“Dutch baby”. It’s kind of a silly name for a breakfast item (which may be why it’s also known as a German Pancake). Yet, somewhere wedged in between the American pancake and the French crêpe sits this delicious Dutch breakfast delicacy. We consider the Dutch baby our second favorite baby, after Hallie of course (who is not Dutch in any way). And almost every Sunday morning when I have time to make breakfast, Hallie’s first request will be “Dutch Baby”. The blender Dutch baby takes some time and patience to perfect, but it’s really quite simple and quick to make once you get the hang of it.
Blender Dutch Baby
The Dutch baby is thick and custardy and craggy, and it comes together fast in a blender and bakes in a cast iron skillet, leaving the clean up nearly non-existent. The eggs for the Dutch baby provide all the lift needed. A quick run through the blades of the blender awakens their powers. Regular, all-purpose flour is highly recommended. Wheat flour weighs too heavily on the eggs, yielding something flat and dense.
The window to the oven is always plastered with new handprints after a bake of a Dutch baby. We watch as it crawls up the sides of the pan and forms a mountain or two in the middle. They sometimes crack at the shear force. I like to think the earth and all its terrain was formed this way—in a very hot oven with a bit of flour, milk, awakened eggs, and the guidance of a firm cast iron pan.
Blender Dutch Baby
We top the Dutch Baby with whatever’s most ripe at the store. Right now, it’s pears. We lightly sauté them in popping butter and a hit of brown sugar and cinnamon. We top that with a generous dollop of plain whole milk yogurt and maple syrup. Always. And on special days, a shmear of nutella. Maybe the most beautiful thing about a Dutch baby is that it goes well with almost any topping. This is a classic game of one-upping. A game where everyone wins.
So on weekend mornings when you’re pressed for time, when you don’t want to clean 1,000 dishes, or flip 500 hotcakes, do as the Germans do. Make a blender Dutch Baby.
A custardy rustic pancake made in a blender and cooked in a cast iron. It’s the least fussy pancake you’ll ever make.
Ingredients
Scale
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 large eggs
2/3 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
2/3 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. pure cane sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°. Add butter into a 10″ well-seasoned cast iron pan and place in oven until melted and bubbly while the oven preheats. The butter should be hot to begin cooking the dutch baby but not burned.
Meanwhile, add eggs to a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix. Blend on medium-low speed for about 20 seconds. Eggs should be pale, fluffy, and bubbly. These guys will provide all the lift the custardy pancake needs.
Add remaining ingredients to blender. Blend until just combined, about 5 seconds. Batter will be thin and bubbly.
Once butter is hot and ready, remove the pan from the oven and immediately pour batter into the pan. Return to oven and cook for 15 minutes.
While the dutch baby bakes, prepare toppings. We change it up seasonally. Late spring and summer, it’s usually just fresh berries. Late fall, we cut up a couple of pears into thick slices and sauté them in a tablespoon of butter and brown sugar plus a hit of cinnamon for about 3 minutes. Deep winter, we opt for a shmear of banana curd. I imagine you’ll have some good ideas here.
Remove dutch baby from oven. It will be tall and craggy around the edges. If it falls a bit, don’t worry. That’s normal. Cut into wedges. Top as desired. We usually add plain whole milk yogurt and maple syrup. Special days get a shmear of nutella.
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This has been a family favorite in our family since Sunset featured it on the cover back in the early seventies. It is easily gauged up for a bigger crowd. I do 6 eggs, 1 1/2 c milk and flour, salt, no sugar and instead of using the skillet we supersize to a pyrex 8 1/2 x 11. Other than that its the same. And sauted bananas are the choice for our family but pears, peaches, berries, apples, whatever are all loved!
My recommendation would be to save up. I’ve found that the cheap blenders need replacing. By the time you buy a couple you will have bought yourself a Vitamix. My husband grew up using a Vitamix in his family and they last forever! That’s what we’ve used for the past 9 years. Same one! It’s a single container too so no leaking. I know others that have used Ninja’s (lower end) and Blendtec. I’d try searching for a single container blender. They are game changers!
I made this for my husband’s birthday breakfast this morning since traditional pancakes were not an option as we’ve already packed up our griddle for our move next week. Loved it! It was my first time making a dutch baby, and I love the simplicity. Delicious!
Growing up in Germany I of course always had German pancakes. I can’t stand the fluffy sugary American pancakes! This just brings me back to my childhood! Looks so good!
I’ve never made a dutch baby, but I’ll gladly accept any new breakfast recipe that’s easy to make and looks so freaking delicious!! Love the way you wrote this post – your words are so playful, honest and descriptive.
Total game changer. We’ve only been making them a little over a year. Flipping pancakes and crepes feels wrong now. I bet that dutch baby in Cape Cod was brilliant!
Dutch babies are such a miracle! I love how they puff up. And it’s been WAY too long since I’ve made one. The sound of that buttery pear topping has me weak in the knees.
Yum! I’ve been wanting to try this for ages and this recipe came out perfectly. Thanks for sharing
I love how this Dutch baby looks, definitely gonna try it! 🙂
This has been a family favorite in our family since Sunset featured it on the cover back in the early seventies. It is easily gauged up for a bigger crowd. I do 6 eggs, 1 1/2 c milk and flour, salt, no sugar and instead of using the skillet we supersize to a pyrex 8 1/2 x 11. Other than that its the same. And sauted bananas are the choice for our family but pears, peaches, berries, apples, whatever are all loved!
This looks AMAZING. I need a new blender that doesn’t leak at the bottom – any suggestions that are $ instead of $$$? 🙂
My recommendation would be to save up. I’ve found that the cheap blenders need replacing. By the time you buy a couple you will have bought yourself a Vitamix. My husband grew up using a Vitamix in his family and they last forever! That’s what we’ve used for the past 9 years. Same one! It’s a single container too so no leaking. I know others that have used Ninja’s (lower end) and Blendtec. I’d try searching for a single container blender. They are game changers!
I made this for my husband’s birthday breakfast this morning since traditional pancakes were not an option as we’ve already packed up our griddle for our move next week. Loved it! It was my first time making a dutch baby, and I love the simplicity. Delicious!
This looks really delicious and the recipe looks so easy to follow. Will try this out soon, thanks a bunch!
Growing up in Germany I of course always had German pancakes. I can’t stand the fluffy sugary American pancakes! This just brings me back to my childhood! Looks so good!
I can’t either. They make me feel sick. I only eat pancakes at home. What a pancake snob I am. PS-your site is beautiful!
I’ve never made a dutch baby, but I’ll gladly accept any new breakfast recipe that’s easy to make and looks so freaking delicious!! Love the way you wrote this post – your words are so playful, honest and descriptive.
Thank you always. xoxo
This is beautiful! I’d never had a dutch baby until I tried one with Eva & Carey in Cape Cod, but they 100% converted me.
Total game changer. We’ve only been making them a little over a year. Flipping pancakes and crepes feels wrong now. I bet that dutch baby in Cape Cod was brilliant!
This looks like a perfect brunch. I love that you topped it with the pears and nutella.
My little one ate only the nutella. Ay yi yi.
I guess my blender and I are going to have to get together and conceive a dutch baby… 😉
Yes! I hope the birth is quick and memorable.
I’ve got to be honest and say that I’ve never made a Dutch Baby! That needs to change asap!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Dutch babies are such a miracle! I love how they puff up. And it’s been WAY too long since I’ve made one. The sound of that buttery pear topping has me weak in the knees.
Such a miracle and so many fingerprints!
I love how easy it is to make a Dutch baby! This blender version looks like a cinch!