This delicious breakfast dish is known as a Dutch baby. It looks impressive, but itโs 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 itโs 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: “Iโve 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! โ โ โ โ โ “
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. โ โ โ โ โ ”
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 combinationsโsweet as well as savory. Iโve 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 workโno standing over the stove and no flipping
- Versatileโmakes 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 15โ20 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 formโnow 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
- Sautรฉed apple slices & cinnamon
- Salted caramel
- Homemade pesto & sautรฉed 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 400ยฐF (204ยฐC). 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 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) 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 just made this for breakfast. It was absolutely amazing.
I sautรฉed apple and cinnamon, topped it with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Best breakfast/brunch dish Iโve ever made!
I just made this for breakfast. It was absolutely amazing.
I sautรฉed apple and cinnamon, topped it with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Best breakfast/brunch dish Iโve ever made!
This was great. I didnโt have issues with it rising at all. Topped it with lemon juice, powdered sugar and berries and it was perfect
I’ve tried this recipe about 5 times now.
1st time – Exactly as written – got a eggy-flat and dense pancake. The amount of Flour/eggs seemed way high, but perhaps that’s me
2nd time – ingredients/amounts as written – Left eggs and milk out for 30 minutes. Preheated Cast iron. Still dense.
3rd time – Ingredients/amounts as written, but left eggs and milk out for an hour to try to get them to room temp like with the dry ingredients. – Preheated cast iron. Flat and dense, very eggy
4th time – reduced milk and flour to 1/2 cup each. Ingredients out for 30 minutes, preheat cast iron. Better rise, but eggy
5th time – reduced milk and flour to 1/2 cup, only 2 eggs, left out for 30 minutes and increased preheat temp on cast iron, then reduced to temp requested once pan back in oven. ACTUAL RISE.
Made this today and everybody loved it! It was our first time having dutch baby pancakes so I didn’t know what to expect. I’m not sure what was the issue with others not rising but mine puffed up quite a bit and then settled/flattened in the center after sitting for 5 min. Will make again!
To people saying this recipe didnโt rise well: make sure your eggs and milk are tepid before putting in the pan/skillet. If itโs too cold, it wonโt rise. Iโd also recommend giving the mixture one last, quick mix in the blender before pouring.
I completely disagree with comments below about it not puffing up. Mine is in the over right now and looks absolutely gorgeous. The only reason I could think of for the others not puffing up is either how much you blended it or how much time you let it rest for. My kitchen smells amazing and my little one is staring into the over so excited because it’s huge! Can’t wait to taste it. Saving this recipe for sure.
This is probably the first of Sally’s recipes that I won’t make again. I’ve been making the same Dutch Baby recipe for years but couldn’t find it nor remember the quantities.
When I saw that Sally had one, despite immediately feeling skeptical of the rest time for the batter, low oven temp and reducing the oven temp, I figured I’d give it a try. Never again. Letting the batter sit for 15 min results in less steam in the oven since the liquid is bound up in the flour. If the goal is to relax the gluten (which really isn’t important to a Dutch Baby the way steam and egg rise are), it should rest longer and instructions should indicate whisking before pouring to aerate. 15 min isn’t enough to relax the gluten but it’s just enough to have the flour soak up the liquid and kill your steam. And 5 minutes isn’t enough to get your pan hot enough.
If you want something reminiscent of a Clafoutis, this recipe will not disappoint. If you want a Dutch Baby, turn the temp up, put your pan in the oven while it preheats, then once at temp put the butter in the pan to melt in the oven, blend and bake immediately (the butter should bubble when you pull the pan out and continue sizzling when you pour the batter in), and reduce cook time, not oven temp. (I know, I know, there are so many good reviews! You’re always going to get good and bad reviews from people people who think that the one little thing they did differently isn’t the reason it turned out well or poorly for them. I followed this recipe exactly, no changes – I ignored my gut. I’m convinced the good reviews are from people who didn’t let their batter rest and maybe even stuck their pan in while the oven was preheating, let their batter rest in the fridge overnight and whisked in the morning, and/or people who’ve never had a Dutch Baby.) So sorry, Sally – I love your work but this recipe needs a rework.
Hi Bri, I really appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback. Itโs clear you know your way around a Dutch Baby recipe! I completely understand your points about steam and batter rest time. My version is designed to strike a balance between lift and a slightly custardy center, which is why the oven temperature and short rest differ. But youโre absolutely right that there are a few different approaches depending on whether you prefer a puffier or more pancake-like texture. Thank you for trying it and for sharing your perspective. I always value hearing how bakers interpret a recipe, and how they would make changes.
I agree 100%
Really upset I didnโt come to the comments firstโฆ Recipe did not puff up like a dutch baby should. I should have followed my intuition instead of the recipe and put the pan in the oven to preheat. Could someone from Sallyโs Baking Addiction please read the comments and fix the instructions on the recipe or just take the recipe down? Itโs so frustrating to have a recipe not turn out, especially when the author has been repeatedly told there are issues with it.
Hi Krysten, I understand the frustration. Looking back at the pages of comments, the reviews are generally positive with recent comments noting the rising issue. We will take a look at the instructions and see if there is room for improvement. I really appreciate the feedback and we’re so sorry you had trouble with this and were disappointed.
