Oven Pancakes (Dutch Babies) Recipe: With Photos and 5 Variations
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Oven pancakes, aka Dutch babies
What Are Oven Pancakes?
Similar to a Yorkshire pudding—but without the beef grease—oven pancakes, also called Dutch babies, are simple, beautiful, and scrumptious.
Versatile and Beloved Pancake
When I was a child, my family ate this souffle-like pancake often for breakfast. It was consistently delicious, beautiful, and warming—especially in winter. My mother usually served it plain, except for a sprinkling of powdered sugar. (My brother heaped sugar into the curled fortress walls of the corner pieces, like blizzard-driven drifts.)
When I had a family of my own, I introduced my husband to this dish early in our marriage, and he fell in love with it. I discovered that it not only filled bellies with minimal effort, but the leftovers made fine snacks straight from the refrigerator.
My husband and I sometimes took a batch with us when we hunted geese or ducks, as it needed no additions, and it made an agreeable finger food. So what if the occasional piece was coated with hard-set butter? In a pre-dawn chill, the extra fat was very welcome!
Performance of Batter Under Varying Conditions
This recipe has only enough flour in it to give the batter some body. Otherwise, it would be a baked omelette. You may adjust the amounts of almost everything until you find the perfect balance for you. Just be aware that different flours, and the textures of cheeses, fruits, and other additions, can radically alter the ability of the batter to rise, for which it relies on air beaten into it. Sometimes you may have a flatter pancake, sometimes it may almost overflow the pan. Changes in atmospheric pressure and humidity can play roles, as well.
Start with the basic recipe, which is fairly reliable, and work your way up from there.
Cook Time
| Prep time | Cook time | Ready in | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
10 min | 45 min | 55 min | 3 to 4 hungry adults, or 2 to 3 teens |
Ingredients
- 1 cup white all-purpose flour*
- 2 cups milk, dairy or plant-based
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup butter or coconut oil, roughly chopped**
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
*A combination of other flours may be used, including whole wheat, oat flour, powdered sorghum, finely ground corn, rice, coconut flour, or anything else you want to try—see note below.
**The larger amount of fat will make a softer crust, but it may pool excessively in the bottom of the pan
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Note About Using Different Flours
Flours without gluten may be used, as may flours of differing consistencies. However, flours of widely varying weights will probably separate during baking, leaving layers cemented with egg. This is true of white flour and whole wheat flour, as well as most other whole grain meals or flours.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. In a 9x13-inch baking pan, or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, put chopped butter, distributed across the bottom.
- Put pan in still-heating oven to melt butter, with oven rack in lower or middle position. (Lower for dark pans or cast iron, middle for lighter or glass pans.)
- Place flour(s) in a batter bowl or medium-size mixing bowl. Add salt, and any spices, herbs, or dried fruits. (Fruits coated with flour are less likely to sink during baking). Stir until additions are evenly distributed.
- Add eggs on top of flour, and break yolks with a fork or whisk. Stir slightly into flour (mixture should remain liquid on top). Add a dash of milk, stir a little, then add small amounts of milk until all of it has been whisked in, with no lumps remaining. The batter will be quite runny.
- Stir in meats, cubed cheeses, and any chopped fruits you want mixed with the batter.
- Sprinkle on any fresh or frozen fruits or seeds, as well as any shredded cheeses of your choice.
- Take the pan from the oven and carefully pour the batter into the melted butter; return to oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until puffs and peaks form, the top begins to crack and brown, and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cut in pieces and serve immediately.
Variations and Additions
Sorghum Flour | Oat Flour | Buckwheat Flour |
Rice Flour | Potato Flour | Coconut Flour |
Almond Milk | Coconut Oil | Coconut Milk |
Poppyseeds | Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, etc. | Almonds, Walnuts, etc. |
Blueberries | Raspberries | Blackberries |
Rhubarb, Pureed or Chopped | Strawberries | Cranberries |
Plums, Wild or Domestic | Other Stone Fruits | Mango, Chopped or Pureed |
Orange Juice | Raisins, Golden or Dark | Chocolate Chips |
Greens, Chopped | Vegetables--Broccoli, Carrots, Onions... | Cheese--Cheddar, Mozzarella... |
Tomatoes, Sliced or Chopped | Salsa--Tomatoes, Tomatillo, or Fruit | Herbs, Black Pepper, Lavender... |
Pepperoni, Summer Sausage, Other Sausage | Ham | Steak Bits |
1. With Sausage and Mozzarella Cheese
2. Topped With Cheddar Cheese
3. Sprinkled With Sunflower Seeds
4. Baked With Rhubarb
5. Baked With Strawberries
Fresh or frozen strawberries (or any kind of berries), may be used with great effect. Place them on top of the batter immediately prior to baking, as they will tend to fall through toward the bottom.
More Delicious Toppings!
- Fruit curds (especially lime!)
- Any cut-up fruit--strawberries, peaches, blueberries, or raspberries go well.
- Powdered sugar
- True maple syrup
- Pepper jam or chopped chillis
I was surprised how puffy the sorghum flour made this pancake, baked in a cast iron skillet. I snapped the photo in a rush borne of shock, just after removing the pan from the oven. The pancake "fell" quickly.
How Do You Serve Your Pancakes?
How to Make Fruit Curd: 3 Citrus Variations (Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit)
© 2020 Joilene Rasmussen
