Light, fluffy, and crispy around the edges, these Dutch Baby Pancakes are an easy and impressive breakfast. With a custardy center and endless topping possibilities, they’re perfect for both cozy mornings and elegant brunch spreads!
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Dutch Baby Pancakes are an incredibly easy and amazingly delicious breakfast treat. You can even serve them for dessert and drizzle them with maple syrup, Nutella, or caramel, or fill them with ice cream... all good choices! Baked in a hot skillet, Dutch babies are the perfect edible vessel for holding fruit, syrup, or anything you like!
Making the dutch baby batter is quite simple. It is a thin batter, much like my easy crepes or my German pancakes, and doesn't require any leavening agent, like baking powder, for it to rise. And because there's no leveling agent you can make this batter up to three days ahead, making your "fancy" breakfast a breeze!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
There are only six ingredients needed to make an impressively simple Dutch baby pancake. Let's go over them and how you can make changes if you need to:
- Eggs - Eggs are the only means of rising your Dutch baby to great heights. How many use determines how custardy or "eggy" your Dutch baby will be. I find that three eggs makes the perfect texture for my liking. If you'd like yours more eggy feel free to add an extra egg.
- Milk- well you are welcome to use low-fat, nonfat, or even plant-based milk, I preferred to use whole milk in my Dutch babies. It's purely preference.
- All-purpose flour - I use regular all purpose flour, also known as plain flour, to make these pancakes. It gives the Dutch babies the structure they need to hold their shape better after rising. They will still deflate, but not as much.
- Butter - Not all pancake recipes use melted butter in the batter, but I like the flavor that it imparts. Feel free to leave it out if you want.
- Oil - Traditional Dutch babies, and Toad-in-a-hole (toads-in-holes?), use beef fat or butter in the pan, but at such high heat I find that the possibility of it burning outweigh the added flavor. I use a nice high temperature oil like canola oil or avocado oil and it works great.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment: Cast Iron Pans
For individual cast iron Dutch babies I use my 6 inch mini cast-iron pan. This recipe will make four individual Dutch babies. If you would like to make one large Dutch baby to present and serve at the table, use your favorite 10 inch cast iron skillet.
You can use a larger cast iron pan but, since there is more room for the batter to spread out, it will not rise up as dramatically.
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
This Dutch baby pancake recipe is very simple, but as always I recommend that you read through all of the instructions, look at the pictures I provide for reference, and then gather your ingredients.
I'll show you how to make one family sized Dutch baby or four individual Dutch baby pancakes. Once you get started everything moves pretty fast so it's best to be prepared. Let's do this!
- Start: Turn oven to 425°F and place pan(s) in to preheat.
Making Dutch Baby Pancake Batter
Step 1: In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine eggs and milk, whisking until frothy. Add in melted butter and whisk until incorporated. If you like, you can use an immersion blender, blender, or hand mixer.
Step 2: Add in flour, sugar, and salt, whisking until smooth. if using a mixer or blender, just do it until smooth at this point. Let batter rest for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Baking Dutch Baby Pancake
- If refrigerated, let the batter come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Remove pans from oven and add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pan, or 1 teaspoon of oil to each individual pan, place back into oven for 5 minutes to preheat.
Individual Dutch Babies: Give it a quick whisk and then pour batter in each pan (about ½ cup per pan).
Large Dutch Baby: Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour into your very hot 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Individual Dutch Babies: Bake smaller Dutch babies about 15 to 20 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and well risen.
Large Dutch Baby: For a large, family sized Dutch baby pancake, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and well risen.
Individual Dutch Babies: I like to dust the top of my individual Dutch baby pancakes with powdered sugar, adding a scoop of Greek yogurt that has been sweetened with a little bit of honey, along with fresh berries.
Large Dutch Baby: For family sized dutch baby pancakes, you can slice and then garnish, or garnish the entire thing for a beautiful presentation and then slice and serve, adding more garnish to individual servings.
Expert tips for success
I absolutely love when a recipe that you thought was going to be so difficult turns out to be so simple! Here are some expert tips for making perfect Dutch baby pancakes, whether full-size or individual:
- Use a Hot Pan – Fully preheat your skillets in the oven before adding the batter to help create a dramatic rise.
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Let eggs, milk, and flour come to room temp before mixing for a smoother batter and better puff. If you've made your batter ahead of time, make sure to let it come to room temperature before you preheat the oven.
- Blend the Batter – Use an immersion blender or whisk vigorously to create an airy, lump-free batter that promotes a light texture. There's no leavening agent for rise, we're fully dependent upon the eggs to do that so whisk them up!
- Don’t Peek! – Keep the oven door closed while baking to prevent heat loss and deflation.
- Serve Immediately – Dutch babies start deflating quickly, so enjoy them fresh out of the oven for the best texture.
- Adjust Bake Time – Smaller Dutch babies bake faster (15 to 20 minutes vs. 20 to 25 for full-size), so keep an eye on them.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Grease each well generously, and preheat the tin for crispy edges, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Your oven might not be hot enough—preheat to at least 425°F and
make sure your pan is fully heated before pouring in the batter. Also be sure your batter is room temperature to help with puffing.
Absolutely! Try adding vanilla extract, cinnamon, citrus zest, or even cocoa powder for sweet varieties, or add cheese, garlic powder, or other spices for savory dutch baby pancakes.
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe (Family Size or Individual)
Equipment
- Mini cast iron skillet or ⤵️
Ingredients
Pancake Batter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 g) whole milk or milk alternative
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar optional
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt a tiny pinch
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted
- 4 teaspoons (18 g) vegetable oil
Instructions
- Turn oven to 425°F and place pan(s) in to preheat.
- In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine eggs and milk, whisking until frothy. Add in melted butter and whisk until incorporated. If you like, you can use an immersion blender, blender, or hand mixer.
- Add in flour, sugar (if using), and salt, whisking until smooth. if using a mixer or blender, just do it until smooth at this point. Let batter rest for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- If refrigerated, let the batter come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Remove pans from oven and add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pan, or 1 teaspoon of oil to each individual pan, place back into oven for 5 minutes to preheat.
- Individual Dutch Babies: Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour about ½ cup of batter in each pan. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and well risen.
- I like to dust the top of my Dutch baby pancakes with powdered sugar, adding a scoop of Greek yogurt that has been sweetened with a little bit of honey, and add some fresh berries.
- Large Dutch Baby: Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour into your very hot 10 inch cast iron skillet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and well risen.
- Slice and then garnish, or garnish the entire thing for a beautiful presentation and then slice and serve, adding more garnish to individual servings.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
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