Quick Summary
German Pancakes- You only need 6 ingredients to make this delicious oven pancake. The giant, buttery pancake puffs up in the oven, creating a fun, light, and fluffy pancake that kids and adults love! Serve hot, right out of the oven with confectioner’s sugar, berries, maple syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings!
Our family LOVES a good breakfast. We love making French toast, waffles, pancakes, egg casseroles, smoothies, and more!
German Pancakes are definitely a staple at our house. They are super easy to make and SO fun! If you haven’t tried a German pancake, let me introduce you! I guarantee they will be a favorite breakfast at your house. Hint, you only need 5 minutes of prep time and they are made with basic ingredients!
What are German Pancakes?
A German pancake, sometimes called a Dutch Baby, a Bismarck, a Dutch puff, or a Hootenanny, is a large American crepe-like popover pancake. You only need six ingredients and you don’t have to stand by the skillet filliping pancakes all morning.
You make the giant pancake in the oven in a large baking dish or an oven-safe skillet. The pancake puffs up while baking and climbs the sides of the pan. Kids love watching this step because the pancake is like magic. It gets puffy, golden, and forms a different shape every time. The pancake is supposed to look a little crazy and that is all part of the fun!
German Pancake Ingredients
You only need 6 ingredients to make this giant German pancake, and the ingredients are VERY basic! This is a no-fuss recipe!
- Butter– You will melt the butter in the oven, in the pan!
- Flour– Use all-purpose flour.
- Salt– A little salt to bring out the flavors!
- Milk– I recommend using whole milk for a rich pancake, but any milk will work.
- Vanilla extract– Vanilla adds the best flavor, don’t skip it!
- Eggs– You need 6 large eggs for this recipe! The pancakes are more “eggy” and taste similar to crepes or popovers.
How to Make German Pancakes
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. You want to bake the oven in a hot oven so it can puff up!
- Put the butter in a 9×13-inch pan and place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the milk and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well in between each addition, this will make sure the German pancake is nice and fluffy! Alternatively, you can use a blender to blend all of the ingredients together.
- Remove the pan from the oven and swirl it around so the butter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Make sure the butter is hot when you pour in the butter.
- Pour the batter slowly into the pan, in a figure 8, swirling motion, so the batter hits the hot butter. Don’t just pour it in in one spot. You have to swirl!
- Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 15 to 23 minutes or until puffed up and light golden in color.
How to Serve German Pancakes
The German pancake does get nice and puffy in the oven, but when you remove the pan from the oven the pancake will start to deflate as it cools.
I recommend serving the pancake immediately! It is ok if it falls a little, it will still be good, but German pancakes are best right out of the oven!
Use a sharp knife to cut the pancake into squares.
The pancake fills a 9×13-inch pan, BUT because the pancake is so light and airy, it doesn’t feed a ton of people. One pan typically serves 4-6 people. If you have a large crowd or a big family, I recommend making two pans.
German Pancake Toppings
Now for the fun part, the toppings! We usually keep things simple and top our oven pancake with berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
Here are some other topping ideas!
- Confectioner’s sugar– It’s so pretty! My boys call it snow, ha!
- Fruit: Berries, peach slices, banana slices, or cinnamon skillet apples are all good options! Use whatever is in season!
- Whipped Cream– you can’t go wrong with whipped cream!
- Syrup– Syrup is a classic pancake topping. Use traditional maple syrup, strawberry syrup, or even brown butter buttermilk syrup!
- Lemon & Sugar– Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the warm pancake and sprinkle with granulated sugar! So refreshing!
- Nut Butter– Spread peanut butter or almond butter on top of your pancake!
- Nutella– So decadent and divine, especially with strawberries or raspberries!
- Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt– This may sound odd, but I promise cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are good toppings! Plus, you get an extra boost of protein!
How to Store German Pancakes
I highly recommend enjoying the pancakes RIGHT out of the oven. You can’t beat a fresh German Pancake.
If you have leftovers, we rarely do, you can store them in the refrigerator for up 2 days, BUT they tend to get a little rubbery after being reheated. Still edible, but not the very best:)
More Pancake Recipes
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Best Buttermilk Pancakes
- Easy Blender Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes
German Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- For serving: confectioner’s sugar, berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Put the butter in a 9×13-inch pan and place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted, about 2 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the milk and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well in between each addition, this will make sure the German pancakes are fluffy.
- Remove the pan from the oven and swirl it around so the butter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Make sure the butter is hot when you pour in the batter. Pour the batter slowly into the pan, in a figure 8, swirling motion, so the batter hits the hot butter.
- Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 15 to 23 minutes or until puffed up and light golden in color.
- Remove the pan from the oven and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into squares and serve immediately with berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Darn I just made this and it came out flat as a board and hard as a rock… I’m trying to figure out where I messed up… maybe because I added the eggs to the flour instead of the flour (gradually) to the eggs. I will try it again, I’ve been wanting to make this for years!
