This recipe for puffy oven-baked German Pancakes uses just a few simple ingredients and takes only a handful of minutes to prepare. Served with fresh fruit, syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar, they will quickly become a family favorite.
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The Best German Pancakes Recipe
If you are looking to switch up the usual breakfast pancake routine, give these German Pancakes a try. Once you discover the beauty of baking pancake batter in a hot oven, you’ll never want to pan fry individual pancakes again!
You can bake one large German Pancake in a 9”x13” baking dish, as seen in this recipe, or bake individual portions in cupcake tins or small cast iron skillets. The best hack in this recipe is mixing the batter in a blender. It’s quick, easy, removes all lumps and gives the pancakes a little extra lift.
What Are German Pancakes?
German Pancakes are a puffy, oven-baked breakfast item that is made by baking an egg-based batter in a preheated pan inside a super hot oven. Sometimes also called Dutch Babies or Hootenannies, these pancakes are often served with syrup, fresh fruit and powdered sugar.
This recipe will show you how to make German Pancakes as well as answer your most frequently asked questions about them. But, if you’re on the hunt for a delicious traditional pancake recipe, give our Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes a try.
Ingredients in German Pancakes
- Butter - the butter is added to your pan and placed into the oven as it preheats. It keeps the pancake from sticking and also adds flavor.
- Eggs - there are a huge amount of eggs in this recipe which create of the classic German Pancake texture, as well as help it to rise a bit.
- Milk - whole milk is best, but 2% will also work.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Flour - I like to use all-purpose flour for this recipe. Cake flour would be too delicate and bread flour would be a little too “firm.”
Topping Ideas for German Pancakes
Here are some of our favorite toppings to get you started:
- Buttermilk Syrup
- Lemon Syrup
- Mixed Berry Syrup
- Blackberry Syrup
- Mixed Berries
- Macerated Strawberries
- Nutella or Peanut Butter
- Chocolate Syrup
- Whipped Cream
German Pancake Video Tutorial
How to Make German Pancakes
- Preheat the oven and pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Add the butter to a 9" by 13" baking dish and place in the oven while it heats.
- Blend the batter. Meanwhile, add the eggs, milk, salt, and flour into a blender. Blend for about 15 seconds until all the ingredients are well-combined and frothy.
- Add the batter to the hot pan. Carefully remove the dish from the hot oven and swirl to make sure all of the edges are covered in melted butter. Add the batter to the hot pan.
- Bake. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown around the edges.
- Serve. Once cooked through, remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving with fresh berries and your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If your German Pancakes didn’t puff up, the most common reason is because your oven or your pan wasn’t hot enough. They need to be super hot so that once the batter hits the pan it starts to release steam and create air pockets. Blending the batter in the blender will also whip the eggs enough to help add a little bit of rise, but mostly it will come from the hot pan.
German Pancakes and Dutch Babys are just different names for pancakes that are baked in a hot oven and a hot pan. This causes them to puff up around the edges, almost like a souffle. You may also see a hootenannies recipe and wonder the same thing, but these are all just different names for essentially the same item.
Other than a 9”x13” baking dish, you can bake German Pancakes in a cast iron skillet, or any other skillet or pan that will get super hot.
For a smaller group, you can also bake them in individual cast iron skillets with handles or even cupcake tins. Not only does it make a super cute presentation, you also don’t need to deal with slicing into pieces.
Storing
German Pancakes don’t store very well so it’s best to only make as much as you want to eat in one sitting. If you do have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll still taste just fine as a snack with a little Nutella, peanut butter, or whipped cream.
German Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons Butter
- 6 large Eggs
- 1 cup Milk
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Add the butter to a 9" by 13" baking dish and place in the oven while it heats.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs, milk, salt, and flour into a blender. Blend for about 15 seconds until all the ingredients are well-combined and frothy.
- Carefully remove the dish from the hot oven and swirl to make sure all of the edges are covered in melted butter.
- Pour the blended pancake batter into the pan and place back into the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown.
- Once cooked through, remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving with fresh berries and your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This is the best German Pancakes recipe. It's quick, easy, super puffy and ready in about 20 minutes flat.
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