German pancakes in a 13x9 pan on a stovetop
Breakfast

German Pancakes

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I love German Pancakes also known as Dutch Baby Pancakes or Dutch Babies. They are light, eggy, and oh so yummy. I love how they puff up in the oven. And they are super easy to make!

German pancakes or Dutch babies are essentially a large American popover. It is very similar to a Yorkshire pudding. Instead of being cooked on a pan like a traditional crepe or pancake, these are baked in the oven.

It also contains no baking soda or baking powder. The leavening comes from the eggs. While not truly a German pancake we still call it that here in the States! These are one of the first things I learned how to make way back in my 8th-grade cooking class.

Serve them with syrup, lemon juice, powdered sugar, or any number of other toppings. If I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients and tools

Ingredients and tools for German pancakes, whisk, eggs, milk, flour, butter, salt.

In order to make German pancakes or Dutch Babies you need just a few simple ingredients:

  • Butter – This will coat the pan and cover the outside of the pancake as it puffs up.
  • Eggs – The eggs are the reason these puff up. Since there is no baking soda or baking powder in the batter. Also, they are meant to have a slightly eggy taste to them.
  • Milk – I generally like to use whole milk but other milk can be used as well.
  • Flour – I always use all-purpose flour also known as plain flour.
  • Salt – The salt will enhance the other ingredients.
  • Sugar – White granulated sugar is an optional ingredient to make the German pancakes a bit sweeter.
  • Vanilla Extract – The vanilla extract will add flavor and enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. It is an optional ingredient along with the sugar.

Tools

  • Whisk or blender or hand mixer
  • 9×13″ baking pan or cast iron skillet which is used often
  • Large Bowl

Step 2: How to make German Pancakes or Dutch Babies

Hand whisking eggs and milk together to make the pancakes batter.

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 F/204 C. Add the eggs to a large bowl along with the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract if you are using those optional ingredients.

Whisk them all together until well combined. Alternatively, you could also do it in a blender, or use a hand mixer.

German pancakes batter ready to go in a large glass bowl on a wooden table.

Then combine the salt and the flour together in a small bowl. Next add that dry ingredients to the batter. Again whisking until well combined. It will be runny and will resemble crepe batter.

Step 3: Melt that butter

Hand in hot mitt holding a rectangular metal pan over a stovetop with butter in it.

Add the butter to the baking pan or cast iron skillet. Place the pan or skillet in the oven and allow the butter to melt. It will only take a minute or so. Remove the hot pan with an oven mitt. Tilt the pan to make sure the whole bottom is coated with butter. A cast iron skillet is the classic authentic pan for German pancakes or dutch babies, but I always use my 13×9 pan.

Step 4: Bake those German pancakes

Hand pouring a glass bowl of dutch baby batter into a pan.

Now pour all the batter in the hot pan at once. Then place it in the oven and let it bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the sides puff up and get nice and golden brown.

Finished german pancake on top of a stovetop in a rectangular pan.

Allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then serve it with whatever toppings that you like. Some of my favorites are butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and strawberries. Super easy right? Enjoy! This makes about 4 medium servings, but I normally eat half of it myself haha.

German pancakes in a 13x9 pan on a stovetop
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4.91 from 10 votes

German Pancakes (Dutch Babies)

German pancakes or Dutch Babies were one of my favorite breakfast foods growing up. I loved making them. I was always fascinated by how the sides puffed up. They are super yummy and really easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. If I can do it, you can do it. Let's get baking!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brunch, eggs, popover, sweet, tasty
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 324kcal
Author: Matt Taylor

Equipment

  • Whisk or blender or hand mixer
  • 9×13″ baking pan or Cast Iron Skillet
  • Large bowl

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup of milk 1%, 2%, Whole (240ml)
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour 120g
  • 2 Tbsp. of butter 28g
  • 1/2 tsp. of salt 2g
  • 1 Tbsp. of granulated sugar optional (12.5g)
  • 1 tsp. of vanilla extract optional (5ml)

Instructions

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 400 F/205 C. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. You can use a blender or hand mixer too if you like.
  • In a separate bowl combine the salt and flour. Then add them to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
  • Add the butter to the pan or cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven on the middle rack. Allow the butter to melt, this will take 30 to 45 seconds. Then remove the hot pan with an oven mitt. Tilt the pan as needed to cover the bottom completely with melted butter.
  • Pour the German pancake batter into the pan all at once. Then place it in the oven and bake it for 20 to 22 minutes until the sides creep up the edges and get nice and golden brown. Remove it from the pan and cut it how you like. Serve it warm with your favorite toppings like powdered sugar, maple syrup, fruit, etc. Enjoy!

Notes

These nutrional facts are based on plain German pancakes. Since the toppings will vary.
List of Nutritional Facts for German Pancakes
Tried this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal

Do you like this recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it.  If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

Here are a few more recipes you may like:

No Knead Cinnamon Rolls

Crepes

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Ice Cream Rolls

German Pancakes Dutch Babies Pin for Pinterest

32 Comments

  1. Hello from Idaho! Just wanted to say hello and to let all know I made this with a gluten free flour, bob’s 1 on 1, and they too came out Fab-2-the-Lous, ThanQ matt, Dez

  2. Is the batter supposed to be so thick? I thought german pancake batter was alot thinner. I just want to make sure I m doing it right .

  3. 5 stars
    Aaaahhhhh….there is some relief in using any kind of milk I wish to. I can actually try these.

  4. I was thinking of a different cake to try out. Today evening I’ll try it.

  5. Thanks for sharing the recipe and never heard of the German Pancake before. Would love to try it in the future at home. – Knycx Journeying

  6. i LOVE a dutch baby!!!! yummmmmy. in our household we use a castiron skillet to bake it in. does using the pan make a big difference?

    • I don’t think it makes a huge difference. But if you have a cast-iron skillet use it! Most people don’t have one, so I didn’t use it in the video and recipe. 🙂 Plus I grew up doing it in a normal baking pan. But either way! 🙂

  7. 5 stars
    Never seen pancakes like those but I definitely need to try them. Great recipe for our quarantine, we’re trying to add new food to our repertoire.

  8. 5 stars
    Would love to try this out with almond flour… have you done this? What is outcome? Thx!

  9. Kuntala Bhattacharya

    5 stars
    Working from home due to COVID-19 for one week now and am trying out recipes between my work schedule. I think I will try the pancakes, looks good and attractive. Please share more recipes.

  10. This German pancake seems like a very easy recipe to do. Will try to make it over this weekend..

  11. 5 stars
    I’ve never heard about this kind of Pancakes before. I would like to try this recipe now that we are in quarantine.

  12. 5 stars
    I LOVE German pancakes! I make them at least every month or so. I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  13. 5 stars
    German pancakes are so fun to make with kids! Perfect weekend breakfast!

  14. 5 stars
    These pancakes were really delicious! My kids loved it.

  15. 5 stars
    These were fantastic! I went with a topping of powdered sugar and fresh strawberries and it was so good!

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