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    Dutch Baby Pancake

    September 18, 2024

    Extremely simple ingredients yield a showy, puffed-up, popover-like, oven-baked Dutch baby pancake that’s buttery, delicate, and delicious.

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    Homemade Dutch baby pancake in a cast iron skillet topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries and lemon

    More Favorite Pancake Recipes From The Modern Proper.

    A Dutch Baby Pancake That’s As Light and Fluffy As Your Favorite Pillow

    Dusted in powdered sugar—or whatever topping you love best—a fluffy, poofy, piping hot Dutch baby is the speediest way to get breakfast on the table. Sometimes called a German pancake, this all-American brunch favorite is easy to make at home and the recipe is nearly foolproof, despite its grandiose appearance. For more fancy pancake recipes to celebrate a special day — or just the fact that it’s the weekend — try out our Trail Mix Pancakes or our Almond Poppyseed Pancakes.

    6 eggs, 4 tablespoons salted butter, flour, whole milk, salt and vanilla in prep bowls for Dutch Baby Pancakes

    What Is A Dutch Baby?

    A Dutch baby — sometimes called German pancakes — is a big, buttery oven-baked pancake. It’s cooked in a lot of butter in a super-hot cast iron skillet in the oven, and it gets all puffy with crisped edges when it bakes. You can make a sweet Dutch baby or a savory Dutch baby by topping the finished pancake with whatever your heart desires, though a simple squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of confectioner's sugar is probably the most classic way of serving it.

    Eggs, flour, salt, vanilla, milk blended in a blender for Dutch Baby pancake
    4 tablespoons butter melted in a hot cast iron pan
    batter for dutch baby pancake being poured into a hot cast iron skillet with butter
    Dutch Baby pancake batter being poured into a hot cast iron skillet

    Dutch Baby Ingredients: Magically Simple

    • Eggs

    • All-purpose flour

    • Whole milk

    • Vanilla

    • Sea salt

    • Salted butter

    puffy crispy Dutch baby pancake fresh out of the oven in a cast iron skillet
    Dutch Baby pancake fresh out of the oven in a cast iron skillet with powdered sugar

    Let’s Learn How To Make A Dutch Baby Pancake

    1. Put the empty, dry cast iron skillet in the warm oven to get nice and hot.

    2. Dump all of the ingredients except for the butter into a blender.

    3. Blend until you’ve got a smooth batter. If you’d rather blend the batter with a whisk, you can, but be sure to really whip it up — you need to incorporate air in order for the Dutch baby to rise like it should.

    4. Grab that hot skillet and pop in the butter. Let it melt completely.

    5. Pour the batter into the buttered pan.

    6. Bake!

    7. Serve!

    Homemade Dutch baby pancake in a cast iron skillet topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries and lemon

    How To Store + Tips for the Best, Easy German Pancakes

    • Store any leftover pancakes in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy them cold with jam on top, or warm them up briefly in the microwave.

    • What is the difference between a Dutch baby and a German pancake? There isn’t one! They are the same thing. You can call this recipe either one!

    • What makes a Dutch baby rise? The magic that makes that Dutch baby pancake rise to its signature heights is simple: Steam! The combination of air that’s whipped into the eggs when you mix the batter and the super hot cast-iron skillet (and oven) create the conditions needed for the lift we love.

    Homemade Dutch baby pancake in a cast iron skillet topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries and lemon
    Homemade Dutch baby pancake in a cast iron skillet topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries and lemon

    Dutch Baby Toppings: The Sky’s The Limit

    One of the best things about Dutch baby toppings is that they’re really adaptable to what you’ve got on hand. A lot of people are bonkers for apples as a topping—caramelized, or in apple butter form. But other combos we love are:

    • Butter and syrup

    • Butter and jam

    • Powdered sugar and lemon juice

    • Whipped cream and fresh berries

    • Cinnamon sugar

    • A fried egg and some shredded cheese and herbs

    Homemade Dutch baby pancake in a cast iron skillet topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries and lemon

    More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes To Try

    The Best Dutch Baby Recipe Is Also Fast & Easy — Yay!