The skillet needs to be heated up before adding the butter, because 5 minutes in the oven doesnโt allow for a crispy sizzling Dutch Bany when the batter is poured into the skillet.
This is very easy to make. The flavor is light and the texture is almost like a custard-y pancake. We topped with your blueberry sauce. Thank you for the recipes!
Can you use heavy cream in place of the milk?
Thanks!
Hi Susan, we fear heavy cream will be too heavy for this recipe. Best to stick with regular milk (dairy or non-dairy) for this recipe.
I got a lot of
Yeahs!! Thank you!!
It puffed up fine for me. The only different thing I did was heat up my cast iron together with the oven, then took it out when it was at temp/super hot, added the butter then batter. Similar to a yorkshire pudding. Taste was fine, felt like it lended itself more savoury/eggy, might up the sugar + vanilla next time. Or maybe decrease the eggs a little?
Either way a good recipe to start with thank you.
My husband has celiac and requires gluten free flour. Would that work?
Hi Sharon, We havenโt tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
I made it with a cup for cup blend and it was delicious. I put thinly sliced apples in the pan with the butter before adding the batter. It was delicious
Followed instructions to a T, but sadly Dutch baby didnโt rise. Tasted good but was flat and dense, no where near the light and airy texture Iโve had before. Never had that happened before so sadly wonโt be using this recipe again. Used cast iron pan and preheated with oven.
The recipe taste great but your baking time is way off.
Great taste but did not pop like any Dutch baby Iโve ever made. It was just a flat thing. Cooked in cast iron, added while cast iron was hot with butter on all sides, and followed directions to a T.
I had the same problem. Flat flat flat.
This was my first time making the Dutch baby pancake and it was oh so delicious! Thankfully I read through the recipe to see butter doesnโt go into the batter, but instead it is melted in the pan before pouring in the rested batter. Sprinkled powdered sugar and lemon juice. yummy!
Iโve made hundreds of Dutch Babies and have never had one not puff up. Followed the instructions and recipe to the letter. Flat and dense. Not good
Hi, thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. Iโm really sorry this one didnโt turn out, especially since youโre clearly no stranger to baking Dutch Babies. This recipe usually yields a big puff, so something definitely went offโand itโs disappointing when you can’t pinpoint why. If youโre ever up for sharing more details (type of pan used, whether it was cast iron, oven placement, etc.), Iโd be happy to help troubleshoot. Thanks again for the feedback.
Can you make these with buttermilk?
Hi Nicole, buttermilk should work here in a pinch. The flavor may be a bit more tangy.
First time making and the taste is delightful but it turned out very thick n heavy in the base? Did i add too much to the dish? Should I have split the batter between two dishes?
Hello Sally! Is it okay to just blend the ingredients by hand (myself) instead of a actual blender?
Hi Abigail, a mixing bowl and whisk will work in a pinch. You may need to whisk a bit longer to achieve that foamy and fluffy texture. A whisk attachment on a mixer should work, too, if you have one. Enjoy!
I made this recipe with skimmed milk, cinnamon and splenda sugar substitute. It was great !
At what point do I add the blueberries? Thank you!
Hi Berni, we add blueberries to the top of the finished pancake.
Dead, flat, meh. This was a really stodgy batter and it def didnโt pop despite everything being done to the recipe specificities. Simply Bakings is a better recipe which is less finicky but their website seems to be down.
Greetings Sally’s staff – I had a question or two about this recipe: I was hoping to create a savory version for the upcoming holiday meal where some in attendance are lactose intolerant. I wondered what your opinion (I understand this has probably never been attempted by your staff) would be regarding substituting broth for the milk and oil – olive? cooking? for the butter in the pan. Also, I was hoping to use a mini-cake cast iron pan (aka gem pan) for single servings. Could you make a suggestion about a possible cooking time? Thanks in advance for any suggestions- I completely understand that they may have never been attempted. I am just looking for guidance more than anything.
Hi Heather, It’s hard to say whether those substitutions will work without testing it ourselves. What we would recommend trying first would be non-dairy milk in place of the whole milk, and a plant-based butter in place of the butter. You can certainly use smaller skillets, although we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Keep a close eye on it and let us know how it goes!
I am a bit disappointed. This is the first time I’ve had a Dutch baby recipe fail. It barely rose and ended up just being an ordinary pancake. I compared this recipe with others I’ve used that worked and the difference was the temperature. I’m not sure 400 and 350 are high enough.
Can Dutch Baby be made & baked the day before serving?
Can it be baked & then frozen?
Thank you very much.
Hi EC, 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.
Iโve been making the same Dutch baby recipe for several years and your recipe blew it out of the water! Some key changes that I believe took Sallyโs over the top. Donโt skip the resting – the puff was like no other recipe Iโve made. The lemon zest for flavor – itโs subtle but just makes the baby delish. Lastly, the butter doesnโt go into the batter – I think the butter weighed down the dough in previous recipes. Also, I think the butter in the pan makes the edges chewy and crunchy. This recipe is a keeper!