Apple Dutch Baby

Looking for more delicious, hot breakfast ideas? Check out these popular posts for Banana Bread Pancakes, Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole, and Apple Cinnamon French Toast. Dutch Babies are a favorite in my household. Also known as German Pancakes (or if you’re my kids, “Patty Cakes”), they are made with a similar batter to regular pancakes but they fluff up as you bake them in a hot skillet in the oven. They’re part fluffy pancake, part popover that doesn’t quite pop in the middle, and 100% delicious. Top with apples, berries, syrup, powdered sugar, or all of the above if you have a hard time deciding.

Why this Recipe Works

Fast — This apple Dutch baby can be on your table in as few as 35 minutes. That’s quicker than making up a whole stack of pancakes! Apples — Apples are in season right now so that makes them taste even more delicious (and you can use any variety you like). But, even if they’re not in season, they’re easy to find in the grocery store and this recipe is a great one for using up apples that may be getting old and need to be eaten as you’ll be cooking them down a bit anyway. Customizable — No apples? No problem! You can substitute berries, bananas, (for a great berry and/or banana recipe try this Blueberry Crepe Filling, or this Banana Crepe Filling), or just eat these Dutch baby pancakes with syrup or powdered sugar. No leftovers — Okay so this might be one instance where I’m happy to have no leftovers. This recipe makes the perfect amount for our family, which means I can make it once and feed everyone and not worry about having to put away any leftovers.

Here’s How you Make it

Making the Dutch baby Preparing the apples

Why do they Call it a Dutch Baby?

How do dishes get their names? I have so many questions on so many recipes, but this one in particular. It turns out, even though these Dutch babies are actually basically a German pancake (confused yet?), served at a restaurant called Manca’s Cafe in Seattle in the mid-1900s. It is thought that Victor Manca’s (the owner’s) daughter named them Dutch babies as she was trying to say they were “deutsch” as in German. Kind of confusing, right? Whatever you want to call them is a-okay with me as long as you make them ASAP.

Why does a Dutch Baby Rise?

You might be wondering why this Dutch apple baby rises and puffs while regular pancakes do not. The answer is: steam. When you combine the hot skillet with the melted butter in it and the well-beaten or whisked batter, what you get is a lot of air in the batter that is trapped when the steam hits it. The cool batter hits the hot butter, oven, and skillet and steam instantly escapes, puffing up the baby as it cooks.

Expert Tips

Don’t burn the butter! Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the butter while it melts in the oven. You want it to be melted but not browned or burnt. This will change the whole taste of the Dutch baby and make the bottom crust burn. Make a fruit-filled Dutch baby by adding diced fruit (apples, peaches, berries) to the bottom of the pan (spread it out on the bottom) before pouring the batter on top. Do blend the batter if possible. Whipping that batter to a frenzy in the blender ensures lots and lots of air bubbles which translates to a puffier, airier Dutch baby!