This puffy, custardy pancake is like a cross between a crepe and a popover, and it’s shockingly easy to make. If you’ve never had a Dutch Baby before, prepare to fall in love. It comes together with just a few basic ingredients, puffs dramatically in the oven, and is the perfect blank canvas for your favourite toppings.
You don’t need any fancy equipment here, just a blender and a hot cast-iron skillet. Once it hits the oven, the batter climbs the sides and forms those irresistible golden edges with a soft, custardy centre. It’s a breakfast showstopper with very little effort.
More Fabulous Breakfasts:
- Campground Pan-Fried Walleye, Potatoes and Salami Breakfast Hash
- Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls with Lemon Frosting
- Ham and Cheese Egg Bake
- Apricot Glazed Brunch Sausages
I love serving this on slow weekend mornings or for a low-key brunch with friends. Add a dusting of powdered sugar, a squeeze of lemon, and your favourite fruit, and you’ve got a simple but impressive dish. You can also dress it up with whipped cream, honey, or a drizzle of maple syrup.
Watch my make the Dutch Baby Pancake on my TV show. “Taste Buds With Stephanie” with my daughter Ellie at our Ely cabin.
Spectacular Cakes:
- Strawberry Lemon Cake
- Cinnamon Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- Strawberry Lemon Snack Cake: As Seen on TV!
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Dutch Baby Pancake Ingredients
Just like most of my recipes, this one uses ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. Here’s a bit more detail about the key players in this puffed pancake:
- Eggs: Make sure they’re at room temperature for the best rise.
- Half and Half: Adds richness without being too heavy. You could substitute whole milk if needed.
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly.
- Cinnamon: Adds a gentle warmth to the flavour.
- Vanilla: Rounds everything out with a sweet aroma.
- Butter: Essential for greasing the skillet and giving the edges that golden finish.
- Toppings: Powdered sugar, lemon zest, and fresh fruit are just the beginning.
How to Make a Dutch Baby Pancake
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place your 10-inch cast iron skillet inside to heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a blender or food processor (or by hand with a whisk), blend the eggs, half and half, and vanilla extract until frothy for about 30 seconds.
- Add the dry ingredients to the blender and blend again for another 30 seconds until smooth and thin.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and melt 3 tablespoons of butter in it, swirling to coat the sides and bottom evenly.
- Pour the batter into the centre of the skillet and return it to the oven.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes without opening the oven, until the pancake is puffed and golden brown in spots.
- Remove from the oven and slide the Dutch Baby onto a serving platter.
- Dust with powdered sugar, add lemon zest, and top with fresh fruit. Serve with honey, butter, syrup, whipped cream, or enjoy as is!
Frequently Asked Questions
Not really! Dutch Babies are best enjoyed fresh from the oven. But you can mix the dry ingredients the night before and prep your toppings so everything comes together quickly in the morning.
Yes! Whole milk works well. Even 2% milk can do in a pinch, though the pancake might be slightly less rich.
A few things could cause this: the skillet wasn’t hot enough, your oven temperature was off, or the eggs weren’t at room temperature. Also, make sure not to open the oven while it’s baking; it needs that heat to climb the sides!
A Few Dutch Baby Variations
This recipe is super flexible. For a savoury twist, skip the sugar and cinnamon and add herbs and cheese to the batter. Or top it with sautéed mushrooms and greens for a brunch-worthy main. For a sweeter version, try adding a spoonful of cocoa powder to the batter for a chocolate Dutch Baby, or swap the vanilla for almond extract and add sliced almonds on top.
How Do You Like Your Dutch Baby?
A classic Dutch Baby is a perfect canvas. Keep it simple with powdered sugar and lemon, or go big with caramelised bananas, berries and cream, or Nutella and toasted hazelnuts. It’s all about what makes your morning better.
Storing Leftovers
If you do have leftovers (unlikely, but possible!), let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300ºF oven until warmed through. The texture won’t be quite as puffed, but it’ll still be delicious.
Have you made my Dutch Baby Pancake recipe? Leave a comment and review! I love hearing what you think and how you made it your own!
Dutch Baby Pancake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup half and half at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for serving
- Lemon zest and fresh fruit for serving.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400ºF.
- Put the 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes
- Meanwhile whisk together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon
- In a blender or a food processor (or with a whisk and a strong whisking hand) blend the eggs, half and half and vanilla until frothy about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and blend 30 seconds more until a smooth and thin batter forms.
- Pull the skillet from the oven and melt 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet twisting to make sure the sides and the bottom are coated in butter.
- Pour the batter into the center of the pan and return the pan to the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes until the pancake is puffed and golden brown in places.
- Do not open the oven to peek until its done.
- Pull the skillet out of the oven and slide the Dutch baby out of the pan onto a platter.
- Shake powdered sugar over the top
- Zest a bit of lemon with your microplane grater and add your fruit and serve with honey, butter, syrup, whip cream or just plan.
