Dutch Baby Recipe

This light and puffy pancake is perfect for brunch, sprinkled with a little sugar and lemon juice, or topped with blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.

A Dutch baby, fresh from the oven.

Serious Eats / Carrie Vasios Mullins

Why It Works

  • Preheating the skillet in the oven and starting with room-temperature milk and eggs ensures that the pancake will puff up when it bakes.

Every summer of my life, I have vacationed with my family in Wellfleet, Cape Cod. Like any good family tradition, it's made up of a series of minute pleasures. For me those start with the trip up from New York City, which we always do the same way.

A Friday night in late August: Rush to finish packing, slam a few slices of pizza (Michelangelo's replaced by Two Boots replaced by Bleecker Street Pizza), and get a late start on the road. Battle summer traffic out of the city, stop at a gas station around Darien, CT, and finally pull into my grandmother's house in Wallingford. Accept kisses and offer of cookies, don a UConn Basketball Camp 92' t-shirt, fall into bed.

6 a.m Saturday: Be roused off of the twin bed outfitted with green and white polka dot sheets, pretend to brush my teeth, accept Drake's coffee cake, bananas, cookies, and fall into the car.

8:00 a.m.: Wake up in the back seat to see the parking lot of the Bickford's in Seakonk, MA. It's a big parking lot, and already the air feels different. Fresher. Scented with pine. We don't always stop for breakfast (the bathrooms are obligingly in the front, so travelers can pop in and clandestinely make use of them) but when we do, there is only one thing to get: a Dutch baby.

I like to think of these as a popover-crepe hybrid. You pour a simple, eggy batter into a wide skillet, pop it in the oven, and 20 minutes later you have a puffed, bowl-shaped pancake that's just waiting to be topped with sugar. Some people eat Dutch babies with lemon, and sure, I won't stop you. But I like mine New England style—topped with fresh blueberries and a little maple syrup.

Before last week I had never made one of these sweets at home—I think I assumed Bickford's had a lockdown on the recipe—but now I can't stop. A Dutch baby needs to be served and eaten quickly (never a problem for me) but otherwise, it's the perfect dish for brunch. Simple to make, and delightfully unique.

April 2012

Recipe Details

Dutch Baby Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 10 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs, left at room temperature for 30 minutes

  • 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for garnish

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2/3 cup (about 3 3/4 ounces) flour

  • 2/3 cup milk, at room temperature

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish, optional

Directions

  1. Place an oven-safe 10-inch skillet in oven on middle rack and preheat to 400°F (200°C). In the bowl of a food processor, combine eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Pulse until combined. Add flour and pulse to combine. With motor running, add milk, and process for 30 seconds.

  2. Take hot skillet out of oven and add butter, swirling to coat pan until butter is melted. Pour batter into pan. Bake until dough is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately, with extra sugar sprinkled on top, and a squeeze of lemon, if desired.

Special Equipment

10-inch cast iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet, food processor

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
156 Calories
8g Fat
16g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 156
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 103mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 72mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)