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Dutch Baby Pancake

    Updated on September 18, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  25 min
    • Calories:  239
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    Ingredients

    • 6 large eggs
    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • Pinch of sea salt
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for serving

    For serving (optional)

    • Maple syrup
    • Powdered sugar
    • Lemon juice
    • Whipped cream
    • Fresh berries

    Method

    1. Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet in the oven on the center rack. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

      6 eggs, 4 tablespoons salted butter, flour, whole milk, salt and vanilla in prep bowls for Dutch Baby Pancakes

    2. Add the eggs, flour, milk, vanilla extract and salt to a bender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Alternatively you can add the ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until smooth, 4-5 minutes.

      Eggs, flour, salt, vanilla, milk blended in a blender for Dutch Baby pancake

    3. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, add the butter and place it back in the oven. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, pour the batter into the skillet and bake until golden brown and puffy, about 20-25 minutes.

      batter for dutch baby pancake being poured into a hot cast iron skillet with butter

    4. Cut the pancake into 6 wedges and serve with desired toppings.

      Homemade Dutch baby pancake in a cast iron skillet topped with whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries and lemon

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 239
    • Protein 9 g
    • Carbohydrates 17 g
    • Total Fat 14 g
    • Dietary Fiber 1 g
    • Cholesterol 209 mg
    • sodium 166 mg
    • Total Sugars 2 g

    Dutch Baby Pancake

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Janice

      I have a two part question. (1) My milk has soured, will it still work? (It still works for biscuits or scones.) Alternatively, (2) Can half-and-half be used in place of the milk? I typically have it on hand too.

      WE don't recommend using soured milk that has gone bad. We haven't tested this with half and half it might be a bit too thick and change the texture.

    • Andrea

      Is there a substitute for a cast iron skillet that would also work for this recipe?

      Any oven-safe skillet will work, you can even use a glass 9x13 casserole dish if needed. Hope you enjoy Andrea!

    • Blythe

      Would almond milk would work in place of dairy milk here?

      We imagine it would work fine but we haven't tested this yet.

    • Jen

      Mine didn’t seem quite done in the center. Would this be normal, or maybe I need to adjust something? Thanks!

      was it still runny? You might just need to cook it a tad longer next time.

    • Hannah

      Could you make the batter the night before and store in the fridge? I would wake up my kids with the blender!

      It should be ok in the fridge overnight or you could whisk really good by hand instead.

    • Danny

      Simple and delicious. I used bread flour for a little more structure/height.

      Thanks Danny, we are glad you loved it!

    • Genna

      After serving this, my 9 year old son asked where our recipe cards were and transcribed the recipe himself “so we don’t lose it”, he liked it so much.

      That is such a sweet story! Thank you so much for sharing, we are so glad you both loved it!

    • Kari

      I’ve tried a few Dutch Baby recipes and this is my favorite!

      THANK YOU! So happy to hear that.

    • Jessica

      I have heard about Dutch Baby Pancakes but was always intimidated - thankfully the Modern Proper had a recipe! This was so flipping easy, followed your instructions EXACTLY and mine rose to perfection. I cannot thank you enough for providing easy-readable-doable recipes. You really have helped boost my confidence in the kitchen. Thank you! (I topped my Dutch baby with raspberries and a swirl of maple syrup - divine)

      Thank you so much Jessica. We are so happy you loved these! We are so so glad we could help boost your confidence in the kitchen, thanks so much for letting us know it means a lot to hear that!

    • Nina

      HEAVEN IN A PAN. And so, so easy! Served with reduced blueberries and whipped cream. Transported us back to overly priced brunches back in Brooklyn in our 20's. Then, our baby threw whipped cream and brought us back to earth. 20/10 pancakes.

      Haha! Sometimes even a short mental escape feels good! So glad you you guys enjoyed it!