Simple Dutch Pancake Recipe

The Dutch pancake – also called a German pancake, pannekoeken or a Dutch puff – actually originated in Germany, not the Netherlands. The story goes that a daughter of a Seattle diner owner served 3 small pancakes that she called Dutch babies when she really meant Deutsch (German). 

The pancake is made with a batter of eggs, flour, milk, sugar and vanilla poured it into a buttered skillet and baked for 20 minutes. The sides puff up and get a bit crispy and you get a thin, slightly custardy center.

While the center does collapse minutes after coming out of the oven, the pancake still holds a shallow bowl-like shape.

Are all the recipes for Dutch pancakes on the internet the same?

Pretty much, yes. I compared 6 well-known, good quality websites.

• The ingredients were identical.
• The measurements almost identical.
• All recipes use a 1:1 ratio of flour and milk.
• Oven temperatures ranged from 375F/191 to 450F/232C with times ranging from 15-25 minutes.  

Cooks Illustrated, however, was the only site that used a very different cooking technique for their German pancake. After adding the batter to a buttered cast iron skillet, they put the skillet into a cold oven. Then turned on the heat to 375F/191C to bake the pancake. All other sites add the batter to a preheated skillet, then bake the pancake at high heat. 

I tried both ways. To be honest, there was not a lot of difference. I found the pancake with the cold oven method puffed up more, but then collapsed just as quickly as the hot oven method. It’s very handy if you forget to heat up the oven though!

What’s the difference between a Dutch pancake and a regular pancake?

• A Dutch pancake is like a cross between a French crepe and a popover (or Yorkshire pudding).
• It’s much larger and much thinner than a regular fluffy pancake. The center is almost custard-like.
• It’s baked in the oven (instead of on the stove top) and is puffed and taller around the edges.
• No leavening agent such as baking powder is used. 

What to serve with a Dutch pancake

Typically a Dutch pancake is served for breakfast or brunch, but my husband and I sometimes enjoy it for dinner. The standard way to serve the pancake is dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Here are a few other great toppings. 

• berry sauce – see our recipe for berry sauce on pound cake
• fresh fruit like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches or bananas
• caramelized bananas – see our recipe for ricotta pancakes with caramelized bananas.
• homemade no pectin low sugar strawberry jam or peach jam – warmed up. Or warm up store bought jam with a splash of water. 
• whipped cream, lemon curd or yogurt are pretty good too!

Tailor To Your Taste

Here are a few variations to experiment with. 

Technique and equipment

• The commonly used method is to bake the Dutch pancake in a oven proof skillet in a hot oven. This is in the recipe.
• We have also included Cook’s Illustrated cold oven technique in the recipe card. 
• Equipment:
  • To blend the batter, you can use a blender, an immersion blender, an electric mixer, a food processor, a whisk or fork.
  • A 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet (23-25 cm) or any other oven proof skillet will work.
• The Kitchn tested several different methods that results in some fairly minor differences. A few takeaways:
  • You can let the batter rest 10 minutes to a few hours – whatever suits you. An overnight rest is not needed, but certainly fine if more convenient. Take the batter out half hour before baking it.  
  • The easiest method is dumping all the batter ingredients together and blending them. That got my attention!

Topping options 

• Here’s where you can get creative. We’ve listed several options above – fresh berries, your favorite fruit, preserves, caramelized bananas, whipped cream, yogurt, lemon curd.
• And of course, a drizzle of maple syrup, lemon juice, dark chocolate or nutella. 
• One more idea – you can also make a savory Dutch pancake topped with mushrooms, onions, a curry, lox, etc. Maybe I’ll post a recipe on that one day…

Batter flavors

• You can substitute the white sugar with maple syrup.
• Add lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg to the batter.