Try adding the flour to the eggs. We’ve never had a problem. Sorry!
This reminds me I need to make German pancakes again, it’s been way to long!
My MIL makes a fierce Dutch baby! I love to the treat when we go home to visit. Don’t tell her I said this, but yours may be prettier. 🙂
This looks so delightful and fresh!
i love german pancakes. problem is, i can eat one by myself. i am sure i would do the same with your version. yummy stuff!
I just saw these in my Bon Appetit Mag… and now I want one even more than I did! YUM!
I love, love, love Dutch Babies! 🙂 We just had one at a B&B last week….and now your post. I think it’s a sign that I need to make one….or several! 😉
I love the picture of the powdered sugar raining down on it!
Dutch Babies are a fave around here, too. I wish that my hubz would get closer to that skillet and make them from time to time… ahhhh, it was just a dream! 😉
I am with you on the March Madness obsession! it is all I did this weekend! Those German Pancakes look amazing…. definitely on my breakfast list for next weekend!
Pancakes this this will comfort you through your pregnancy!
German pancakes or Dutch babies…however people call them…they are delicious! Love your cast iron skillet
Pretty! Love the powdered sugar action shot.
Gorgeous! And look, a husband-proof pancake! I’ll have to show mine this post, huh? 😉
I’ve never made German/Dutch Baby pancakes before! I’m going to have to try now 🙂
I’ve been making these for years back when I first discovered a recipe for a “big pancake” in a magazine ad! Way easier than making traditional pancakes with a delicious payout. Anyway, I wnat to tell you that you should try a little nutmeg the next time. I’ve always added nutmeg and somehow it really makes the flavor of a dutch baby come alive.
I have never had this! I had no idea what a Dutch baby was when it saw it mentioned on twitter…thought it was a roast chicken of some sort, lol. This looks so delicious. I’m so curious and a little intimidated by it though! I am going to have to try it out!
This looks so good! I haven’t tried making a Dutch baby before, but I really should give it a try. I love the photos of yours… It’s just stunning!
I love German pancakes – I need to make them more often! This is the perfect breakfast for a Sunday morning.
My mom made German pancakes/dutch babies often for us when we were kids. Now my kids loves them. They are such a fun breakfast to make.
My favorite breakfast treat to make. I love it with apples!
college basketball and pancakes are high on my list of awesome things. 🙂
I love how easy german pancakes are to make :). Looks delicious!
I have never seen german pancakes before. They look so yummy. Congrats for the big news!
I am German and have never eaten these kind of pancakes in Germany. We bake very big ones on the stove top. They don’t have a rim.
Thank you so much for this recipe. Just made it for my boys and we all LOVE it. It is so simple and delicious.
You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
so lovely! Made it for dinner tonight and it was so great! Thanks for sharing!!
Looks yum! I just saw a German Pancake on FN the other day for the first time. My cast iron skillet would be too big. Do you think a cake pan would work?
I have never used a cake pan because we have a cast iron skillet that works well, but I am sure a cake pan would work just fine. Enjoy!
We just made this tonight! I’ve been craving some food from my time in Germany and this was just the thing. I only have a 61/2″ cast iron pan, so we made four little ones… YUM! They got eaten as they came out of the oven…slathered in some Nutella! 🙂
I made a gluten free version of your recipe and it came out delicious! My mom and I used to order and share one of these once a week before she’d drop me off for preschool. I never realized how easy they are to make at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad the gf version worked!
I do believe my mother made these for me when I was little. Has anyone ever made them with white whole wheat flour? I am trying to stay away from refined flours and wondered if the texture is greatly affected by using wheat.
a topping of honey and Caramalised sugar gives it a fantastic taste !!!!
😛 🙂
I added a little bit of sugar let over from making candied ginger and freshly grated lemon peel to the batter.
So. Delicious.
Any suggestions on making this gluten free?
You can use gluten-free flour. I like Cup4Cup brand.
I feel like I’m losing my mind. I saved this link weeks ago and used it to make a perfect German pancake in a 9 in skillet, not a 9×13 pan. I clicked this link today to share with someone and this is a different post and recipe. What happened to the other one?? That’s the one that fits the pan I have.
You can half this recipe for a 9-inch skillet! Make sure your skillet is oven safe.
Loved the recipe but sadly I melted the butter in my favorite ceramic pan in the oven and when I poured the batter in it cracked my pan!!! maybe should say eggs and milk at room temperature! The pancake was awesome though!!!!!
It came out as the directions said but we didn’t like it. You really have to love eggs. It was exciting watching it rise.
Hi! Made this today for Easter breakfast, SO good! Thank you!
You. Issued the step where you add the flour and egg bowls together! figured it out from the comments. All my kids loved this! Thanks for the recipe
Haven’t made yet but the recipe does not indicate the step to combine eggs and flour