I love a dutch baby for brunch. All you need is a hot skillet and a few ingredients to make a savory treat with veggies, meat and herbs. Or a sweet treat with fresh fruit, preserves or a simple mixture of cinnamon and sugar. It’s a versatile recipe that can be customized to your liking.
A Dutch Baby, or as I called it way back in the day (1970s), a “Puffy Pancake,” was my first real baking adventure. It was also one of my very first posts on ZoëBakes in 2007.
This Dutch baby recipe (also known as a German pancake) is a perfect way to start a weekend morning. It is incredibly easy and requires just a few ingredients that I’m certain you have in your pantry already. Top it off with some caramelized apples and you have yourself decadent breakfast or brunch item in no time at all.
It’s like an even easier popover or crepe!
Savory Dutch Baby Ideas
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Salmon
- Ham and cheese
Sweet Dutch Baby Ideas
- Fresh Berries
- Pears
- Peaches
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Whipped Cream
Dutch Baby on Zoë Bakes
You may recall this Dutch baby from the Apple Classics episode of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! I put the finishing touch on (a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar for a nice little zhuzh) as my friend and Mpls.St.Paul magazine food editor, Stephanie March stands “fork ready!”
If you haven’t tuned in to this episode yet, be sure to stream it on (HBO) Max, discovery+, or the Magnolia Network | time well spent app. In this episode I kick off apple season by visiting Sweetland Orchard with Stephanie and picking new apple varieties to put a twist on my classic Apple Bundt Cake. I also whip up a childhood favorite, pink applesauce.
Peach Dutch Baby Recipe
Peaches are one of my favorite fruits. The sweetness is hard to beat, and the flavor really stands out. To make a wonderful peach dutch baby, follow the recipe below and add this peach mixture:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped peaches (about 1 medium) skin on
- 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) brown sugar
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Add the peaches and brown sugar. Cook over low heat until the peaches release their juices and the sugar melts. Strain the peaches from the syrup formed (keep the peach syrup to pour over the baked Peach Dutch Baby!)
Ingredients
Dutch Baby
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup (76g) salted butter cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Caramelized Apples
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 Honeycrisp apples peeled and sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
Dutch Baby
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the oven to preheat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, and ground cinnamon until a smooth batter.
- Once the skillet has preheated, add the butter and allow to bake until butter is melting and bubbly but not browned, about 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter. Immediately return the pan to the oven.
- Bake until golden brown, dramatically risen, and puffy, about 30 minutes. There will be butter on all sides and in the middle of the pancake, which will soak in once it is removed from the oven,
Caramelized Apples
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saute pan, then add the brown sugar, apples, and cinnamon stick. Cook until the apples soften and become caramelized. Remove the cinnamon stick and discard.
- Dust the Dutch baby with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately with the caramelized apples.
I rate it a 10/10!
I’ve made this several times for my family. We all love it. It’s great plain with a little maple syrup too.
30 minutes cook time was too much, checked at 27 min and was overdone, probably should chech at 20 min. Also, the cinnamon stick was hard to chew and very hot.
Hi Doug, the cinnamon stick should not be eaten — it’s just to cook with the apples for flavor. I have updated the recipe to avoid any confusion in the future. Every oven is different, so it’s always a good idea to check a bit early. Cheers!
This Dutch baby is delicious. I made the batter in my vitamix and added a handful of cranberries to the apples.
Bill Smith’s Atlantic Beach Pie!