Dutch Baby

Have the family asking for pancakes but don’t want to commit to standing over a hot stove flipping pancakes on demand? Why not make this massive, billowy, sweet dutch baby pancake instead which is bound to be a crowd pleaser. 

You’ll be blending all the ingredients together until you have a nice sweet batter and then pouring it into a hot ovenproof dish so that it can bake for 20 minutes. This dutch baby pancake also doesn’t require huge amounts of flour, sugar, or butter so you won’t even feel the pinch after making this recipe. 

This recipe calls for a blender as you’ll want to make sure the batter is as smooth as possible and lump-free before placing it in the oven. Any blender or food processor works here – I used a vitamix but this one is similar and cheaper – and if you don’t have access to them, an electric whisk or by hand works too, just make sure it is completely smooth. 

If using a blender, be sure to put the wet ingredients like the milk and eggs first, followed by all the dry goods, as you don’t want the flour to stick at the bottom below the blade. Trust me, I made that mistake the first time I made this and ended up with a sweet omelette as the flour was still stuck at the bottom of the blender – d’oh. 

Using an ovenproof dish/pan here is essential as the oven temperature will be a hot 200C degrees. I used a cast iron skillet – this one here. You will want to place the pan/dish in the oven whilst it preheats and once you’ve made and rested your batter, remove the hot pan from the oven. Throw in your butter and pour in the batter, and place the hot pan back in the oven to cook. 

Do not open the oven door during the period. Yes, the sweet aroma will have you crious but just refrain as much as you can from even touching the door. The pancake will finally be ready after 15-20 minutes and will be golden in the middle with darker brown edges. It will certainly be big and pillowy too which should last a few minutes before the steam escapes, so if you have an avid Instagrammer in the family, make sure they are camera ready once the pancake is removed from the oven.

The beauty of this dish is that you can play around with your toppings and also the flavouring of the pancakes. 

A few ideas for sweet dutch babies:

• Banana split
• Banoffee 
• Strawberries and cream 
• Maple syrup
• Lemon juice and sugar 

For a savoury dutch baby, remove the sugar and replace with more salt and pepper. Here are some savoury options: 

• Salmon and cream cheese 
• Herb butter
• Fried eggs and avocado
• Cheese

SWEET DUTCH BABY RECIPE

This recipe makes one dutch baby which is enough to feed a family of 3-4 people (think ¼ pancake per person). 

INGREDIENTS

125ml whole milk 
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla 
Pinch of salt 
2 tbsp white sugar
½ tsp cinnamon 
Pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)
65g (2.3oz) all purpose flour 
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Garnishes (I used berries and vanilla ice cream)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C degrees (fan assisted) and place your pan in the oven to heat up. 
2. In a blender, add milk, eggs, and vanilla. Followed by the salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. 
3. Blitz for 1-2 minutes until it is fully blended. Scrape down the sides and blend again for a minute. Leave to the side for 20 minutes. 
4. Remove the hot pan from the oven and throw in the butter. Let the butter melt and spread across the pan. 
5. Pour in your batter ensuring it covers all areas of the pan. 
6. Carefully place the pan back in the oven and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes. 
7. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR DURING THIS PERIOD. 
8. The pancake should have dark brown edges and be lightly golden in the centre with a few peaks.
9. Garnish and serve immediately.