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This Dutch Baby Pancake is the perfect family-style breakfast! It’s light, fluffy, and crispy with a touch of vanilla flavor. Just 7 ingredients and 10 minutes to prep!
My Dutch Baby Pancake recipe is about to be your new favorite brunch recipe. This family-style German pancake is like the perfect mashup between a crêpe, a popover, and a pancake. It’s soft and custardy in the middle, with a light and fluffy outer edge.
Serve in slices topped with your favorite fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar. Or just dig in with a fork! Yes. It’s that good!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Quick to make. You just need 10 minutes to prep this Dutch pancake!
- Bakes in the oven. No watching the pancake on the pan trying to figure out when to flip it. This baked pancake is totally hands-off once you put it in the oven.
- Served family-style. You need just one of these delicious German pancakes to serve four people. Just set it in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in!
Ingredient notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- All-purpose flour – All-purpose flour is what gives the pancake its structure and ultra-fluffy texture. I recommend spooning and leveling it off in your measuring cup to make sure it doesn’t get too packed in.
- Eggs – extra eggs in the batter give it that classic eggy flavor and fluffy edge.
- Milk – milk thins the batter and makes the pancake perfectly moist.
- Sugar – a little bit of sugar adds just a touch of sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract – gives the Dutch baby pancake its subtle vanilla flavor.
- Salt – a pinch of salt enhances the flavor.
- Butter – melted butter makes the pancake so moist and tender.
- Powdered Sugar – for dusting!
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Making this Dutch baby pancake in the oven really could not be easier! Start by placing your cast-iron pan in the oven to preheat. Set the oven to 400ºF.
- Combine: Combine all of the ingredients and half of the melted butter in a blender. Blend until smooth—about 20 seconds.
- Pour: Remove the now hot skillet from the oven (carefully), then pour the rest of the melted butter in. Swirl it around to coat, then pour in the batter.
- Bake: Bake the pancake until it’s golden and puffy on the edges. For me, this takes 25–27 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Once it’s baked, cool for a few minutes before slicing, garnishing, and serving!
Expert tips for success
- To quickly bring the milk to room temperature, you can heat it in the microwave for 20–30 seconds.
- To quickly bring the eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl with warm water.
- Use a cast-iron skillet. Cast iron cooks better than other materials, so you’ll get a better texture. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, a regular 9×13 baking pan or an oven-safe skillet can be used too.
- Don’t forget to preheat the pan! This is key for achieving those golden, fluffy edges. It should be in the oven for at least 10 minutes so it’s properly preheated.
- Don’t open the oven when you’re baking. This will allow heat to escape and will affect the texture of the pancake.
- When cooling the pancake, place it on a cooling rack. This gives the steam a place to escape, so the texture remains crispy. No one likes a soggy Dutch baby.
How to make it without a blender
No blender? No problem! You can easily mix the batter by hand. To do so, combine the eggs with the milk until the mixture is light yellow and no longer stringy. Add in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt, then whisk vigorously until no lumps remain.
From there, simply proceed with the recipe as instructed!
Recipe FAQs
While similar, Dutch pancakes and “regular” pancakes are not the same. First, Dutch pancake batter contains more eggs, which creates a slightly different flavor and texture. Additionally, Dutch pancakes are baked in the oven usually in a cast-iron skillet. The hot skillet creates a golden, puffy outer edge with a flatter center.
A Dutch baby has the classic buttery flavor of a regular pancake, but with a little more of an eggy flavor similar to a crêpe. It’s the perfect flavor mashup and can be served sweet or savory!
There are a couple of elements that allow the Dutch baby to rise in the oven:
The preheated skillet. Pouring the batter into the already hot skillet releases steam and fluffs the batter up right away.
The whipped eggs. Whipping the batter in a blender incorporates air into it, which allows it to puff up in the oven.
Serve it with
I recommend serving your Dutch baby hot and family-style. From there, you can serve it sweet or savory! Just cut it into slices and let everyone decide how they want to decorate theirs.
To serve your pancake sweet, top it off with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, then add on maple syrup, fresh fruit, fresh berries, jam or jelly, whipped cream, etc. I love to serve it with fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and vanilla sauce.
To serve it savory, add green onions or chives, your favorite shredded cheese, avocado slices, crumbled bacon, you name it!
How to store
A baked Dutch baby will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the oven or air fryer!
To air fry, preheat to 300ºF, then cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. To warm in the oven, preheat to 300ºF, then warm until heated through. I don’t recommend microwaving it because it will just get soggy.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
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Air Fryer Toast
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Brioche French Toast
Air Fryer
Air Fryer Bacon
Breakfast & Brunch
Breakfast Burritos
Dutch Baby Pancake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and half of the melted butter. Blend on medium-high speed until no lumps remain, about 20 seconds.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Pour in the remaining butter and swirl it around to coat the skillet, then pour the batter into the hot skillet and put it back into the oven.
- Bake until the Dutch baby is puffed and golden along the edges, about 24–27 minutes.
- Remove the pancake from the skillet and place it on a cooling rack for a few minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar and cut into four wedges. Serve with berries, maple syrup, or vanilla sauce.
Notes
- To quickly bring the milk to room temperature, you can heat it in the microwave for 20–30 seconds.
- To quickly bring the eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl with warm water.
- Use a cast-iron skillet. Cast iron cooks better than other materials, so you’ll get a better texture. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, a regular 9×13 baking pan can be used too.
- Don’t forget to preheat the pan! This is key for achieving those golden, fluffy edges. It should be in the oven for at least 10 minutes so it’s properly preheated.
- Don’t open the oven when you’re baking. This will allow heat to escape and will affect the texture of the pancake.
- When cooling the pancake, place it on a cooling rack. This gives the steam a place to escape, so the texture remains crispy. No one likes a soggy Dutch baby.
- A baked Dutch baby will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the oven or air fryer!
