steel also! Thank Pixie. Superb!!!! 🙂
This recipe turned out great! I love it!
Wonderful recipe for Dutch Baby Pancake! It comes out Perfect every time and my family loves it So much! Simple, yet Gourmet without the fuss! I serve with berries, real Maple syrup and a sprinkle of confectioners sugar!! Thank you !!!
Superb!