This delicious breakfast dish is known as a Dutch baby. It looks impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to make! Blend up a thin batter, pour into a hot skillet, and bake. Like a popover or Yorkshire pudding, this eggy batter puffs up as it bakes, then falls once it’s out of the oven. The result: A beautifully wrinkled, light and airy pancake, with the tender texture of a crepe that’s ready for all your favorite sweet or savory toppings.
One reader, Greta, commented: “I’ve made many dutch babies but this recipe is the best for sure!! It puffed perfectly and the lemon zest took it to another level. Well done! ★★★★★“
One reader, Carie, commented: “My 12-year-old son and I enjoyed making this fun and interesting recipe! He loved the drama of the puffy pancake that then settled into the perfect “bowl” for our toppings. The recipe is accessible to all skill levels and yields great results! We will be making this again. ★★★★★”
What Is a Dutch Baby Pancake?
A Dutch baby pancake is an impressive-looking (but actually very easy!) type of pancake baked in a skillet. It originated in Seattle at a cafe called Manca’s and may have been derived from Pfannkuchen (German pancakes). The batter puffs up like a balloon in the hot oven, then collapses down when you take it out.
The taste and texture is sort of a cross between a Yorkshire pudding or popover and a crepe: slightly sweet eggy pancake, with crisp edges and a tender middle. This makes a great base for tons of topping options and combinations—sweet as well as savory. I’ve included my two favorite ways to top it in the recipe below, but have fun discovering your own favorite version!
While it’s typically thought of as a breakfast or brunch dish (and would be a perfect Mother’s Day recipe if you’d like to make someone a special breakfast), Dutch baby pancakes can really be enjoyed any time of day!
Here’s Why You’ll Love It:
- Easy to make, but looks super impressive
- Crispy buttery edges, tender center
- Just 8 simple ingredients
- Your blender and oven do most of the work—no standing over the stove and no flipping
- Versatile—makes a fantastic canvas for your flavor artistry!
Let Me Show You How to Make a Dutch Baby Pancake:
The batter is a snap to make with a blender, just like how we make crepes. Start by blending 3 eggs until they’re foamy and fluffy (takes less than a minute):
Then add flour, milk, lemon zest, sugar, salt, and vanilla.
Purpose of these ingredients: While the eggs, flour, and milk make up the bulk of this batter, be sure to include the flavor-enhancing ingredients of lemon zest, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Without those, the overall flavor would taste pretty bland. If you don’t have a lemon you can zest, you could use cinnamon instead, for a different flavor.
Blend to combine all the ingredients, then let the batter rest for 15–20 minutes before baking. This rest is key, because it allows the flour to soak up some of the liquid and slightly thicken the batter:
What Pan Do I Use for Dutch Baby Pancakes?
I use this cast-iron skillet, which is the same one I use for frittata and this asiago-crusted skillet bread. You can use any oven-safe skillet this size, though. If you don’t have a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, you can use any 3-quart size baking dish, a 10-inch pie dish, or 9-inch square baking pan instead.
Melt butter in the oven in your pan, and then pour the batter into the hot pan. Bake for 15 minutes at a high temperature, to really lift the Dutch baby pancake up nice and high, then reduce the temperature and bake for another 10 minutes.
Unlike with most American pancake recipes, there’s no leavening agent in Dutch baby pancakes. All the height comes from the eggs and from the steam lifting up the batter in the hot oven. Like a souffle, this batter rises high when baking, then falls when cooling.
Success Tip: Room temperature batter will puff up quicker in the oven, giving the pancake more height. So, use room temperature eggs and milk.
When it’s done baking, watch the magic of the puffy pancake pillow settling down into its final form—now it’s a beautiful bed ready for your toppings!
