Classic Dutch Baby Recipe
Not to be confused with a newborn from the Netherlands, today’s Dutch baby is actually an incredibly tasty, giant German pancake! If you’ve never had one, it’s something of a cross between a popover, crepes, and pancakes (though it’s much lighter than a traditional pancake). The beauty of this recipe is that it comes together in minutes in a blender, and the rest of the time is spent in the oven. You can use this time to prep your toppings (ideas below) or wash your blender. It’s quick and easy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Unlike regular pancakes, there’s no flipping or standing over the stove required today. No mixing bowls needed–the batter comes together entirely in a blender! Classic: the pancake puffs up nice and big in the oven before deflating as it cools. The golden brown exterior is simply so flavorful. Speaking of toppings, you can keep it simple with syrup and fresh fruit, or get a little fancy with some whipped cream, strawberry sauce, fried apples, or apple butter.
Ingredients
You need just 7 simple ingredients (plus whatever toppings you’d like):
Flour. Just ½ cup of flour in this recipe, since our eggs will add body (and lift!) to the batter. Eggs. These give the interior a nearly custard-like feel and create steam, which creates the crazy structure. The eggs function here much as they do in choux pastry. Milk. I keep whole milk on hand, so that’s what I like to use here. Really any kind will work though; even non-dairy milks will work. Vanilla and sugar. These add a lovely but light flavor to our Dutch baby. If you plan to make a savory version, you can leave them out. Butter. Set this aside (don’t add it in the blender with the rest of the ingredients) and make sure it’s softened so it melts quickly when you add it to the hot pan. The fat of the butter helps create that subtly crisp, golden exterior. Toppings. We like maple syrup and macerated strawberries, but you could also just do a fruit sauce like my raspberry sauce or blueberry sauce!
SAM’S TIP: Do not add a leavening agent (like baking soda or baking powder)! This recipe gets its lift from steam created from the hot pan and the air we incorporate into the batter while blending. Trust me, we don’t need any extra help with leavening here! This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post.
How to Make a Dutch Baby
The Science Behind that Funky Rise: The high heat of the oven (and the intense heat of the cast iron pan) cause the batter to rise quickly. The eggs and other moisture in the batter turn to steam in this intense heat, which in turn gets trapped in the Dutch baby and adds to that dramatic puff. You’ll notice the edges puffing dramatically, sometimes creating a bowl-like shape and sometimes going a bit more rogue. SAM’S TIP: Use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears for the easiest cutting! Feeling fancy? Serve your Dutch baby with lemon curd and fresh blueberries or blueberry sauce! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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