Last updated on October 12th, 2021 at 02:57 pm
Dutch baby pancake. Dutch puff. I always knew them as German pancakes.
In my mind, these do not really resemble regular old pancakes. I mean these ones are baked in the oven, not on the stovetop. They are also much denser with their ratio of liquids to dry ingredients and a lack of any specific leavening agents. They are something entirely their own – especially when made extra-thick with this recipe.
Grandma used to make these German pancakes for breakfast whenever we came to visit her house in Tucson. I am not sure where or how my grandma first encountered this recipe, but my mom remembers having them when she grew up.
For me, this breakfast is infused with memories of exploring around my grandparent’s house (that always seemed a little mysterious to me as a child) with my sisters. We would discover toys, games, and hiding places after having stuffed our faces with pancakes.
These are great for breakfast, but I will have to admit that most of the time I end up having these on a lazy Saturday for a late-morning brunch.
The German Pancakes Recipe
My grandma handed this recipe down to my mom, and she handed it down to me. But it wasn’t until I had moved out on my own for the first time that I realized I needed this recipe. She ended up having to email the recipe to me, and I wasn’t able to print it out. So, I wrote it down on a tiny scrap of paper that I still keep with all of the other random recipes that I’ve written down, torn out of magazines, or printed out. All of them safely in a plastic page protector.
If you compare the recipe below to this one, then you may notice that it is not quite the same. Though I loved the pancakes as grandma made them, I always liked pieces from the center of the pan that was the thickest. So when I started making them myself I would use a smaller square pan. Then I decided to just double the recipe and make it in the larger baking dish. Hence, they are now extra-thick.
I will note that making them extra-thick does take away some of the fun crazy puffiness that German pancakes are known for. So if you want to see some of that, then halve the recipe, or split this one into two different baking dishes.
Toppings Galore
German pancakes are mostly egg-based. In and of themselves they have a pretty neutral buttery egg flavor that goes well with a whole heap of toppings. Grandma always served them with lemon juice and powdered sugar. So for the longest time that was the only thing I ever had on top.
Eventually I expanded my options and tried some other toppings. But always include powdered sugar. Because it just works.
Try some of the following options:
- Lemon juice and powdered sugar
- Fresh fruit – especially berries of any kind
- Honey
- Jam or preserves
- Caramel sauce
- Any syrup
What are your favorite toppings, anything I’m missing here?
Grandma’s German Pancakes
Course: Breakfast, BrunchDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesA fairly quick and easy breakfast recipe, these German pancakes can be topped with almost anything sweet
Ingredients
8 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/3 cup flour
1 and 1/3 cup milk
5 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C)
- Add eggs to a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to beat them until fully mixed
- Add each other ingredient except the butter, one by one to the bowl while mixing with the hand blender between each ingredient until it is incorporated
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the mixing bowl and mix with the hand blender for 15 to 30 seconds, enough to break the butter up into smaller chunks within the batter but not to fully incorporate it
- Pour everything into a 9″ by 13″ baking dish and place it in the oven
- Cook for about 20 minutes, until the edges have puffed up and everything is cooked, when a knife in the center comes out clean