Sweet or Savory Dutch Baby Pancake
My favorite way to enjoy a sweet Dutch baby is with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, and some fresh berries (whipped cream and strawberry sauce take it to another level!). But I am also a big fan of savory Dutch baby pancakes… especially when we are talking smoked salmon and herbs. You can find the details for how to make the sour cream and chive Dutch baby pancake pictured here in the Notes section beneath the recipe instructions.
Big List of Dutch Baby Topping Ideas
- Strawberry sauce
- Raspberry sauce
- Blueberry sauce
- Lemon curd
- Whipped cream
- Nutella & sliced banana
- Butter & a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
- Sautéed apple slices & cinnamon
- Salted caramel
- Homemade pesto & sautéed veggies (spinach, mushrooms, peppers)
- Fresh mozzarella, basil, & cherry tomatoes
- Cooked ham, Canadian bacon, or prosciutto & a drizzle of hollandaise sauce
Can I Make the Batter Ahead of Time?
Though it’s a very quick batter to whip up, you can certainly prep it ahead of time. After blending it, you can cover and refrigerate the batter for up to 24 hours before using. There’s no need to bring it to room temperature before baking.
Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make a sweet Dutch baby pancake using this simple recipe. See recipe Notes for a savory version, and other pan suggestions if you don’t have a cast iron skillet. For a list of optional toppings, see headnotes above.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature (or nondairy)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest*
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter
Toppings
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, for sifting
- optional toppings: berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, and/or strawberry sauce
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a blender and blend on medium-high speed until frothy and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Add flour, milk, lemon zest, sugar, salt, and vanilla, and blend until combined. The batter is thin. Set aside and allow to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. (No need to bring to room temperature before baking.)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Place butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (or any 3-quart baking dish), and place in the oven for just 5 minutes to melt the butter. (Be sure not to leave it in the oven to burn!) Remove from the oven and use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter up the sides of the pan.
- Pour the batter into the center of the hot pan. No need to swirl it around. Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Keeping the Dutch baby pancake in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the edges and center are browned.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before adding desired toppings. Slice and serve.
- The pancake is best enjoyed right away, but you can cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Blender | Citrus Zester | 10-inch Oven-Safe Skillet
- Milk: I like this best with whole milk, but you can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Lemon Zest: The lemon zest adds a touch of fresh flavor; the baked pancake doesn’t particularly taste like lemon, though. Add more zest for a stronger flavor, or skip it entirely. Instead, you can add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- If You Don’t Have a Cast Iron Skillet: You can use any oven-safe skillet that’s around 10 inches in diameter. If you don’t have a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, you can use any 3-quart size baking dish, a 10-inch pie dish, or 9-inch square baking pan instead.
- Sour Cream & Chive Savory Version: Reduce sugar to 1 Tablespoon. Increase salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Add 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 Tablespoon sour cream, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Continue with the recipe. For toppings, use the following: pickled red onions, halved cherry tomatoes, smoked salmon, more sour cream, arugula, and more chives and/or parsley.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice without toppings
- Calories: 171
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 437.1 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.9 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 108.9 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Always wanted to try making a Dutch Baby Pancake & this recipe did not disappoint! My one year old loved it!
Yummy and eggy. I don’t know if it was supposed to, haha, but mine came out very wavy and strange-shaped. But pretty once the toppings were added!
Simple, easy, tasty with lots of serving options
Great recipe! Very easy to do everything in the blender. My eggs and milk were not room temperature so I did not get the rise I wanted but it still tasted great. I topped it with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar. A perfect light dessert.
This was my first Dutch baby and I was surprised at how easy it was! My family loved it and I will definitely make again.
Very delicious and a quick and easy recipe!
This is a simple and tasty recipe, very enjoyable with fruit and a little syrup. What can I say, I’m old school – gotta have the syrup. I grew up eating Yorkshire Pudding at most major events, so this was a lovely flashback to an old favorite, updated for breakfast. 🙂 Thanks, Sally.
