A Dutch Baby Pancake As Light and Fluffy As Your Favorite Pillow
When you need a special breakfast, but don’t want to mess around with special ingredients and can’t spend a lot of time? Helloooooo Dutch baby! Dusted in powdered sugar—or whatever topping you love best—a fluffy, poofy, piping hot Dutch baby is the speediest way to a better mood that we know of! Although it’s sometimes called a German pancake, this is an all-American brunch favorite that couldn’t possibly be easier to make at home. The recipe is nearly foolproof, despite its grandiose appearance. Let’s get cooking!
What Is a Dutch Baby?
In short, a Dutch baby is a big, oven-baked pancake. It’s cooked in (a lot) of butter in a super-hot skillet in the oven, and it gets all puffy with crisped edges when it bakes. You can make a sweet Dutch baby or a savory Dutch baby by topping the finished pancake with whatever your heart desires, though a simple squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of confectioners sugar is probably the most classic way of serving it. A few more Dutch baby FAQs:
- What is the difference between a Dutch baby and a German pancake? There isn’t one! They are the same thing. You can call this recipe either one—you can even make like the New York Times and call it David Eyre’s pancake. It’s all the same.
- What makes a Dutch baby rise? The magic that makes that Dutch baby pancake rise to its signature heights is simple: steam! The combination of air that’s whipped into the eggs when you mix the batter and the super hot cast-iron skillet (and oven) create the conditions needed for the lift we love.
Dutch Baby Ingredients: Magically Simple
It really does seem like magic that such basic ingredients and easy preparation can yield a pancake this impressive. It’s always exciting to bring a steaming hot Dutch baby to the table—it’s definitely an “oooo and ahhh” moment. Here’s all that you’ll need to make one:
- Eggs
- All-Purpose flour
- Whole milk
- Vanilla
- Sea salt
- Salted butter
Enough Talk! Let’s Learn How to Make a Dutch Baby.
All you’ll need is a blender (or a really strong arm) and a cast iron skillet, and you’re off to the races! Here’s how to make a Dutch baby. Or a German pancake. Whatever you want to call it, here’s how to make a super-delicious poofy pancake:
- Put the empty, dry skillet in the oven as it preheats to get nice and hot.
- Dump all of the ingredients except for the butter in the bender.
- Blend until you’ve got a smooth batter.
- Grab that hot skillet and pop in the butter. Let it melt completely.
- Pour the batter into the melted butter. Don’t let anyone see how much butter is in their breakfast—let them live in blissful ignorance.
- Bake!
- Serve!
Dutch Baby Toppings: The Sky’s the Limit
One of the best things about Dutch baby toppings is that they’re really adaptable to what you’ve got on hand! A lot of people are bonkers for apples as a topping—caramelized, or in apple butter form. But other combos we love are:
- Butter and syrup
- Butter and jam
- Powdered sugar and lemon juice
- Whipped cream and fresh berries
- Cinnamon sugar
- A fried egg and some shredded cheese and herbs
Tools You’ll Need:
More Easy Brunch Recipes To Try
Couldn’t Be Easier, Right?
If you make this ultra-easy Dutch baby recipe, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
