Blueberry Dutch Baby — a delicious all-in-one skillet breakfast and new favourite weekend treat. This Dutch Baby, is made with a batter of flour, eggs, vanilla sugar, butter, and butter milk, is topped with fresh blueberries and then baked in the oven until it puffs up beautifully. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, afternoon tea – any time really!
What Is a Dutch Baby pancake?
A Dutch baby, if you are unfamiliar, is similar to a large Yorkshire pudding. It starts with a thin, pancake-like batter and a hot skillet, is baked in the oven where the sides rises dramatically, then collapses upon removal, as the steam that holds it up quickly evaporates in the cooler air of your kitchen. This oven-baked pancake uses more egg than a traditional pancake, and doesn’t contain a leavened such as baking powder. As a result, this pancakes has a deliciously soft and tender texture which is just a little bit custardy. It can be enjoyed sweet or savoury.
The history of the Dutch Baby
This oven-baked pancaked is also known as a German pancake, despite the name Dutch Baby. The term was coined and trademarked by Victor Manca, the owner of Seattle restaurant, Manca’s, in 1942. This legendary dish was so named from the mispronunciation of the word “Deutsch” (meaning German) and “baby” which was what they called the mini pancakes they sold.
Tips for making the best oven-baked pancake
Once you have made a Dutch Baby, you will realise how really simple and easy they are to prepare. Here are a few tips to ensure a perfectly puffy pancake:
Whisk together the batter quickly, right before using it. Since we are using spelt flour for this recipe, the batter should be whisked together until smooth, but not over mixed due to the sensitive gluten structure. If using regular flour, you can also mix it together in the a blender till smooth and then let stand for 10-15 minutes to allow the gluten relax.
Melting the butter in the skillet (a cast-iron skillet is perfect as it retains heat well) and getting it hot means the batter will start cooking the second it hits the pan; giving you a bigger, better puff while it bakes in the oven.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet all in one go, scatter the blueberries on top, and then directly slide it into the hot oven. The sides will rise dramatically while the middle will be weighed down a little where the blueberries are.
Bake until the Dutch baby is puffed, lightly browned across the top, and darker brown on the sides and edges.
If you like this oven-baked pancake recipe, you might also like:
- Buckwheat Pancakes with Ham, Cheese and Egg
- Buckwheat Pancakes
- Canadian Buttermilk Pancakes
- Traditional French Crêpes Recipe
Blueberry Dutch Baby
Ingredients
- 100 g spelt flour (type 630) or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 package vanilla sugar (8 g)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 150 ml buttermilk (alternatively use whole milk and a squeeze of lemon juice)
- 65 g unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries (125g)
- powdered sugar, to serve
- pure maple syrup, to serve
Method
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Preheat the oven to 425°F./ 220°C (200°C fan-assisted).
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and vanilla sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Whisk the eggs into the flour mixture until just combined and batter smooth. Do not over mix.
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Melt the butter in a 22-24 cm cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook until the butter smells nutty and turns brown, (not burned) about 5 minutes; swirl the skillet so the butter coats the bottom and sides of the pan.
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Pour the batter into the skillet, and scatter the blueberries over top. Transfer to preheated oven and bake until the Dutch Baby is puffed and edges are deeply golden, 18-20 minutes.
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Serve immediately, garnished powdered sugar, if desired. Slice it into wedges and drizzle with maple syrup as you serve it. Enjoy!
Notes
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.
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