Very easy to make. Taste was 10+
My family DEVOURED this recipe! It reminded us of the flavor and texture of crepes without the work of flipping. Will make again for sure
I loved this recipe! Easy and delicious! We topped it with lemon curd, strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.
This recipe was so easy to follow and the result was delicious! I made the homemade strawberry sauce to go with it and made it even better!
This surprised me, as it was such an easy recipe! Great alternative to pancakes and crepes, and delicious topped with berries and whipped cream. Mine did turn out a bit dense though, but it had great flavor. Thanks!
I’ve never made a Dutch pancake, actually never ate one either so I was excited about this challenge! She wasn’t a looker, but It was so simple to make and was very tasty.
This was fun to make. It’s good to try something new. My family enjoyed it. Thanks!
Such a fun recipe to make something new for breakfast!
What a fun recipe! I had never heard of this one but love pancakes and crepes so I was excited to try it, and it was absolutely delicious! I made a savory one with a caprese style topping and a sweet one with Sally’s strawberry sauce and homemade whipped cream. I invited a few friends over to try everything and they raved about the dishes! Wonderful recipe!
This was my first time making a Dutch baby pancake and it came out so good. The recipe was very easy to follow and made for a great meal. We really enjoyed it with some berries and whipped cream but I am now interested to make it again and try some savory options.
This was our first Dutch baby pancake. It turned out lovely. Some liked the lemon zest, some not as much. I may omit it next time. We topped with fresh raspberries and mango, and powdered sugar.
I had trouble getting the center brown and done enough.
Great recipe! I made a savory version and we had it for dinner. It was a nice change for spring!
Planning on making it again! It will be part of our dinner rotation meals.
This is so good! I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon instead of lemon zest and it’s fantastic! Definitely will make again!
Super easy, so fun, and so yummy! Will definitely be making this again and trying a savory version!
I loved how easy this recipe is and how you can add whatever topping you like! I feel like this is a versatile recipe for this reason. I made it with the strawberry sauce and loved it. Came out perfect. Kind of like a pancake cake.
So good! Ive never made one before so this was a really fun experiment. Everyone loved it and will be making again
This was slightly different than the recipe I usually use. The taste was better – the zest and vanilla were definitely good additions. My husband didn’t quite like the texture, the bottom turned out a bit dense.
I’ve never made or eaten a Dutch baby. This was very easy to make and tasted good but mine was not pretty at all! I had to improvise a couple things – didn’t have lemon zest so used the recommended cinnamon, didn’t have vanilla so used vanilla sugar in place of granulated sugar and used a 9” circle pan (because honestly I was trying to hurry and didn’t want to dig out the cast iron pan). I didn’t even need any topping, it was perfectly sweet as is. I’m wondering if the cinnamon makes it feel more breakfast like and hope to double check the recipe next time to make sure I have everything needed to make it as it “should be”. Even with the subs, it was great and even picky 5.5yr old approved!
Esta receta de sabor delicioso..la he acompañado con mango, frambuesas y arandanos. Me ha encantado ver como en el horno fue creciendo y creciendo como un Volcán!! Top 10. Muchas gracias Sally y equipo
My family loves a good Dutch Baby! We were excited to try Sally’s version. I love how Sally’s recipes are given in both volume and weighted measurements. Using the weighted measurements ensures a more successful end result because the quantity of each ingredient used is more accurate. This recipe did not disappoint! The only liberty we took was to add a handful of fresh blueberries to each skillet after we had poured the batter into it. The only suggestion for next time is to up the amount of kosher salt to 1/4 tsp instead of the suggested pinch (1/8 tsp).
I really didn’t expect it to be so good. The key is to have the ingredients at room temperature. The rest is easy
This is such a good recipe! I love the touch of lemon as it adds a nice zing and brings out the flavors of everything else. This recipe is not as eggy tasting as other Dutch baby recipes that I have tried, which is a huge win for me. The versatility is also quite welcome to use up those odds and ends in the fridge!