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
I decided to try this recipe on Monther’s day for my mom and we loved it! I did the savory version, which I topped with steamed red bell paprika, a bit of cheese, ham and pesto. Easy and fast. I think we’d love the sweet version even more, so baking that is on my waitlist!
Pretty good Dutch baby pancake!
Yum! I made 2bstches and I noticed that the one I made first rose about 3” higher than my second batch- probably due to resting the batter? I topped this with whipped cream, raspberries and honey and it was delicious!
This is amazing, I made this for Mother’s Day we love it!
This recipe was so easy – looks and tastes amazing! Definitely will make this again. I also want to try the savory version.
So easy to make. Just blend and bake!
This came together easily! It browned quicker than I expected but I think it’s my oven. We loved the crepe texture.
I made this for Mother’s Day and my family loved it!!! Looking forward to making it for them again in the future.
Very yummy! We topped with berries, powdered sugar, and whipped cream. We will definitely make this again. Looking forward to trying the savory version also.
Love this recipe
So tasty
Made for Mother’s day breakfast
Another 5 star recipe from Sally! Loved the added flavor of the cinnamon! Followed the recipe exactly and turned out perfect for breakfast on Mother’s Day!
This is a perfect dutch baby recipe! My variation this time was apple cinnamon, sauteing the apples with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon for about 10 minutes in the melted butter, then pouring the batter over the apple slices and baking. Delicious and simple!
Love love love this! Whenever I want to bake something I look at your site first and am never disappointed. Made this as an early Mother’s day gift to myself and it is amazing! I’ve tried a few Dutch baby recipes over the years and this by far the best one! Thank you as always!
I have a 12” cast iron skillet so I made 1.33 x the recipe and it came out perfectly.
I have a 12 inch cast iron, too. Did you double the recipe? Thanks!
Delicious! Will def make again
So easy and so tasty! Perfect for weekend brunch!
I made this for my daughters and we loved it! I made it with almond milk and turned out great. One we served with chocolate chips and the other with berries. So easy and yummy
So simple and versatile. You can go sweet or savory and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I’ve never made a Dutch baby before so I was skeptical of whether or not it would turn out. I made the savory version, which I felt was a little bland even with the toppings, but the texture was beautiful! I think a sweet version would be AMAZING! I’ll definitely try that next. I do think if you’re serving this for dinner, it serves 2 people (not 4) unless you have something else going with it as a main dish. Thanks for the recipe!
I will be making this again and again and again! It was a huge it hit! My family devoured it. So simple and better than any crepes or pancakes. This will be my go to sweet brunch recipe hands down.
SO GOOD! Perfect texture and flavor. Bakes up so perfect I skipped the powdered sugar cuz the texture was pretty on its own. Thanks Sally & team for another hit!!
We ate this for dinner tonight. We really enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again!
This is an easy and great recipe. The texture and flavor are perfect. I have used other Dutch Baby recipes and this one is superior. I will be making this again soon.
Better than pancakes!!
Just made the savory version and served it with arugula, smoked salmon, sour cream, herbs, and lemon wedges as optional toppings. Perfect choice for an early springtime lunch with a friend! The savory instructions don’t say to omit the vanilla, but I did. I just couldn’t imagine combining vanilla with garlic powder, black pepper, and chives. I plan to try the sweet version tomorrow morning for breakfast.
I love this recipe, my friend and I love baking together and this recipe is perfect for us. It did not take long at all and the instructions were super easy to follow.♥️♥️
Mine didn’t puff up on the sides as much as expected but it was still good! My hubby said it was a mix between a pancake and French toast. I used cinnamon instead of the lemon zest because that’s what I had.
Easy and yummy. I used half and half as the dairy I had on hand. It puffed up beautifully. As it baked, I cooked a thinly sliced apple, 1/4 brown sugar, cinnamon, and 2 TBS butter on the stove in an other cast iron pan for the topping. Wonderful!
This is the best Dutch Baby recipe I have found! Thank you. It cooked beautifully. I did sprinkle a little cinnamon on the fruit and whip cream which took it to another level.
I loved it. I ate it it with mango.