Easy German Pancake Recipe
on Aug 18, 2020, Updated Jul 19, 2024
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Looking for a quick breakfast that requires only four simple ingredients? This Easy Baked German Pancake Recipe is my go-to because the recipe only uses staples: eggs, milk, flour, and a bit of butter!
Making German pancakes is as simple as beating 6 eggs together, adding milk and flour, and beating them together well. The butter preheats in the pan, and then you just dump the egg mixture in. The eggs make the pancake rise and get extra tall and puffy on the edges of the pan.
Pulling them out of the oven makes them look nothing like what you put in. So, not only are they easy to make with minimal ingredients, but they are also a little bit magical. I started making German pancakes to use up extra eggs (hello, backyard chickens!) because it’s a one-pan meal my whole family loves. I can’t wait for you to make these, too.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- German pancakes or Dutch Babies are a favorite at our house and will be at yours, too. What I love most about them is that you can turn a few eggs and just a bit of flour and milk into a meal for the family. They’re practically magic.
- Depending on the topping you choose, these pancakes offer many different taste options. Top your puff pancake with fruit (this Blueberry Topping is great!), whipped cream, or syrup for a delicious breakfast!
- This recipe can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – salted or unsalted
- Eggs
- Flour – all-purpose
- Milk – 2% or whole
- Vanilla extract – optional
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Easy German Pancakes
- Cut up a stick of butter and place it in a baking dish.
- Crack eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk. Add flour, then milk, and whisk to combine.
- Melt butter in a dish to coat the bottom. Pour egg mixture into the dish and return to oven.
- Bake until puffy and golden. Cut and serve warm with toppings.
Recipe FAQs
I’m glad you asked; I also get confused about the difference. The short answer is that a German pancake is essentially the same as a Dutch Baby. The current form of the German pancake or Dutch Baby is said to have originated at Manca’s Cafe in Seattle between 1900 and 1919. Family lore states that the restaurant owner’s daughter coined the term “Dutch Baby” because she couldn’t pronounce the word “Deutsch” – the German word for German. The “Baby” in “Dutch Baby” may have come from the plate-size pancakes they were serving compared to a full baking dish-sized German pancake.
If you have leftover German pancakes, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350ºF oven or microwave for 30-60 seconds until hot.
If the pancake was a little flat, it is most likely that the pan was not hot enough. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the liquid does not heat up and create steam quickly enough, so the flour will cook through and set before the pancake can rise.
Expert Tips
- The fresher the eggs the better (I’m totally a crazy chicken lady, so if you need an enabler to get chickens or more chickens, I’m here for you). Fresh eggs give extra height and volume to the edges.
- I like to use 2% or whole milk for this recipe. Skim works fine, but the pancakes are a little more chewy in the end. Cream doesn’t work (they tasted great but were too heavy to rise). Canned evaporated milk also doesn’t work great (same issues with not rising well), but I’ve used it in a pinch when I was out of milk.
- I like to use all-purpose white flour or whole wheat pastry flour for this recipe. The whole wheat pastry flour is light enough to get a good rise while still giving you those whole grain benefits. I have used both with great success.
Topping Ideas for German Pancakes
One of the things that we love the most about German puff pancakes is the toppings! You can top them with
- Homemade buttermilk syrup
- Sliced strawberries
- Blueberry topping
- And whipped cream for a really fancy breakfast!
You can also go simple with classic maple syrup.
I know lots of people who give the German pancake a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
You have lots of topping options, so put what you like on top! I hope you enjoy this recipe for German pancakes!
More Pancake Recipes to Consider
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup: Cozy Holiday in a Bottle
Pancake Recipes
Stack ‘Em High: Golden Cornbread Pancakes
Pancake Recipes
Buttermilk Pancakes
Breakfast Recipes
Banana Pancakes
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Easy German Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, (salted or unsalted)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk, (2% or whole)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the butter into 4 equal pieces and place them on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. I prefer glass bakeware for this recipe, the slightly curved corners seem to help the German pancake rise.
- While the oven if preheating crack the eggs into a medium-large mixing bowl. Whisk with a wire whisk to combine well.
- Slowly add the flour while whisking until fully combined.
- Add the milk and whisk to combine fully.
- When the oven is hot or nearly fully preheated, add the baking dish with the butter to the oven. Let the dish rest in the oven until the butter is melted, 4-5 minutes. Don’t let the butter stay in the oven too long as it can burn if left for too long.
- When the butter is melted carefully remove the pan from the oven with oven mitts or hot pads, and while holding onto the edges of the pan, gently tilt the pan back and forth so that the melted butter fully covers the bottom of the baking dish. Place the hot pan on a cooling rack or hot pads on your countertop.
- Give the egg mixture one last quick whisk and pour the mixture into the hot baking dish. Using oven mitts or hot pads, quickly and carefully place the hot pan back in the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the German pancake is very puffy on the sides and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven. Cut into pieces.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings such as syrup, fresh fruit, or whipped cream.
Notes
- Looking for an easy breakfast to make that only requires four ingredients? German pancakes are my go-to because they just use the staples: eggs, milk, flour, and a bit of butter! They’re so easy, and we love putting all kinds of toppings on them!
- If you have leftover German pancakes, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that one of Victor Manca’s daughters coined the name Dutch baby.
- German pancakes use a whole lot more eggs and no added leavening agent. They are also baked in the oven to golden perfection. In contrast, the traditional American pancake uses baking soda or powder to help it fluff up, is cooked on a hot stovetop or grill, and is much fluffier when done.
Can this be made with almond milk?
I don’t know, the worst that will happen is that it will not puff up very well but still taste good so I think it’s worth trying!
Any idea how much to increase recipe for a 10×15 pyrex?
You can make it in that pan and it’ll just be thinner or you can increase the volume a bit, sometime I’ll do a 1.5 recipe for that pan and it works great too!
Very tasty! I served it with homemade raspberry sauce. I was a little worried that it had gotten too big in the oven, but it deflated a bit upon cutting and was just fine.
Here’s a picture.
Raspberry sauce sounds amazing!