I've always been fascinated by how many different breakfast foods you can create using just milk, eggs, and flour; and this is one of the more interesting examples. Especially considering the unusual, and borderline disturbing name. Sometimes called German pancakes, these have very little to do with Germany, and nothing to do with the Dutch. Apparently they were invented by German immigrants who were referred to as Dutch.

Chef John's Dutch Babies

milk, room temperature

all-purpose flour

eggs, room temperature

vanilla extract

salt

butter

½ Meyer lemon, juiced

confectioners' sugar,

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).


Blend milk, flour, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt together in a blender until batter is smooth.


Melt clarified butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until bubbling; pour batter into the center of the skillet.


Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush with 1 tablespoon butter, drizzle lemon juice over the top, and dust with confectioners' sugar.


Amazing!! I didn't clarify the butter. I preheated the oven at 475 with my pan in there. When the pan was hot I put the butter into my pan in the oven and let it melt and heat up. I turned the oven down to 425 poured the batter into the preheated pan with the melted butter and let it cooked for 20 min. Perfection it came out looking amazing and deflates in about 3 minutes :( but the taste is unique and super good. I will be making this again and again. Next time I am going to try a savory one.

I have made these in muffin tins. Spray muffin pan with Pam.  Add butter to each muffin.  Pour batter, evenly divided into muffin pan.  Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.  Serve immediately with honey, syrup or jam. I make batter night before, pour into Tupperware water pitcher (makes pouring into each muffin tin much easier) and refrigerate.  Don't open oven door to check as they are baking, use your oven light to watch them puff up. My ingredients are a little different.....I use 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 4 eggs and 1/4 tsp. salt.  I make 12 muffins.  Will try John's recipe in my muffin tin....like the addition of vanilla.  I serve them with bacon when my family is visiting.

I’ve made this German Pancake recipe for years.  My recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk instead of 2/3 cup; I use 1 tsp. vanilla instead of 1/4 tsp.; and I bake it at 400°, but will try these suggested variations.  I like lots more lemon than suggested; the last time I made it I added 1 tsp. lemon zest to the batter, and next time I’ll add more.  As far as this recipe serving four, I eat this entire pancake by myself and use the juice of at least two lemons.  

The German word for German is “deutsch,” which was corrupted into English as “Dutch,” and thus mistakenly interpreted as referring to Holland.  (The equally misinterpreted “Pennsylvania Dutch” are of German ancestry).  So this is a “deutsch pancake,” meaning a German Pancake (note the reviewer who mentions Bavaria).  The term “Dutch Baby” usually refers to a smaller individual serving (such as a muffin tin size) of this German Pancake instead of to an entire skillet full.

I rated this only 3 stars because, while the ingredients are right, the directions are not correct-- if you want your pancake to puff up correctly. With quite a bit of trial and error, here is what you need to get a nice big puff:

Warm the eggs-- they need to be room temp. I place refrigerated eggs into warm water for about half an hour.

Warm the milk-- I nuke it for about 45 seconds. Not enough to cook the eggs, but a bit more than room temp. 

Mixing-- I use a hand mixer. Perhaps a blender will work, but you need to really mix it in a specific way. First, whip the eggs well. Slowly add the milk, again ensuring that the mixture is well whipped. Add the vanilla, then slowly add the flour. The goal is for the batter to be as airy as possible. 

Baking-- I warm the cast iron pan for a few minutes, allow the butter to melt, swirl it around, then pour the batter in. 

With these steps, I get puffs of around 6 inches, which really makes the pancake. Enjoy!

Try with sautéed apples and cinnamon cooked in the skillet before adding the batter and then serve it upside down--this makes a very custardy texture with the apples as topping. Mmmmm.

Very much like my recipe for German Omelette as it was called way back when.  It's an absolute family favourite and we have it for lunch of breakfast, even sometimes a quick supper!  Mine I an double or triple.  For each beten egg, I use 1Tbsp. flour and 2 Tbsp. milk.  Sometimes I top it with peeled, chopped apples that have been cooked in butter, about 1Tbsp. rasins that I've plumped a bit in hot water and drained and about 1 Tbs. sugar, some cinnamon, nutmeg and a bit of ground cloves.  I prepare this while the "omelette" is in the oven.  Don't overcook the apple mixture, they should retain their shape and just be getting soft and nicely glazed with the butter, sugar and spice mixture.   You could use dried cranberries  or other dried fruit instead of raisins.  Yum!

Made this recipe last weekend exactly as written. Really easy and very delicious. I served it with southern sautéed apples.

This is a great recipe, quick and delicious.  I doubled the recipe and baked it in a big 9X13" pan (no, I didn't clarify the butter, just preheated the pan at 475, added butter and turned down to 425, like a previous reviewer).  BUT next time I'll try the opposite -- bake the recipe in a muffin tin, sprinkle on the lemon and sugar and fill with fruit salad topped with yoghurt/whipped cream.  Voila, super simple and stunning holiday breakfast!
Update: these are awesome baked in muffin tins - just remember they are done in about 1/2 the time.

This is also a forgiving recipe: the eggs and milk weren't at room temp, the butter not clarified -- and they still turned out puffy, with just the right eggy texture -- sort of like the inside of a crueller.

So easy, and so scrumptious!  Made exactly as written with the exception of the lemon juice...(I used the last of the lemons for some yummy cocktails last night!).   I devoured my portion with Montana huckleberry syrup; my bride and my son had theirs with good old maple syrup.  Delightful... I'll make it many times hence.  Chef John, you've done it yet again!  A tip of my camo hat to you!  (My 17-year-old just came into the room and said five words:  "Dad, Dutch babies are amazing."  Enough said.)

See how to make quick, easy, delicious Dutch babies.

chef john's dutch babies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Author : Chef John

Ingredients

Instructions

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chef john's dutch babies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Author : Chef John

Ingredients

Instructions

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